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Relocation guide

🇩🇪 Moving to Germany: Language & Your First Week

Moving to Germany means learning German — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are the Anmeldung — mandatory address registration at your local Bürgeramt, usually within 14 days of moving in, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.

German is genuinely required for the Anmeldung, most doctor's offices, and rental viewings — many Bürgeramt clerks offer no English at all. Standard Hochdeutsch is what you'll practise, but expect regional colour (Bavarian, Berlin, Swabian) once you settle.

Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's German curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →

Do you need to speak German to move to Germany?

Yes — you’ll need practical German for the essentials. Moving to Germany means handling the Anmeldung in German, plus the doctor, the bank and your landlord. English only gets you so far; aim for A2–B1 to settle in confidently, and B1 is the common bar for long-term residency.

Moving to Germany: key facts

Which app should you use to learn German for moving to Germany?

Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to Germany, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the German that decides your first months: the Anmeldung — mandatory address registration at your local Bürgeramt, usually within 14 days of moving in, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.

• Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
• Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
• Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 German pointed at settling in Germany, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
• 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.

What to do in your first week in Germany?

1. Register your address / residency — the Anmeldung — mandatory address registration at your local Bürgeramt, usually within 14 days of moving in.
2. Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
3. Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
4. Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
5. Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.

Visa & permits: EU citizens register freely; non-EU movers need a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) from the Ausländerbehörde, often tied to a work or Blue Card visa. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.

German phrasebooks you'll need

What do expats say about language in Germany?

• German stacks whole phrases into one word — 'Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung' means 'speed limit'.
• All nouns are capitalised in German — der Hund, die Katze, das Haus.
• Germany has over 1,500 types of sausage and around 1,500 kinds of beer.
• The Autobahn has stretches with no official speed limit.
• 'Doch' is a magic word — it contradicts a negative, like saying 'yes, it is!'.