Living in Germany


Would you like to move to Germany or have you recently come to Germany to live here permanently?

According to Community law and the principle of freedom of movement, every EU citizen has the right to reside and settle in another EU member state. For a stay of up to three months, a valid identity card or passport is sufficient. For a stay of more than three months, you may reside in another member state under the following conditions:

  • Proof of employment or self-employment
  • Study or vocational training (enrolment in an educational or training institution)
  • if you are not in any of the above situations, you must provide proof that you have sufficient resources not to become a burden on the social system of the host Member State. In addition, you must provide proof that you yourself and each member of your family who is claiming the right of residence with you is covered by health insurance.

The information in this section is primarily aimed at EU citizens. If you come from a non-EU country, please contact the Foreigners’ Registration Office directly responsible for you.

The right to enter and reside in Germany is granted in particular to:

  • EU nationals, EEA nationals or Swiss nationals who wish to stay in Germany as workers, to look for work, for vocational training or to study, and their family members (regardless of nationality) if they accompany or join the EU citizen.
  • EU nationals, EEA nationals or Swiss nationals if they are entitled to pursue a self-employed activity (established self-employed workers) and their family members (irrespective of their nationality) if they accompany or join them.
  • Non-working Union citizens, nationals of the EEA or Switzerland, if they have sufficient health insurance cover and sufficient financial means to secure their livelihoods, and their family members (regardless of nationality) if they accompany or join them, provided that they also have sufficient health insurance cover and sufficient financial means to secure their livelihoods

Note: Persons – including EU citizens – who wish to stay in Germany to look for work are not entitled to social benefits or unemployment benefit II for the duration of their job search.

Moving to or from the Netherlands: M-tax return (aangifte) now also possible online

If you have only lived in the Netherlands for part of the year, file an M-tax return. As of 1 June 2021, you no longer have to file your M-tax return on paper. You can also submit it online using your DigiD or a European-approved login tool (eIDAS).
Read more here: https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/de/privatpersonen/inhalt/teil-nicht-in-den-niederlanden-leben-m-steuererklaerung