Moving to Berlin as a Job Seeker
Each and every year, a large crop of newcomers arrive in Berlin as job seekers. The city offers ample possibilities for those searching for work, with an ever-growing job market for international workers. Whether you work in the fields of tech, IT, tourism, customer service or marketing, you will find a city brimming with employment opportunities.
But what are the key steps for job seekers moving to Berlin? Follow our checklist below for a smooth relocation…
Job Seeker Visa
You will likely need a Job Seeker Visa in order to come to Berlin to search for employment. The visa permits you to enter Germany and live in Berlin for up to 6 months while hunting for your dream job.
To help you with your Job Seeker Visa application, we have put together some step-by-step visa guides:
Health Insurance
Health insurance is mandatory for everyone living in Germany, including job seekers. You also need suitable insurance to apply for a Job Seeker Visa for Germany.
Thankfully, there is a great health insurance option for job seekers in the form of Feather’s Expat Health Insurance. To read more about why this insurance cover is suitable, see our German health insurance guide.
Accommodation
As a job seeker, you may not want or be able to commit to a long-term lease in Berlin before securing a job. But you will of course still need a roof over your head while searching for work.
Smartments are a perfect accommodation provider for job seekers looking for a short-term place to live. They have 3 Berlin locations in Prenzlauer Berg, Karlshorst and City-West.
For further tips on finding an apartment in Berlin, see our Berlin Apartment Hunting Guide.
Banking
On arrival in a new country, it is essential that you can easily access your money while steering clear of costly bank fees, poor exchange rates and slow international transfers.
For job seekers, our favourite choice is a Wise borderless account. Through Wise, you can manage 40 currencies in your account and transfer between them in seconds, a valuable service for newcomers in Germany.
For alternative options, see our Banking Guide for Germany.
Personal Liability Insurance
While it is an ‘optional’ insurance, the majority of residents in Germany consider personal liability insurance to be a necessity. And for good reason. In Germany, accidents and mishaps can result in severe financial consequences in the event you cause injury or damage to a third party.
For under €5 a month, you can get the liability cover you need from GETSAFE, a reliable and expat-friendly insurance provider.
To find out more about the importance of personal liability insurance in Germany, see here.
Job Searching
Being a job seeker in Berlin, your main aim is naturally to secure employment in the city. To help you get started, we have put together extensive resources to help you with your job hunt:
Once you obtain a job in Berlin, you can then apply for a Work Visa or EU Blue Card at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde).
Starting work in Germany
Once you have secured a job offer in Berlin (hooray!), you will need to arrange various bits of paperwork before you can start working. The main documents you will need to show your new German employer will include:
German tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer)
German social security number (Sozialversicherungsnummer)
Further details of all these documents and how you can obtain them can be found here.