Relocation Service Berlin
Relocating to Berlin can be tough without some extra support! To help you with your move, we have highlighted some market-leading relocation services in Berlin below. As there is not a relocation service in Berlin that covers all bases, we have detailed who can help with what, whether you are needing accommodation, Anmeldung, visa advice, translation support or expat-friendly banking services.
🏠 Accommodation & Anmeldung
A major roadblock to setting up in Berlin is finding suitable accommodation that allows you to register at the address, a process that is known as Anmeldung. Without completing your Anmeldung, your relocation grinds to a halt at the first hurdle – essentially, you are not able to receive your German tax ID, apply for a visa (residence permit) at the immigration office in Berlin or perform most administrative tasks in Germany without first registering at an address. In short, not completing your Anmeldung on arrival in Berlin can leave you in a tight spot!
A great solution to this is to book a furnished apartment with Smartments, who offer well-located, short-term accommodation in Berlin and permit you to complete your Anmeldung at their apartments with just a 14-night booking. By booking Smartments, you will have a roof over your head and can complete the all-important Anmeldung process within days of arriving in the German capital.
If Smartments does not take your fancy, then I hope you can still benefit from our free apartment hunting guides when finding accommodation in Berlin.
🛂 Visas and Residence Permits
Unless you are an EU/EEA citizen, you will need a visa (residence permit) for Germany in order to legally work, live or study in Berlin. As a starting point, we have created extensive visa guides that detail when, where and how to apply for different German visas, whether you are applying at the immigration office in Berlin or at a German consulate/embassy overseas.
Use our visa landing page to explore our guides and get comprehensive application information whether you are an employee, job seeker, freelancer, student or working holidaymaker.
In terms of a Berlin relocation service that can offer further support with this aspect of your relocation, you may be interested in booking a visa consultation with Go Easy Berlin. Go Easy Berlin has extensive experience across a wide range of German visas (residence permits) and can talk you through the application process and requirements. Mention that you were referred by Nomaden Berlin for a 5% discount on their rates.
👨⚕️ Health Insurance
Whatever your situation, you will need health insurance when living in Germany. The requirements vary depending on whether you are an employee, freelancer, job seeker, student, etc. To find out what type of health insurance you need when living in Germany, check out our health insurance guide – here you will also find details of our favourite insurance providers.
If you would like more personalised advice regarding health insurance, we highly recommend contacting Feather – they are an English-speaking insurance brokerage that can lay out your options and sign you up for a suitable health insurance policy completely free of charge. With regards to relocation services in Berlin, Feather is by far the slickest, most expat-friendly insurance brokerage on the market.
🤕 Personal Liability Insurance
When living in Germany, it is important to take out personal liability insurance to cover you for costs involving property damage or personal injury to a third party. To the surprise of many expats in Germany, an accident or mishap (e.g. bike collision) can quickly leave you with a hefty bill, which will need to be paid for from your private assets – there is no upper limit to the damages you can be liable for so getting liability insurance is a cheap and safe way to avoid a very nasty financial predicament.
We have further highlighted the importance of personal liability insurance here if you are still unsure if this type of insurance is relevant or necessary for you when living in Germany.
When weighing up different Berlin relocation services, our favourite provider for personal liability insurance is GETSAFE. Starting at around €2.50 per month, a GETSAFE policy is a small investment for ensuring you have the cover you need in the event of an accident.
📄 Document Translation
With regards to relocation services in Berlin, one of the most sought after services is document translation. Newcomers to Germany often need paperwork professionally translated in order to complete important relocation processes such as applying for a visa or registering an address – depending on what you are needing to do, this may require you to get translated copies of your marriage certificate, university diploma, driving licence, CV, etc.
For getting documents translated professionally, you may be interested in employing the services of lingoking, who are a well-rated translation service with access to an extensive network of professional linguists whether you are needing a standard or certified translation in Germany.
🗣️ Interpreting Services
If moving to Berlin, you will likely be required to attend some public sector appointments either at a town hall (Bürgeramt), the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) or your local tax office (Finanzamt). Unless you are already proficient in German, you may face a considerable language barrier depending on the complexity of the appointment.
For example, when you are applying for a visa, converting a driving licence or applying for a Rote Karte, it is important that you can both understand the worker and communicate throughout the appointment – while some public sector staff will speak some English, this is still not the norm in Berlin. If you are unable to clearly communicate, this can disrupt your appointment, cause confusion with the public sector worker, and even prevent you from completing the process you are needing to complete.
Thankfully, there is a relocation service in Berlin to help you with this! If you would like some language assistance at your appointments in Berlin, then you can book an interpreter via Red Tape Translation – their skilled interpreters will attend your appointment with you to ensure there are no misunderstandings or miscommunications, which will ultimately help you avoid all the pitfalls of not speaking German at your appointments.
💰 Banking Services
While not strictly a Berlin relocation service, we have highlighted some expat-friendly banks below as these can greatly help newcomers with their relocation to Germany. For a more comprehensive overview, see our guide of the best banks in Germany.
When it comes to banking in Germany, our favourite option is N26. N26’s standard account is free to set up and maintain and offers English-speaking customer support, a quick online sign-up process, free ATM withdrawals, and a range of other expat-friendly features.
If you are not eligible for N26, then we suggest signing up for a Deutsche Bank account at their Alexanderplatz branch. They are English-speaking in the branch and generally provide a good service.
We hope you benefit from the relocation services listed above when moving to Berlin! For lots of additional information about moving to Berlin (and Germany in general), check out our free relocation resources and blog.