Guides

I went through the questions people ask most across the internet about German bureaucracy and paperwork, and put together the answers.

Understanding German official letters

What Mahnung, Bescheid, Frist, Widerspruch and other common letters mean, and what to do before the deadline.

Extending your Aufenthaltstitel, the Ausländerbehörde appointment, and what a Fiktionsbescheinigung means.

What the broadcasting fee is, who pays, how it works in a shared flat, and how to handle the letters.

Registering and deregistering your address, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, and finding a Bürgeramt appointment.

Public versus private, what it costs, cover between jobs, and the bills that surprise people.

Your tax numbers, tax classes, the Steuererklärung, church tax, and Finanzamt letters.

Opening an account, what SCHUFA is, why you get rejected, and how the Sperrkonto works.

The deposit, running costs, moving out, and your rights when a landlord withholds money.

Contracts, probation, notice and termination, sick leave, and student work hours.

Who qualifies, how long it takes, the documents, and what the waiting looks like.

Kindergeld, Elterngeld, BAföG and BAB, who qualifies, and how to apply.

More guides are on the way.