Moving Checklist

Moving to Germany involves dozens of small tasks that are easy to underestimate individually but add up to real stress if left until the last minute.

Before You Leave Home

• Confirm your visa, housing and Anmeldung appointment (if bookable in advance) are all aligned in timing.
• Make copies — digital and physical — of your passport, admission letter, blocked account confirmation and insurance documents.
• Notify your home bank of international travel and check if your card works reliably in Germany, or open a German account remotely if your provider allows it.
• Research your arrival city's basics: SIM card providers, public transport, and the location of your Bürgeramt (registration office) relative to your housing.

What to Pack (and What Not To)

Electronics are usually cheaper and easier to buy locally than to bring, given voltage and adapter considerations. Prioritize documents, weather-appropriate clothing (German winters are genuinely cold), and anything irreplaceable — everything else is almost always available locally.

Your First Week Checklist

• Anmeldung (register your address) — this unlocks nearly everything else.
• Open or activate your bank account.
• Activate your health insurance and get your insurance card sorted.
• Get a local SIM card for reliable connectivity.
• Locate your university's international office and confirm your enrollment status.

Your First Month Checklist

• Register for your semester ticket (transport) if not automatically included.
• Set up online banking and any recurring payments (rent, insurance).
• Join a student group or attend an orientation event — the social side of settling in matters as much as the administrative side.

GSA Bridge™ turns this checklist into a sequenced, week-by-week plan tailored to your specific city and arrival date.