All kinds of challenges may arise in your professional life. With Barmer, you can rest assured that you‘re in safe hands with complete health cover. We work with the best medical professionals, and our healthcare and treatment plans are especially varied and flexible. Digital services, like the Barmer App, support you in everyday life, promote your health and improve your work/life balance.

There are only a few things that are absolutely indispensable when you‘re new in Germany as an employee. We walk you through them step by step and tell you where to go to get what you need.

Step 1: Your registration

Once you‘ve found somewhere to live, you have to register your new address with the Einwohnermeldeamt (residents’ registration office). You can usually do this at the Rathaus (town hall) or Bürgeramt (administrative office for citizens). In most cases, you need to present proof of your new residential address. You are then issued with an Anmeldebestätigung (confirmation of address registration), which is a document needed for many administrative tasks in Germany. For any questions regarding address registration, you can call the number 115 or visit www.115.de/en.

Step 2: Your tax ID number

During your first registration at the Einwohnermeldeamt (Residents registration office), a notification is automatically sent to the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Central Tax Office). Your steuerliche Identifikationsnummer (Tax ID Number) is then issued and sent via standard post to your registered address, usually within 2 weeks. In some cases, your employer can also apply for this number on your behalf. The Tax ID Number never changes and is required when you open a German bank account or start working.

Step 3: Your health insurance

In Germany, you also need health insurance cover. Barmer is one of Germany‘s largest health insurance companies. In case that you have any question please call our service hotline. A Barmer representative will be able to tell you the quickest and simplest way of joining. You also can use the button “become a member”. We‘ll then take care of informing your employer or university about your health insurance policy on your behalf.

Step 4: Your social security number

You‘ll also need a social security number (Rentenversicherungsnummer or RVNR), so that your employer can pay you and we can process your health insurance contributions. Barmer can apply for this number on your behalf, and you‘ll receive it in the post a few days later. Then you can give the number to your new employer. 

Step 5: Your bank account

Next, you‘ll need to open a current account with a German bank. To do this, you will also need your confirmation of address registration and tax ID number. It‘s a good idea to compare offers first, as some banks don‘t charge account maintenance fees for current accounts. 

Step 6: Your visa

When you apply for your visa, authorities check whether your educational degrees are recognised in Germany. In the case they are, you will receive a visa for four years upon submission of the relevant documents (employment contract, certificates, passport and passport photo). However, if your degree is not recognised, your future employer and you have to submit your certificates for evaluation by the German authorities. If the result of the evaluation is positive, you can go ahead with the visa application process. Further information can be found at: www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/einreiseundaufenthalt/visabestimmungen-node