Moving to Germany from the UK: a complete how to guide

Thinking of taking the leap and moving to Germany? You’re not alone, since over 80,000 Brits already call Germany their home.¹

If you like living in a stable country with a strong economy, you will thrive in Germany. Also, from its untouched nature to the bustling cities, there’s a place for everyone to settle.

In this guide, we’ve listed all the important information you need to know about moving to Germany from the UK. This includes how to get a visa, what the whole procedure is like after Brexit, as well as the cost of living and options for retiring in Germany.

We’ll also point out the most cost-effective way to manage your money across borders. Open a Wise multi-currency account and you can send money between the UK and Germany for low fees and a fair exchange rate.

Let’s start with some basic information you need to know before moving to Germany from the UK.

Living in Germany - what you need to know

• Currency - Euro (EUR)
• Main languages - German, English, French²
• Population - 83,291,421³
• Number of British expats - 84,605¹

Cost of living in Germany⁴

Ahead of moving to a new place, it’s good to get an idea of how far your money will go. The cost of living in Germany is comparable to the UK in many areas. However, living in the UK is more expensive in general.

To give you an idea of average prices in Germany, here are a few examples:

	Cost in Germany	Cost in UK
Three-course meal for two people	£51.52	£60
Loaf of bread	£1.57	£1.07
Draught beer (0.5l)	£3.43	£4.5
Monthly public transport pass	£55.81	£67
Utilities - monthly	£233.09	£207.62

When it comes to rent prices, apartments in Germany are over 20% cheaper than in the UK. There’s even more of a difference when you live outside of the city centre or in a smaller city. Either way, you’ll be saving money on rent in Germany.

If you wish to buy an apartment for yourself, the situation is completely opposite. On average, you’ll pay around 20% more per square meter in Germany than you would in the UK. Even when buying outside the city centre, expect a similar difference.

Healthcare system⁵

All German residents need to have some sort of health insurance. It can be either state insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) or private (private Krankenversicherung). The majority of Germans have state insurance. It can be either paid for by you or by your German employer, by being taken from your salary. If you want to, you can add your dependents to your statutory insurance free of charge.

Before seeing a doctor, make sure they take statutory-insured patients. You’ll recognize them if they’re registered as Kassenarzt, Vertragsarzt or Alle Kassen, meaning they take all insurance.

Besides your monthly contributions, you still might need to pay for some services. For example, a day in the hospital is 10 euros. Also, you’ll need to pay for prescription medication.

If you’re a legal resident in Germany and you receive a UK State Pension, the UK might be the one responsible for your healthcare. You can find more information on this as well as how to apply using the S1 form on the UK Government’s website.

Opening a bank account in Germany⁶

In order to open a bank account in Germany, you must be a resident. There are two main types of bank accounts in Germany - current and savings. You’ll find them under the names Girokonto and Sparkonto.

Depending on the type of account you want to open, the documentation you’ll need varies. However, most banks will require some of these things:

• Passport with a valid visa or residence permit
• Proof of address
• Evidence of income or employment
• Proof that you are a student, if opening a student account

Also, besides providing your ID, you’ll be asked to prove your identity officially. You can do this at a post office or online, following the post-ident identity check procedure.

Many international banks also have branches in Germany, so you might not need to open a whole new account. You just need to arrange with your bank in the UK that the account gets transferred to Germany.

Finding a job in Germany⁷

Germany has the largest economy in the EU and also a below average unemployment rate, so finding a job is usually not a major issue. However, it’s a good idea to start looking into jobs even before you officially move. Not only will it save you time, it might influence some other decisions about your new life in Germany.

Here are some of the most popular job seeking websites in Germany:

• Monster
• Kimeta
• Kununu
• MeineStellenboerse

For those that are still working on their German, there are also websites for jobs in English only. Examples are The Local and English Jobs. Teaching English is also something that’s in demand, so if you’re qualified, there might be a spot for you.

Once you’re settled in Germany, you could contact the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and get their help. They also offer German language courses and different consultations.

Renting or buying property in Germany

Finding a suitable place to live is one of the most important things to do when moving to any new country. Whether it’s renting or buying, picking a perfect apartment is most likely going to require effort and patience.

A little under 50% of German residents are homeowners.⁸ As a foreigner, you can also buy property without any difficulty. The only potential obstacle is financing, since you shouldn’t expect more than 60% coverage.⁹

The final step in buying property is drafting and signing a contract. For this, it’s best to hire an English-speaking notary, so that you avoid any potential errors. Also, the finalized contract will be read aloud in German, so you might want to consider bringing a translator with you.⁹

The seller will need to know that you’re stable enough financially for the purchase. You’ll need to prove that by either showing proof of existing funds or presenting the acceptance of loan your bank gave you. It then takes an average of 95 days to register the property’s new owner.⁹

Finding a place to rent is usually done online, through one of many popular housing portals. Some of them are:

• Immobilien Scout 24
• immowelt
• immobilo
• WG-GESUCHT
• Wohnungs Boerse

On average, a smaller apartment in the city centre will set you back just over 700 euros.¹⁰ Of course, the price varies depending on location within the country and within the city’s neighbourhoods.

Moving to Germany from the UK after Brexit

Ever since Brexit, the rules for UK citizens regarding living and working in the EU have changed significantly. The Schengen area allows 90 days of visa-free stay and anything above that requires visa application.

We’ll explain how you can apply for a long-term visa.

How to get a visa for Germany

You can either get a visa before traveling to Germany or when you’re already there. If you choose the latter, you need to visit your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) when you arrive and apply for a residence permit. You also need to register your new residence within 2 weeks of arrival.¹¹

The long-stay visas are called D visas and Germany issues three main types: work visas, student visas and visas for family reunion. Work visas usually last up to 5 years, after which you can apply for a permanent residence permit.¹²

The documents you need for your visa application can sometimes include proof of the reason for your stay and proof that you speak basic German. The latter is usually required for family reunion visas.¹²

Retiring in Germany

Relaxing and spending your retirement in one of Europe’s most stable countries sounds very appealing. Here’s how you can make that a reality.

Retirement visas

Germany doesn’t have special retirement visas like some other countries. Therefore, you just need a regular visa or residence permit if you wish to retire in Germany.¹³

Pensions¹⁴

If you end up retiring in Germany, you can claim your UK state pension there. You should contact the International Pension Centre and get the most recent information.

You can request to receive your pension into your German bank account. It will also be in the local currency. You can choose how often you’ll get paid - anywhere from 4 to 13 weeks.

How to move your belongings from the UK to Germany¹⁵

Ever since the UK left the EU, moving your things to Germany has become a bit more complicated. It’s recommended to work with an experienced relocation company and get some professional assistance.

If you want to import your belongings free of duties and border taxes, there are some steps you must take:

• prove you have a new residence in Germany
• prove that you’ve lived outside of Germany for the past 12 months

Only goods that you have been using for 6 months minimum can be exempt from custom duties. You also have to use them in Germany for another 12 months.

Moving to Germany from the UK - a checklist

Feeling overwhelmed with the list of things to do before your move to Germany? Here’s a checklist covering some of the main tasks you should focus on:

• Apply for your visa of choice
• Register your arrival with the authorities
• Find a place to live - you can either do this online or by traveling to Germany to look at properties
• Get an estimate for shipping your furniture and personal belongings over to Germany
• If you’re retired, request to have your UK state pension given to you in Germany and look into transferring personal pensions
• Begin researching German banks to find the right one for you or look into account transfer if you have a bank account in an international bank

Save on your relocation costs to Germany with Wise

Need to pay visa application fees or rental deposits before relocating to Germany? You might want to consider options other than your bank.

Using a Wise multi-currency account to cover international moving costs could be cheaper than using your bank. With Wise, you can send money between the UK and Germany for small, transparent fees and mid-market exchange rate.

You can also use Wise to receive income from the UK (such as pension payments) in GBP. This helps you avoid high conversion fees and exchange rates your bank will most likely have. Once the payment lands in your Wise account, you can convert it to EUR for lower fees and the mid-market exchange rate.

And before you officially open a German bank account, you can use your international Wise debit card to spend like a local from the moment you arrive. The card automatically converts to EUR at the fairest rate whenever you use it, so you don’t need to worry about exchanging money. All you’ll need is the one debit card for low-cost spending in 160+ countries.

Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

Sources used for this article:

1. Federal Statistical Office of Germany - number of UK expats in Germany
2. Language Knowledge - most popular languages in Germany
3. Worldometers - Germany population (2023)
4. Numbeo - cost of living in Germany compared to the UK
5. Gov.uk - healthcare in Germany
6. Expatica - a guide to opening a German bank account
7. Expatica - finding a job in Germany
8. Trading Economics - Germany home ownership rates
9. Global Property Guide - buying property in Germany
10. Numbeo - property prices in Germany
11. German Missions in the United Kingdom - long stay visas
12. Expatica - visas and immigration in Germany
13. Visa Guide - retiring in Germany
14. Gov.uk - State Pension if you retire abroad
15. German Customs (Zoll) - transferring residence

Sources checked on 28-Jul-2023.