Moving to Germany? Skip the Bureaucracy Confusion.
Step-by-step guides for visas, apartments, health insurance, and freelancing — written by someone who has done it, not copied from a government PDF.
Get the Free ‘First 30 Days in Germany’ Checklist
Trusted by 2,000+ newcomers | Updated for 2026 visa rules | No German required
You have 47 browser tabs open, and none of them agree.
One blog says you need a blocked account. Another says you don’t. The official website is in German. The Facebook group is arguing about whether health insurance is mandatory from Day 1. You are not stuck because you are not smart enough. You are stuck because the information is fragmented, outdated, and written for people who already understand the system.
ExpatSteps exists to fix that. Every guide is tested, updated, and written in plain English for people who are in Germany now — or packing their bags next month.
What You’ll Find Here
| Topic | What You Get |
| Visas & Immigration | Chancenkarte, Blue Card, freelancer visa — eligibility, documents, timelines, and common rejection reasons |
| Housing | How to rent without Schufa, decode your rental contract, and handle the Anmeldung |
| Money & Work | Freelancer setup, health insurance comparison, tax registration, and invoice templates |
| Day-to-Day Life | Doctors, public transport, recycling, and the unwritten social rules no one explains |
Social Proof / Credibility
“I got my freelancer visa approved in 6 weeks because of the document checklist on ExpatSteps. I would have missed two required forms without it.”
— Sarah K., UX Designer from Toronto, now in Berlin
Start with the checklist. Everything else follows.
The First 30 Days in Germany Checklist is a printable, one-page guide with every appointment, document, and deadline you need to handle in your first month. It is free, and it takes 30 seconds to download.