About Guide Germany

Moving to a new country is one of the most exciting things you can do, but it is also one of the most bureaucratically challenging. Germany, for all its quality of life, still runs on appointments you cannot get at the Bürgeramt, a Steuer-ID that arrives by post weeks later, and paper forms that assume you already know the system.

Guide Germany was created by expats, for expats. We know what it feels like to stare at a German-language government form, unsure which box to tick. We built this site because we wished it had existed when we first arrived.

Our mission is simple: provide clear, accurate, and up-to-date information about every aspect of life in Germany, from the Anmeldung and opening a bank account to choosing a SIM card, an energy supplier, and the right health insurance.

What We Cover

✓Anmeldung, Steuer-ID and registration paperwork
✓German banking for non-citizens
✓Health insurance, GKV and PKV
✓SIM cards, eSIMs, and home internet
✓Electricity and gas suppliers
✓Credit cards and fintech apps
✓Housing search and renting
✓Universities and student life

Our Team

Guide Germany is maintained by the small expat team behind How to Austria, How to France, and How to Spain. We come from diverse professional backgrounds, but we share one thing in common: we have all been the newcomer staring at a government form in a language we were still learning.

Editorial Team

Content & Research

Our writers research German law, policy updates, and practical processes to ensure every guide is accurate and current.

Technical Team

Tools & Calculators

We build free tools like the plan pickers and comparison tables to help you make informed decisions.

Community Team

Reader Support

We read every message and continuously update our content based on reader feedback and questions.

How This Site Is Funded

Affiliate Disclosure: Full Transparency

Guide Germany is a free resource and we intend to keep it that way. To cover our operating costs (hosting, research, and content production), some of our guides contain affiliate links to products and services we genuinely recommend.

When you click an affiliate link and sign up or make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This includes links to banks, insurance providers, mobile carriers, and other services relevant to newcomers.

Our editorial promise: Affiliate relationships never influence our recommendations. We only recommend services we have used ourselves or thoroughly researched. If a service is not good, we say so, even if they offer an affiliate programme.

For full details, please read our Ethics & Affiliate Policy .

Have a Question?

We are always happy to hear from fellow expats. Reach out anytime.