IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS

If you are an EU citizen, a US citizen, Australian, Canadian or British you can enter Germany with just your passport. No visa is required. If you are a citizen of another country then we will work with you to identify the correct visa for entry.

If your children have EU citizenship then be sure to have them enter the country on those EU passports and not another from a Non-EU country. This means that there will be no associated citizenship hitches related to Child Benefit. Child Benefit is monthly and is 255 Euros per child (tax free) if you are an EU citizen.

Once we know when you will arrive we will either arrange for you to be met at the airport or ask you to take a taxi to your accommodation unless you are renting a car.

RESIDENCY

Philippa Kopp will accompany you to a pre-arranged residency appointment at the Residency Permit office to obtain your residency permit and Anmeldungsbestätigung (proof of registration). You will need your passports, children's birth certificates (apostilled), two biometric passport photos (these can be obtained at the office itself or the Hauptbahnhof (train station) but will mean you should arrive early to account for getting them before the appointment  and any marriage or partnership certificates.

MARRIED OR LEGALLY PARTNERED STAFF

If your partner will be joining you but is not an EU citizen they will be applying for residency based on your marriage or legal partnership. Some marriage certificates must be certified by the country of marriage (apostille) and then forwarded to a German Embassy in that country to be authenticated before you arrive in the country and apply for residence. This is definitely so if your country of marriage issued you a ‘short form’ marriage certificate. If either you or your spouse are non-EU nationals or were married in a non-EU country (even Canada) you may need to check .

IDENTIFICATION

There is no law stating that you must carry your passport at all times. You do need to have your ID with you however when operating a vehicle or carrying a weapon.