First time on this website? Start here.

Welcome: you are in the right place.

Whether you are already in Germany or planning your move; as a student, a young professional or a parent: Settle in Berlin is a trusted resource used by thousands of visitors every day. Here you will find answers on how to beat German bureaucracy, avoid common traps, saving precious time & budget.

What is on this website & how to find it

Each topic is explored via a detailed “How-to” guide, complete with no non-sense tips, alternatives, and a FAQ section. Can’t find the exact answer to your problem? No problem! Simply leave a question in the comments’ section under the relevant article (not this one here), and I will do my best to give you a personal answer, to the best of my ability.

Don’t know to where to start? The main menu is a good starting place. It contains the first few topics everyone should master when moving to Germany. It also contains a link to an overview page, which shows every single guide per category (bureaucracy, insurance, family life, job life, etc). If it all fails, you can use the search function too.

In the meantime, here are suggestions of lesser-known but essential topics:

• Liability insurance: often overlooked but it would be madness not to have one.
• Legal ways to lower your rent: you’d be surprised how often it is possible.
• Read before you sign a tenancy contract: tricks landlords might try to pull on you.
• German TV/Radio tax: the tax you might not know about but can’t ignore.

A bit about Bastien, the author of this platform:

First and foremost: I was just like you once. A newcomer to Germany who knew what he wanted when coming here, but knew very little about coming his way.

My name is Bastien. I’m French, 32 years old, married to a wonderful Danish woman, with 2 3 kids born in Germany. We all live in Neukölln, Berlin.

I have been running this platform for soon 14 years now. Most of the time, it has been next to my day-time job as a product manager. The story is simple: I kept helping my new-found friends and colleagues to go through the same stuff as I did. I then decided to share my experience online to save time. I kept adding more articles, answering more comments. What started as an humble record of my struggles is now a resource used by thousands of people everyday.

This work is seen as a leading source of trustworthy material. Over the years, it has been featured on Bundesregierung.de, Expat.com, Deutschlandfunk, Süddeutsche Zeitung & more.

To you, I want to be this relative, friend or connection that has been through it before, happy to help the next generation of newcomers. You can read more about my mission & my pledge here.

What sets this website apart:

• Clear & comprehensive how-to guides written by somebody in the same mindset as yours. No loose ends or catch 22 issues.
• Most of the time, guides are built upon thorough research and first-hand real-life experience. Bringing in the best of both worlds.
• Frank, sincere & open information that doesn’t put monetization first (more about how I deal with this topic here). Be informed and take qualified decisions.
• I personally answer any question posted in the comments section for further assistance, to the best of my ability.

See you other places

• You can sign-up to the newsletter, where you will be welcomed with a series of monthly emails. You will also be notified of new posts occasionally.

I wish you all the best & a fulfilling life you came here to find. Happy settling.

Bastien