Turkey to Germany Relocation Checklist: First Steps After Your Visa Arrives

You have the visa sticker in your passport. The flight is booked. What happens in the first 90 days in Germany is more important than most Turkish professionals realize — these months determine how smoothly your legal status, employment, and daily life lock into place. Miss the Anmeldung deadline or skip the Krankenkasse enrollment and you face compounding problems. Get everything done in the right sequence and you build a stable foundation fast.

Here is the practical sequence, in order.

Before You Fly: What to Handle in Turkey

Military service status (for male Turkish citizens): Confirm your askerlik deferment plan is in order. If you are using the bedelli askerlik route, timing it before departure avoids complications later. If you are deferring through the consulate in Germany, gather the documents you will need (German residence permit, which you will receive upon arrival — but know the process is ready for you).

Savings in accessible form: The first weeks in Germany require cash flow for deposit, first month's rent, health insurance, and daily expenses before your first paycheck. Have at least €5,000–€8,000 in a form you can access in Germany. EUR held in a Turkish forex account or transferred to a foreign currency account before departure is practical. Do not rely exclusively on a Turkish debit card for the first weeks.

Housing research: Germany's rental market is competitive, especially in Berlin and Munich. Begin searching before you arrive. Major platforms:

• ImmoScout24 (immobilienscout24.de): Largest residential rental platform in Germany
• WG-Gesucht (wg-gesucht.de): Shared flat listings — popular for newcomers who need housing quickly without signing a long lease
• Immowelt: Second-largest general platform

Be aware that many landlords will not confirm a lease until you can provide German employment documentation. Furnished short-term rentals (Airbnb, Wunderflats, HEIMA) as a landing pad for the first 4 to 8 weeks give you time to find a permanent place once you are on the ground with your residence permit.

German health insurance documents: Your employer will enroll you in a Krankenkasse (statutory health fund). Know which fund you want to use — TK (Techniker Krankenkasse), AOK, and Barmer are the largest and most widely accepted. Contact the fund before arrival if you want to start the process early.

Days 1–14: Land and Secure Immediate Basics

Temporary accommodation: Stay in your pre-arranged furnished rental, Airbnb, or with family/friends in Germany for the first few weeks while you find permanent housing.

SIM card: Buy a German SIM on arrival at any electronics store (MediaMarkt, Saturn) or at the airport. A German mobile number is required for banking, government portals, and employer onboarding. Telekom, O2, and Vodafone are the main carriers. Prepaid SIM cards require identity verification with your Turkish passport — this is straightforward.

Start apartment search in earnest: With your employer's job contract in hand, respond to ImmoScout24 listings with a Selbstauskunft (tenant information form) and proof of income. German landlords typically require:

• Last 3 months of pay slips (or your employment contract if you have not started yet)
• SCHUFA credit report (you will not have one initially as a newcomer — mention this proactively and offer a larger deposit)
• Proof of income meeting 3× the monthly rent
• Passport copy

As a newcomer without SCHUFA history, some landlords are hesitant. Be prepared to offer 2–3 months' deposit instead of the standard 2 months.

Days 14–30: Anmeldung and Formal Registration

Anmeldung (Address Registration): Once you have a permanent address — even a sublease or furnished apartment with a proper rental agreement — you must register your address at the local Bürgeramt (citizens' office). This must happen within 14 days of moving into your permanent address (not your temporary accommodation, but be aware that the law technically requires it within 14 days of arrival in some states).

What you need:

• Valid passport
• A Wohnungsgeberbestätigung — a form signed by your landlord confirming you live at the address. This is a formal document; many German landlords provide it as a standard part of the rental process. You cannot Anmelden without it.
• The Anmeldung application form (available at the Bürgeramt or online)

The Anmeldung outputs a Meldebestätigung (registration confirmation). This document is essential for everything that follows: opening a German bank account, enrolling in Krankenkasse, applying for your residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis), and registering a car.

Book the Bürgeramt appointment: In Berlin and Munich, Bürgeramt appointments book up weeks in advance. Book your slot through the city's online system as soon as you arrive, even before you have a permanent address — by the time the appointment date arrives, you should have one.

Days 30–60: Administrative Setup

Apply for your German residence permit: After receiving your visa and entering Germany, you have up to 90 days to apply for your actual Aufenthaltserlaubnis (or Blaue Karte EU) at the local Ausländerbehörde. Book this appointment immediately — Ausländerbehörde appointments in Berlin and Munich often have 4 to 8 week waits. Bring your passport, Meldebestätigung (Anmeldung confirmation), employment contract, passport photos, the visa, and your Turkish documents (degree, Anabin printout or ZAB certificate).

Krankenkasse enrollment: Your employer handles this enrollment process. You choose your statutory health fund and sign the enrollment form. Coverage typically begins the day your employment contract starts. Your Krankenkasse issues you a Gesundheitskarte (health insurance card) within 2 to 4 weeks.

German bank account: With your Anmeldung and German address, open a German bank account. Online banks (N26, DKB) are generally easier for newcomers without full SCHUFA history. N26 opens accounts entirely online; traditional banks (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank) require an in-person visit but offer fuller services. Your employer needs your German IBAN to pay salary — open this within the first few weeks.

Tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer): The German tax authority (Finanzamt) automatically sends your tax ID to your registered address within 2 to 4 weeks of Anmeldung. This is a passive process — you do not apply, it arrives by post. Keep it safe; your employer needs it for payroll.

Days 60–90: Integration and Administrative Completion

ELSTER account: Germany's online tax portal (elster.de) allows you to file annual income tax returns. Registration requires your Steueridentifikationsnummer. This is optional in your first year but worth setting up.

Turkish consulate registration: Register as a Turkish citizen living in Germany (Yurt Dışı Vatandaş Kaydı) through the Turkish consulate in your city. This is useful for voting, consular services, and managing your Turkish military status from abroad.

Turkish military deferment: If you are deferring askerlik while living in Germany, apply through the Turkish consulate with your German residence permit documentation once your Aufenthaltserlaubnis is issued.

German driving license conversion: If you hold a Turkish driving license, you can apply for a German driving license through the Führerscheinstelle without retaking the full test — Turkey and Germany have a reciprocal recognition agreement. You need your Turkish license translated into German and an eye test (available at any optician).

A Note on Housing: The Biggest Practical Challenge

The German rental market is the hardest practical hurdle for Turkish professionals arriving in Berlin and Munich. Supply is tight, prices have risen, and landlords prioritize applicants with SCHUFA history and stable income documentation. Turkish professionals without existing German credit history should:

1. Use temporary furnished housing for the first 4 to 8 weeks to decompress and search properly
2. Apply with a complete Selbstauskunft, detailed employment contract, and offer of a higher deposit upfront
3. Reach out to the Turkish-German community — private sublets and housing leads circulate in Facebook groups like "Türkler Almanya'da" and "Berlin Türk Topluluğu"
4. Consider newer or peripheral neighborhoods (Neukölln, Tempelhof, Lichtenberg in Berlin; Pasing or Moosach in Munich) where competition is slightly lower

For the complete Turkey-to-Germany guide — covering the visa process, Turkish-specific documents, degree recognition, and everything through your first months in Germany — the Turkey to Germany Skilled Worker Guide has the full sequence in detail.

See more Germany guides →