Moving to Germany from the UK

How to Emigrate from UK to Germany

The Brexit transition period officially ended on 31^st December 2020, bringing in a new era for the United Kingdom. As the UK is no longer part of the EU, British citizens will be subject to immigration conditions.

Since the UK decided to leave the European Union, the residency rights of UK citizens in Germany have changed, and people planning on moving to Germany must now ensure that they abide by the immigration rules.

Currently, you can enter Germany without a visa or residence permit, but if you wish to seek employment, you must apply for a residence permit.

In some cases, depending on the visa, you may be required to apply for an employment visa before you enter the country.

Post-Brexit, the United Kingdom is largely being treated as one of a select group of non-EEA countries whose citizens enjoy less stringent immigration conditions in Germany than those from other non-EEA countries.

The post-Brexit landscape will make it more difficult for Britons to emigrate to Germany. However, you can still begin a new life in Germany if you meet certain conditions, which will be explained in greater details on this page.

Do British Citizens Need a Permit to Live in Germany?

It is still possible to visit Germany without a visa for up to 90 days as a British citizen. However, if you want to live in Germany (or spend longer than 90 days in the country) you need to apply for a residency permit and register yourself in Germany. This applies whether you are emigrating to Germany to work, study, undertake vocational training or to reunite with family.

When you arrive in Germany, you must register at your local registration office within 14 days of arrival. Bear in mind that the office might have different titles locally such as Einwohnermeldeamt, Kreisverwaltungsreferat (KVR), Burgerburo or Burgeramt.

There are three main residency permits in Germany: Temporary Residence Permit, Permanent Residence Permit and the EU Blue Card.

If you are a highly qualified person, you may be eligible for the EU Blue Card (more on this below). However, the majority of British citizens who wish to emigrate to Germany will need to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit/Limited Residence Permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis).

The Temporary Residence Permit is granted to foreign nationals if they have a specific reason for staying in Germany. If you are emigrating to Germany to work, study, undertake a vocational course or reunite with family, you can apply for the Limited Residence Permit.

What do I Need to Know About the Temporary Residence Permit?

The Temporary Residence Permit is granted to foreign nationals if they have a specific reason for staying in Germany.

If you are emigrating to Germany to work, study, undertake a vocational course or reunite with family, you can apply for a Temporary Residence Permit.

When you apply for the Temporary Residence Permit, you need to state the reason why you want to move to Germany. If your application is successful, you will be given a card which states the reason why you are in Germany and what you are permitted to do.

You will only be able to undertake and participate in certain activities in Germany, which are in line with the reason you wanted to move to Germany. For example, you might be given a card which allows you study in Germany as a student, but not work.

Generally, the Temporary Residence Permit is valid for one year. However, it can be extended provided your circumstances haven’t changed significantly.

Ultimately, the Temporary Residence Permit provides a base from which you can begin your journey towards permanent residency in Germany.

What are the Requirements for a German Residence Permit?

In order to be eligible for a residence permit, you will need to be able to fulfil a number of requirements.

The main requirements are as follows:

• Have a valid passport
• Able to prove your proficiency in German is at least to B1 level
• Have German health insurance
• Not have a criminal record
• Able to demonstrate that you have the financial means to support yourself (and any family members)
• Pass a health check which proves you are healthy enough to work and/or study in Germany

You will also need to provide certain other information, depending on your circumstances.

• If you will be working in Germany, you must provide a letter from your employer in Germany with job offer and description
• If you will be studying in Germany, you will need proof that you have been admitted into a university
• If you will be joining your spouse/civil partner in Germany, you will need to provide a recognised marriage/civil partnership certificate

How Do I Apply for a German Residence Permit?

You can begin the process of applying for a residence permit in Germany either in the UK or within 90 days of arriving in Germany. Owing to the length of time it can take to process immigration applications, we recommend starting the process whilst you are in the UK.

The first thing you need to do is register your new German address with the German authorities. Once you have registered your address, you will get a certificate.

It is imperative that you register your German address. You will not be eligible for a residence permit if you do not do this.

Getting Health Insurance and a German Bank Account

If you want to apply for a residence permit, you must have health insurance. Your health insurance must be provided by a German company too.

As mentioned, you must provide evidence that you have the financial means to support yourself and any family members in Germany.

It is prudent to open a German bank account before applying for German residency. You could transfer funds to that bank account and get bank statements to prove your financial status, which you can then submit to the German authorities along with your other information.

Temporary Residence Permit for Employment

If a German company offers you a job, you will be eligible to apply for a Temporary Residence Permit.

As a British citizen, it is not expected that you will need to apply for a specific work visa/permit to work in Germany. Also, you do not need to have a job offer before you travel to Germany (though you can only receive a residence permit with a job offer).

As mentioned, you will also need to have proficiency in German and have health insurance to be eligible for the permit.

Your German employer needs to prove that the position couldn’t be filled by a German or EU citizen, or a priority workers (those who have been in Germany for a long time). You must also get approval from the Federal Employment Agency or Bundeagentur fur Arbeit.

Generally, your permit will be valid for the length of your contract. You can extend the permit as long as you maintain your employment status.

Can I move to Germany as a Self-Employed Person?

It is possible to move to Germany if you’re self-employed. However, it is a particularly lengthy and complex process to secure a German residence permit as a self-employed person.

To be accepted as a self-employed person in Germany, you will need to:

• Prove the business will fulfil a need in Germany and benefit its economy
• Show a viable business plan
• Prove you have the relevant experience
• Show evidence of business funding
• Prove that you can financially support yourself

If you are over the age of 45, you will need to show evidence of your own pension provision.

If you are a freelance worker, you can also apply for a residence permit on the basis of being self-employed. In Germany, a freelancer is determined as someone with catalog professions, known as katalogberufe. This includes those working in science and engineering, the arts, teaching, professional writing, doctors, dentists and lawyers.

Working in Germany

There are a number of work visas that UK citizens can apply for if they wish to move to Germany.

These include:

1. Job Seeker Visa
2. Visa for Qualified Professionals
3. Visa for IT Professionals
4. Visa for Self-Employment

1. Job Seeker Visa

Unlike the UK, Germany allows eligible individuals the opportunity to come without a concrete job offer, with the possibility of staying for up to six months to look for work.

Applicants must meet strict eligibility criteria, including the following:

• You must provide evidence of having attended a vocational or academic institution
• Your qualifications are recognised as valid in Germany
• You hold a professional practice permit (where relevant)
• You hold a minimum level of German language skills (typically B1 level on the CEFR scale)
• You are able to financially maintain yourself while looking for work

2. Visa for Qualified Professionals

This visa is for individuals who attended a higher education institution or qualified vocational training outside of Germany.

The requirements for this visa include:

• Germany recognises your qualifications as being valid
• You hold a professional practice permit (if working in a regulated industry such as healthcare)
• You have received a job offer from an eligible employer
• If you are aged over 45 years old, your gross annual salary must be at least €46,860

3. Visa for IT Professionals

As IT is a highly in-demand field, there is a visa available solely for professionals in the field of information technology.

Applicants must demonstrate that they have the following:

• A minimum of three years of professional experience in IT during the last seven years
• Successful completion of training courses and/or exams to demonstrate theoretical knowledge
• An eligible job offer in the IT sector with a salary of at least €51,120 annually
• German language skills of at least B1 level

4. Visa for self-employment

It is possible for certain self-employed individuals to start a business or work on a freelance basis in Germany.

To start a business, immigrants must be able to demonstrate the following:

• There is economic interest and demand in your product or service
• Your company will positively affect the local or national economy
• You have the capacity to fund your business concept with your own finances or an eligible loan
• If you are aged over 45 years, you must be able to provide proof of eligible old age pension provisions

Finding somewhere to live checklist

Once you have understood your visa obligations, and you have chosen the most appropriate route based on your circumstances, the next question will be finding accommodation for you and any dependents.

Below is a checklist of finding somewhere to live if you move to Germany from the UK:

1. When you first move to Germany, you must register yourself at the Residents’ Registration Office or Citizens’ Registration Office within two weeks of your arrival
2. You will need to present a valid identity document in order to register. If you are renting a property, you must have a housing provider confirmation document
3. Check the housing costs of your chosen location in Germany using this rental rate checker to look at different German cities
4. If you decide to rent, you must sign a lease stating your rights and obligations as a tenant
5. You should have your documents ready to present to a potential landlord (passport, payslips, details of a guarantor, credit report, reference from previous landlords)
6. You must register and sign a contract with energy and water utility companies (unless they are included as part of your rent)
7. Sign up for health insurance with a valid health insurance company
8. Register for phone, WIFI, and television providers, as well as a German bank account and your tax ID number

Renting is a popular choice in Germany, with the majority of Germans choosing to rent. There is a strong rental market, with the average rental cost of an apartment in Berlin reaching approximately €1,100.

Depending on the location, you can expect to pay between one-quarter and one-third of your monthly income on rent.

Munich, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart are major cities, each one relatively expensive to live in when compared with another Germany city.

You may come across the term ‘4ZKB’ when you are searching for a place to rent.

This is colloquial term for a standard German rented apartment, meaning for rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom (Zimmer, Küche, Badezimmer).

Buying a property in Germany is complex, and may not be suitable for some individuals when they first move from the UK to Germany.

However, if you do wish to buy, you should be aware that you may be required to pay between 40% and 50% of the property cost of the property when applying for a mortgage.

Family Reunification in Germany

You can apply to become a resident in Germany on the basis of your relationship to a family member who is living in Germany.

For British citizens, there is no German Family Visa or Spouse Visa per se. A British citizen who qualifies for family reunification will instead be able to apply for a temporary residence permit.

To be eligible, you must be one of the following to the family member:

• Spouse/civil partner
• Long-term unmarried partner
• Their child who is under 16
• Their child who is between the ages of 16 and 18 and you are not married, divorced or widowed

It is also possible to apply for family reunification if you are the parent/legal guardian of a child under the age of 16 who is a German citizen.

How do I Reunite with my Family in Germany?

Generally speaking, the process of family reunification for British citizens will be similar if your family member is a German citizen or person with permanent residency, or if they are an EU citizen currently working and living in Germany.

However, if your family member is from a non-EEA country and they are living and working in Germany, there are certain conditions which must be met in order for you to be able to join them.

• Your partner has a permanent residence permit or an EU Blue Card for Germany
• As a family, you have enough money to financially support yourselves
• Your partner has rented accommodation in Germany which is large enough for your family
• You have sufficient health insurance cover
• You must have basic knowledge of German, which typically needs to be at B1 level

If you have children who are born in Germany and you have a valid right of residence, they will receive a residence permit.

How much does it cost to move from the UK to Germany?

The cost of an international move can vary greatly depending on your circumstances. Below are some of the most common costs.

1. Visa application costs
2. Medical insurance
3. Cost of living
4. Storage costs
5. Removal and packing costs

1. Visa application costs

To apply to live in Germany, you will incur a number of costs as a UK citizen. These include:

• Schengen Visa application costs: €80 per adult and $40 per child aged between six and 12 years, free if aged below six years
• Long-Stay Visa application: €75 per adult, €38 per child aged under 18 years

Visa application fees are non-refundable, so it is important to be confident of your decision before submitting an application.

2. Medical insurance

If you plan to live in Germany, you must have medical insurance. 90% of all German residents join the statutory insurer (known as gesetzliche Krankenkasse) where they pay a monthly fee.

The statutory public health insurance fee is 14.6% of an employee’s gross salary (half paid for by the employee, and half by the employer) and it is capped at a maximum of €360 per month.

It may also be possible to join a private healthcare provider (10% of the population have private plans).

3. Cost of living

The cost of living in Germany is lower than in Germany, and many other European countries. The estimated average cost of living in Germany is between €900 – €2,500 per month, depending on where you live and your circumstances.

This figure can vary widely from person to person, but it is recommended to have a basic idea of your living costs before moving, in order to ensure that you can financially manage. Comparison websites such as Numbeo can help you learn more about living costs in Germany compared to the UK. According to this website, you can expect the following differences in living costs:

• Consumer prices are higher in the UK by 3.89%
• Rent prices are 11.49% higher in the UK than in Germany
• Restaurant prices are 18.92% higher in the UK than in Germany
• Groceries cost 7.60% higher in the UK
• Local purchasing power is 14.49% lower in the UK than in Germany

4. Storage costs

This may or may not apply to your situation, but some people choose to place belongings or furniture in storage when they embark on an international move.

The cost of storage varies depending on the company you choose, how many items you wish to store, and how long you wish to store them. The average cost of self-storage in the UK is £23.94 per square foot per year.

5. Removal and packing costs

The average cost of moving your belongings from the UK to mainland Europe (including Germany) is between £2,000 and £3,000.

The cheaper option may be for road removal, however, this is likely to take longer. You can move your belongings by air, but this will likely be more expensive. If you choose to pay for packing services, this will likely be an additional cost. In some cases, it may also be cheaper to buy new furnishings in your new country rather than pay to transport them.

Does Germany allow dual citizenship?

In general, Germany does not permit dual citizenship. EU citizens living in Germany are not required to renounce their citizenship if they wish to naturalise as German citizens, and vice versa for German citizens.

The same was true for UK citizens before Brexit, however, this has changed.

The only British citizens who are entitled to dual citizenship in Germany are those individuals who were living there prior to 31st December 2020.

If this applies to you, you will be protected by the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and you may continue to have the same rights.

However, if you are planning to move from the UK to Germany after this date, you are unlikely to be able to hold dual citizenship, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

This means you may have to decide to renounce your British citizenship if you ever wish to hold German citizenship.

This could be a difficult decision to make, and it is important to be aware of the implications of renouncing your citizenship.

What are EU Blue Cards?

EU Blue Cards are for highly-qualified people who are from non-EU countries. Holders of EU Blue Cards can live and work in EU countries without the need to go through the standard immigration systems of those countries.

In Germany, you could be eligible for an EU blue card if you have at least a university degree and a guaranteed job with an income of at least €56,400 (as of February 2023). If you will be working in an occupation with a shortage of workers, this is reduced to €45,552.

EU Blue Card holders enjoy more favourable immigration conditions than those living in Germany with a temporary residence permit.

When Can I Apply for Permanent Residency and Citizenship in Germany as a British Citizen?

Typically, you can apply for permanent residency in Germany once you have spent five years lawfully living in the country. Spouses of German citizens and graduates from a German university may be eligible sooner.

As a person with permanent residency, you can stay in Germany without any immigration conditions. However, you won’t have the same rights as a German citizen. You can apply for German citizenship after you have lived in Germany for eight years.