How to Move to Germany: Visa, Registration and Citizenship
Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on
In short: To move to Germany from outside the EU, you usually need a visa for stays of more than three months. After you arrive, you register your address within two weeks and you need health insurance. Citizenship is possible after five years of lawful residence and with German at level B1.
How do you move to Germany from outside the EU?
Your route depends on your nationality and your goal. If you come from a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, you usually need a visa for a stay of more than three months. After you arrive, you register your address, you need health insurance, and after several years you may apply for citizenship.
This page is an overview. It names the main steps and links to one article for each topic. All facts come from official sources listed at the end, with the date of the source. This is general information, not legal advice. For your own case, ask the office that is responsible.
If you read German, the German version of this overview is the article einwandern-nach-deutschland. It is written separately and is not a translation.
Requirements at a glance
| Step | What the source says | Source, date |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | A visa is needed for stays of more than 3 months or for work. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are exempt. | Federal Foreign Office, 27.06.2025 |
| Opportunity Card | Up to 1 year to look for work, secure living costs, German A1 or English B2, at least 6 points | Sections 20a and 20b Residence Act, as of 24.10.2026 (retrieved) |
| EU Blue Card | 2026 minimum salary: 50,700 euros gross a year; lowered threshold 45,934.20 euros | Federal Gazette, 18.12.2025 |
| Address registration | Within 2 weeks after moving in | Section 17 Federal Registration Act, as of 24.10.2026 (retrieved) |
| Health insurance | Everyone with a residence in Germany must have health insurance | Section 193 Insurance Contract Act, as of 24.10.2026 (retrieved) |
| Citizenship | 5 years of lawful habitual residence, German at level B1 | Section 10 Nationality Act, as of 24.10.2026 (retrieved) |
Do you need a visa to move to Germany?
Yes, if you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and you stay longer than three months or want to work. The Federal Foreign Office describes this rule on its page about national visas (as of 27.06.2025).
Where do you apply?
You apply before you travel, at the German mission responsible for your place of residence. In many cases the local foreigners authority in Germany must agree to the visa. This step can take time, and the length depends on the case.
There is one exception. According to the Federal Foreign Office, citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States may apply for their residence permit after they enter Germany.
What does a national visa allow?
The national visa (type D) is for a stay in Germany. It also lets you travel in the Schengen area for up to three months in any six-month period.
What happens if the visa is refused?
The mission must give reasons for the refusal. The appeal step called remonstration was abolished on 1 July 2025. You can instead submit a new application at any time.
What is the Opportunity Card?
The Opportunity Card is a residence permit under section 20a of the Residence Act. It lets you come to Germany to look for work. It is first issued for up to one year. The full rules are in the article Germany Opportunity Card.
What does the law require?
- Your living costs must be secured.
- You need basic German (level A1) or English at level B2.
- You must reach at least six points in the points system.
The Federal Employment Agency says that, as a rule, 1,091 euros per month are required to show secured living costs (2026, issue 02/2026). This amount can change, so ask the mission for the current figure.
How does the points system work?
The annex to the Residence Act sets the points. Some examples from section 20b: age up to 35 gives 2 points, and age 36 to 40 gives 1 point. Five years of work experience in the last seven years give 3 points. English at level C1 gives 1 point. Six months of residence in Germany in the last five years give 1 point. The government can change the annex by ordinance.
Can you work with the card?
Yes, within limits. You may work on average up to 20 hours per week. A trial job is possible for up to two weeks each time (Federal Employment Agency, issue 02/2026).
Who can get the EU Blue Card?
For the EU Blue Card, your salary must reach a minimum amount. Section 18g of the Residence Act sets this amount as a percentage of the contribution ceiling for pension insurance. The Federal Ministry of the Interior announces the figures every year in the Federal Gazette. More detail is in the article Germany EU Blue Card.
For 2026, the notice of 2 December 2025 (Federal Gazette, 18.12.2025) gives these figures:
- Standard minimum salary: 50,700 euros gross per year (50 percent of the ceiling).
- Lowered minimum salary: 45,934.20 euros gross per year (45.3 percent).
According to the law, the lower threshold applies for example to career starters whose university degree is not more than three years old when they apply. It also applies to certain occupational groups. The authority checks the other requirements in each case. This page does not give a full list, because not every point could be checked in an official source.
What about family members?
Rules for family members depend on the status of the person who lives in Germany. The details could not be verified in an official source for this page, so they are not listed. Ask the German mission in your country which documents and language proof your family needs.
How do you register your address in Germany?
You register within two weeks after you move in. You do this at the local registration office. This is required by section 17, paragraph 1 of the Federal Registration Act (as of 24.10.2026, retrieved). The article Register Your Address in Germany explains the step in detail.
Your landlord must help with the registration. He or she confirms your move within the same deadline (section 19). If you do not register, or register too late, you commit an administrative offence. The fine can be up to 1,000 euros (section 54). For landlords, the law names fines of up to 50,000 euros for certain breaches.
Each registration office decides which documents it asks for and whether you can book an appointment online. Ask your municipality for its current list.
Do you need health insurance in Germany?
Yes. Under section 193, paragraph 3 of the Insurance Contract Act, every person who lives in Germany must be insured. The insurance must at least reimburse outpatient and inpatient treatment (as of 24.10.2026, retrieved). Details and the difference between public and private cover are in the article Health Insurance When Moving to Germany.
Who must join the public system?
Section 5, paragraph 1, number 13 of Book V of the Social Code covers people who have no other protection in case of illness. They must have been insured last in the public system, or have had no insurance before. For citizens of non-EU countries, this duty applies only with a settlement permit or a residence permit valid for more than twelve months (section 5, paragraph 11). Which insurance fits you depends on your case. A health fund or an independent adviser can explain this.
Does insurance matter for your visa?
Indirectly, yes. Under section 2, paragraph 3 of the Residence Act, your living costs count as secured only if you have sufficient health insurance. The Federal Foreign Office page on national visas does not state a separate insurance rule. Ask the mission what applies to your visa.
When can you apply for German citizenship?
After five years of lawful habitual residence in Germany you have a right to naturalisation, if you meet the other requirements (section 10, paragraph 1, Nationality Act). One requirement is German at level B1.
The older option to naturalise after three years no longer exists. The law amending the Nationality Act of 27 October 2025 (Federal Law Gazette 2025 I No. 256) deleted section 10, paragraph 3. It has been in force since 30 October 2025.
The full list of requirements, the test and the fees are in the article German Citizenship Requirements.
What you need to bring
The documents depend on your visa type and on the country where you apply. There is no single list for every case. Ask the responsible office for the current list: the German mission for the visa, the foreigners authority for your stay in Germany, and the registration office of your municipality for the address registration. The Federal Foreign Office explains the basics on its page about national visas.
Plan enough time. Several steps have deadlines, for example two weeks for the address registration. If you want to leave Germany later, start with the German-language checklist for emigrating.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move to Germany without a job?
The Opportunity Card is a residence permit to look for work for up to one year. It requires secured living costs, basic German or English B2, and at least six points.
Do I need a visa to move to Germany?
For stays of more than three months or for work, non-EU citizens need a visa. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not (Federal Foreign Office, 27.06.2025).
How soon must I register my address?
Within two weeks after you move in (section 17 Federal Registration Act, as of 24.10.2026, retrieved).
Is health insurance mandatory in Germany?
Yes. Everyone with a residence in Germany must have health insurance under section 193 of the Insurance Contract Act.
How long until I can apply for German citizenship?
After five years of lawful habitual residence, if you meet the other requirements. The three-year option was deleted and the change has applied since 30 October 2025.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office: National visas, 2025 (As of: 27.06.2025)
- Section 20a Residence Act (Opportunity Card), 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Section 20b Residence Act and annex (points), 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Federal Employment Agency: Opportunity Card, 2026 (As of: issue 02/2026)
- Section 18g Residence Act (EU Blue Card), 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Federal Gazette: Blue Card minimum salaries 2026, 2025 (As of: 18.12.2025)
- Section 17 Federal Registration Act, 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Section 54 Federal Registration Act (fines), 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Section 193 Insurance Contract Act, 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Section 5 Social Code Book V, 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Section 10 Nationality Act, 2026 (As of: retrieved 24.10.2026)
- Federal Law Gazette 2025 I No. 256, 2025 (As of: 29.10.2025)
General information, not legal advice. Rules change: check the linked official pages before you act.
Author: Vathanakone Prakosay · Updated on October 24, 2026
