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Settling in

Settling in Berlin

No visa to apply for: for a French family, settling in Berlin comes down to a handful of steps taken in the right order. The address registration (Anmeldung) opens every door, then come the health fund, the bank account, the nursery voucher, the consular register and, the slowest of all, housing. Here is what we would have liked to know before arriving, checked against official sources.

Verified on 31 October 2026

Arrival and first steps

As EU citizens, the French need neither a visa nor a residence permit. Germany is, however, the land of address registration: everything starts at the Bürgeramt, and almost everything else follows from it, from the tax number to the health card.

Good to know

  • Address registration (Anmeldung) is compulsory within 14 days of moving in, at any Berlin Bürgeramt by appointment, or online for EU citizens with an electronic ID card. It is free. Source
  • Bring original documents for the whole family: ID cards or passports, the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, the lease does not replace it) and, for a first registration in Berlin, civil status records (marriage, children's birth certificates). Source
  • Is a non-EU spouse or child coming with you? For a stay over three months, they apply for a residence card as a family member of an EU citizen within three months of arrival; with a working spouse, they can stay without further conditions. Source
  • Your personal tax number (Steuer-ID) arrives by post, automatically, once the Bürgeramt has transmitted your data; each child gets their own. No letter after three months? Write to the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern with a copy of the Meldebescheinigung. Put your name on the letterbox. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is free, valid 5 years and done online on service-public.fr: French ID card or passport, proof of residence in Germany and a recent photo. It is not compulsory but strongly recommended, and is required for school grants. Source
  • Week 1, in order: Anmeldung, choice of health fund, bank account, Kita-Gutschein application at the Jugendamt (nine to two months before nursery starts), broadcasting fee registration, then the consular register. Source

Addresses

  • Section consulaire de l'ambassade de France à Berlin

    Consulate

    Pariser Platz 5, 10117 Berlin (entrée Wilhelmstraße 69)

    In the heart of Mitte, next to the Brandenburg Gate; public entrance on Wilhelmstraße 69. Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9 to 12, Wednesday 9 to 12 and 14 to 17; appointment required (one per person) for passports and ID cards. Covers Berlin, Brandenburg and eight other northern and eastern Länder.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families follow the schools: Tiergarten and Schöneberg around the École Voltaire and the Lycée français, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf around the Institut français and the bilingual Judith-Kerr school, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg or Neukölln for the Franco-German Kitas and European schools. The market has tightened a lot: allow time.

Good to know

  • Long the cheapest capital in Western Europe, Berlin is now 'on the brink of a housing crisis': rents have soared and viewings run back to back. Allow several weeks and have your file ready before the first viewing. Source
  • The deposit (Kaution) is capped by law at three months' rent excluding service charges, payable in three monthly instalments, and must be placed by the landlord in a separate interest-bearing account. Source
  • Listings show the 'cold' rent (Kaltmiete); add the service charges (Nebenkosten: heating, water, common areas) to get the Warmmiete, the only figure that matters for your budget. Electricity and internet are contracted separately. Source
  • A typical file includes proof of income and a Schufa credit record; as a newcomer, simply explain that you do not have one yet. Never pay a deposit before signing, insist on at least a video viewing if you are searching from afar, and beware of listings that rush you. Source
  • As soon as you sign, ask the landlord for the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: without it, no Anmeldung, hence no tax number, health fund or nursery voucher. Source
  • Rent control (Mietpreisbremse) applies in Berlin: the Senate runs a rent-checking service (Mietpreisprüfstelle) and tenant advice, worth using if the rent asked seems out of line. Source
  • Many flats are let without a fitted kitchen or light fittings, and period buildings (Altbau) charm with high ceilings but heat poorly: check the heating, the windows and the move-in inventory with photos.

Addresses

  • Tiergarten et Schöneberg

    Neighbourhood

    The French schools' quarter: École Voltaire nursery on Lützowstraße, primary and collège on Kurfürstenstraße, Lycée français on Derfflingerstraße, all near Nollendorfplatz. Schöneberg, bourgeois and authentic, with the great Tiergarten park next door.

    Source

  • Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf

    Neighbourhood

    The classic west where 'many French live': Institut français and Cinema Paris on the Kurfürstendamm, bilingual European school Judith-Kerr in Schmargendorf, many parks and gardens, the Zoo and Schloss Charlottenburg.

    Source

  • Prenzlauer Berg et Mitte

    Neighbourhood

    The young families' haunt: bilingual Kita Domino, European school Grundschule am Arkonaplatz (few places), Mauerpark and Kollwitzplatz. High rents and very sought-after flats.

    Source

  • Kreuzberg et Neukölln

    Neighbourhood

    The Bergmannkiez, green and family-friendly, with the bilingual Kita Jungle; Neukölln, an up-and-coming district with lower rents, the Kita Loupiot and the European Regenbogen school, with Tempelhofer Feld in between.

    Source

  • Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Dahlem et Grunewald

    Neighbourhood

    The residential south-west: houses with gardens near lakes and forest, international schools (Berlin Brandenburg International School, American and British schools), good transport links to the centre. Further from the French schools.

    Source

  • Reinickendorf et Frohnau

    Neighbourhood

    The former French sector in the north of the city: a quiet, family-friendly green suburb, European Märkische Grundschule in the Märkisches Viertel, Franco-German music school and French sailing club in Tegel.

    Source

  • Pankow

    Neighbourhood

    Popular with families and professionals: fine flats, new builds in the quiet northern areas, trams into the centre.

    Source

  • Treptow-Köpenick et Spandau

    Neighbourhood

    For space: houses near the Müggelsee or the Havel, forests and lake beaches, FEZ-Berlin in the Wuhlheide, the francophones de Köpenick association; Spandau, green and low-density, is also popular with families.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

A phone line is activated quickly with ID. On insurance, only one is legally compulsory, the car's, but private liability cover is a national reflex worth adopting.

Good to know

  • For the phone, a prepaid SIM or eSIM is activated online with an ID document; contract plans often run for 24 months, so read the cancellation terms.
  • Third-party motor insurance is compulsory to register a vehicle; a car you bring from France must be re-registered in the country where you live, and you must check with your insurer that the policy remains valid in Germany. Source
  • Private liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) is not compulsory but nearly universal in Germany: landlords, Kitas and clubs often ask for it, and it covers damage caused by children. Contents insurance (Hausrat) is optional.
  • The broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) is due per dwelling, whatever the number of occupants or screens: register as soon as you move in, the fee service receives data from the Bürgeramt. Source

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Banking and money

A German account unlocks salary, rent and the health fund's direct debits. It is opened once the Anmeldung is done, and Germany remains attached to cash and the debit card.

Good to know

  • To open an account, the bank asks for ID and, in practice, the registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) issued after the Anmeldung. Anyone legally resident in the EU is entitled to a basic account (Basiskonto), which a bank can only refuse on grounds set out in law. Source
  • Until you have a German account, your French bank card works just as it does at home: a payment or withdrawal in euros in another EU country must be charged as it would be in France. Still, check your card's terms before you leave. Source
  • Day to day, cash is still the most used means of payment at the till, around half of all purchases, ahead of the debit card (girocard or Visa and Mastercard debit cards); paying by phone is growing. Keep some notes on you for bakeries, Spätis and markets. Source
  • Between individuals, Wero, the European pay-by-phone-number service, is built into the app of many German banks, including the Sparkassen and Volksbanken: handy for a class collection or paying another parent back, including with the French banks that offer it. Source
  • To send or receive money with France, a euro transfer is enough: since 2025, euro area banks must offer instant transfers, at the same price as a standard one, and check the payee's name before sending. French school fees can therefore be paid from your French or local account. Source
  • Your French IBAN is valid throughout the SEPA area: an employer, landlord, school or energy supplier is not allowed to refuse it because it is not local. If it happens, point to the rule; it is European law. Source
  • Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving: it becomes a non-resident account and some terms may change. Check before you leave. Source

Addresses

  • Berliner Sparkasse

    Bank

    The city's public savings bank, with a dense network of branches and cash machines in Berlin.

    Website Source

  • Berliner Volksbank

    Bank

    Regional cooperative bank of the Volksbanken network, branches and app.

    Website Source

  • Deutsche Bank

    Bank

    Major German bank, branches and a mobile app.

    Website Source

  • Postbank

    Bank

    Retail bank of the Deutsche Bank group, also present in some post offices.

    Website Source

  • Wero

    European person-to-person payment by phone number, in your bank's app or in the Wero app.

    Website Source

  • Revolut

    Bank

    Online bank (Revolut Bank, EU licence): German IBAN for recent accounts, card and app. Can be your main account.

    Website Source

  • N26

    Bank

    German online bank: German IBAN, card and app. Can be your main account.

    Website Source

  • bunq

    Bank

    Dutch online bank: German IBAN, app; physical card with the paid plans.

    Website Source

  • Wise

    Multi-currency account (Wise is not a bank): receive money from France, pay with the card, exchange currencies.

    Website Source

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Setting up your home

Berlin has several large IKEA stores, in the city itself and just to the south, and almost everything can be delivered. Day to day, neighbourhood supermarkets and drugstores (dm, Rossmann) cover baby needs; second hand, very popular in Berlin, goes through Kleinanzeigen and the French-speaking families' mutual-help groups when people move away.

Addresses

  • IKEA Berlin-Tempelhof

    Furniture and home

    Sachsendamm 47, 10829 Berlin

    Large store south of the centre, reachable by S-Bahn.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Berlin-Lichtenberg

    Furniture and home

    Landsberger Allee 364, 10365 Berlin

    Large store in the east of the city.

    Website Source

  • IKEA Berlin-Spandau

    Furniture and home

    Gewerbehof 10, 13597 Berlin

    Large store in the west of the city.

    Website Source

  • REWE

    Supermarket

    Supermarket chain found in every neighbourhood, with delivery in some areas.

    Website Source

  • Lidl

    Supermarket

    Discount supermarkets, many stores in town.

    Website Source

  • dm-drogerie markt

    Supermarket

    Drugstore: nappies, baby food, toiletries and household products.

    Website Source

  • Rossmann

    Supermarket

    Drugstore: baby care, toiletries, household supplies.

    Website Source

  • Mall of Berlin

    Shopping mall

    Leipziger Platz 12, 10117 Berlin

    Large shopping centre right in the centre, on Leipziger Platz.

    Website Source

  • ALEXA

    Shopping mall

    Shopping centre by Alexanderplatz, children's buggies for hire on site.

    Website Source

  • Boulevard Berlin

    Shopping mall

    Shopping centre on Schloßstraße in Steglitz, in the south-west.

    Website Source

  • MediaMarkt

    Appliances

    Appliance and electronics chain, stores and website with delivery.

    Website Source

  • Kleinanzeigen

    Second-hand

    Germany's classifieds site: furniture, pushchairs, bikes, often for collection.

    Website Source

  • Vinted

    Second-hand

    Second-hand children's clothes, toys and baby equipment.

    Website Source

Getting around with children

U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, bus and ferries: a single network (VBB) covers Berlin and Potsdam, pushchairs travel free and Berlin schoolchildren get a free pass. A car is rarely necessary, and the cargo bike is king.

Good to know

  • Children under 6 travel free with you; from 6 to 14 they pay the reduced fare. With a valid ticket, pushchair and luggage travel free. Source
  • The Schülerticket Berlin is free for all Berlin pupils with the school ID card (Schülerausweis I) and is valid in zones AB; a 6-year-old not yet at school qualifies with the school allocation letter. It also lets them take a bike at no extra cost. Source
  • Three zones: A inside the S-Bahn ring, B out to the city limits, C for the surroundings (about 15 km), Potsdam included. An AB ticket covers almost all of Berlin. Source
  • The Deutschlandticket is a single monthly subscription, cancellable monthly, valid on all local and regional transport in Germany: the Berlin metro, regional trains to Potsdam, the Spreewald or the Baltic. It excludes ICE intercity trains. Source
  • Your French licence remains valid in Germany: in principle, no exchange is required when settling in another EU country, except in case of loss, theft, a traffic offence or a voluntary exchange. Source
  • By car, central Berlin, inside the S-Bahn ring, is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone): only vehicles with the green sticker may drive there, a rule that also applies to cars registered abroad. Source
  • Berlin is flat and bike-friendly: cargo bikes, trailers and child seats are everywhere, and most families do the school run by bike. On the metro, a bike needs its own ticket, except with the Schülerticket. Source

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Admin: health fund, taxes and the consulate

No carte Vitale but an electronic health card issued by the fund of your choice; income tax is deducted at source and the return is filed online; child benefit is claimed from the Familienkasse. The consulate remains your town hall and prefecture.

Good to know

  • Health insurance is compulsory for anyone working or living in Germany, either in the statutory scheme (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, competing public funds) or, above a certain income, with a private insurer. An employee below the threshold is compulsorily in the statutory scheme. Source
  • In the statutory scheme, the spouse without income and the children are covered free as dependants (Familienversicherung); each receives an electronic health card and pays nothing upfront with contracted practitioners. Source
  • Income tax (Lohnsteuer) is deducted at source by the employer using your tax number; the annual return, often worthwhile for a family, is filed online on ELSTER, the tax administration's official portal. Source
  • Child benefit (Kindergeld) is paid monthly for each child, regardless of income, to parents living in Germany whatever their nationality, until age 18 (25 if studying). Apply to the Familienkasse, with the parents' and children's tax numbers. Source
  • Parental allowance (Elterngeld) replaces 65% of lost net income, between a floor and a ceiling, for 12 basic months, or twice as long at half the amount with ElterngeldPlus; apply online to the district Elterngeldstelle. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards by appointment, consular register, civil status, electoral rolls, certificates and legalisations, assistance in case of accident, hospitalisation or death. Source
  • What it does not do: the French state does not cover your health costs in Germany, nor a hospital stay, nor repatriation; your German health fund, or a top-up policy, does. Source
  • AEFE school grants: for a French child on the register, enrolled at the École Voltaire, with a parent also registered at the consulate and means within the scale; files for the second 2026-2027 campaign had to reach the consulate by 11 September 2026 (or online via SCOLAIDE) for the 15 and 16 December commission. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Berlin is no longer the bargain city of the 2000s, but it remains gentle on a family budget: nursery is free, schoolchildren travel free, museums do not charge children. Housing, however, has caught up with the big capitals. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: rising fast. Berlin was the cheapest capital in Western Europe; rents have 'devoured' the city in ten years and remain the biggest line, even if they are still often below Paris for a comparable space. Budget three months' deposit at the start. Source
  • Childcare: far cheaper than in France. Kita has been free in Berlin since 2018, from age one until school, apart from a monthly lunch contribution; only the places are sometimes scarce. Source
  • School: Berlin state schools, the bilingual European schools and the Lycée français de Berlin charge no tuition; the École Voltaire charges yearly fees, moderate for an AEFE school, with sibling discounts, income-based reductions and grants. Source
  • Transport: under-6s travel free, Berlin schoolchildren get the free Schülerticket and adults a flat-rate national subscription; a car-free family also saves insurance, parking and the emissions sticker. Source
  • Culture: Berlin's state museums and the Technikmuseum are free for under-18s, the Futurium for everyone; adults pay admission, the free monthly Sunday having been scrapped at the end of 2024. Source
  • Health: nothing to pay upfront in the statutory scheme with the health card, and the whole family covered by the employee's contribution; the contribution itself weighs more on the payslip than in France. Source
  • Groceries: comparable to France, often cheaper at discounters, with excellent and affordable organic food and bread; restaurants and cafés rather cheaper than in Paris; electricity and the broadcasting fee, on the other hand, weigh more.

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A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Berlin will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Section consulaire de l'ambassade de France à Berlin
  2. 2 Consulat de Berlin, inscription au registre des Français
  3. 3 Service-Portal Berlin, déclaration de domicile (Anmeldung)
  4. 4 Sénat de Berlin, Kita-Gutschein
  5. 5 CLEISS, le régime allemand de sécurité sociale (assurance maladie)
  6. 6 BVG, Schülerticket Berlin
  7. 7 Code civil allemand (BGB) § 551, dépôt de garantie
  8. 8 BaFin, le compte de base (Basiskonto)

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