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Settling in

Settling in Munich

Munich is quickly tamed, as long as you respect the German order of things: the residence registration within fourteen days, which triggers the tax number, then the health fund, the bank, the paediatrician and the Kita, and finally family benefits. 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 an EU citizen you need neither a visa nor a residence permit: your administrative life begins with the Anmeldung, the residence registration at the Bürgerbüro. It opens every door, and it is where you must start.

Good to know

  • An EU national has the right to live in the country where they work, and their family with them; the only formality is to register with the local authorities with an ID and proof of employment, and no other document may be requested. Source
  • In Munich, the Wohnsitzanmeldung is done online or at the Bürgerbüro within 14 days of moving in, free of charge, with each family member's ID and the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung); children under 16 are registered by the parent. Source
  • Two to four weeks after this first registration, each family member receives their tax identification number (Steuer-ID) by post, essential for salary, banking and Kindergeld. Source
  • A non-EU spouse applies for a family member residence card within three months of arrival, at the City's foreigners' office (Kreisverwaltungsreferat); after five years of residence, the stay becomes permanent. Source
  • Registration with the French consular register is free, valid 5 years and done online on service-public.fr with a French ID, proof of residence in Germany and a recent photo; the Munich consulate then validates your file. Source
  • Week 1, in order: Anmeldung, choice of a health fund for the whole family, bank account, registration with a Kinderarzt and on kita finder+, broadcasting fee registration, then the consular register and the Kindergeld application once the Steuer-IDs arrive. Source

Addresses

  • Consulat général de France à Munich

    Consulate

    Heimeranstraße 31, 3e étage, 80339 München (Schwanthalerhöhe)

    Covers Bavaria; by appointment only: Monday and Wednesday 1:30 to 5 pm, Tuesday and Thursday 8:45 am to noon, Friday 8:45 am to 12:30 pm. Minors must be present for any passport or ID card application. Civil status and nationality are handled by the consular section in Berlin.

    Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families follow the two campuses of the Lycée Jean-Renoir: nursery and primary in Giesing, secondary in Sendling, next to the Westpark. The south of the city, from Thalkirchen to Solln, is therefore home to many French speakers. The market is tight and the strict rental rules protect tenants well.

Good to know

  • The City's 2025 Mietspiegel, the legal rent reference, rose 5.5% in two years; for a new let subject to the rent cap, the rent may not exceed the reference rent by more than 20%, and a tenant may refuse an increase beyond it. Source
  • The deposit (Kaution) is capped by law at three months' rent excluding charges, payable in three monthly instalments, and the landlord must place it in a separate interest-bearing account. Source
  • Read Kaltmiete (bare rent) and Warmmiete (with heating and building charges) carefully: charges are settled in a yearly statement that can bring a top-up bill. A flat let 'empty' really is empty: fitted kitchen and light fittings are often missing.
  • Without the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), no Anmeldung: insist on it when you get the keys, it is a legal duty of the landlord. Source
  • Prepare a full file before viewings (ID, employment contract or payslips, previous landlord's reference); good flats go within days and group viewings are the norm. Munich Accueil describes, district by district, where French-speaking families settle. Source

Addresses

  • Giesing, Untergiesing et Harlaching

    Neighbourhood

    The French school's district (nursery and primary, Ungsteiner Straße); Harlaching, very smart, has wide tree-lined avenues, the children's hospital and the Harlaching clinic; the U2 links to the centre.

    Source

  • Sendling et Westpark

    Neighbourhood

    A stone's throw from the secondary campus (Berlepschstraße) and the Westpark, a very pretty residential area with many houses, cycle and pushchair paths, U6 and U3 into town.

    Source

  • Obersendling, Thalkirchen, Forstenried et Solln

    Neighbourhood

    Green, quiet southern districts along the Isar and Hellabrunn zoo; Solln has a strong concentration of French residents, with the S-Bahn and U3 into town.

    Source

  • Neuperlach, Perlach et Fasangarten

    Neighbourhood

    More affordable, around the European School: Perlach keeps a village feel, Fasangarten is leafy and very quiet, the U2 and U5 serve the centre.

    Source

  • Neuhausen et Nymphenburg

    Neighbourhood

    Lively and popular with families, with the Nymphenburg palace park, the Botanical Garden and the Dritter Orden clinic; skating on the palace canal in cold winters.

    Source

  • Haidhausen et Au

    Neighbourhood

    Multicultural, lively district on the right bank of the Isar: galleries, cafés, the Auer Dult three times a year on Mariahilfplatz and the Deutsches Museum on foot.

    Source

  • Schwabing, Maxvorstadt et Bogenhausen

    Neighbourhood

    The smart northern and eastern districts around the English Garden, the museums and the Institut français; Bogenhausen, Munich's most residential area, hosts many consulates. High rents and tricky parking.

    Source

  • Pasing, Obermenzing et la banlieue sud (Pullach, Grünwald, Unterhaching)

    Neighbourhood

    Houses with gardens, green oases and a direct S-Bahn into town; a frequent choice for families wanting space without giving up the lycée, reachable by U-Bahn or bus.

    Source

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Phone and insurance

A phone line is activated quickly with ID. On insurance, two are compulsory, health and car, and a third, liability cover, is all but essential.

Good to know

  • A prepaid SIM or a contract requires an identity check before activation: passport or ID card in hand, in a shop or by video identification. Source
  • Health insurance is compulsory for everyone living in Germany; children and a spouse without income are covered free of charge by the working parent's public health fund. Source
  • Motor third-party liability insurance is compulsory for every vehicle on German roads; your French policy remains valid across the EU while you re-register the car. Source
  • Privathaftpflicht (family liability insurance) is not compulsory but Germans consider it essential, and school or Kita will ask for it; home contents insurance (Hausrat) is optional. The broadcasting fee, however, is owed by every household, regardless of the number of people or screens. Source

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Banking and money

A German account unlocks salary, rent and direct debits. It is opened once you have registered your address, and Bavaria remains very 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, markets and beer gardens. 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

  • Stadtsparkasse München

    Bank

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

    Website Source

  • Münchner Bank

    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

Munich has two large IKEA stores on the outskirts, south in Brunnthal and north in Eching, and almost everything can be delivered. Day to day, neighbourhood supermarkets and drugstores (dm, Rossmann) cover baby needs; second hand goes through Kleinanzeigen and the French-speaking families' mutual-help groups when people move away.

Addresses

  • IKEA München-Brunnthal

    Furniture and home

    Brunnthaler Straße 1, 82024 Taufkirchen

    Large store south-east of the city.

    Website Source

  • IKEA München-Eching

    Furniture and home

    Heisenbergstraße 14, 85386 Eching

    Large store north 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

  • Olympia-Einkaufszentrum (OEZ)

    Shopping mall

    Hanauer Straße 68, 80993 München

    Large shopping centre in the north-west, near the Olympic Park.

    Website Source

  • Pasing Arcaden

    Shopping mall

    Pasinger Bahnhofsplatz 5, 81241 München

    Shopping centre next to Pasing station, with a playground.

    Website Source

  • Riem Arcaden

    Shopping mall

    Willy-Brandt-Platz 5, 81829 München

    Shopping centre in Messestadt Riem, in the east.

    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 and bus form the MVV, one of Europe's densest networks, and the city can be crossed by bike on continuous paths. Children travel free or nearly so, and a car is only useful for the lakes and the mountains.

Good to know

  • Children under 6 travel free across the whole MVV, accompanied by someone aged 6 or over; from 6 to 14 they pay the children's fare, and the Kinder-Tageskarte covers the whole network until 6 am the next day. Source
  • The Deutschland-Ticket, a monthly pass at 63 €, covers all local and regional transport in Germany, Munich included; MVV monthly passes let you take up to three children free on weekdays from 9 am. For a weekend, the Gruppen-Tageskarte covers five people. Source
  • From school age, the 365-Euro-Ticket gives pupils and apprentices living or studying in the MVV a year of travel for one euro a day; subject to the distance between home and school, the City covers it (Schulwegkostenfreiheit), with the order then placed online with MVG. Source
  • Pushchair: trains and buses have dedicated spaces, and MVG publishes the real-time status of every station's lifts and escalators, which saves you from facing a staircase with a pram. Source
  • Your French licence remains valid in Germany until its expiry date, with no compulsory exchange; it must be a national licence, an international permit is not enough. Source
  • By car, the Mittlerer Ring and everything inside it form a low-emission zone: green sticker required, and Euro 4 and older diesels are banned until further notice, on pain of a 100 € fine plus costs. The Bayern-Ticket (regional train) remains the simplest way to reach the lakes and the Alps. Source

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Admin: numbers, taxes and the consulate

Two numbers structure German life: the Steuer-ID, assigned for life, children included, and the employee's social security number (Sozialversicherungsnummer). Tax is deducted at source, family benefits are generous, and the consulate remains your town hall and prefecture.

Good to know

  • The Steuer-ID, an eleven-digit tax number issued by the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, arrives automatically after the Anmeldung and never changes; the child's is required for Kindergeld. Source
  • The social security number is issued at first employment by the Deutsche Rentenversicherung, through the employer or the health fund; keep the letter (Versicherungsnummernachweis), it will follow you through your career. Source
  • Income tax is withheld at source by the employer (Lohnsteuer) according to a tax class based on family status; the yearly return is filed online on ELSTER, and a Franco-German tax treaty prevents double taxation of income from both countries. Source
  • Kindergeld, 259 € per month per child, is paid by the Familienkasse of the employment agency until 18 (25 while studying), whatever the child's nationality; apply online with the parent's and each child's Steuer-ID. Source
  • Elterngeld replaces 65% of the net income lost after a birth, between 300 and 1,800 € a month, for 12 months (14 if both parents take leave); it is excluded above 175,000 € of taxable income and must be applied for within three months of the birth. Source
  • What the consulate does: passports and ID cards by appointment, the consular register, elections, proxies, AEFE school grants for the Lycée Jean-Renoir via the SCOLAIDE portal, social assistance. What it does not do: German formalities (Anmeldung, Kindergeld, Kita), civil status and nationality (Berlin consular section), or covering your health costs. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Only one line really hurts in Munich: housing, the most expensive in Germany. On the other side, family benefits, children's transport, free state schools, one-euro museums and health insurance with no upfront costs lighten the bill considerably. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

  • Housing: markedly more expensive. The Mietspiegel reference rent climbed another 5.5% between 2023 and 2025; for the same space as in Paris, expect the equivalent, and more near the Westpark or in Schwabing. Source
  • School: state school is free, and the Lycée Jean-Renoir costs about half its London counterpart, with means-tested AEFE grants on top; see our school fees page. Source
  • Benefits: Kindergeld at 259 € per month per child is paid regardless of income, and Elterngeld covers a year after a birth; far more generous than in France. Source
  • Health: nothing to pay upfront at the doctor's with the insurance card, and children under 18 are exempt from co-payments (Zuzahlungen) on medicines and care. Source
  • Culture and transport: cheaper. The Pinakotheken are free for under-18s and one euro on Sundays for adults; under-6s travel free and the 365-Euro-Ticket costs pupils one euro a day. Source
  • Groceries: comparable to or cheaper than France at discounters, dearer for fish and French products; restaurants comparable, beer and beer gardens unbeatable. Budget for a kitchen and light fittings if the flat is let empty.

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

Sources for this page

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

  1. 1 Consulat général de France à Munich
  2. 2 Inscription au registre des Français (La France en Allemagne)
  3. 3 Landeshauptstadt München, Wohnsitzanmeldung
  4. 4 Landeshauptstadt München, Mietspiegel
  5. 5 MVV, tickets et tarifs
  6. 6 Familienportal du Bund, Kindergeld
  7. 7 gesund.bund.de, l'assurance maladie en Allemagne
  8. 8 BaFin, le compte de base (Basiskonto)

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