During your first few days in Germany, you will have to attend various appointments with the authorities. You must normally complete these formalities in the following order:

1. Register your address at the registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt)
After entering Germany, you must register your address at your local registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) within 14 days. A first appointment will be automatically arranged for you and can be found in your onboarding schedule.

In order to register, you will usually need the following documents, which may vary slightly depending on your local registration office:

• Identity document such as your passport or identity card
• Registration form, which you can usually obtain from the website of your local registration office
• A signed confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) from your housing provider/landlord

2. Open your bank account
If you are arriving from a third country and do not yet have a bank account in Germany, you will need a German bank account in order to receive your salary. You can only open an account at your chosen bank once you have successfully registered your address at the registration office. One DB Plus partner is Sparda Bank, where opening an account is a simple process.

3. Convert your visa into a residence permit at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde)
If you have a national visa, it should be converted into a residence permit at least six weeks before it expires. You must apply for the residence permit at your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). Use the public service finder to find out which immigration office is responsible for you. If you have any questions or problems with the application process, please contact SUKI. The SUKI team will be happy to help you with your residence permit application.

You can find important information about this in our welcome brochure.