Everything you need before your first week in Germany.
Housing, Anmeldung, bank, SIM, health insurance, transport. Your personal step-by-step arrival plan.
Find housing
Find the perfect place with costs, sites and options matched to your preference.
Anmeldung guide
Step-by-step checklist to register your address and unlock everything else.
Open a bank account
The right account setup for students in Germany, from documents to IBAN.
Get a SIM card
Compare German SIM options and pick the best fit for your budget and usage.
Cost of living calculator
Estimate your monthly costs in Germany by city, lifestyle and flatmates.
“As an international student, the hardest part isn't the move. It's not knowing what you have to do, where to live, or who to ask.”
FirstWeek.de puts it all in one place. No paywall, no ads, just the guide every international student wishes they had on day one.
Step-by-step
Your personal arrival plan
Plus SCHUFA, taxes, transport and more, with a how-to guide for each step.
Interactive map
Explore any German city
Rent, safety and transport across 26 cities, suburb by suburb.
Cost calculator
Know what your city costs
€970/mo
Munich · 2 flatmates · student estimate
Emergency
Numbers you might need
The important ones, saved in your dashboard from day one.
Universities
50+ universities covered
Safety & transport
Know before you go
Safety and transport scores for every district, so you pick the right area to live.
450,000+
international students study in Germany
26
university cities covered
100%
free to use
First 7 days
What your first week looks like
A proven sequence, built from real experience navigating German bureaucracy as an international student.
Where to go