🇩🇪 Germany

Choose a city, then explore residence options, documents and housing below.

EU Blue Card: a qualifying job comes first

In 2026: €50,700 gross annually; the reduced €45,934.20 threshold applies only to qualifying cases.

• You need a job offer lasting at least six months and an eligible qualification. The lower threshold is not available to every professional: check the category, graduation date and any approval requirement.
• Regulated professions require separate permission to practise. Qualification recognition and visa issuance are separate checks.

In 2026: €50,700 gross annually; the reduced €45,934.20 threshold applies only to qualifying cases.

Tax: a maintained home can matter before day 183

Tax residence is not determined by one day counter.

• A maintained dwelling or habitual abode can establish a tax connection. If two countries are involved, examine the applicable double-tax treaty.
• The 2026 basic tax-free allowance is €12,348; marginal income-tax rates then rise progressively to 45%. This is not one percentage on the whole salary. Social contributions and possible additional taxes are separate.

Kaltmiete is not the full housing bill

Understand base rent, heating, service charges and electricity before signing.

• Kaltmiete is base rent. Warmmiete adds agreed charges but does not mean absolutely everything is included. Ask which advance charges are reconciled against actual use.
• Request the heating type, energy characteristics, previous annual statement and electricity-contract arrangements. For children, inspect the bedroom layout rather than floor area alone.

The warning summary above shows retrieval dates and regional scope. It is FCDO advice for British nationals, not a crime ranking.

Heavy rain, flooding and heat

Check the actual property rather than a country-wide average.

• Consider river flooding, intense rainfall, storms and summer heat. Basements, ground floors and access roads need separate checks.
• This lists hazard types, not an ongoing-disaster claim. Use the map for current reports; no reported event does not establish that an address is safe.

Documents to prepare before departure

Passport, application, employment evidence, degree-comparability evidence and insurance.

• Prepare the application, photograph, passport, employment contract or offer and the employer’s declaration of employment.
• Check the degree through anabin or a ZAB assessment. Include professional authorization for a regulated occupation; confirm translation and certification with your consulate.
• Evidence the required medical cover. The consular checklist depends on where you apply; cross-check salary figures in older PDFs against the 2026 rules.

Two cities, two different scenarios. These are starting points, not a finished neighborhood ranking.

Berlin

Compare neighborhoods by the work and school journey, not just the transit ring. Separate Kaltmiete from heating and other Nebenkosten; check address-registration arrangements.

Munich

For families, compare the city and suburbs using the actual S-Bahn journey. Request the full monthly payment rather than base rent.

Reviewed: 2026-09-12

• Make it in Germany · EU Blue Card
• German missions · Blue Card checklist
• Fiscal Code · residence
• Income Tax Act §32a · 2026 scale
• Berlin Welcome Centre · rental contract
• BBK · climate impacts and civil protection
• FCDO · Germany safety

Dates and limitations appear with each dataset. This guide is not a substitute for individual legal and tax review.