How we verify our information

Our rules

1. 1

   Official sources only for figures. Every number on this site — blocked account amounts, salary thresholds, deadlines, fees — is checked against German government sources or the law itself, never against other blogs.

2. 2

   Dated verification. Articles carry a "facts last verified" date, and we re-check all annually-changing figures every January (most German thresholds change at year-end).

3. 3

   Conservative where it matters. Where reality varies — embassy processing times above all — we deliberately err on the cautious side. We would rather you start early than miss your start date.

4. 4

   Lived experience as the test. This site was built by someone who made the move in 2023 and went through Anmeldung, blocked accounts, insurance and the Ausländerbehörde first-hand. If our advice wouldn't have survived contact with the real process, it doesn't go live.

The sources we rely on

• Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office)

  Visa requirements, fees and procedures

• BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees)

  Residence permits, settlement and integration

• Make it in Germany

  The German government's official portal for international talent

• Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)

  Work permits and the labour market

• Gesetze im Internet

  The actual law texts (Aufenthaltsgesetz, Bundesmeldegesetz, …)

• BZSt (Federal Central Tax Office)

  Tax identification numbers

What we are — and aren't

We are an independent information tool. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any German authority, and nothing here is legal advice — for binding answers, always confirm with the embassy or authority responsible for your case. Rules genuinely change, sometimes mid-year.

Spot something outdated or wrong? Please tell us via the contact form in the footer — corrections ship fast, usually within days.