Other Important Formalities & Registrations

Broadcasting Fee (GEZ)

This license fee is a legally prescribed contribution for citizens, companies and institutions as well as for public interest bodies in Germany. For private households, the current fee is 18.36 [2023] Euros per month. Sometimes this fee is already included in the rent of your accommodation, if you live in student accommodations or shared flats (ask your Landlord).

If this is not the case, you need to register for the Broadcasting fee here.

Drivers License

At the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, you can check if your foreign drivers license is valid in Germany.

If you hold an International Driving Permit, you do not have to have it translated.

You must carry a translation of your domestic driving licence if:

it was not issued in a Member State of the European Union (EU) or a state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway),
it is not in German
it does not comply with the provisions of the Convention on Road Traffic of 8 November 1968 (Annex 6).

You can find out whether your driving licence complies with the provisions of Annex 6 by enquiring at the appropriate authorities of the issuing state.

German translations may be prepared by, inter alia, German motoring organizations or internationally recognized motoring organizations in the state that issued the driving licence, official agencies of the state that issued the driving licence and court-appointed and certified interpreters and translators.

The Federal Republic of Germany does not require a translation of licences issued by the following states:

Andorra
Hong Kong
Monaco
New Zealand
San Marino
Switzerland
Senegal

Cell Phone (SIM CARD)

Of course you can always sign a contract with one of the major companies for at least two years like:

but there are however cheaper options as well, that we would like to mention.

Most supermarkets offer their own Prepaid SIM Cards in cooperation with the three phone providers mentioned above. You can get prepaid SIM Cards with a new telephone number for different rates/options.

Simply buy a SIM Card with the phone rate of your choice (eg. LIDL - Smart S Rate with 3GB Data/month and SMS and phone flatrate for 7,99€/month) at the supermarket cashier (or online) and later on fill out the online application at home to register. You can cancel this “contract” at any time.

LIDL (they have a great online app, phone rate overview, monthly fee can be deducted from your bank account or via paypal automatically if set up or you can buy prepaid cards in the store , Vodafone network)
ALDI (prepaid system - you need to buy prepaid cards in the store in order to use it properly, O² Telefónica network)
Penny (prepaid system - you need to buy prepaid cards in the store in order to use it properly, Telekom network)

There are of course many other providers you can choose from, that basically have similar options and fees.