Relocating to Frankfurt for ECB employees

Take care of your current living situation by:

giving notice to your current rental home

selling your home or

finding a tenant for the duration of your absence.

Cancel all your insurances and subscriptions you no longer need

Provide forwarding addresses where needed and set up mail forwarding

In some cases, you may wish to keep your bank account open while you are abroad. Arrange a meeting with your bank to discuss your options

Ensure you and all travelling family members have a passport which is valid for at least one year after you arrive in your new country. This will help you not to worry about a renewal until after you have completed the visa process.

Make a copy/scan of all important documents

Ensure seamless medical coverage

Divide your possessions into three piles:

What to bring with you to temporary housing

What to ship to your new permanent home with your moving company

What to keep in your home country in storage or at family/friends’ home

Cancel your utilities

If you are planning to exchange large amounts of currency, make sure you do your research and are finding a cost-effective solution. International bank transfers and currency exchange at your local bank can be expensive

If you are bringing your pets, please speak to your vet well in advance to prepare them for departure. Together you can make sure that they are provided with all certifications, vaccinations and, if necessary, quarantine arrangements that they need to be able to enter Germany. This process may take 2-3 months, depending on the pet you have. It can be a daunting process, and there are pet relocation specialists available who can assist you with the process.

If you have any chronic illnesses for which you need continuous treatment and medication, please speak to your doctor about providing your medical record to ensure seamless treatment.

Registration with local authorities

One of the first things you must do within the first two weeks of arrival is register yourself with the local authorities at the “Bürgeramt”. To register, you need to make an appointment online. You’ll then receive a registration certificate which will enable you to open a bank account, obtain a tax number, register your children for Kindergarten and/or school, etc.

Your landlord will provide you with a landlord certificate of residence (called “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” – or short “WGB”) when you move in. Please note that all residents must be listed on the “WGB” and must also be registered, including small children. Please ensure the names match those on your passport.

You will have to bring the WGB and your passport to the registration appointment. There are several Bürgeramt locations across Frankfurt for you to choose from. Here is a link to a list and map to all office. If you hover over the location, you will see the address.

Tax ID general information

To ensure you are paying the correct amount of taxes, every person gets a tax ID. During your first registration, the clerk will initiate correspondence with the tax office and a tax ID will be generated and sent to you by mail within 4 weeks of your registration. As soon as you receive it, please share the tax id with your employer so that they can withhold the correct amount of taxes. Please inform yourself of tax classes applicable to you.

Bank account

A German bank account is necessary for your employer to pay your salary. It also helps you save money by having a German IBAN when paying your German bills. There are a variety of banks with branches you can visit, as well as some online banks you may wish to consider. To open a bank account at a branch, you will have to make an appointment and bring the following documents:

Passport

Registration certificate

Tax ID

Some banks will provide you with the option to have your online banking in English. Please also note that, unlike in some other countries, certain banks will ask you to pay a monthly or yearly service fee for each account, each debit and credit card. Please check the applicable fees beforehand with the bank of your choice.

Banks will also charge you for bank statements sent to you by mail and over-the-counter services, such as a transfer. You can avoid these charges by requesting electronic bank statements and using online banking facilities to send money and pay bills.

If you have a valid EU driving license, you are not required to change it to a German one. If you do not have an EU driving license and wish to drive in Germany, you are required to convert your license to a German license within 6 months of arrival.

Car registration

If you would like to register your vehicle imported from another EU country, you must go to the registration administration office “KFZ Zulassungstelle” and provide:

Electronic proof of insurance (eVB)

Passport and registration confirmation

Current car registration document / Vehicle registration certificate part I ("Fahrzeugschein")

Vehicle registration certificate part II ("Fahrzeugbrief") only in case of change of name

Current license plate

Valid car inspection report (TÜV)

The Frankfurt car registration administration office is located at:

Am Römerhof 19

60486 Frankfurt am Main

City of Frankfurt am Main

The direct phone number regarding importing vehicles is +49 69 212 42367. To make an appointment click here.

Hospitals & Doctors

Frankfurt has a good selection of doctors, nurses and other medical staff that speak English. Depending on your native language, you may also find doctors that speak your mother tongue.

You usually select a “Hausarzt” (General Practitioner) who will coordinate your medical needs and refer you to specialists. Once you have settled in, you should look for a suitable “Hausarzt” and register with them so that you can book an appointment when needed.

If you have a chronic diagnosis, you may want to bring medical records and hand them over to your doctor to ensure seamless treatment.

Here some useful links:

If you are looking  for a pharmacy  in your neighborhood

General Practitioner  in your neighborhood

Schools & Kindergarten

Any child from the age of three has the legal right to attend Kindergarten, followed by entering primary school at the age of 6. Your employer, the ECB, offers childcare services and access to the European School. To get more details, please get in touch with your ECB HR contact.

Childcare Benefits (Kindergeld)

Once you have registered, you can apply for “Kindergeld” (per child) and set it up to be paid directly into your bank account. Please liaise with your HR contact to obtain more information.

Pets

Germany is a very dog-friendly country. You will often find them accompanying their human family members to the shop and to restaurants.

To bring your pet from abroad, please ensure they meet all health requirements to be permitted to enter Germany. Your local vet at home can help you with this.

Once they arrive in Germany, please note that you are required to register your dog and pay dog tax. For Frankfurt, the dog tax is €102 per year and €900 per year for dogs categorized as ‘dangerous’.

For more information regarding the classification of a dangerous dog and how to pay the dog tax, please click here.

Restaurants

Frankfurt is a busy city with many popular restaurants where you can eat dishes from all over the world. Whether you want to eat a nutritious breakfast, have a tasty lunch with friends, or take your date to enjoy a sophisticated meal, there are restaurants everywhere you cannot miss out on. Guten Appetit!

Best Restaurants in Frankfurt

Shopping

Shops and departments stores in Frankfurt are generally open from:

Monday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Most supermarkets are open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

All shops and stores are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

For further information on shopping in Frankfurt, please visit:

Shopping in Frankfurt

Skyline Plaza

Best Shopping Streets in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is a modern, multi-cultural city with many venues that attract well known performers of the artworld. You will find international bands, orchestras and singers performing at the Festhalle or at the Deutsche Bank arena, which is also the home of Frankfurt’s premier league soccer team, Eintracht Frankfurt.

Frankfurt is also home to a professional ice hockey team Frankfurter Löwen who play at the Eissporthalle. You can also go there if you want to go ice skating.

At the Alte Oper, you will find all the famous plays and operas.

For a rainy day, we highly recommend the Senckenberg Museum which is the Natural History Museum

The Staedel Museum contains some very important art collections and the Schirn Gallery is full of amazing modern art pieces.

Germans love festivals, and the people of Frankfurt are no different. Here are the biggest annual festivals in Frankfurt:

Museumsuferfest

Millions of people travel to the Museumsuferfest on the last weekend in August every year to celebrate the arts and culture along the banks of the River Main with lots of food and drink and amazing fireworks

Apfelweinfest

Apfelwein is the local drink of choice, it is wine made out of apples. Naturally, there is a festival to showcase local growers and producers.

Wäldchestag

A day that is unique to the Frankfurt calendar. Traditionally in spring, on the Tuesday after Pentecost, the city folk head to the Stadtwald for the festival, with shows, markets and lots of food and drink.

Dippemess

The Dippemess takes place twice a year, around Easter and at the beginning of September. It is a huge fairground with rides for all ages, plenty of food and drink and a market where you can buy things like jewelry and pottery.

Christmas Market

The Frankfurt Christmas Market takes place around the Römerberg for four weeks leading up to Christmas. Many locals head there several times after work to have a Glühwein, eat a Bratwurst and look among the many market stalls for Christmas presents. In addition, many neighborhoods have their own street festivals throughout the year.

Do you have all you need to kick start your new life in Frankfurt? We sure hope so. But if you feel that something is missing, please drop us a line at info@packimpex.com and we'll make sure to add it so other ECB employees like yourself can find their way in this amazing city.

On behalf of all of us at Packimpex, we wish you Happy Settling in!