Your first month in a German job: a checklist

Starting a job in Germany means a burst of admin. Work through this checklist and you will be set up correctly and paid on time.

• Complete your Anmeldung and give your employer your Steuer-ID and tax class.
• Choose a health insurer (Krankenkasse) and give your employer the membership confirmation.
• Open a German bank account with a real IBAN for your salary.
• Get your Sozialversicherungsnummer (social insurance number) — usually issued automatically after your first payroll.
• Check your first payslip against our net-salary calculator to make sure tax class and deductions are right.
• Consider liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) — cheap and near-universal in Germany.