# Checklist for Moving from USA



## travib (Jan 15, 2015)

Hello Everyone,

Thank you all for all of the valuable information you share.

I am planing to move to Germany from the US. I have accepted an offer employment offer for a position as a Software Tech Lead at a company in München. The projected start date is March 15, which gives me about 2 months to get everything together and move. I don't speak German (although I am learning), and I don't know anyone in Germany.

I have scoured the internet and this forum and found a lot of really helpful information. Unfortunately, it is mostly piecemeal, and not easy to compile into a checklist. The employer will be assisting me in obtaining my visas/permits, but I feel really under-informed for my next steps.

What should I be doing now while I wait for the permits and such to go through?
My passport expires in about 18 months. Will that be a problem?
What should I do when I get there?

If there is anything comprehensive to which you can link me, that would be great, or I would be very happy to receive any specific advice about registrations, permits, finding an apartment to rent, etc.

Thank you for your support.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

There is a book called "Living and Working in Germany" published by Survival Books that has a general checklist for moving to Germany (not specific to Americans moving there). I know that because I worked on the original edition of the book. Worth a look in any event - though probably more crucial is their list of what to do when you first arrive.

Your main effort at the moment is going to be to get yourself organized for the move - sort out what you do and don't want to take, what you're going to do with those items you're not taking, figure out how you're going to find a place to live, etc. Some employers will spring for a pre-move visit so that you can check out flats or other living accommodations. Others will put you up for the first month in a temporary residence and let you look for your own place from there.

You should start getting familiar with the US Consulate website(s) in Germany. You'll be very dependent on them for administrative stuff, like renewing your passport in 18 months, finding tax information (you'll have to continue to file US tax returns, in case you didn't know) and some consulates publish quite a bit of information on their sites about living in the country - English speaking doctors, or how to get your local driving license, etc.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Streamline the stuff you take as much as possible.

All the expats I know in Germany had their employer pay for a huge container with their personal belongings to be shipped over - including technology that didn't work right and furniture that didn't fit all that well. They all ended up buying heaps of things new.

All of them say if they would do it again, they would negotiate to maybe ship a few pallets with boxes rather than a container and ask for a generous furniture allowance.

As somebody who has lived on three different continents I can tell you that especially technology can be a pain. Apart from voltage and whatnot, so many things are region coded - games we all know about but who ever suspects ink cartridges? Don't bring your printer. Just don't.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

I would agree with the advice to streamline and move as little as possible, but with one caveat concerning electronics. LIfe is easier than it used to be thanks to all the dual-voltage transformers, so in many cases you can swap the power cord, use a plug adapter, or pick up a simple power supply. Anything you're thinking of bringing, check carefully for voltage inputs. This advice might be more appropriate to small electronics that run on low voltage, not kitchen appliances. (I have no idea if TVs work now, it used to be a different standard but HD may have changed all that.)

Otherwise, to be honest, there's not a ton to do if the employer is helping with the paperwork. You'll get your residence permit after arrival, the job provides the health insurance, etc. I suppose the biggest question is where will you live, but I'm not sure there's too much you can do about that before arrival beyond surfing the rental sites to gain an understanding of the market.


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## scorpio14 (Feb 13, 2015)

My brother just moved to Germany last year from Singapore with just 30kg of his stuff. The lesser stuff the better. Just bring the important papers or documents, some clothing, your laptop ... . He was lucky because his employer provided him a place to stay temporarily before he decides to look for his own and the apartment was partly furnished. 

Unless maybe ... you really have to move all your things ... and if you can afford a moving company to assist you.


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## expatgal (Mar 4, 2013)

I moved not too long ago. When I had to decide what to bring and what to ship, I took a long hard look at everything I owned, everything.
You have to be brutal, it cost to ship, and flats and houses are much smaller and usually what we have in the US will not fit or be proprtioned to your new home.
Pictures were important to me, but only those of friends or family I knew of personally.
Things, which I always looked at and thought of being sentimental, I had to ask myself...did my loved one make it? If not, I sold it or gave it away. 
I had a dear friend who had let a flat to me, and slowly during holidaysI brought things over.
In the beginning I was very stressed as to what to bring, and when I awoke one night I had made up my mind. I was then able to have a restful night sleep. It is stressful to start a new life so far away. But. it is a new life.
In the end I have very little of my old life. The most important things I brought? My mothers very old green rolling pen and pictures and a few old cards which were hand written. Of course I brought my pup, and clothes. with new technology we know how to store pictures and letters which take very little space, if any.

Take a deep breath, purge, delete, another deep breath and start again.

You will have a wonderful life and the adventure of a lifetime. Make sure to make friends here, and think of them as your new family, it takes time, but well worth it in the end.
I made a point to do my best to learn the language and improve on it everyday. It goes a long way to become part of your new community. 

Well, now for the most important, make sure you update your US passport, so you won't have to think about it for 8-10 years. Next...make sure you have copies of your US tax returns and all important documents.

i cried when I sold my kayak, go figure, but I had such good times with it. Then I remembered I can buy another here in Germany, along with a new bike.


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