'Moving to Germany with an EU Passport: Rules for EU Citizens and Their

An EU citizen can enter Germany without a visa to work, look for work, study, or live with their family. However, an EU passport does not exempt one from the practical requirements for long-term residence: after the first three months, you must have a basis for freedom of movement, housing, health insurance, and sufficient funds to cover living expenses. Separate rules apply for relatives without an EU passport regarding entry and obtaining an Aufenthaltskarte.

In this article, the term “EU citizens” is also used for convenience to refer to citizens of EEA countries—Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. A separate agreement on the free movement of persons applies to Switzerland, but the practical implications for relocation are largely similar: it is still advisable to check the rules for your specific situation.

Who Can Relocate Under the Freedom of Movement

The right to free movement within the EU is based on EU law and is implemented in Germany through the Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU. This right applies to:

• citizens of European Union countries;
• citizens of Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, as EEA countries;
• Swiss citizens under a separate agreement;
• Family members who accompany an EU/EEA citizen or join them.

List of EU countries in 2026: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, France, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Estonia.

An EU citizen does not need a German residence permit under the Aufenthaltsgesetz for the purpose of freedom of movement itself. However, this does not mean that one can ignore requirements such as address registration, insurance, taxes, an employment contract, or social benefit regulations.

Entry and the First 90 Days

To enter Germany, an EU citizen needs a valid passport or national ID card. A driver’s license and a bank card are not considered valid forms of identification for this purpose.

For the first three months, an EU citizen may stay in another EU country without obtaining a residence permit. Your Europe notes that a country may require notification of presence but cannot require a separate residence permit solely for the fact of a short stay.

If a person enters through an external Schengen border, passport control will be standard. When traveling within the Schengen Area, there may not be constant border checks, but the document is still required for registration, banking, renting housing, and dealing with government agencies.

At the EU’s external border, EU citizens undergo checks using their passport or national ID card.

What You Need to Stay for More Than Three Months

After the first three months, freedom of movement is generally maintained if the person falls into one of the following categories:

• is employed in Germany;
• is self-employed;
• is looking for work and has a realistic chance of finding employment;
• is a student and has health insurance and sufficient funds to cover living expenses;
• is not employed but has sufficient funds and health insurance;
• is a family member of an EU citizen who meets the requirements themselves.

For employees and entrepreneurs, eligibility is typically confirmed by an employment contract, pay stubs, business registration, or tax documents. For students and economically inactive individuals, health insurance and sufficient financial resources are essential to ensure they do not become an undue burden on the social welfare system.

Address Registration

Anmeldung is required for almost everyone who is actually moving and renting a place to live. The registration deadlines are set by local regulations; often, this is within the first few weeks after moving in.

The following are usually required for registration (Anmeldung):

• a passport or ID card;
• A “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” from the landlord;
• a completed Bürgeramt form;
• marriage certificates and children’s birth certificates, if the family is registering.

Registering an address does not, in and of itself, confer the right to free movement. It merely establishes a place of residence. The right to stay longer than three months depends on the basis for residence: employment, study, self-employment, sufficient funds and insurance, or family ties.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is one of the riskiest aspects of moving. In Germany, it is mandatory to have health insurance, but whether you enroll in the GKV or PKV depends on your status.

The easiest way to obtain insurance is when you have a job, an Ausbildung, a business, or another clear basis for coverage. Employees with income below the Jahresarbeitsentgeltgrenze are generally required to enroll in the GKV; the self-employed, high-income earners, and certain other groups may have different options.

If a person is moving without a job, they need to check in advance exactly what their insurance coverage includes:

• valid insurance from another EU country;
• Form S1 for specific situations, such as retirees or people whose health insurance remains in another country;
• Voluntary enrollment in the German GKV following prior insurance coverage;
• Private health insurance, if GKV is not available and the policy covers residency.

Travel insurance or an EHIC is usually sufficient for a temporary visit, but it is not a universal substitute for comprehensive insurance when moving to Germany for permanent residence. Any disputed cases should be discussed in advance with your health insurance provider (Krankenkasse) or a specialized advisory service, as retroactive premiums may be required after registration (Anmeldung).

Work and Job Search

An EU citizen can work in Germany without a separate work permit. This is one of the main differences from many pathways available to third-country nationals.

To search for job openings, you can use:

• EURES — the European Employment Network;
• websites of German employers;
• Federal Employment Agency;
• professional networks;
• Search directly for “Ausbildung” or vocational training.

Knowledge of German is not always required for your first job, but it significantly affects the quality of job opportunities, the security of your contract, and your income. Working through intermediaries without a clear contract, pay stubs, or insurance can lead to problems with government agencies, outstanding contribution debts, and the loss of your right to permanent residence.

Studying, Ausbildung, and Erasmus+

An EU citizen can enroll in a German university, college, or an Ausbildung program without a visa. For admission to a German university, you will still need recognized educational credentials, proof of language proficiency, and must meet the application deadlines and requirements of the specific program.

It is important for students to check the following in advance:

• Is your high school diploma or degree recognized?
• Do you need the TestAS, Feststellungsprüfung, or Studienkolleg?
• What language proficiency proof is required;
• How to obtain health insurance;
• Do you have enough money for housing and living expenses?

Erasmus+ can help with the exchange or cover part of the expenses, but it is not a universal relocation grant. The terms depend on the program, the university, and the student’s status.

Family Members of an EU Citizen

Family members may relocate with an EU citizen. This typically includes a spouse or registered partner, children and grandchildren under the age of 21, as well as dependent children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents. For students, the family circle is usually more limited: a spouse or partner and dependent children.

Relatives with an EU passport enjoy their own right to free movement. Relatives without an EU passport may have a derived right if they are accompanying an EU citizen or joining them.

It is important not to confuse the two situations:

• An EU citizen lives in Germany as a citizen of another EU country, such as a Polish, Romanian, or Italian citizen;
• A German citizen lives in Germany and wants to bring a relative from a third country to live with them.

In the latter case, German national law often applies rather than the standard EU free movement framework. There are exceptions—for example, if a German national has returned after actually residing in another EU country—but such cases require individual review.

Relatives Without an EU Passport

A family member from a third country may need an entry visa if they do not have a document that exempts them from the visa requirement. After moving to Germany, they are issued an Aufenthaltskarte as a family member of an EU citizen. This document confirms the right of residence, but the right itself arises from the family relationship and the EU citizen’s freedom of movement.

You’ll typically need:

• a valid passport;
• documents proving family relationships: marriage certificate, birth certificate, civil partnership certificate;
• address registration;
• Proof that the EU citizen is working, studying, looking for work, or has sufficient funds and insurance;
• Translations, an apostille, or legalization, if the documents were issued outside the EU and the relevant authority requires it.

For civil registry documents, check the requirements of the German Standesamt, Ausländerbehörde, or consulate in advance. An Apostille is not always required, but its absence may delay the processing.

Social Benefits and Kindergeld

You should not plan your move as if Bürgergeld were automatically available immediately upon arrival. For EU citizens, eligibility for social benefits depends on their status: current employment, previous employment, length of residence, family situation, and other factors. You should be especially cautious during the period when you are simply looking for work.

Kindergeld is available to families living in Germany who meet the requirements, but payments between EU countries are coordinated. If a child or one of the parents has ties to another country, the authorities may verify which country has priority for family benefits. Before applying, it is helpful to gather documentation from your previous country of residence.

Housing and Living Expenses

For EU citizens, there is no uniform federal standard of “X square meters per person” for the general right to free movement. However, housing is still important in practice: without an address, it is difficult to register (Anmeldung), open a bank account, enroll children in school, and receive mail from government agencies.

Before moving, you should prepare the following:

• funds set aside for a security deposit, the first month’s rent, and furniture;
• an employment contract or proof of income;
• Schufa or alternative documents if you do not yet have a Schufa;
• proof of family composition;
• Health insurance coverage starting from the first month of residence.

Renting an apartment in Germany without a job or a German credit history is difficult. Therefore, looking for a job or a place to study remotely before moving is often safer than arriving “on a whim.”

Practical Guide to Relocating

The procedure for an EU citizen is as follows:

1. Choose a city and research the housing market, schools, job opportunities, and insurance.
2. Find a job, an apprenticeship, or a place to study, or prepare a financial plan.
3. Clarify the process for enrolling in GKV/PKV or provide proof of insurance from another EU country.
4. Arrive with your passport or ID card and a set of documents.
5. Find housing and complete the Anmeldung.
6. Open a Girokonto.
7. Obtain health insurance and a tax ID number, and, if employed, provide this information to your employer.
8. For relatives without an EU passport, apply for an Aufenthaltskarte.
9. Keep your employment contracts, pay stubs, tax letters, and proof of residence.

Permanent Residence After Five Years

After five years of legal, uninterrupted residence in another EU country, an EU citizen usually acquires the right to permanent residence. Your Europe describes this as an automatic right to permanent residence after five years of legal residence.

In Germany, an EU citizen can obtain a Bescheinigung des Daueraufenthaltsrechts, while a relative from a third country can obtain a Daueraufenthaltskarte. In practice, the authorities verify the length of residence and the grounds for it, so it’s best to keep:

• pay stubs;
• employment contracts;
• tax notices;
• lease agreements;
• proof of insurance;
• Documents regarding family and cohabitation.

Daueraufenthalt is not the same as German citizenship. German citizenship is granted under separate naturalization rules.

Common Mistakes

• Arriving without a job, insurance, or financial reserves.
• Register (Anmeldung) but not understand the effective date of your insurance coverage.
• Do not consider the EHIC to be sufficient health insurance for permanent residence.
• Do not translate or legalize family documents in advance.
• Working without a contract or pay stubs.
• Count on Bürgergeld as your initial budget for the move.
• Do not confuse the Aufenthaltskarte for a relative of an EU citizen with the standard residence permit in Germany under national law.

FAQ

Can an EU citizen simply live in Germany without a job?

It is possible if you have sufficient funds and comprehensive health insurance. If these conditions are not met, your right of residence after the first three months may be disputed.

Do EU citizens need a work permit?

No. An EU citizen may work as an employee or be self-employed without a separate work permit.

Do you need to register with the Ausländerbehörde?

EU citizens in Germany are not usually issued a separate residence permit. However, registration (Anmeldung) at their address is still required. Relatives from non-EU countries must apply for an Aufenthaltskarte at the Ausländerbehörde.

Is a relative of an EU citizen issued a card valid for five years right away?

The Aufenthaltskarte is typically issued for up to five years or for the duration of the EU citizen’s planned stay, whichever is shorter. You should check the validity period and required documents with your local Ausländerbehörde.

Is it possible to obtain permanent residency after five years?

Yes, lawful continuous residence generally grants the right to permanent residence (Daueraufenthalt). However, the authorities may review your documents for the entire period, so it’s best to keep proof of residence, employment, insurance, and income starting from day one.