As an Irish citizen you can move to Germany and work without a visa or permit. The three things that catch people out are all admin: the Anmeldung (registering your address within 14 days, which the rest of your setup depends on), SCHUFA (Germany's credit report, which landlords want and you won't have yet), and choosing GKV or PKV health insurance before you arrive. Most household moves go by road, arriving in 6 to 10 days.

Germany is one of the most common European destinations for Irish emigrants, and one of the most rewarding once you're set up. It's also the one where the paperwork trips people up the most. The move itself is straightforward. You have full EU free movement, and your belongings cross no customs border. The friction is on the German side, in a chain of registrations that all depend on each other.

This guide covers what to sort before you go, how the admin chain actually works, how your belongings get there, and what a move costs.

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Do Irish citizens need a visa to move to Germany?

No. Ireland and Germany are both EU members, so you have full freedom of movement. You can arrive, live, and work without a visa, a permit, or any immigration application. You can start a job the day you land.

What you do need to do is register yourself into the German system once you're there. That's a local administrative step, and it's the part that runs your whole first month. More on that below.

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The Anmeldung: the one step everything else depends on

The Anmeldung is the registration of your address with your local authority, done at your nearest Bürgeramt (citizens' office). You're required to do it within 14 days of moving into your German address. Almost nothing else works until you have.

Without the Anmeldung you can't open a German bank account, register for health insurance as a freelancer, or receive your tax number. It sits at the top of the chain, and everything downstream waits on it.

What you bring to the appointment:

• Your passport
• The completed Anmeldeformular (registration form, downloadable from your Bürgeramt's website in advance)
• A Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, a signed letter from your landlord confirming you live at the address. This is mandatory, and your landlord is legally required to provide it within two weeks of you moving in.

You get a Meldebescheinigung (confirmation of registration) on the same day. Keep copies. You'll be asked for it repeatedly. Your Steueridentifikationsnummer (tax ID) then arrives by post to your registered address within a few weeks, automatically. You don't apply for it separately.

One practical warning: in Berlin, Munich, and Frankfurt, Bürgeramt appointments book up weeks ahead. Reserve a slot online before you fly, or the moment you arrive. Walk-in queues exist, but you can lose most of a day to one.

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SCHUFA: the credit report that makes flat-hunting hard

SCHUFA is Germany's credit reference agency. Landlords in the major cities almost always ask for a SCHUFA-Auskunft as part of a flat application. As a new arrival from Ireland, you have no SCHUFA history at all, and while that's different from a bad score, plenty of landlords treat it the same way.

The report you can provide is a SCHUFA-BonitätsAuskunft, which confirms you have no negative entries. That's true, because you have no German credit record yet. Some landlords accept it. Others won't take the risk on someone with no track record, especially in a market where they have twenty other applicants.

The way around it is to buy yourself time:

• Book serviced or corporate accommodation for your first two to three months. That window lets you build the paperwork (Anmeldung, employment contract, first payslips, a German bank account) that makes you a normal applicant.
• Use WG-Gesucht.de (flat-shares) or Wunderflats (furnished short-term). Private landlords letting a room are far more flexible than property-management companies.
• ImmoScout24 and Immonet are the main long-term listing sites, the German equivalent of Daft.

The honest version: flat-hunting in Munich as a new arrival is genuinely hard, and you should budget more temporary-accommodation money and time than feels reasonable. Frankfurt and Hamburg are competitive. Berlin is the most forgiving of the big cities for someone without a German history

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GKV or PKV: choosing health insurance before you arrive

Health insurance is mandatory in Germany. Every resident must have it, there's no opting out, and a gap in cover creates problems that can follow you for months. Insurers can backdate premiums to the day you became a German resident.

There are two systems, and which one you're in matters.

GKV — Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (statutory). If you take up employment, your employer enrols you automatically. The contribution is 14.6% of gross salary, split roughly evenly with your employer, so you pay around 7 to 8% of your gross. On a €50,000 salary that's roughly €300 a month from your payslip. GKV also covers non-working family members at no extra premium. TK (Techniker Krankenkasse) and Barmer are the providers most Irish movers pick, mainly for their English-language support.

PKV — Private Krankenversicherung (private). Open to the self-employed and to high earners above the income threshold (around €69,300 a year). Premiums are based on your age and health at entry, so they're cheapest when you're young, and they rise steeply as you age. Switching back from PKV to GKV later can be difficult.

For most Irish movers the choice is simple. Arriving employed: your employer handles it, just confirm before your start date. Arriving self-employed or freelance: join GKV voluntarily. The minimum contribution runs around €160 to €200 a month, and it's the lower-risk long-term option unless you have a specific reason to go private. If there's a gap before you start work: arrange cover from day one before you leave Ireland, rather than landing uninsured.

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How your belongings get from Ireland to Germany

AMC runs twice-weekly road freight between Ireland and Germany. Because Germany is one of our most frequent routes, there's less waiting for a groupage slot than on less common destinations. The route runs via ferry and the Channel, then east into Germany, with door-to-door delivery to Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, and every Bundesland.

You've got two options, and the right one comes down to how much you're moving.

Groupage (part load) shares a truck with other shipments heading the same way. It's the sensible choice for a studio, a one-bedroom, or anyone not moving a full house. Typical timeline: 6 to 10 days from collection.

Dedicated truck is your own vehicle and your own load, for three-bedroom houses and up, or when your move date is fixed and a groupage slot won't line up. Typically 4 to 7 days door-to-door, and more expensive.

Because Germany is an EU move, the customs side is clean. Used household goods you've owned for six months or more come in free of duty and VAT when you're relocating your main residence. You'll need a detailed inventory (we provide the template) and proof of your German address, your Meldebescheinigung if the Anmeldung is done, or your signed lease if not. New or still-boxed items and vehicles are handled separately.

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What does it cost to move from Ireland to Germany? (approx from Dublin to Munich)

Cost is driven by volume more than anything else. These are realistic ranges for road freight, collection in Dublin, delivery to Munich and may vary:

Move Size: Studio/room of belongings
Groupage estimate: €700 – €1,200
Dedicated truck estimate: Not applicable

Move Size: 1 bedroom apartment
Groupage estimate: €1,100 – €2,000
Dedicated truck estimate: €3,000 – €4,500

Move Size: 2 bedroom apartment
Groupage estimate: €1,900 – €3,200
Dedicated truck estimate: €4,000 – €5,800

Move Size: 3 bedroom house
Groupage estimate: €3,000 – €5,000
Dedicated truck estimate: €5,500 – €8,000

Move Size: 4+ bedroom house
Groupage estimate: Quote required
Dedicated truck estimate: Quote required

Packing, vehicle transport, and specialty items are quoted separately. The only way to get a fixed figure rather than a range is a pre-move survey, in-home across Leinster, or by video call anywhere. It takes 30 to 60 minutes and prices your actual volume, not an estimate.

Two costs nobody warns you about

Two German bills surprise almost every new arrival, so it's worth knowing about them before they land.

The Rundfunkbeitrag. Every household pays a broadcasting contribution of €18.36 a month, around €220 a year. It funds public broadcasting and isn't tied to owning a TV or radio. it's per household, full stop. A few weeks after your Anmeldung you'll get a letter about it. Set up a direct debit and move on. Ignoring it leads to enforcement notices.

Re-registering your car. An EU car doesn't pay import duty, but you can only drive on Irish plates for six months after becoming a resident. After that it needs a German TÜV inspection (the NCT equivalent, around €80 to €120), German insurance, and registration at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle, with fees of roughly €100 to €200. One catch specific to Irish cars: right-hand-drive headlights dip to the left, into oncoming traffic in Germany, so the units need adjusting or replacing. For an older or high-mileage car, the total cost and hassle can exceed what the car is worth. Selling in Ireland and buying in Germany is often cleaner.

Where are Irish people moving in Germany?

The major cities are genuinely different from each other, and picking the wrong one for your industry or budget adds friction you don't need.

Stuttgart is the single most common German destination for AMC customers. It's the heart of German engineering and automotive: Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are headquartered here, Bosch sits just outside the city, and the wider Baden-Württemberg region is packed with manufacturing and supplier firms. That draws a steady flow of Irish engineers, technicians, and specialists on solid salaries. It's affluent and well-run, sitting in a valley surrounded by vineyards and hills, so housing is competitive and the cost of living runs higher than Berlin. If you're moving for an automotive or engineering role, this is likely where you're headed.

Berlin is the most popular with younger movers. The cheapest of the big cities, the most international, and the easiest to live in English during your first year. Strong tech, startup, and creative scenes. The trade-offs are lower salaries than Munich or Frankfurt and slower bureaucracy. Look to Friedrichshain, Neukölln, or Lichtenberg for value.

Munich is the most expensive and the most in-demand, with the highest salaries, engineering, automotive, life sciences, finance. The catch is housing: finding a flat without contacts, a rental history, and three months' payslips is hard. Plan for a longer stretch in temporary accommodation.

Frankfurt is the financial capital and the best-connected to Ireland, with year-round direct flights from Dublin and Cork. Large international community around banking and the ECB. Rents are high but below Munich; many people live in surrounding towns and commute.

Hamburg is underrated, strong media, logistics, and maritime sectors, genuinely beautiful, with an established Irish community and rents below Munich and Frankfurt. It rains a lot; visit in February before committing.

Cologne and Düsseldorf, on the Rhine, are more affordable than the south. Cologne leans creative and media; Düsseldorf is more corporate, in fashion, retail, and advertising. Both have large English-speaking communities and regular direct flights to Dublin.

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FAQs

Do Irish citizens need a visa to move to Germany?
‍No. Ireland and Germany are both in the EU, so you have full freedom of movement. You can live and work in Germany without a visa or permit and start a job the day you arrive. You do need to register your address (the Anmeldung) within 14 days.

What is the Anmeldung and why does it matter?
‍It's the registration of your address at the local Bürgeramt, required within 14 days of moving in. Your bank account, tax number, and health insurance registration all depend on it, so nothing else in the system works until it's done. You'll need your passport, the registration form, and a signed confirmation of residence from your landlord.

How long does a move from Ireland to Germany take?
‍Groupage (a shared load) takes 6 to 10 days from collection. A dedicated truck is typically 4 to 7 days door-to-door. AMC runs twice-weekly departures, so groupage wait times are shorter than for many destinations.

Do I need health insurance sorted before I arrive?
‍Yes, ideally. Health insurance is mandatory and Germany doesn't accept gaps in cover. Insurers can backdate premiums to the date you became a resident. If you're arriving employed, your employer enrols you in statutory insurance (GKV). If you're self-employed or have a gap before starting work, arrange cover from day one.

Can I use my Irish bank account in Germany?
‍For day-to-day spending in the short term, yes Revolut and N26 both work. But you'll need a German account with a German IBAN for salary, rent, and the Rundfunkbeitrag, as most landlords require it for rent. Open one as soon as your Anmeldung is done.

Do I need to speak German to move there?
‍For working life in Berlin's tech sector or Frankfurt's finance sector, you can start without it. For daily life  (flat-hunting, bureaucracy, building a life outside the expat bubble) German makes everything faster. Most Irish people who've been there a couple of years wish they'd started learning sooner.

What if my German address isn't ready when my belongings arrive?
‍AMC has storage in Ireland. We hold your shipment and deliver once you have a confirmed address. Flag it at booking rather than the week before.

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