Leaving Germany – What you need to take care of

Ultimate Checklist

You have spent some time in Germany, and now you decided it is time for you to leave. The ups and downs that come with this decision change rapidly and any big move can seem overwhelming. Not only are you leaving behind friends or family and memories, but there are also all the tasks you need to take care of. It can seem daunting to keep track of all the things you need to cancel, institutions you need to inform, and German bureaucracy is an additional challenge.

We are here to help. We put together an overview of what you need to do when and added suggestions on how to accomplish those tasks. Checking off the mentioned items will save you a lot of hassle, in some cases money and in any case time and effort.

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Table of Content

Apartment

Short: You need to inform your landlord in a timeframe mentioned in your tenancy agreement. If you have a follow-up tenant, it may be possible to negotiate a quicker transition. Also remember to write a protocol at the apartment handover and document any defects with photos. The rental deposit you have paid when moving in will now be paid back.

Long: In many cases, the standard for letting a landlord know that you plan to move out is 3 months. Check your rental contract and make sure to let your landlord know within the required timeframe. If you have a follow-up tenant already at hand, then ask your landlord about this. They obviously have the say in this, but many are grateful for an effortless transition.
Make sure to post your cancellation on time and with a receipt of confirmation or a tracking ID. You can get those at any post office.

Shortly before you move out the landlord will expect a handover where we advise a written protocol signed by all parties, so everyone is transparent with possible defects and there are no misunderstandings. Make sure to document everything with photos or a quick video to avoid any misunderstandings.

Within 6 months of moving out your landlord will transfer back your deposit. Often a lot quicker, but if there is any confusion, that is about as long as it can possibly take (assuming you don’t owe any rent or costs due to defects).

Insurances (Health Insurance, Liability, and other insurances)

We advise you to compile a list of all the necessary insurances. Health insurances, car insurance, liability insurance. Gather the necessary contracts, and have your deregistration at hand, so you can cancel whatever and whenever you need to.

Residence Deregistration

Short: Deregistering your residence in Germany is mandatory and helps you with cancelling other contracts that may otherwise run a lot longer. It is also necessary, because if you are registered in Germany, you may still be liable for taxes. You can use our service to deregister online.

Long: Normally, you cannot book an appointment at the citizen’s office for a deregistration any earlier than 7 days before you leave. If you need to do it earlier, get in touch with your local citizen’s office to find out if they have any other options. It is recommended to send the deregistration documents within 14 days after your departure. If you have forgotten to deregister yourself, it is best to take care of it as soon as possible. You may be liable to pay tax in Germany if you are officially a registered resident in Germany.

Driver’s License

If you had your non-German driver’s license transferred into a German one, you can request it back. Consider, that bureaucracy in Germany can be slow, so book your appointment at the responsible office timely so it takes place at least 6 weeks before your departure. In case you had your own car here, you also need to deregister it. To find more details you can inform yourself here about how we help with car deregistration.

Cancellation of Utility Providers

Short: More homebound utilities like electricity and gas (if applicable) need to be cancelled according to contracts as well. In case you need to cancel on a shorter notice, have your deregistration confirmation at hand.

Long: In most cases you need to inform your gas provider (if you have one) and electricity provider. You can do this 4-6 weeks before your move. If you want to cancel your contracts outside of the deadlines mentioned in the contract, they will likely ask for your deregistration confirmation. You can forward a scan of your deregistration to them once you have received the original.

Coordinate Move

Short: Get quotations from a couple of removal services, to choose your best option and compare the prices. If taken care of a couple of months before your move, you will feel more confident in your service provider if you have already gotten to know them when you had less time pressure.

Long: You might want to get a couple of quotations from removal services. Many offer their estimation after taking a virtual tour of your house and calculate their prices rather well. You can double-check their ratings and reviews beforehand to feel like you can trust the company you opt for. To avoid any bad surprises when waiting for the movers to arrive on the agreed date or when unwrapping your goods at your destination, get this done 4-5 months ahead of your actual move. If you then need to change plans, you will not run out of time to find a back up and it’ll save you time, money and stress in the long run.

Mail forwarding

Short: For 12 or even 24 months you can have all your mail forwarded from your former German address to wherever it may take you with your move.

Long: To make sure nothing gets lost, even after you left, you can set up a mail forwarding contract with Deutsche Post. If you know where you will move, you can have the post forward all your mail to that address. If you only have a temporary apartment you will stay in, you can also mention a friend’s or family member’s address and ensure that you do not miss any important belated mail (like the deregistration confirmation).

Bank account

Short: It is best to first check if there are any left payments to be made and may be easier to receive your rental deposit onto your German bank account. We advise to keep it for a couple of months longer than you are staying in Germany.

Long: Of course, with a bank there are dependencies. You might need to make some more payments, after you are gone, or you still receive your salary until the day you leave. We recommend informing your bank a couple of weeks beforehand but keep the bank account for another 6 months after you leave. You can also provide your financial institution with the follow-up bank account, so they know where to direct any left-over money from your German bank account.

GEZ (Public broadcasting service)

GEZ can be easily cancelled online. Or you can use our service and we will add it to the list. It is not a huge amount of money, but paying it without living here, would be unnecessarily generous on your part.

Child benefit and School- and Kindergarten cancellation

Short: Child benefit needs to be cancelled to avoid fines and having to payback the amount you falsely received. School and kindergarten fees need to be cancelled ahead of time as well.

Long: If you stayed here with your children, you may have received child benefit or sent your children to school or Kindergarten in Germany. You are obligated to inform the Familienkasse (which is the responsible office for paying child benefit) that you are leaving the country. If you receive child benefit, even though you live abroad, there may be fines on top of having to pay back the falsely received money. Make sure to inform the Familienkasse with a tracked letter to be able to proof, that you fulfilled your obligation.
School and Kindergarten need to be informed ahead of time as well. Not only are there often waiting lists and some other family may want to happily take your spot, but it is also nicer for classes and teachers to have some time to prepare the farewell and have a smooth transition. If there are school or kindergarten fees those need to be cancelled as well. If you have a spot co-funded by the municipality you live in, make sure to inform your local responsible office, as well. We recommend doing this 3 months ahead of your move, or as soon as possible.