How Much German You Actually Need to Move to Germany

If you’re planning to move to Germany, you’ve probably heard two opposite stories:

• Story A: “Don’t worry, everyone speaks English.”
• Story B: “You must reach B2 (or C1) before you arrive, or you’ll suffer.”

Both are wrong in the same way: they talk about German level as if it’s one single number. In real life, the German you need depends on:

• Your city (Berlin vs. a smaller town)
• Your job type (tech, academia, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector)
• Your timeline (moving in 6 weeks vs. 6 months)
• Your tolerance for dependency (asking friends to translate every letter is a lifestyle choice)
• Your long-term goal (stay 1–2 years vs. build a career and social life)

This guide gives you the answer people actually need: not “What level should I be?” but Which German skills prevent the biggest relocation pain?

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The short answer (and the honest one)

You can move to Germany with very little German. People do it every day. But the question is: how much friction do you want?

Goal	Minimum German	What this really means
Move and survive in an English-heavy bubble	A2-ish	You can do basics, but paperwork and phone calls will still hurt.
Move and be mostly independent for daily life	B1	You can handle common appointments and understand simple letters.
Work comfortably, write emails, join meetings	B2	You can contribute, not just observe. Your work life gets easier.
Build a long-term career + credibility in German	C1	You can lead, negotiate, and sound confident under pressure.

Now the key insight: what causes most relocation stress is not “grammar.” It’s four specific areas:

1. Bureaucracy German (letters, forms, appointments)
2. Housing German (viewings, emails, contracts)
3. Healthcare German (symptoms, insurance, pharmacies)
4. Workplace German (meetings, emails, side conversations)

So instead of chasing a level, you should build a German survival stack: the smallest set of language that removes the biggest pain.

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A better way to think: “German by scenario”

Most language advice fails because it’s too abstract. Let’s make it concrete.

Below are the most common relocation scenarios. For each one, you’ll see:

• What you need to do
• How much German is “enough”
• The phrases that solve the problem (with phonetics)

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Step 0: Decide what “success” looks like for you

Before we talk about levels, you need to pick a target identity:

1. The visitor mindset (1–6 months): you can rely on English and friends.
2. The expat bubble mindset (1–2 years): English at work, limited German outside.
3. The local integration mindset (2+ years): you want independence and deeper relationships.

None is morally superior. But each requires different language investment.

If you aim for local integration, your “minimum” becomes B1/B2 pretty quickly—not because Germans demand it, but because your life becomes dramatically smoother.

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The language reality: Germany is “English-friendly,” not “English-first”

In large cities and international companies, English is common. But Germany is still a place where:

• official letters are in German,
• many phone lines and appointments are in German,
• many landlords prefer German communication,
• healthcare and pharmacies can be German-heavy,
• social life is easier when you can follow German in groups.

Think of English as a bridge, not a replacement. The bridge will get you started. German makes you independent.

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Your first 90 days: what German you need for each task

Most movers hit the same sequence. Let’s walk through it.

1) Arrival and short-term housing (Days 1–14)

If you stay in a hotel or short-term rental, German isn’t a blocker. But you’ll still use:

• basic greetings,
• simple questions,
• problem descriptions (“the heating doesn’t work”).

Enough level: A1–A2 (plus good pronunciation confidence).

Pro move: Learn numbers, dates, and spelling your name/email in German. It’s small, but it reduces confusion constantly.

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2) Registration (Anmeldung) and the first bureaucracy wave (Days 7–30)

Germany’s bureaucracy is not evil. It’s systematic. But it is written in German, and the office language is German.

For most people, “Anmeldung” is the first big hurdle. Even if the clerk is friendly, the forms and questions can be fast.

Enough level: A2 for doing it with help, B1 for doing it comfortably.

What you really need here is not “fluent conversation.” You need:

• recognizing common form words (Name, Geburtsdatum, Staatsangehörigkeit),
• understanding simple instructions (“Please sign here”),
• asking for repetition or slower speech.

Translation trick: If you don’t understand a letter, don’t translate the whole thing. Identify the “action sentence” first: what do they want you to do, by when, and where?

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3) Banking and contracts (Days 10–45)

Opening a bank account, setting up internet, phone, and utilities: this is where English often stops being guaranteed.

Enough level: A2–B1 if you can go in person; B1 helps a lot for reading contract terms.

What you need most is vocabulary for identity, fees, and documentation.

Big win: Learn the “contract verbs” that show up everywhere:

• kündigen (to cancel)
• verlängern (to extend)
• abbuchen (to debit / withdraw automatically)
• Widerruf (revocation / withdrawal period)

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4) Finding long-term housing (Weeks 2–10)

If relocation had a final boss, it would be housing. In popular cities, competition is intense. Language is part of it—not because landlords hate English, but because German communication signals reliability.

Enough level: A2 can work if you use templates; B1 gives you independence; B2 helps you stand out.

Three things matter most:

• Email quality: short, polite, informative.
• Phone confidence: at least basic scheduling ability.
• Document vocabulary: salary proof, SCHUFA, deposit, notice period.

Copy-ready viewing request email (German + phonetics)

What this achieves: it communicates seriousness, financial stability, and a clear call to action.

Viewing conversation essentials

Reality check: In Germany, many apartments are offered as “cold rent” (Kaltmiete) plus “additional costs” (Nebenkosten). Being able to ask this clearly protects your budget.

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5) Healthcare and pharmacy (Weeks 1–12)

Healthcare is where English can exist—but you shouldn’t rely on it. You don’t want to describe symptoms under stress in a language you can’t use.

Enough level: A2 for emergencies (basic symptoms), B1 for normal appointments, B2 for nuance and confidence.

Pharmacy basics

Doctor appointment essentials

Life-saving habit: Prepare a “medical mini-script” on your phone in German and English: allergies, medications, chronic conditions. You’ll be calm even if your German isn’t perfect.

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6) Work: what German do you need to succeed, not just survive?

This is where the conversation becomes real. Because plenty of people get a job in Germany in English… and then feel stuck.

At work, German matters in three layers:

1. Formal layer: emails, tickets, documentation.
2. Meeting layer: discussions, decisions, clarifications.
3. Social layer: hallway talk, lunch, jokes, “how things really work.”

Enough level for many international roles: B1 to “cope,” B2 to be comfortable, C1 to lead in German-heavy environments.

Email essentials (copy-ready)

Meeting survival phrases

The hidden workplace truth: Even if your job is “English,” the company culture can still be German. Being able to follow side comments (even at 60–70%) keeps you included.

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So… what level should you aim for before you move?

Let’s translate this into a practical plan.

If you move in under 2 months

Your best strategy is not “reach B1.” It’s: learn task language.

• Numbers, dates, spelling
• Appointment language
• Form vocabulary
• Housing email templates
• Medical symptoms basics

This is an A2 “functional bundle.” Many people live with this for a while.

If you have 3–6 months

Aim for a real B1—but stay pragmatic. B1 is the sweet spot where you can:

• book appointments,
• handle basic bureaucracy,
• talk to a doctor,
• manage housing communication,
• make small talk without panic.

At B1, Germany becomes less stressful. Not perfect. Just manageable.

If you want career growth within 12 months of arrival

Aim for B2. B2 is where:

• you can write clean emails,
• meetings become participatory,
• you can negotiate and explain reasoning,
• you stop feeling like your personality is “smaller” in German.

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The “German skills” that matter more than grammar

Here are the five skills that determine your day-to-day success:

1) Hearing numbers, dates, and addresses

If you can’t catch “dreiundzwanzig” vs “dreißig,” you’ll constantly re-confirm. Train this early.

2) Polite directness

German communication is often direct. That’s not rudeness; it’s clarity. Your German will “sound better” if you copy that structure.

3) Reading official German (letters)

You don’t need to love reading. But you must be able to extract: who, what, when. Most letters follow patterns.

High-frequency letter words:

• Frist (deadline)
• Unterlagen (documents)
• Nachweis (proof)
• Bescheid (official decision/notice)
• Rückmeldung (reply/feedback)

4) Phone calls

Phone calls are harder than face-to-face because you lose context. You can “solve” this with scripts.

5) Social German (the gateway to belonging)

You can live in Germany with “task German.” But if you want friends and a fuller life, you’ll eventually need social German.

This doesn’t mean philosophy. It means:

• introducing yourself,
• asking questions,
• telling simple stories,
• understanding jokes at least sometimes.

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City reality: Berlin vs. Munich vs. “everywhere else”

People underestimate how much city choice affects language need.

Berlin (and a few international hubs)

You can do more in English, especially in tech circles. But bureaucracy is still German. Housing is still German-heavy. And your social integration will be limited if you avoid German.

Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne

International in work, German in daily life. B1 pays off fast here.

Smaller cities / towns

English is less guaranteed. A2 may work with help, but you’ll want B1 sooner than later.

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The “minimum viable German” roadmap (12 weeks)

If you want a plan that actually fits relocation chaos, use this 12-week roadmap. It prioritizes high-impact language first.

Weeks 1–2: A1 power essentials

• greetings, politeness, numbers/dates
• basic questions: where/when/how much
• spelling your name and email

Weeks 3–6: A2 task language

• appointments, forms, contracts
• housing vocabulary
• health symptoms basics

Weeks 7–12: B1 independence

• past tense for “explaining what happened”
• writing short emails (housing, work, services)
• phone scripts
• small talk basics

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Common myths (that cost you time)

Myth 1: “I’ll learn once I’m there.”

You will learn faster in Germany, yes. But relocation chaos reduces mental energy. If you arrive at zero, you may postpone learning for months.

Myth 2: “I need perfect pronunciation before speaking.”

No. You need confident clarity, not perfection. Germans will meet you halfway if you’re trying.

Myth 3: “If I can read, I’m fine.”

Reading helps, but phone calls and spontaneous questions are the stress test. Practice speaking early—even with simple scripts.

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A compact phrase library (by situation)

Save this section. This is the “I’m in Germany right now” toolkit.

Polite “repair” phrases (when you don’t understand)

Appointments

Customer service / problems

Workplace small talk

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What I would do (if I were moving tomorrow)

If your goal is to move smoothly and feel independent quickly, here is the highest ROI plan:

1. Reach A2 functional before arrival: appointments + forms + housing emails.
2. During month 1 in Germany: practice phone scripts and reading letters weekly.
3. By month 3: push to B1 with writing + speaking (not just apps).
4. By month 6–12: aim for B2 if you want career and social growth.

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FAQ

Do I need B2 before I move?

Usually, no. Unless your job is German-first from day one, you can move with A2/B1 and build from there. But if you want to feel confident fast, B1 before arrival is a big advantage.

What if I’m in tech and my job is fully English?

You can live and work in English. But German still affects your housing, healthcare, and social life. Think of German as “quality of life insurance.”

What’s the best German for paperwork?

Learn letter vocabulary (Frist, Unterlagen, Nachweis) and practice extracting actions. You don’t need to read like a novelist—just like a competent adult.

Is pronunciation really important?

Clarity matters. Perfection doesn’t. If you can be understood, you win. Phonetics help you start speaking now.

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Closing: the real answer

So, how much German do you actually need to move to Germany?

You need enough to:

• handle bureaucracy without panic,
• find and keep housing,
• get medical help confidently,
• participate at work and socially.

For most people, that means:

• A2 to land safely,
• B1 to live independently,
• B2 to thrive.

If you want, tell me your city, job type, and move date, and I’ll tailor a “minimum viable German” checklist for your exact situation.