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Munich

Bavaria, Germany

Arriving, settling in and working in Munich: what official sources say, in the order you’ll need it. Every point links to the page it came from.

Plan my move to MunichRead the guide ↓
Photo: ian kelsall / Unsplash
Guide sections12
Sourced facts72
Last verified1 Nov 2026
Time zoneBerlin

Decide

Is this the right city for us?

Munich at a glance

The basics about Munich: size, who lives here and what housing costs.

  • Munich had 1,612,429 residents with their main residence in the city on 31 December 2025, according to the city statistics office.
    muenchen.de ↗
  • 492,935 residents (30.6%) were foreign nationals on 31 December 2025.
    muenchen.de ↗
  • The city covers 310.73 km² and is divided into 25 districts (Stadtbezirke).
    muenchen.de ↗
  • Ramersdorf-Perlach is the most populous district, with over 120,000 residents in 2024. The city expects the strongest growth to 2045 in Aubing-Lochhausen-Langwied (over 50,000 more people).
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
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  • The Mietspiegel 2025 puts the average net cold rent of existing tenancies at €15.38 per m² a month, up 5.5% from €14.58 in the 2023 edition.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Rents for new lettings are much higher: re-let flats (unfurnished) were advertised at an average of about €21.59 per m² in the first half of 2025 (ImmoScout24 listings).
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
External links
Munich in numbers ↗The 25 city districts ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Laws and local rules

Everyday German and Munich rules that often surprise newcomers.

  • You must register your address (Anmeldung) within 14 days of moving in. Registration is free.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Every home pays the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag): €18.36 a month per dwelling, however many people live there.
    rundfunkbeitrag.de ↗
  • Adults 18+ may carry up to 25 g of dried cannabis in public and keep up to 50 g at home, and grow up to 3 plants each.
    bundesgesundheitsministerium.de ↗
  • Cannabis use is banned near under-18s, within sight of schools, playgrounds and sports facilities, and in pedestrian zones between 7:00 and 20:00.
    bundesgesundheitsministerium.de ↗
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  • For cannabis and driving, the legal limit is 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum. Novice drivers face a cannabis ban, and drivers may not combine cannabis with alcohol.
    bundesgesundheitsministerium.de ↗
  • For a life-threatening emergency call 112. For an illness that can't wait when your doctor's practice is closed, call 116117 (free from German phone contracts, 24/7).
    116117.de ↗
External links
Rundfunkbeitrag: register ↗Cannabis law FAQ (BMG) ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Arrive

The first 72 hours

Arriving in Munich

Getting from Munich Airport into town, and your first admin steps.

  • S-Bahn lines S1 (via Moosach) and S8 (via Ostbahnhof) alternate to give a train every 10 minutes between the airport and the city. The trip to the main station takes about 40 minutes.
    munich-airport.com ↗
  • The S8 runs 24/7: every 20 minutes, and every 40 minutes between about 1 and 4 am.
    munich-airport.com ↗
  • The airport is inside MVV zones M–5. The Airport-City-Day-Ticket covers zones M–5 and is valid until 6 am the next day; a group version covers 2 to 5 people.
    mvv-muenchen.de ↗
  • The Lufthansa Express Bus runs every 20 minutes between Munich Central Station and the airport, taking 45 minutes.
    munich-airport.com ↗
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  • Register your address at one of six Bürgerbüros within 14 days. Bring ID and the landlord's move-in confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). A main residence can also be registered online at wohnsitzanmeldung.gov.de.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Munich's immigration service (Servicestelle für Zuwanderung und Einbürgerung) takes many residence applications online, including work permits, the EU Blue Card, the Opportunity Card, study and family reunification.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
External links
Airport public transport ↗Register your address ↗Immigration online services ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Getting around

Tickets and fares on MVV: U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses.

  • Since 1 January 2026 a single ticket for zone M costs €4.20 and a short trip (Kurzstrecke) €2.10.
    muenchen.de ↗
  • A single day ticket for zone M costs €10.10 and a 10-strip ticket (Streifenkarte) €18.70 (2026 prices).
    muenchen.de ↗
  • Day tickets are valid until 6 am the following day.
    mvv-muenchen.de ↗
  • From January 2026, up to 3 children aged 6 to 14 travel free with an adult on a single day ticket, with no limit on your own children.
    mvv-muenchen.de ↗
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  • Trips inside one outer zone (zones 2 to 12) became up to 50% cheaper in 2026, for single, day and strip tickets.
    mvv-muenchen.de ↗
  • The Deutschlandticket costs €63 a month and covers local transport and regional trains across Germany, but not IC, EC or ICE. It rises to €66.80 a month from 1 January 2027.
    bvg.de ↗
External links
MVV fares 2026 (PDF) ↗Deutschlandticket FAQs ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Settle

Home, school, doctor, bank

Neighbourhoods and renting

Choosing a district, what rents look like, and tenant rules.

  • Check what a flat should cost with the official Mietspiegel 2025 calculator, which gives the local comparative rent for non-subsidised flats.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Average advertised rents in the first half of 2025 were about €21.59 per m² for re-let flats and €25.53 per m² for new-build first lettings (unfurnished). Furnished re-lets averaged €28.31 per m².
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • In areas designated as tight housing markets, a new rent may be at most 10% above the local comparative rent (Mietpreisbremse). Federal law lets states keep these designations until 31 December 2029 at the latest.
    gesetze-im-internet.de ↗
  • A deposit (Kaution) can be at most 3 months' rent, excluding service charges. You may pay it in 3 equal monthly instalments, and the landlord must keep it separate from their own money.
    gesetze-im-internet.de ↗
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  • You need the landlord's move-in confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) to register. If you don't have it yet, Munich accepts a declaration on the missing confirmation and lets you send it later.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Munich has 25 districts, from Altstadt-Lehel in the centre to Aubing-Lochhausen-Langwied in the west.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
External links
Mietspiegel 2025 calculator ↗Mietspiegel information ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Schools and childcare

Kita costs and the Bavarian school system.

  • Kindergarten care in city-run Kitas is generally free. Meal money is €105 a month in all city Kitas.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Crèche (Krippe) and after-school fees are income-based; reductions apply for joint household incomes up to €80,000 a year, and for siblings.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Bavaria pays Krippengeld for children born before 1 January 2025 if household income is below a limit. Apply to the Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales (ZBFS).
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Children start school at about six. Primary school (Grundschule) runs to grade 4, then pupils move to a Mittelschule, Realschule or Gymnasium (nine years, grades 5–13).
    km.bayern.de ↗
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  • Children who turn six by 30 September must start school. They enrol at the public primary school for their address (Sprengelschule); for school year 2027/28 enrolment day is 3 March 2027.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • German skills are checked at enrolment. Information sheets are available in English, French, Russian and Turkish. School questions: +49 89 233-96779.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
External links
Kita costs ↗Primary school enrolment ↗Bavarian school system ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Healthcare

Health insurance is compulsory. Here's how it works and where to get help.

  • Health insurance is compulsory in Germany. International cover is advisable for your first days or weeks until German insurance starts.
    make-it-in-germany.com ↗
  • Most employees are compulsorily insured in statutory health insurance (GKV) if they earn more than €603 a month and less than €77,400 a year (2026). Above that limit you may choose private insurance.
    bundesgesundheitsministerium.de ↗
  • In 2026 the GKV contribution is 14.6% of earnings plus a fund-specific extra (average 2.9%), on earnings up to €5,812.50 a month.
    bundesgesundheitsministerium.de ↗
  • Children, spouses and registered partners can be covered free through family insurance if their own income stays below €603 a month (2026).
    bundesgesundheitsministerium.de ↗
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  • Statutory members get an electronic health card (eGK). Take it to every doctor's visit; the back works as a European Health Insurance Card.
    make-it-in-germany.com ↗
  • Call 116117 for the on-call doctor service when your practice is closed. In a life-threatening emergency call 112.
    116117.de ↗
  • LMU Klinikum, Munich's university hospital, has two campuses (Großhadern and Innenstadt) and treats about 500,000 patients a year.
    lmu-klinikum.de ↗
External links
Health insurance (Make it in Germany) ↗116117 on-call doctors ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Banking and IDs

Your tax ID, a German bank account and SIM registration.

  • Your tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer) is sent by the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) to your registered address by letter after you first register. It's free.
    service.berlin.de ↗
  • No tax ID letter within 3 months of registering? Send your personal details to the BZSt, which will then issue it.
    service.berlin.de ↗
  • To open a current account (Girokonto) banks usually ask for a valid passport, a residence permit, a registration certificate and possibly a payslip.
    make-it-in-germany.com ↗
  • Anyone lawfully resident in the EU without a German payment account has the right to a basic account (Basiskonto). The bank must offer it within 10 business days of a complete application.
    bafin.de ↗
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  • Statutory deposit protection covers up to €100,000 per customer per bank.
    bafin.de ↗
  • Providers must check your name and date of birth against an ID document before activating a prepaid SIM card.
    gesetze-im-internet.de ↗
External links
Basiskonto (BaFin) ↗Bank account (Make it in Germany) ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Driving and cars

Using your licence in Germany and converting it in Munich.

  • A non-EU/EEA licence is valid for about 6 months after you first register in Germany. After that you need a German licence.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • The 6 months can be extended by up to 6 months only in exceptional cases, if you will live in Germany for no more than 12 months. Driving on a licence that is no longer recognised is punished as driving without a licence.
    bmv.de ↗
  • In Munich, apply to the driving licence office (Garmischer Straße 19-21) by appointment or online. Bring ID, a biometric photo, your original valid licence, a translation, an eye test and first-aid proof.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Fees are €37.50 without a test and €45.10 with a test (€38.30 and €45.90 with a probation period). Processing currently takes up to 14 weeks.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
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  • Licences from Anlage 11 countries may convert without tests. Other non-EU licences need theory and practical tests through a driving school.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • EU/EEA car licences usually don't need exchanging. UK licences must be exchanged within 6 months of taking up residence, currently without tests.
    bmv.de ↗
External links
Convert a non-EU licence ↗EU/EEA licences ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Thrive

Work, study, belong

Jobs and work

Pay rules, work visas and getting qualifications recognised.

  • The statutory minimum wage has been €13.90 gross per hour since 1 January 2026. It rises to €14.60 in 2027.
    bundesregierung.de ↗
  • The earnings limit for a mini-job is €603 a month in 2026, rising to €633 in 2027.
    bundesregierung.de ↗
  • An EU Blue Card needs a recognised degree and a job of at least 6 months paying €50,700 a year (2026), or €45,934.20 for shortage occupations and recent graduates.
    make-it-in-germany.com ↗
  • Blue Card holders can get a settlement permit after 27 months with A1 German, or after 21 months with B1.
    make-it-in-germany.com ↗
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  • The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) lets you look for work for up to 1 year, with part-time work up to 20 hours a week. You need at least €1,091 net a month in a blocked account (2026).
    make-it-in-germany.com ↗
  • At Munich's Welcome Center, the city's service for recognising foreign qualifications advises on Tuesdays and Thursdays; amiga helps with career entry.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
External links
EU Blue Card ↗Welcome Center München ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Universities and colleges

Fees, student housing and residence rules.

  • Over 100,000 students live in Munich. LMU had over 53,000 students in winter 2025/26, TUM about 52,000 and Hochschule München over 19,000.
    muenchen.de ↗
  • TUM charges non-EU students who started from winter 2024/25 tuition: usually €2,000 or €3,000 per semester for bachelor's and €4,000 or €6,000 for master's. Fees rise from winter 2027/28.
    tum.de ↗
  • At LMU the Studierendenwerk contribution was €97 for summer 2026. The MVV semester ticket has been suspended since winter 2023/24.
    lmu.de ↗
  • Students can use the Bavarian reduced ticket (Bayerisches Ermäßigungsticket), €43 a month since January 2026.
    muenchen.de ↗
Show 2 more
  • Studierendenwerk halls cost roughly €370–540 a month warm (June 2026). Waiting times are one to seven semesters.
    muenchen.de ↗
  • Non-EU students need a residence permit: a blocked account with at least €11,904 at first issue, statutory health insurance and a Munich registration. A first permit costs €100.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
External links
Studying in Munich ↗TUM tuition fees ↗Student residence permit ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

Newcomer support

Free advice, language courses and official help.

  • The Welcome Center München (Ruppertstraße 11) gives free personal advice to newcomers on language, authorities, work, education and housing, without an appointment during opening hours.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • Partners at the Welcome Center include the Goethe-Institut, migration services (daily) and the Münchner Volkshochschule (Wednesdays and Thursdays). Contact: welcomecenter@muenchen.de.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • The Welcome Center runs information events for newcomers; the next is on 10 November 2026, 18:00–19:30.
    stadt.muenchen.de ↗
  • The Münchner Volkshochschule (MVHS) runs integration courses: 600 lessons of German (target B1, DTZ test) and a 100-lesson orientation course ending with the "Leben in Deutschland" test.
    mvhs.de ↗
Show 1 more
  • Register for an MVHS integration course in person, 6 to 8 weeks before it starts. Bring valid ID and your entitlement certificate if you have one.
    mvhs.de ↗
External links
Welcome Center München ↗Integration courses (MVHS) ↗ReLoc doesn’t review listings on these sites and isn’t paid for these links.
Every point links to its official source.✓ Verified 1 Nov 2026

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