The moving to university checklist follows a fixed order: first the flat and the tenancy agreement, then budget, transport and contracts, and after moving in, registration and address changes. For budgeting, one figure works as an anchor: a room in a shared flat costs €510 per month on average, in Munich around €850. If you start the flat search early and handle the official formalities in one go after moving in, you avoid the biggest stress.
Key takeaways
- The flat search sets the timetable, everything else builds on it. Start as soon as you have a secure place at university.
- Plan with realistic rents: students pay €510 on average for a room in a shared flat, and the BAföG housing allowance is €380.
- After moving in, register with the residents’ registration office and inform your university, health insurance fund, bank and, if applicable, the BAföG office of your new address.
- For the broadcasting contribution, anyone who receives BAföG and does not live with their parents can apply for an exemption.
Moving to university checklist: when should you start?
Start the flat search as soon as you know which university you will attend. Everything else can be planned in stages. The following overview is a guide, not a fixed timetable.
| Timing | Tasks |
|---|---|
| From the admission offer | Start the flat search, set a budget, keep the BAföG application and a side job in view |
| After signing the tenancy agreement | Give notice on the old tenancy, check insurance, set up mail forwarding, order electricity and internet |
| About four weeks before | Organise a van and helpers, get boxes, plan the furnishing |
| Moving day | Carry important documents yourself, photograph meter readings, sign the handover protocol |
| After moving in | Registration, address changes, broadcasting contribution, use your student ID |
How do you find a flat, and what may it cost?
Whether a hall or a shared flat suits you better depends on budget and lifestyle. A separate article explains the choice between a student hall or a shared flat (in German), and tips for the way to a room are in our article on finding a room in a shared flat (in German).
For context on prices: according to the university city ranking 2026 by the Moses Mendelssohn Institute, which the German Student Union (Deutsches Studierendenwerk) cites in a press release of 17 September 2026, a room in a shared flat on the open housing market costs €510 per month on average.
| City | Average shared flat rent per month |
|---|---|
| Munich | €850 |
| Berlin | €650 |
| Hamburg | €650 |
| Cologne | €640 |
| Nationwide | €510 |
The BAföG housing allowance is €380 for students who do not live with their parents. In 76 of the 90 university cities examined, the average rent is higher, and 84 percent of all students live in these cities. The government draft of the BAföG reform foresees an allowance of €440 from 1 April 2027, but this has not yet been adopted.
Read the contract carefully before you sign, and see what matters in a tenancy agreement (in German). Further routes to an affordable flat are described in our article on an affordable flat during your studies (in German).
What does the move cost, and how do you plan your budget?
There is no standard figure for moving costs, because distance, household contents and type of transport determine the price. Plan rent, utilities, van or removal company, deposit, starter kit and the ongoing study costs separately.
An example of fixed monthly costs: Lea moves into a shared flat with three people. She pays €510 rent (national average), €37.80 for the Germany semester ticket (2026 price, where offered) and a third of the broadcasting contribution of €18.36 per flat, that is €6.12. Together that makes €553.92 per month, still without food, electricity, internet and insurance. More on prices and alternatives can be found in our article on getting around cheaply during your studies (in German), and planning help in budget planning during your studies (in German).
For students from households receiving social benefits, there is the study start grant (Studienstarthilfe). It pays a one-off grant of €1,000, for example towards the semester fee, a deposit or a laptop. Requirements include being under 25, being enrolled for the first time in a full-time degree programme, and you or your household having received a social benefit such as housing benefit (Wohngeld) in the month before the start of your studies. It is applied for digitally via BAföG Digital.
Housing benefit is excluded if you could in principle receive BAföG, even if the BAföG amount would be zero. The details are in our article on whether students can get housing benefit (in German).
How do you register? Registration and second residence
Anyone who moves into a flat must register with the registration authority within two weeks of moving in, under § 17 of the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz). You do this at the residents’ registration office or citizens’ office of the new municipality. You usually need to bring your ID card and the landlord’s confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), which your landlord issues to you. Which further documents are needed depends on the municipality.
If you keep a room at your parents’ home, you have two residences and must specify which one is your main and which your secondary residence. This can cost money: many cities levy a second-home tax, and whether and at what rate is set by the local bylaws. In Göttingen, for example, it amounts to 10 percent of the net cold rent from 1 January 2026, and according to the City of Göttingen it generally also applies to students. Students usually register their main residence at the place of study and therefore typically fall outside the bylaws. Ask the city or municipality how they handle your case before you register.
After registering, give your new address to these bodies: university, health insurance fund, bank, employer, BAföG office and family benefits office. Notify the family benefits office of a new address straight away, so that there is no overpayment and no reclaim.
Do you have to pay the broadcasting contribution as a student?
The broadcasting contribution is €18.36 per month and is payable per flat. Anyone who receives BAföG and does not live with their parents can apply for an exemption. The proof is the notice of approval; the exemption applies for the approval period and must be applied for again afterwards. In a shared flat, one person’s exemption does not help the others. In a hall, each individual flat pays in full. An overview is provided by the student services (Studierendenwerke).
Which contracts and insurance do you sort out before moving in?
Arrange electricity and internet in good time if they are not included in the rent. Also check whether your existing liability insurance still applies at the new location or whether you need your own, as described in our article on liability insurance for students (in German). Set up mail forwarding so that post from your old address is not lost.
How do you pack and organise moving day?
- Pack room by room, and label each box with its contents and destination room.
- Prepare one box for the first night: toothbrush, towel, a change of clothes, charger, bed linen and something to eat.
- Carry the tenancy agreement, ID card, health insurance card, proof of enrolment and bank documents yourself in one bag.
- Photograph the meter readings and the condition of the flat when you move in and out.
What you really need for the new flat is shown in our article on the student starter kit (in German).
What is due after moving in?
Your university’s orientation events are the best place to meet fellow students. Which discounts and benefits your ID card opens up is explained in our article on what your student ID gives you (in German). It also makes sense to find a family doctor at the new location early; tips are in our article on finding a GP as a student (in German). More to-dos for the start of semester are collected in the study start checklist (in German).
Frequently asked questions
When should I register as a student?
Within two weeks of moving in, as the Federal Registration Act requires. Registration takes place at the residents’ registration office or citizens’ office of the new municipality. Schedule the appointment straight after moving in and have your ID card and landlord’s confirmation ready.
Do I have to register a second residence as a student?
You must register every flat you live in. If you keep a room at your parents’ home, you decide which flat is your main and which is your secondary residence. Some cities levy a second-home tax on a secondary residence, others do not. Ask the city before you decide.
What does moving cost as a student?
The costs depend on distance, household contents and organisation. With friends and a hired van, you spend less than with a removal company. Also budget for the deposit, the starter kit and the first monthly rents. For rent levels, the average helps: €510 for a room in a shared flat, and considerably more in expensive cities.
How to proceed now
- Start the flat search and set a realistic monthly budget.
- After signing the tenancy agreement, sort out electricity, internet, insurance and mail forwarding.
- Organise the van and helpers, and pack room by room.
- After moving in, register and pass your new address on to the university, health insurance fund, bank and BAföG office.
- Check whether you can be exempted from the broadcasting contribution.
Related reading
- Finding a shared flat: tips for a successful search (in German)
- Understanding a tenancy agreement: what students should look for (in German)
- Housing benefit for students: who is entitled and how to apply (in German)
- Study start checklist: what to do before the first semester (in German)
- AOK for students: regional differences, contributions and admission (in German)
- Liability insurance in a shared flat and your own flat (in German)
- Contents insurance in a hall and a shared flat: when it pays off (in German)
- Studying in Germany: 30 university cities compared (in German)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
