Landing in Germany is not the same as starting a beginner course. Your first week is desk German flat viewings, the Bürgeramt, a pharmacy queue, the neighbour who caught your Amazon box by accident. The polite hello you memorised on the plane will not get you through any of those.

This guide is for that week. Short explanations, phrases that sound like real Germany (not textbook drills), and a clear split between what you have to handle now and what can wait.

Why this is not “German, beginner”

A syllabus assumes you have months. A move assumes you have an appointment on Thursday. You are not trying to sound fluent at the counter. You are trying not to freeze when someone speaks too fast, and you need a few lines that buy you time. Germans are used to newcomers who speak slowly. They are less patient with silence.

Before you land, practise three habits more than any vocab list: ask people to slow down, repeat the one word you caught, and say when you do not understand. That is enough to keep most conversations alive until the form, the key, or the prescription is sorted.

• Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? — Could you please speak more slowly?
• Noch einmal, bitte. — Once more, please.
• Ich verstehe nicht. — I don’t understand.
• Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch. — I only speak a little German.
• Moment, bitte. — One moment, please.

How you practise those lines is up to you — a friend on a call, flashcards, or a date-based tutor like Lumi Language. The point is the same: say them out loud before you need them.

Housing: Besichtigung, keys, landlord questions

Viewings move fast. Someone opens a door, waves at a kitchen, asks when you can move in. Ask about rent, deposit, Nebenkosten, and whether a second person or a pet is allowed — before you nod at a clause you did not mean.

What you need to deal with now: the viewing, the key handover, and anything that has to go into the contract.

What can wait: charming small talk about the Kiez, and a long speech about why you moved.

• Ich habe einen Termin zur Besichtigung. — I have an appointment to view the flat.
• Wie hoch ist die Miete? — How much is the rent?
• Sind die Nebenkosten inklusive? — Are the service charges included?
• Wie hoch ist die Kaution? — How high is the deposit?
• Wann kann ich einziehen? — When can I move in?
• Wo ist der Briefkasten? — Where is the mailbox?
• Die Heizung geht nicht. — The heating isn’t working.
• Hier ist der Schlüssel. — Here’s the key. (also when you hand one back)
• If something is broken on day one, say it in one short sentence. Long apologies slow everyone down.

Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt

Anmeldung is registering your address. In Germany you generally have to register shortly after moving into a new home — often within about two weeks, though the exact rule is local. You usually need an appointment, your passport or ID, and a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from the landlord confirming you live there. Bring more paper than you think. The clerk will tell you what is missing faster than any checklist online.

For current requirements, start with the federal overview for newcomers on Make it in Germany — registering your residence, then check your city’s Bürgeramt page for appointment rules and forms.

What you need to deal with now: the appointment, the form, and proof of address.

What can wait: understanding every line of the form in perfect German. Point at a field and ask. Ask them to write it.

• Ich habe einen Termin zur Anmeldung. — I have an appointment for registration.
• Hier ist mein Pass. — Here’s my passport.
• Hier ist die Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. — Here’s the landlord’s residence confirmation.
• Was muss ich noch mitbringen? — What else do I need to bring?
• Können Sie mir helfen, das Formular auszufüllen? — Can you help me fill out the form?
• Wie lange dauert es? — How long does it take?
• Brauche ich einen Termin? — Do I need an appointment?

If they offer English, take it. If not, slow German plus the lines above usually works. Before you leave, ask whether you need a Meldebescheinigung — the registration certificate banks, employers, and insurers often want later.

First desks: work, SIM, admin

Any desk that issues you a card, a contract, or a start date will ask short questions: name, address, tax ID, when you begin. You do not need essays. Hear the question, answer it, ask when you are stuck.

What you need to deal with now: spelling your name, confirming your address, booking the next appointment.

What can wait: office banter in German, and reading every email on day three.

• Wie heißt das bitte? — What is that called / could you say that again?
• Können Sie das aufschreiben? — Can you write that down?
• Meine Adresse ist… — My address is…
• Ich fange am … an. — I start on …
• Wo ist die Toilette? — Where is the toilet?
• Wer ist zuständig für…? — Who is responsible for…?
• Ich brauche eine Bescheinigung. — I need a confirmation / certificate.

Keep your Anmeldung papers and passport number somewhere you can find without emptying a suitcase in the lobby.

Arzt and Apotheke

If you get sick early, you want a doctor’s office (Praxis), an appointment if you can get one, and a pharmacy (Apotheke) for prescriptions or basic advice. Pharmacies ask questions — that is normal.

What you need to deal with now: simple symptoms, asking for an appointment soon, picking up medicine.

What can wait: your full medical history in German.

• Ich brauche einen Termin beim Arzt. — I need a doctor’s appointment.
• Es ist dringend. — It’s urgent.
• Mir geht es nicht gut. — I don’t feel well.
• Ich habe Fieber / Halsschmerzen / Bauchschmerzen. — I have a fever / sore throat / stomach ache.
• Ich bin allergisch gegen… — I’m allergic to…
• Haben Sie das rezeptfrei? — Do you have that without a prescription?
• Wie oft soll ich das nehmen? — How often should I take this?

For life-threatening emergencies in Germany (and across the EU), dial 112. Background on the number: European emergency number 112. For non-emergency medical help when practices are closed, Germany’s on-call service is 116 117 (116117.de). For everything else at the desk, dringend plus a calm description beats a long story.

Neighbours and the Hausordnung

Buildings have quiet hours (Ruhezeit), recycling rules, shared laundry, and packages that land at the wrong door. You will meet people in the stairwell before you meet them anywhere else.

What you need to deal with now: introducing yourself, apologising for noise, finding the bins.

What can wait: becoming friends in German.

• Guten Tag, ich bin der neue Nachbar / die neue Nachbarin. — Hello, I’m the new neighbour.
• Entschuldigung für den Lärm. — Sorry for the noise.
• Wo ist die Mülltonne? — Where is the bin?
• Wann ist Ruhezeit? — When are the quiet hours?
• Darf ich das Paket bei Ihnen abholen? — May I pick up the package from you?
• Schönen Tag noch. — Have a nice day. (clean exit from hallway chat)

A short hello is enough. You do not owe anyone your life story on the stairs.

What to leave for later

Park these until the flat is locked and the Anmeldung is done:

• Perfect case endings at the counter
• Long hobby small talk
• Decoding every official letter alone at midnight (ask someone, or take the letter back to the office)
• Trying to sound local

Week-one German is not about finishing a lesson tree. It is about getting through the desks and doorways that will not wait for your streak.

About the author

Elliot Ma builds language tools for people who have a date — a move, a first week, a conversation they cannot push to next month.