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Pfand, bins, radio tax: the rules nobody explains
Daily life in Germany runs on rules few newcomers hear about before they arrive. Here are the household basics, getting around, love and family, and what living in each region costs.
Written by
Janine El-Saghir
Janine El-Saghir
Janine El Saghir is an editor at How-to-Germany.com, where she specializes in the practical aspects of daily life and integration for expatriates. With years of...
Reviewed by
Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga
Erkan Boga is the founder and CEO of qmedia GmbH, the publishing house behind How-to-Germany.com. He established the platform with the clear vision of creating...
Edited by
Sadie Voss
Sadie Voss
Content Lead & Editor
Sadie Voss is the Lead Editor for How-to-Germany.com. As an expat who carved her own way into Berlin from the United States, Sadie is deeply...
Most of these rules only show up after you move in: the broadcasting fee office writes to you once you have registered your address, and a wrongly filled bin can be left unemptied. Visas, bank accounts and health insurance for the first weeks belong to moving to Germany.
Household and utilities
- Pfand: the bottle deposit: which bottles and cans carry a deposit, how to recognize them and where to return them.
- Recycling and waste sorting: what goes into which color-coded bin, and where everything else is collected.
- Radio tax (Rundfunkbeitrag): charged per household, not per person; how to register, pay and deregister, and when an exemption applies.
- Electricity: why the default supply contract (Grundversorgung) is rarely the cheapest option, and how to switch provider.
- Personal liability insurance: the policy almost every household holds, because German law sets no upper limit on what you owe for damage you cause.
- German phone numbers: the +49 country code, area codes and mobile prefixes, and how to write a number correctly.
- SIM cards: prepaid cards and mobile contracts compared, plus the eSIM and the ID check every SIM needs before it works.
- Internet providers: DSL, cable, fiber and LTE or 5G homespots, and how to get connected in a new flat.
Getting around
- Traffic fines calculator: what common offenses cost in Germany, from speeding to parking.
- Car tax calculator: the annual vehicle tax from engine size, CO2 emissions and registration date.
- Car insurance: third-party liability cover is required to register a car; partial and comprehensive cover are optional.
- Bicycle and e-bike insurance: which policies cover theft and damage.
Love and family
- Dating sites and apps: the platforms expats and locals use in Germany, compared.
- Joint bank accounts: one IBAN for rent and shared bills, who is liable for it, and what happens to it after a break-up.
- Family health insurance: how spouses and children are covered in public and in private insurance.
- Parental allowance calculator: an estimate of your Elterngeld, with the rules for part-time work, tax class and siblings.
Cost of living and the federal states
- Cost of living in Germany: rent, groceries and transport, and how much they vary from region to region.
- The 16 federal states: city states, old and new states, and what sets each one apart.