The first two days in Munich, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Munich
How long you are staying
Must do
Telekom, Vodafone and O2 sell prepaid SIMs, as do the cheaper brands in supermarkets and drugstores. By law a prepaid SIM is activated only after an ID check, by video call or in a shop, so bring your passport.
€63 a month in 2026 for all local and regional transport across Germany, sold as a monthly subscription through DB Navigator or the local operator's app. Cancel by the 10th to stop the next month.
Registering your address within two weeks of moving in unlocks the tax ID, the bank account and the payroll. Appointments are the bottleneck, so book the moment you know your move-in date.
Statutory funds such as TK, AOK, Barmer and DAK have the same core cover; compare the supplement and the English service. Your employer needs the membership confirmation before the first payroll.
The landlord's signed confirmation that you have moved in. The registration office will not register you without it, and it is a separate form from the lease.
Munich's registration appointments book out weeks ahead; take any office with a free slot and keep checking for cancellations if your move-in date is soon.
Should do
112 for ambulance and fire, 110 for police, 116117 for an on-call doctor out of hours. A pharmacy displaying the Notdienst rota is open each night.
Supermarkets and most shops close on Sundays and public holidays. Stock up on Saturday; station shops and petrol stations are the fallback.
Every S-Bahn line shares one tunnel through the centre. Install MVGO or DB Navigator and learn the U-Bahn alternative to your S-Bahn route before you need it.
App banks such as N26 or bunq open in minutes with a passport; branch banks usually want the Meldebescheinigung. A German IBAN is what landlords and Lastschrift direct debits expect.
Do the trip from any flat you are considering at 8am. S-Bahn frequencies thin quickly outside the city.
Nice to do
Bottles and cans carry a deposit (Pfand) of 8 to 25 cents, returned at the machines in any supermarket. Waste is split into paper, packaging, organic and residual bins; neighbours notice.
Most embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals abroad. It takes two minutes and helps in an emergency.
In traditional beer gardens you may bring your own food as long as you buy your drinks there. Look for the bare tables without cloths.
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