justmovetoeurope.com
Just Move to Berlin
Berlin, Germany — your playbook for visa, housing, community, and building.
Showing tips specific to Berlin alongside general European resources.
Large founder community, affordable runway, strong in B2B and climate tech.
Cost
€€
Avg Rent
€900–€1,500/mo
Visa
Medium
Ecosystem
Large
Prices are approximate and vary by neighborhood and season. Rent assumes a room in a shared flat or coliving and may exclude utilities. Snapshot as of 17 March 2026.
If you do nothing else
Sort your visa
Freelancer visa is straightforward; Skilled Immigration Act expanded options
Find your first home
Budget €900–€1,500/mo for a room or coliving.
Register your address & open a bank account
Required in most EU countries within 2 weeks of arrival.
Plug into the community
Luma, Meetup, or local Slack/Telegram — just show up.
Start building
Ship something in your first week. Builders attract builders.
Your First 30 Days in Berlin
Week-by-week playbook with € tips, local registration, and banking.
Read guide →Visa & Immigration
Hit the official overview first, then dig into the common paths below.
Start here
Official overview or main portal for visas and residence.
Join a company
Work visas and EU Blue Card for employed roles.
Start a company
Visas for founders and self-employed.
Freelance / self-employed
Residence permits for freelancers and self-employed.
Explore & search
Job-seeker permits, graduate routes, Global Talent, and other exploratory visas.
Hire across borders (EOR platforms)
If an employer doesn't have an entity in your country, these platforms can hire you compliantly on their behalf. Useful to suggest to companies as an operational path.
Housing, Coliving & Workspaces
Berlin is one of Europe's most affordable capitals, though the housing market is competitive. WG (flat share) culture is strong. Budget €800–€1,400/mo.
Company Setup & Legal
German GmbH or UG (mini-GmbH) — register at Handelsregister. YPOG specializes in startup law. Convertibles and INVEST grant compliance are standard. Ledgy for cap table.
Planning to raise VC or exit? Set up a personal Holding UG before incorporating your operative GmbH. With a holding structure, 95% of dividends and capital gains are tax-exempt (§8b KStG): ~1.5% effective tax vs ~26% as a private individual. A UG costs as little as €1 to incorporate. This is standard for German startups, but easy to miss as a first-time founder. Talk to a Steuerberater early.
Startup Perks
Free credits and discounts from cloud providers, AI platforms, dev tools, and more. Perks apply regardless of where you're based. Start with the directories below.
Communities
Berlin's startup community is deeply international and English-first. The scene runs on coworking spaces, meetups, and community hubs.
Events & Meetups
Regular meetups, AI events, and local tech gatherings.
Hackathons
Berlin's hackathon scene is vibrant and international. AI, web3, and climate tech dominate. {Tech: Europe} started here and hosts two-day hackathons across major European cities.
Conferences
Europe's flagship tech conferences: great for fundraising, recruiting, and visibility. Most are worth traveling to from any city — so we list them Europe-wide.
Accelerators & Programs
Berlin's accelerator scene is scrappy and international. Many programs are English-first and target early-stage founders.
Jobs & Talent
Berlin has the largest startup job market in continental Europe. English-first roles are the norm. Salaries are lower than London but so is cost of living.
Fundraising & First Checks
Berlin has a vibrant early-stage funding scene. Valuations tend to be more reasonable than London. Use Dealroom to find investors.
Find investors & market data
Databases and directories to discover angels and VCs, plus funding data and ecosystem reports.
Pitch resources & guides
Templates, playbooks, and real pitch deck examples.
Tax incentives for investors
Programs that make angel investing more attractive to backers.
Grants & Non-Dilutive Funding
Government grants, EU programs, and non-dilutive funding sources across Europe.
EU grants apply to EU cities. London and Zurich have separate national programs.
Vibe Coding: Build Without Code
AI tools that let you go from idea to working product in hours. No engineering team required.
Transit & Travel
Berlin's BVG system (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses) is extensive and affordable. The city is also extremely bike-friendly.
Food & Delivery
Berlin's food scene is international and affordable. Döner kebabs are a religion, and every neighborhood has its own food identity.
Cafes & Coworking
Berlin's cafe culture is legendary — the city is basically designed for laptop workers. Third-wave coffee, generous power outlets, and nobody rushing you out.
Culture & Lifestyle
Berlin's cultural scene is raw, experimental, and affordable. World-class museums, underground music, and a gallery scene that punches way above its weight.
News & Reports
Stay current on European tech, funding rounds, ecosystem shifts, and annual reports.
Podcasts & Video
Founder interviews, VC insights, and European tech stories in audio and video.
People to Follow
Founders, VCs, and ecosystem builders shaping European tech.
Go deeper
In-depth guides tailored for Berlin.
Your First 30 Days in Berlin
Week-by-week playbook: housing, registration, banking, and networking.
Housing in Berlin
Coliving, flat shares, budgets, and the move-in playbook.
Raising Your First Check in Berlin
How European VCs work, local norms, and where to start.
Finding a Cofounder in Berlin
Where builders meet, hackathons, and the local cofounder scene.