Banking

If you’re a student or planning to work in Berlin, you’ll need a bank account almost immediately after arriving, though to get one you need the Anmeldebestätigung from the Einwohnermeldeamt—proof from the city that you’re registered with them. As a student, you should be able to get a savings account with no fees associated with it—this account should include the use of an EC (“Electronic Cash”) card. The EC card works like a cash and check card in North America—and you can use it to pay in a lot of situations where you can’t use a credit card (at the grocery store, for example).

I use Dresdner Bank primarily because it is part of the “Cash Group,” which means I can withdraw money from the ATMs of five other banks without being charged a fee. (Using an ATM outside of that group costs at least €2.50, sometimes more.) Once you have established an account make sure that you know what your weekly ATM withdrawal limit is—not being able to get money at the end of the week can be a bad surprise.

Most banks also offer online services. This takes a week or so to establish, but once you’ve done so you can transfer money from the comfort of your home, which is wonderful because in Germany all bills are paid by electronic transfer. While the Dresdner Bank system is still fairly clunky, overall it has been a great convenience.