Three weeks until I move from Września, Poland to Dresden, Germany. Officially, I’ve already moved — I registered my Dresden address back in January 2026, and I’ve been splitting time between the two countries while I finished things in Poland. June 1 is when it becomes permanent.
I’ve moved internationally twice now: Bangladesh to Poland in 2023, Poland to Germany in 2026. Some patterns I’m noticing the second time around.
Paperwork happens in a strict order
Last time I underestimated this. The order matters.
In Germany, my sequence was:
- Marriage certificate translated by a German sworn translator (this took weeks, and the city register won’t update your marital status without it)
- Anmeldung — register your address at the Bürgeramt within 14 days of moving in
- Steuer-ID arrives by post 2–6 weeks after Anmeldung
- eAT card (electronic residence permit) — collected in person at the Ausländerbehörde
- Health insurance — added as a family member to my wife’s plan
- Bank account — only practical to open after the eAT
- SIM card — needs passport + verification, easier with eAT in hand
Doing these out of order means weeks of delays. I learned this the hard way in Poland.
The “name on the mailbox” rule
In Germany, post is delivered based on what’s on the mailbox, not your registration. If your name isn’t on the mailbox, official letters get returned to sender.
This caught me out: my Steuer-ID letter was supposed to arrive 2–6 weeks after Anmeldung. Three months later, nothing. The likely cause: my name wasn’t on the building’s main mailbox. Now it is. I’ll know in a few weeks if that fixes it. If not, I’ll go to the Finanzamt in person — they’ll print it on the spot.
What I’m packing, and not packing
I’m flying with two suitcases. Most of the apartment in Poland I’m leaving for the next tenant — beds, kitchen stuff, the small things that aren’t worth shipping. The math is simple: shipping a kettle costs more than a new kettle.
What’s coming with me:
- Documents: passport, eAT, Anmeldung, marriage certificate (German translation), tax papers, bank docs
- Laptop, phone, chargers, hard drives
- Two suitcases of clothes
- A few books I read often
- A small box of personal things — photos, gifts, wedding things
Three years of life fits in less than I’d have guessed.
Things I have to do before June 1
A short list, mostly so I don’t forget anything:
- Notify Mast Kebab — I gave proper notice in April
- Cancel utilities (gas, electricity, internet) for the Polish flat
- Cancel Polish phone contract or transfer to prepaid
- Withdraw final salary, close non-essential Polish accounts, keep one open as backup
- Final medical checkup with my Polish GP
- Forward post for 6 months
- Hand over apartment and get the deposit back
Most of this is boring. None of it is hard. Doing it in sequence and on time is the whole game.
What I’m looking forward to in Dresden
A real Hauptbahnhof. Neustadt at night. The Elbe in summer. Bookshops. The fact that the German train system, even when delayed, runs more often than the bus from Września to Poznań ever did. Living with my wife full-time again after nearly three years of distance.
Three weeks.