WHY BERLIN?

It’s got the tunes

Uber-cheap

(“Techno heaven Berlin!”)Berlin's nightlife is one of the most

diverse and vibrant of its kind in Europe.

A beer for €0,30!! Alternative and liberal

But also in the presentOne of today's hippest startup cities.

And it’s got the arts!Get lost in hundreds of art galleries and museums.

Vegetarian capital of the World, for more info click here.

The city is historicalBerlin has a rich history. If you are

interested in history, Berlin is full of lessons new and old.

At Sociomantic Labs, we've already welcomed over 41 nationalities in our Berlin headquarters. Still, for every new team member it’s a big step — an exciting yet daunting move.

Once you settle in, Berlin is a great place to call home. So to make your relocation as easy as can be, here’s our best advice on becoming a true Berliner.

Kieze

Housing prices

Berlin consists of many neighborhoods, called "Kieze", that have their own

individual characters. The most popular Kieze can currently be found in

Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Mitte, Neukölln.

Prices are on the rise, but don’t despair: Berlin’s rents are low compared to other German

cities (and not to mention other European capitals).

Rental prices per square metre:

German rental prices are divided into di�erent subcategories. Usually there are:

Warmmiete: Total price including running costs like heating.

Kaltmiete:The plain cost of the space without the

running costs.

Provision:The estate agent’s pay in case you

chose to have one.

Kaution: The deposit, which can range from one Kaltmiete to

three-times the Kaltmiete.

Rundfunkgebühren: The television/radio license fee (€17,50 monthly) for

Germany’s public broadcasting institutions that every household has to pay. It’s a solidarity-based

funding which ensures that everyone has free access to information and enables reporting

independent from economic and political interests.

Types of contracts When trying to find an apartment, there are various contract types and living situations you can consider:

Unmöbliert: The standard apartment. It comes unfurnished, even without a kitchen. You can rent it by yourself and make it yours.

The Wohngemeinschaft “WG”: The German version of a flat-share, but more serious. An interview must be passed before you're chosen as a flat mate. But that's also why it results in strong friendships usually!

The Crocodilian:It’s a furnished (möbliert) apartment. The easy option!

Long term:Bring some patience as these contracts are now hard to find. You need to bring full documentation to each viewing — meaning three payment slips,your working contract, ID, the Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung, and sometimes even more.The Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung is a letter from your last landlord stating that you don't owe any money. (Just ask them for one if you were living in Germany before. Don’t worry about it if you were living abroad.)

Zwischenmiete:Sublet for a limited period of time. It’s an easier option, but that also means you have to hunt for another home soon! Typically you find them on Airbnb and Nestpick, and they are often a safe bet meanwhile to buy you time in hunting for a long-term apartment.

Find useful websites for your flat hunt here and here.

There are also several Facebook Groups such as Flats in Berlin, Finding Flats in Berlin and WG’s in Berlin.

Beware of the scams! Never transfer money before actually seeing the flat!

Munich: €15,44Stuttgart: €12,48

Frankfurt am Main: €12,43Hamburg: €11,13

Düsseldorf: €10,93Berlin: €10,30

HOUSING

The AnmeldebestätigungIs your proof of registration within Germany.

It’s needed for everything else you will ever do in German bureaucracy, so get it fast and

never lose it! Nowadays, it’s almost impossible to get a registration appointment online. Just

go to the "Bürgeramt" before it opens to be at the front of the line, and don't forget to bring

your passport and the "Einzugsbestätigung des Wohnungsgebers (Vermieter)", which is a document from your landlord confirming your

new home. You can find it here if you scroll down to "Formulare" here.

A list of Berlin’s Bürgerämter is available online here.

Health InsuranceThey charge the same basic rate of between 14.6% to 16.2%, depending on your choice of insurance. The rate is shared equally between the employer and the employee, paid from your eligible gross salary, up to

a maximum monthly income of 4,238 Euros (based on 2016 figures).

Find more information on it here.

DOCUMENTS

Opening a Bank AccountBring your passport, work contract and Anmeldebestätigung to your preferred bank.

Here you’ll find the top banks in Germany.

SteueridentifikationsnummerThis number is needed for your job at Sociomantic and any other position if you ever were to leave. It should arrive about 5 weeks after your registration via post at your registered address. If it doesn’t go to your “Finanzamt” (tax authority) and ask for it directly. Check here for your respective Finanzamt by inserting your ZIP code.

Your tax class by default is number 1 if you’re single and without children. It changes if you’re married or have children. Find more info here. Watch out: You need to receive your Tax ID within your first two months in Berlin, otherwise you will automatically be categorized as Tax Code 6, which means losing quite a chunk of cash to the state!

Church tax: In Berlin if you are a member of an organized religion, the government will deduct an 9% tax from your salary. If you do not want to contribute to a religion, you may need to formally exit your church, and please be careful to leave this section blank when you register as an employee at Sociomantic.

BECOME A TRUE

BERLINER

Transportation Bikes:

Berliners love their bikes. Regardless of the weather, biking through the city is the most beloved way of transportation in Berlin. So if you don’t have a bike yet, visit some flea markets to get a good deal. Be

sure to buy a good lock! Bike theft is common across the city.

BVG:That’s Berlins public transport system. It includes the S-Bahn (overground), U-Bahn (underground), buses

and trams. The BVG takes you to every part in and around Berlin.

Before jumping on the train, watch out to get the right tickets to avoid paying a fine. The open station entries may be misleading, but everyone needs buy

a ticket and stamp it too.

Check out how to get to your stop:

Tickets:There are several ways to get a ticket (via the BVG

app / some Spätis (open-late kiosks) / or the BVG machine)

Don’t forget stamp your ticket at the yellow or red boxes next to the ticketing machines. If they catch you with an unstamped ticket you’ll need to pay a

€60 fine! The machine looks like this.

Ticket Inspectors: Don’t be surprised if a person without a uniform asks you in a rude manner for your ticket – it’s the ticket inspector. They work

under cover. Berlin is a hard place to do “Schwarz fahren” (taking the U-Bahn without a ticket).

Ticket Options:

Monatskarte: Frequent train rider or bus-aholic? Get a monthly pass if you will use public transportation

often. (Trainees even get a discount!)

Einzelfahrschein: Standard! This is the most common ticket for bus or U-Bahn. It’s valid for two

hours, but only in one direction.

Kurzstrecke: Too lazy to walk a stop or two? Get a Kurzstrecke if you only ride for up to three stops on

the U-Bahn or six stops on the bus (in one continuous ride).

Fahrradkarte: Bike-lover? Not a joke, even bikes

have to pay on the U-Bahn. Get this extra ticket under the category “Other” at any ticket machine.

The Language The language with the longest words!

To prepare you before your arrival, here are some key words for your daily interaction in Berlin:

Hello – “Hallo!”Please – “Bitte”

Excuse me – “Entschuldigung” (or keep it simple: “Sorry!”)Good bye – “Tschüss!”

Thanks – “Danke”Asking for the bill – “Die Rechnung bitte!”How much is this? – “Wieviel kostet das?”

Do you speak English? – “Sprichst du Englisch?”

Pfand: You pay it on top of the price for each drink you buy at a supermarket and get it back when returning the empty

bottle. It’s basically a deposit encouraging a sustainable lifestyle.

Späti (or Spätkauf): These corner shops are everywhere you

look in Berlin. No street comes without its Späti. The name stands for “shopping late”, which is the main purpose of a Späti. Pick up beer, cigarettes and sometimes even food

when other supermarkets are already shut.

Bestätigung: It means confirmation and you’ll hear this word quite often while dealing with authorities as you’ll notice that

you need a confirmation for everything here.

Keine Ahnung: This very useful phrase means “No idea!” and will come in handy, especially before you speak

much German.

Jut: If you want to prove to be a real Berliner, say Jut insteadof Gut, which means Good in Berlin's dialect.

Zone ABFor journey's within the city of Berlin.

Zone ABCFor journeys in the greater Berlin area (approx. 15km). It takes

you to the airport and Potsdam.

This infographic is written for your benefit, but Sociomantic Labs is not liable in any way for misinformation listed above or any consequences of following the above directions or instructions.

We merely want to help out!

LINKS:

Why Berlin?

alternative and liberal:http://www.thelocal.de/20150907/berlin-named-vegetarian-capital-of-the-world

Housing

types of contracts:www.wg-gesucht.de

www.immobilienscout24.de/wohnen/berlin,berlin/immobilien.html

Documents

opening a bank account:www.relbanks.com/rankings/top-banks-in-germany

The Anmeldebestätigung:https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/120686/

https://service.berlin.de/standorte/buergeraemter/

Health Insurance:www.howtogermany.com/pages/healthinsurance.html

Steueridentifikationsnummer:www.berlin.de/sen/finanzen/steuern/finanzaemter/

www.sachsen.de/en/1451.htm

Become a True Berliner

Transportation:www.bvg.de/de/Fahrinfo/Jederzeit-mobil (Or download the BVG app for your phone)