Health cover for the arriving family usually sorts itself out: if your partner is in the public system, the family is insured with them at no extra premium (Familienversicherung) — the member files the request. Private liability cover is not part of that package: a few euros a month insures the whole household, and in Germany it counts as basic equipment.
I enrolled my wife in the integration course in week one: waiting lists of good schools run one-two months. BAMF pays almost everything, and its B1 fulfils the permanent-residence requirement.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Check Kindergeld immediately: retroactive claims cover only 6 months. The children tax IDs arrive automatically after Anmeldung — the application starts with them.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Must children attend school immediately?▾
Yes, compulsory schooling starts with registration: the city sends an assignment or you go to the school office. German comes in welcome classes for newcomers.
What must be done in the first 2 weeks after the family arrives?▾
Anmeldung for everyone, health insurance (GKV family insurance is free for a non-working spouse and children), the immigration appointment for the permit, an account or account access, school or Kita for children.
Can my spouse work immediately or wait for the card?▾
The right comes with the reunification visa (work permitted is printed in it). No need to wait for the plastic card.
School without German?▾
Yes — compulsory schooling applies immediately; schools place children in welcome classes with intensive German. The Kita queue is the other front: join it in month one.