Before you start

Passport and residence permit or visa
Meldebescheinigung from your Anmeldung, for most traditional banks
Steuer-ID, or an undertaking to supply it once issued
A German address

Step-by-step

1
Open a digital bank account before you arrive if you can
Several German and EU digital banks open accounts without a registered German address, which solves the problem of needing an account before the Anmeldung. It gives you a German IBAN for the deposit and first rent.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
2
Open a traditional account once registered
Worth having alongside — Sparkasse Bremen and the regional cooperative banks are what private landlords, older employers and the Hausverwaltungen are comfortable with.
In personWho: You
3
Request your Schufa report before you start viewing
You are entitled to one free data copy per year under Art. 15 GDPR, and Bremen landlords expect a Schufa-Auskunft with the application folder. Bring it to the viewing rather than promising to email it.
OnlineWho: YouBefore your first viewing
4
Know the deposit rules before signing
German law caps the rental deposit at three months' cold rent under §551 BGB, requires it held separately from the landlord's assets earning interest for you, and permits payment in three monthly instalments.
In personWho: You
5
Get an employer letter in German
A confirmation of a permanent contract from Airbus, OHB, Mercedes-Benz, ArcelorMittal, BLG or the university is instantly legible to a Bremen landlord and offsets a thin Schufa file better than anything else you can produce.
Via employerWho: Your employer
6
Set up SEPA direct debits
Rent, health insurance, the Rundfunkbeitrag and utilities all run on direct debit here. Get the mandates in place early to avoid a cascade of reminder letters.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and residence permit
Meldebescheinigung
Steuer-ID once issued
Employment contract and a German-language employer letter
Proof of German address

Things most newcomers don’t know

The deposit is capped at three months and payable in instalments.

German law limits a rental security deposit to three months' cold rent under §551 BGB, requires it held apart from the landlord's assets earning interest for the tenant, and gives the tenant the right to pay it in three monthly instalments. Landlords rarely volunteer the instalment right and it is worth a month's salary in cash flow on arrival.

Source: Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, §551

Ask the Arbeitnehmerkammer before you pay anyone for contract advice.

Every employee in Bremen already contributes to the employees' chamber through payroll, and free legal advice on employment contracts, dismissals, social insurance and tax is what the contribution buys. Newcomers pay a lawyer for a first-contract review that is already covered — this is the most commonly wasted money in a Bremen arrival.

Source: Arbeitnehmerkammer Bremen

Germany runs on direct debit, not on cards.

Rent, insurance, utilities and the broadcasting fee are collected by SEPA direct debit. Cards are far less central than in the US or UK, and plenty of Bremen bakeries, kiosks and smaller restaurants still take cash only.

Source: community-reported

A thin Schufa file is survivable here in a way it is not in Munich.

The Schufa system is identical across Germany; its consequence scales with how many applicants a landlord has. Bremen's market is tight enough to justify a rent cap and loose enough that a German-language employer letter from a large local employer is usually accepted in place of a credit history. Bring both and you are competitive.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving with no German IBAN and being unable to pay a deposit or first rent.
Turning up to a viewing without a Schufa-Auskunft when the other applicants have one.
Not knowing the deposit is capped at three months and payable in instalments.
Paying for employment-contract advice the Arbeitnehmerkammer already provides free.
Opening several credit products at once on a thin file.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.