Deutschlandticket
63 EUR per person/monthPersonal subscription for participating local and regional public transport; it is not normally valid on IC, EC or ICE services.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Official figures · checked 24 September 2026
Germany costs, taxes and deadlines
Concrete numbers are useful only when their conditions are visible. This page distinguishes fixed national amounts from rates and fees that still depend on your income, status, provider or municipality.
Standard Anmeldung deadline14days after moving into a dwelling, subject to the statutory temporary-stay exceptions explained below
Exact does not mean universal
A ticket price can be fixed while eligibility is conditional. A tax rate can be exact while your final bill depends on taxable income and personal circumstances. Each figure below states its scope and links to the official source.
Verified values
Transport
National standard prices. Local concessions, temporary promotions and institutional arrangements can differ.
Deutschlandsemesterticket
37,8 EUR per eligible student/monthThe nationwide semester ticket is priced at 60% of the Deutschlandticket: EUR 226.80 per six-month semester from winter semester 2026/27. Participation and eligibility depend on the institution.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24BahnCard 25, second class
62,9 EUR/yearStandard annual price; it gives 25% off eligible flexible and saver fares. Promotional prices are excluded.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24BahnCard 50, second class
244 EUR/yearStandard annual price; check Deutsche Bahn's fare conditions and automatic-renewal rules before purchase.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24BahnCard 100, second class
4.899 EUR/yearStandard annual second-class price. The card is valid for one year and does not automatically renew; check the precise scope before purchase.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24My BahnCard 25, second class
39,9 EUR/year for travellers under 27Age eligibility applies. This is the standard My BahnCard 25 second-class price, excluding temporary promotions.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Verified values
Registration and residence
The national rule or standard fee is shown; municipal procedures and personal exemptions still matter.
Anmeldung deadline
14 days after moving inThe standard rule is registration within two weeks after moving into a dwelling. Statutory exceptions in §27 apply to certain temporary stays.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Anmeldung fee
0 EURThe standard address-registration service is free. Optional certificates or other municipal services can have separate fees.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Rundfunkbeitrag
18,36 EUR per dwelling/monthOne contribution per dwelling in the standard case, regardless of how many people live there; exemptions and reductions must be checked separately.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Standard national visa fee
75 EURThis is the standard long-stay visa fee. Exemptions, reductions and special cases exist; confirm with the responsible German mission.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24First residence permit / EU Blue Card
100 EUR maximum standard feeThe official guidance states a maximum of EUR 100; the applicable fee and exemptions depend on the case.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Verified values
Tax, insurance and work
These are exact statutory rates or thresholds, not a promise of one person's net salary or final tax bill.
Income-tax basic allowance
12.348 EUR taxable income/yearIncome tax is EUR 0 up to this taxable-income amount for a single assessment. Gross salary is not the same as taxable income.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Standard VAT rate
19 %A reduced 7% rate applies only to legally specified supplies; exemptions and special rules also exist.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Reduced VAT rate
7 %This rate applies only to supplies listed by law. It is not a general discount for essential spending.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Statutory health-insurance general rate
14,6 % of contributory incomeAn insurer-specific additional contribution applies; the official average for 2026 is 2.9%. Employment status and the contribution ceiling affect the actual amount.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Average additional health-insurance rate
2,9 % of contributory incomeThis is the official 2026 average used for planning. Your health fund sets its own actual additional contribution rate.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Long-term care insurance base rate
3,6 % of contributory incomeThe childless rate is 4.2%. Reductions based on the number of children and a separate Saxony split can apply.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Statutory pension-insurance rate
18,6 % of contributory incomeFor standard employees, the contribution is generally shared equally with the employer up to the contribution ceiling.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Unemployment-insurance rate
2,6 % of contributory incomeFor standard employees, the contribution is generally shared equally with the employer up to the contribution ceiling.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Statutory minimum wage
13,9 EUR gross/hourExceptions defined by law can apply. This is the nationwide statutory rate from 1 January 2026.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Minijob monthly earnings limit
603 EUR/month on averageThe limit follows the statutory minimum wage and applies as an average monthly earnings limit under the relevant rules.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Kindergeld
259 EUR per eligible child/monthThe amount is exact, but entitlement depends on the statutory eligibility requirements.
Official source ↗Last checked: 2026-09-24Income tax · 2026
The exact formula, not a fake flat percentage
German income tax is calculated from taxable income, not directly from gross salary. For a single assessment under §32a EStG, the 2026 basic allowance is €12,348. Above it, the statutory formula is progressive.
€0–€12,348€0 income tax
€12,349–€17,799(914.51 × y + 1,400) × y
€17,800–€69,878(173.10 × z + 2,397) × z + 1,034.87
€69,879–€277,82542% × x − €11,135.63
From €277,82645% × x − €19,470.38
Here x is taxable income rounded down to full euros; y and z are the statutory ten-thousand-euro scaling variables. Joint assessment and personal deductions change the result. Read the official §32a formula.
Anmeldung
What “within two weeks” means
Under §17 of the Federal Registration Act, the standard duty is to register within two weeks after moving into a dwelling. The registration itself is free. You normally need the accommodation provider's Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.
There are statutory exceptions. If you are already registered in Germany and use another dwelling for no longer than six months, you generally do not register it. If you normally live abroad and are not registered in Germany, the duty generally arises after a stay exceeds three months; once it arises, the two-week period applies.
Official §17 deadline · Federal Act including §27 exceptions
Build your budget
Use the verified fixed figures in one monthly estimate
The calculator uses €63 for each selected Deutschlandticket, €37.80 for an eligible Deutschlandsemesterticket and €18.36 per dwelling for the Rundfunkbeitrag. It labels variable household spending as an estimate.
Open the cost calculator