Living in Hamburg
If you are new to Hamburg and especially if you have not lived in Germany before, you will have to familiarize yourself with many new situations. The following links and information may help answer some of the most important questions.
Housing
Hamburg’s housing market is highly competitive, so rents are high. A bit of flexibility can pay off, e.g., in deciding what district/neighbourhood to live in or how far from the Institute. Helpful information on finding housing and living in Germany is available from these sources:
Here is a list of portals for finding housing and rentals:
Getting around in Hamburg
- By ferry, bus and train: Hamburg has a dense public transportation network. Information on timetables, ticket prices, and service is available on the HVV (the Hamburg transit association) website. Questions about applying for a “Deutschland-Jobticket” (a monthly transit pass) may be put to our HR department.
- By car or other motor vehicle: Not every foreign driver’s license allows you to drive in Germany! Here you will find information on the local validity of your driver’s license. If you bring a car when you move to Hamburg, you must register it in Hamburg. You can find information on this here.
- By bike: Most of Hamburg is very bicycle-friendly. If you do not own a bicycle, bicycle sharing and of course rentals are easily available. In many places you can use the red bikes from StadtRAD Hamburg.
Telephone & internet
There are many different providers selling contracts for home internet and mobile phone and data services at varying connection speeds and for various terms and prices. Prepaid options are available for those who do not want to be bound by a contract.
Moving to Hamburg with children
General information on childcare, the German school system, and financial support for families with children can be found here.
The homepage of Hamburg’s Welcome Center gives detailed information about childcare and schools in Hamburg. The school system is slightly different in each of Germany’s sixteen states, so this information may be helpful as well if you are moving to Hamburg from elsewhere in Germany.
Insurance
Employees are generally enrolled in the compulsory social insurance system, which includes health insurance. Information about the German social security system is available on the Euraxess website. While your pension and unemployment insurance contributions etc. are automatically deducted by your employer, you will have to choose from among many different statutory health insurers and must inform the HR department of your choice.
Statutory health insurance in Germany offers a comprehensive catalogue of benefits, covering acute medical care as well as many preventive services and vaccinations. Statutory health insurers also cover rehabilitation, prescription medication, and medical accessories if it’s what the doctor ordered. Some insurers will also help cover the costs of qualified exercise programs to help you stay healthy and fit. If medical services are recommended to you and you aren’t sure if your insurer will cover the cost, the doctor’s office as well as the insurer itself should be able to provide information.
Optional private insurance is also available to cover various risks. Private insurance may be necessary if your particular employment situation does not fit the criteria of the statutory insurance system or if you want coverage beyond the statutory provisions. Information on some kinds of private insurance, e.g. supplemental dental insurance, which may be useful in general or depending on your situation, is available from Euraxess.
Acute illness and preventive medicine in Germany
We recommend that you contact a general medical practice (a Hausarzt or Hausärztin) and get yourself registered as a new patient as soon as possible—ideally before you find yourself in need of medical care. In Germany you can generally seek out your doctor of choice. Some doctors only accept patients who have private (as opposed to statutory) health insurance, but most doctor’s offices will accept both statutory and private insureds. (A statutory insured is called a Kassenpatient or -patientin.) Depending on where you live, however, the thing is that your doctor of choice may not have the capacity to accept new patients.
The same applies to choosing a specialist; you can generally see any doctor of that specialty. But in many cases, it is recommended that you see your family doctor/general practitioner first to determine whether you even need to see a specialist and if so, which one it makes the most sense to go to in your specific case. For regular check-ups, as in preventive medicine in absence of an acute problem—going to a dentist or a gynaecologist, for example—there is no need to consult with your family doctor first.
How to seek medical attention at night or on weekends
At times we may need medical attention for something like acute lower back pain, an infection, or a non-life threatening cut or wound. It does not feel like an emergency, but the doctor’s office is closed. You have time to consider the urgency of your situation or whether you may need to see a specialist. In such a case, there may be a Bereitschaftspraxis (on-call medical practice) you can visit in the evening or on weekends. If you are not sure whether you need medical attention or if you can’t get to a Bereitschaftspraxis, there is a patient hotline you can reach by ringing 116 117 (free of charge from German land lines and mobile phones). The person at the other end will assess your situation. In some cases they can arrange for a doctor to make a house call.
In an emergency, dial 112
Dial 112 anywhere, anytime, for emergency services. Try to stay calm. 112 operators are trained to ask the questions to quickly determine your needs.
If you or someone near you is experiencing a life-threatening emergency (for example, signs of heart attack or stroke, or if there has been an accident)—don’t hesitate to call 112. When in doubt, it is better to call.
In case of fire or accident with injuries, call 112 for fire department or an ambulance.
Call 110 for the police if you are in danger or to report criminal activity. In a non-emergency, contact your local police station for police assistance.
Sundays and holidays
Most stores, doctor’s offices and public agencies in Germany are closed on Sundays and public holidays. The Institute (including the library) also closes on three additional days between Christmas and New Year’s.
Public holidays in Hamburg in 2026:
- New Year’s Day: Thu 01.01.2026
- Good Friday: Fri 03.04.2026
- Easter Monday: Mon 06.04.2026
- Labor Day: Fri 01.05.2026
- Ascension Day: Thu 25.05.2026
- Pentecost: Mon 25.05.2026
- Day of German Unity: Sat 03.10.2026
- Day of Reformation: Fri 31.10.2026
- Christmas: Fri 25.12 + Sat 26.12.2026