NOSTRES · A clear path after moving · first pilot: Berlin
Why NOSTRES exists
NOSTRES is a free independent information service for people who are moving to another country and want to understand what to do next. Its aim is to help put the necessary affairs after a move in order: from registration and documents to housing, health insurance, access to doctors, work, banking, mobile service and other everyday questions. The first working pilot is Berlin, Germany; the detailed routes published so far relate to Berlin. The interface is available in nine languages; official pages remain in German.
Why the service exists
After a move it is not only questions about documents that need solving. A person needs to sort out housing, insurance and access to medicine, work, banking, mobile service and other everyday tasks. Their order depends on the country, the city and the starting situation. NOSTRES helps first to see which affairs apply to a particular person, and then to go through them in sequence, taking into account what is already arranged and the available ways to act.
- In the starter plan state where you are and what is already arranged.
- Get a list of actions with an explanation of what to do now, what depends on another step and what is worth checking.
- Open the right NOSTRES route, check the conditions, documents, procedure and official ways to contact the authority.
- Mark your progress and return to the plan later. The list can be printed.
If it is hard to phone or visit offices in person
NOSTRES is especially important when visits in person, phone calls or complex texts become a barrier, for example because of a language barrier, limited mobility, social anxiety, visual or hearing impairments and other circumstances. In the starter plan you can choose an online preference, state that a visit is difficult or impossible, and mark written communication without calls. You do not need to explain the reason or state a diagnosis.
For a particular procedure the service shows only the ways confirmed by the official conditions: fully or partly online, by post, through a representative or in person, if such an option is provided. If no suitable remote path is confirmed, the plan explains the limit and leads to the official page for the next action. An online preference does not mean the whole procedure can necessarily be completed remotely: the authority may require an appointment in person.
What is already ready in the Berlin pilot
The MVP offers thirty-five routes for Berlin:
- address registration (Anmeldung);
- tax number (Steuer-ID);
- health insurance;
- flat search;
- filing or extending a residence document;
- finding a doctor and booking;
- urgent medical help;
- Gewerbe or Freiberuf: your own business or freelancing;
- bank account;
- mobile service and internet;
- dog: registration, tax, dangerous breeds;
- permit for social housing (WBS);
- Kindergeld (child benefit);
- Agentur für Arbeit and Jobcenter: job loss and benefits;
- Kita, Schule and Geburt: kindergarten, school, the birth of a child;
- Stellensuche: looking for employed work;
- Elterngeld: parental allowance after the birth of a child;
- Kinderzuschlag: a top-up to Kindergeld;
- Einkommensteuererklärung: the tax return;
- Elternzeit: parental leave;
- Wohngeld: housing allowance;
- Mutterschutz and Mutterschaftsgeld: maternity protection and benefit;
- Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket: help for children's school and leisure;
- Pflegegeld and Pflegegrad: care allowance and the degree of care need;
- Schwerbehindertenausweis: the severe disability card;
- Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: confirmation of moving in from the landlord;
- Umzug: moving and changing address;
- Arbeitslosengeld: unemployment benefit;
- Grundsicherungsgeld: formerly Bürgergeld: the basic benefit for people in need;
- Kfz-Ummeldung: re-registering a car after a move;
- Einbürgerung: obtaining German citizenship;
- Aufenthaltstitel for employment: a residence permit for work (Blue Card and skilled workers);
- Anerkennung: recognition of a foreign diploma or profession;
- Integrationskurs: the integration and language course;
- Familiennachzug: family reunion.
There are also separate practical pages: family and children, a dog in Berlin and mandatory types of insurance. The routes give official sources and the date they were checked; individual steps explain where to go and what result to expect.
NOSTRES's broad task goes beyond dealing with authorities and a single city: after a move people also need to choose banking services, connect mobile service and settle other everyday matters. Routes for other cities are not yet published. The list above shows the capabilities of the current MVP, not the full catalogue of the service.
Data and the limits of the service
No account is needed. Your starter plan answers and route marks are saved in the browser on your device; the service does not send answers to a server. NOSTRES is not a government website, does not file applications for the user and does not replace individual legal, medical or tax advice. The final requirements and decisions are determined by the relevant authority.
At present the detailed routes are devoted to Berlin and the related federal rules of Germany. NOSTRES is designed to grow in other cities and countries; new local instructions should appear after local rules are checked. The service does not promise that all procedures are available online or that every situation is already described.