Moving to Germany from the USA
Yes, a US citizen can move to Germany, mainly as remote workers and retirees. Both routes are viable, the treaty makes high German tax workable, and sources, cost, and listings are all capturable.
- Who it is for: Remote workers and retirees
- Headline cost: From about 1,000 to 1,800 EUR per month rent plus living
- The tax reality: High German tax, but the US treaty makes it workable via the Foreign Tax Credit.
Which route applies to you
If you keep working remotely
Served by the Section 19c route or the Freiberufler freelance permit.
If you live on a pension or investments
Served by an income-based residence permit; no dedicated retirement visa.
The visa routes
- Section 19c / Freiberufler
- A de-facto remote route (the 19c best-friends provision names the US) plus the Freiberufler freelance permit for liberal professions; apply in-country before working.
- Income-based residence permit (retiree)
- No dedicated retirement visa, but a permit on proof of sufficient pension, Social Security, or investment income plus health insurance.
The tax reality
A US-Germany treaty plus a totalization agreement apply. Once tax-resident, Germany taxes worldwide income at progressive rates (42 percent top bracket from about 69,879 EUR in 2026). The FTC almost always beats FEIE here because high German tax zeroes out US federal liability. A counterintuitive retiree trap to model: under Article 18(5), US Social Security is taxable only in Germany. A separate age-gated constraint: a US retiree over 55 who never paid into German public insurance generally cannot join GKV and must use private cover.
What it costs
Target cities: Berlin, Munich.
1-bed city-center rent about 1,100 to 1,400 EUR Berlin, 1,200 to 1,800 EUR Munich; single non-rent about 1,000 EUR per month.
Housing listings
ImmoScout24 dominates with very tough anti-bot; softer fallbacks are Immowelt and Kleinanzeigen.
Healthcare
Mandatory for all residents; the over-55 GKV lockout for new arrivals pushes retirees to private or expat plans.
Banking and admin
Anmeldung (address registration) gates almost everything, then the Steuer-ID by post, then a bank account; fintechs bridge the gap.
The single biggest friction
The Anmeldung bottleneck colliding with acute housing scarcity in Berlin and Munich; plus the over-55 GKV lockout and the Social-Security-taxed-only-in-Germany surprise for retirees.
Plan the move, not just the dream
When you are ready to go from comparing to actually doing it, the Planner turns this into your true all-in budget, your real visa timeline, and steps kept current for Germany.
Sources
Last verified June 2026.
Take Root Abroad is a planning tool, not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax law, and costs change; verify the specifics for your situation with a qualified professional before you act.