Relocation part two, or month in Munich

The most frequently asked question is - do I like it? And the short answer is yes.

What I like the most - everybody seems to be chill.

Did I find something that annoys me? I did not. Except, maybe, the real estate market, but you know, it is like being annoyed by rain.

The first week I was on self-isolation, so yeah, it was boring. But since it was snowy outside, and the flat has a balcony, I was able to make a friend :)

Two things you should know about apartments in Munich. First - it is crazy expensive to rent a flat. Second - it is tough to rent. The only real option to rent an apartment remotely is MrLodge. And I can recommend them. Everything was smooth, and the flat was exactly as in pictures from the website.

While I was at home, I tried to get a phone contract but failed because to get a proper one, you should have a bank account, and to have a bank account, you need to have a tax id. I heard that I could open an account in N26 bank, but they rejected my passport. So I ended up with a prepaid number by Aldi Talk. I ordered it online, but by the time the actual sim card arrived, my self-isolation was over, and I could buy it at any Lidl shop.

How to end self-isolation? You have two options. One is to wait five days, make a corona test, and if it is negative, you are free. Second, wait ten days, and you are free. I chose the first option, and on the morning of 10 April, I was tested negative and free to move around. After 10 km walking, I went to the grocery store, bought charcoal, sausages, and beer. And in the evening I had a BBQ party on the balcony.

To get a tax ID, you should register yourself in KVR. Since it is corona time, you can do it remotely. To do that, you need to send an email to this address: buergerbuero.kvr@muenchen.de. In attachments should be a filled by you PDF form "Anmeldeformular und Vollmacht", another PDF form "Wohnungsgeberbestätigung" supplied by your landlord, your passport, and your visa.

Since I did not find any advice on what to write in the header and body of the letter, I wrote:

I received my registration after two weeks and still waiting for my tax ID. Side note, do not forget to put your name on postbox.

A couple of times I went to the office on foot (an hour, free), most of the time I rent a bicycle (25 minutes, 2.4 euro) and when the weather is bad I use S-Bahn (25 minutes, 3.5 euro). Thinking about buying a bike but again, since this is a corona time, it is not easy to get to the offline shop, and online shops do not accept cache. So yeah, it is a good idea to have some money in your bank account when you're moving to another country. Don't be like me.

I hope, if you are reading this, somehow it will help you