Erasmus in Berlin

Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany, home to roughly 3.7 million people. It hosts four top-tier institutions: Humboldt-Universität (HU), Freie Universität (FU), Technische Universität (TU) and the Charité medical school, alongside dozens of specialised Hochschulen.

Shaped by its East-West division until 1989, Berlin carries a unique identity: former wastelands turned into cultural venues, street art everywhere, a globally renowned arts and nightlife scene. It is a deeply multikulti city — open, creative, and in many neighbourhoods you'll hear as much English as German.

The climate is continental: mild, pleasant summers (20-25°C) and cold, grey winters (-2 to 5°C). Berlin is still cheaper than London or Paris, but rents have risen sharply since 2020 — you really need to plan your housing search well ahead.

Berlin's rental market has been extremely tight since 2022. Start searching as soon as your destination is confirmed, ideally 3-4 months ahead. Competition peaks for the October intake.

Essential platforms:

• WG-Gesucht — the reference for flatshares
• Studenten-WG, ImmoScout24 for studios
• HousingAnywhere and Erasmus Play to book remotely

A room in a shared flat costs €400-700/month all-in. Neighbourhoods to know:

The Studierendenwerk Berlin dorms offer rooms at €250-400/month, but spots vanish fast — apply several months in advance.

The BVG network combines U-Bahn (metro), S-Bahn (suburban rail), trams and buses. The metro runs 24/7 on weekends, which is a game-changer when you go out.

Berlin's killer perk: the Deutschland-Semesterticket at €176.40/semester (about €29/month), included or optional at university enrolment. It grants access to ALL regional transport across Germany: every S-Bahn, every urban bus, every DB Regio regional train (RE/RB). In practice, you can take weekend trips to Hamburg, Leipzig, Dresden or the Baltic coast for free.

Tegel airport closed in 2020; all flights now go through BER (Berlin Brandenburg), reachable via S9 or S45 (45 min from the centre) or the FEX express train. For short hops, Nextbike and e-scooters (Tier, Lime, Bolt) are everywhere — the Nextbike student subscription is very cheap.

ESN Berlin brings together several chapters (HU, FU, TU, HTW) that organise trips, parties and city tours starting from Welcome Week. Sign up early — the best events fill up fast.

Berlin is the techno capital of the world: Berghain, KitKat, Sisyphos, Watergate, Tresor — clubs running from Friday night to Monday morning. But the city also offers 170+ museums (the Unesco-listed Museumsinsel, Pergamonmuseum, East Side Gallery), Spätis (24/7 corner shops) on every block, and unbeatable street food: döner kebab or currywurst for €6.

In summer, everyone heads to the lakes (Wannsee, Müggelsee), to Tempelhofer Feld (the former airport turned giant park), to Mauerpark on Sundays for karaoke and the flea market, or to Tiergarten for a barbecue. Food markets like Markthalle Neun (Street Food Thursday) are well worth a visit.

The Anmeldung (address registration) is mandatory within 14 days of arrival, at your local Bürgeramt. Book your slot online months ahead: appointments disappear in minutes. Without it, no German bank account, no contract, no Steuer-ID.

Non-EU students must then apply for a residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde. EU citizens only need the Anmeldung. For health cover: the European EHIC card is fine for short stays; beyond 3 months or for non-EU students, German statutory insurance (TK, AOK, Techniker Krankenkasse) is usually required by universities — around €120/month.

For banking, N26 and Revolut work everywhere, but a traditional German account (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, DKB) with a student offer makes paperwork smoother. Your Steuer-ID (tax number) arrives automatically by post after the Anmeldung.

The official language is German, but Berlin is surprisingly English-friendly: FU, HU and TU run many master's programmes taught fully in English, and the tech/startup scene operates entirely in English. A2 German is enough for daily life; B1 opens many more doors (student jobs, clubs, associations).

Universities offer free or very cheap German classes through their language centres: TU SprachLern Zentrum, FU Sprachenzentrum, HU Sprachenzentrum. The Studentenwerk also runs intensive courses before the semester starts.

To practise outside the classroom, Tandem Berlin meetups take place in bars across Friedrichshain and Mitte from Tuesday to Thursday evenings, and the Volkshochschulen (VHS) offer intensive courses at unbeatable rates (often under €200/month). The rule: try German first — Berliners switch to English quickly if you struggle, but always appreciate the effort.

Also on Erasly in Berlin