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German-Serbian terminology guide — all key terms you will encounter in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
118 terms in the glossary
Address registration
Mandatory within 14 days of moving. Done at the Bürgeramt (citizens' office).
Detailed guideCitizens' office
Municipal office where you do your Anmeldung and other administrative tasks.
Detailed guideRegistration certificate
Received after successful registration. Needed for bank account, tax ID, etc.
Detailed guideLandlord confirmation
Your landlord confirms you live at the address — mandatory for Anmeldung.
Detailed guideResidents' registration office
Older name for Bürgeramt — still used in some cities.
Detailed guideRe-registration of address (move within Germany)
When moving within Germany, you must register the new address at the local Bürgeramt within 14 days.
Detailed guideDe-registration of residence (move abroad)
Required when permanently leaving Germany — important to end tax liability and the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag).
Detailed guideAddress registration form (Austria)
Austrian address registration form. The landlord (Unterkunftgeber) signs a dedicated section. Deadline: 3 working days. Counterpart to the German Anmeldebestätigung.
Detailed guideMain residence (Austria)
The center of your life — where you work, study, or live with family. Exactly one per person in all of Austria. Grants voting rights in municipal elections.
Detailed guideSecondary residence (Austria)
A second address where you regularly stay (holiday home, student lodging). Multiple are allowed. No voting rights in that municipality.
Detailed guideRental contract
Written contract with the landlord — keep the original safe and read clauses on deposit, notice and cosmetic repairs carefully before signing.
Rental deposit (max. 3 months' net rent)
Security deposit of up to three months' net rent — refunded after move-out, minus any documented damages, often with delay.
Annual utilities settlement
Annual statement of actual heating, water and ancillary costs — can result in a refund or an additional payment.
Local reference rent index
Official municipal table of typical rents by area and apartment type — used as a benchmark for rent increases and disputes.
Rent cap on new tenancies
In tight housing markets the new rent may not exceed the local Mietspiegel by more than 10%.
Rented apartment
The dominant form of housing in Germany, especially in cities — usually with an open-ended rental contract.
Condominium / owner-occupied flat
An apartment owned privately, with a share of the building's common areas — owners pay monthly Hausgeld to the WEG management.
Shared flat / house share
Apartment shared by several unrelated people with separate contracts or sub-leases — popular among students and young professionals.
Tenants' rights association
Membership association offering legal advice for tenants for an annual fee — used in disputes over deposit, termination or utility settlements.
Temporary residence permit
Temporary residence permit, usually tied to employment or studies.
Permanent residence permit
Unlimited residence permit — usually after 5 years of legal residence.
Detailed guideForeigners' authority
Government office that issues and extends residence permits for foreigners.
Detailed guideResidence status
Legal status of your stay — tourist, work, permanent, etc.
Detailed guideEntry visa
Entry visa obtained at the German embassy abroad — converted into a residence permit after arrival in Germany.
Detailed guideEU long-term residence
Permanent residence at the EU level — facilitates moving to other EU member states after 5 years of legal residence.
Detailed guideProvisional residence certificate
Certificate issued by the foreigners' authority while a residence permit extension is being processed — legally counts as a valid permit.
Detailed guideFormal declaration of financial sponsorship
Written guarantee by a person in Germany to cover all costs of a guest — often required for tourist or family-reunion visas.
Work permit attached to the residence title
Permission from the foreigners' authority to work for a specific employer — usually a side note on the residence permit.
Detailed guidePre-approval by the Federal Employment Agency
Pre-approval by the Federal Employment Agency to employ a foreign worker — obtained by the employer before the employee applies for a visa.
Detailed guideRWR Card (Austrian residence permit)
Austrian residence permit for third-country skilled workers. Points-based system, 6 categories. After 21 months → RWR Card plus, after 5 years → Daueraufenthalt-EU.
Detailed guideMagistratsabteilung 35 (Vienna)
Vienna municipal department — immigration and citizenship authority. Competent for RWR Card and residence permits in Vienna. Outside Vienna: Bezirkshauptmannschaft (BH).
Employment contract
Written contract between employee and employer — mandatory in Germany.
Social security number
Automatically assigned at first employment. Needed for pension, health insurance, etc.
Employment agency
Federal Employment Agency — mediates between employers and workers.
Mini-job (up to €556/month)
Employment up to €556 per month (2026) with reduced contributions.
Mid-range job (€556–€2,000) with reduced contributions
Job with monthly pay between €556 and €2,000 in the transition zone — reduced social contributions that rise gradually to the full rate.
Short-time work allowance
Government benefit when an employer reduces working hours — covers 60-67% of the lost net pay.
Insurance-based unemployment benefit
Insurance-based benefit after job loss — 60-67% of previous net salary, paid by the Arbeitsagentur, typically for 6-24 months.
Statutory maternity protection period
Statutory protection 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth — work is prohibited and Mutterschaftsgeld is paid.
Unpaid parental leave with job protection
Right to up to 3 years of unpaid leave per child with guaranteed return to work — can be combined with Elterngeld.
Sector-wide collective bargaining agreement
Collective agreement between unions and employers on wages, working hours and conditions — applies across the sector.
Works council elected by employees
Elected workers' representation in companies with 5+ employees — co-determination rights on dismissals, hours and working conditions.
Citizens' benefit (social assistance)
Successor to Hartz IV — basic social assistance for the unemployed.
Parental allowance
Benefit for parents after childbirth — up to 14 months, 65-67% of salary.
Child benefit
€259 per month per child (2026). Available to all with legal residence.
Child supplement
Additional help for low-income families — up to €297 per child.
Health insurance
Mandatory in Germany. Can be public (gesetzlich) or private (privat).
Pension insurance
Mandatory for all employees — contributions split between worker and employer.
Statutory public health insurance
Mandatory public health insurance for most employees — base rate around 14.6% of gross salary plus a fund-specific Zusatzbeitrag.
Private health insurance
Private health insurance — available to self-employed, civil servants and high earners; premium based on age and health rather than income.
Electronic health insurance card
Plastic chip card issued by your health fund — present at every doctor's visit; identifies you as insured.
General practitioner / family doctor
Your primary general practitioner — first point of contact, who refers you to specialists with an Überweisung.
Medical specialist
Specialist (cardiologist, orthopaedist, gynaecologist, etc.) — usually booked via the Hausarzt; appointments often involve weeks of waiting.
Medical referral from GP to specialist
Written referral from the Hausarzt to a specialist — needed for the health fund to cover the visit in the same quarter.
Sick note / certificate of incapacity to work
Doctor's certificate of inability to work — since 2023 sent electronically (eAU) directly to employer and health fund.
Patient co-payment
Out-of-pocket share for medication, hospital stays and aids — typically €5-10 per item, capped annually at 2% of income (1% for the chronically ill).
Supplementary contribution to public health insurance
Additional percentage set individually by each Krankenkasse — averaging around 2.5% of gross salary in 2026.
Free family coverage in public health insurance
Free co-insurance of spouses and children in the GKV — provided their income stays below the legal threshold.
Mandatory long-term care insurance
Mandatory insurance covering long-term care needs — contribution roughly 3.4-4% of gross salary, automatically tied to your health fund.
Austrian statutory health insurance fund
Single Austrian health fund (since 2020) — merger of 9 regional Gebietskrankenkassen. Covers over 7 million employees. Counterpart to the German GKV. Card: e-card.
Detailed guideTax identification number
Unique tax number — sent automatically by mail after Anmeldung.
Local tax number assigned by the Finanzamt
Number assigned by the Finanzamt for tax filings — distinct from the Steuer-ID and changes when you move to another tax-office district.
Wage tax withheld from gross pay
Income tax withheld by the employer directly from gross salary and remitted monthly to the Finanzamt.
Annual income tax
Annual tax on total income — finally assessed via the Steuererklärung; Lohnsteuer is a prepayment toward this tax.
Tax return
Annual tax declaration — mandatory for some, but often worthwhile voluntarily.
Wage tax certificate
Annual certificate from employer — needed for tax return.
Tax office
Local tax authority — for tax returns, tax ID, etc.
Credit score / rating
Credit scoring system — important for renting, installment purchases, etc.
Detailed guideCurrent account
Basic bank account for daily transactions — needed for salary payments.
Detailed guideInstant-access savings account
Savings account with a variable interest rate and daily access to your money — no minimum term, normally free of charge.
Fixed-term deposit
Fixed-term deposit (e.g. 6 or 12 months) with a guaranteed interest rate — funds are not accessible during the term.
Debit card linked to the current account
Most common payment card in Germany — linked to your Girokonto, used for purchases and ATM withdrawals.
International Bank Account Number
Standardised international bank account number (DE + 20 digits in Germany) — required for all SEPA payments and transfers.
SEPA direct debit
Mandate authorising a creditor to collect payments directly from your account — standard for utilities, phone, memberships.
Standing order set up by the customer
Standing order you set up with your bank to transfer a fixed amount on a regular date — typically used for rent, loans and savings.
Bank transfer via IBAN
Classic bank transfer to another account using the IBAN — SEPA transfers within the EU usually arrive within one business day.
Authorised current-account overdraft
Overdraft limit granted by the bank on your Girokonto — high interest rates (often 10-13%); use only short-term.
Bank statement
List of all account transactions — frequently requested as proof of income for renting, visas or Bürgergeld.
Family benefits office
Office that pays Kindergeld — organizationally part of the Employment Agency.
Job center
Office for Bürgergeld recipients — mediates jobs and training.
Credential evaluation
ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education) evaluates foreign degrees.
Detailed guideRecognition (of qualifications)
Process of recognizing foreign qualifications — mandatory for regulated professions.
Detailed guideNostrification
Serbian term for diploma recognition — in Germany 'Anerkennung' is used.
Detailed guideOnline database evaluating foreign higher-education institutions
KMK online database that classifies foreign universities and degrees (H+, H+/-, H-) — first step before pursuing recognition.
Detailed guideCentral Office for Foreign Education
Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen — issues the Zeugnisbewertung statement of comparability for non-regulated professions.
Detailed guideMedical license
Mandatory license to practice medicine and pharmacy in Germany.
Detailed guideSpecialized language exam
Technical German language exam — mandatory for doctors before receiving Approbation.
Detailed guideKnowledge examination for foreign-trained doctors and pharmacists
Knowledge exam for doctors and pharmacists when equivalence of training cannot be proven — substitutes part of the Approbation procedure.
Detailed guideDual vocational training
Dual vocational training combining work in a company and Berufsschule — lasts 2 to 3.5 years and ends with an IHK or HwK exam.
Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Industrie- und Handelskammer — administers vocational exams in industry/commerce and issues recognition decisions for foreign qualifications.
Chamber of Crafts
Handwerkskammer — counterpart to the IHK for the skilled crafts; issues Meisterbrief certificates and recognises foreign qualifications.
Vocational school (theoretical part of Ausbildung)
School-based component of the dual Ausbildung — attended 1-2 days per week during training.
Citizenship test
Test with 33 questions about Germany — mandatory for acquiring German citizenship.
Maternity benefit during Mutterschutz
Income replacement during Mutterschutz — Krankenkasse pays up to €13/day, the employer tops up to net salary.
State student / pupil financial aid
State financial aid for students and pupils from low-income families — half grant, half interest-free loan.
State advance on child maintenance
State payment to single parents when the other parent fails to pay child maintenance — available until the child turns 21.
Daycare place / legal right from age one
Legal entitlement to a childcare place from age one — in practice you must apply early and waiting lists are common.
Voucher covering daycare costs
Voucher issued by the local youth office covering daycare costs — systems vary by federal state (e.g. Berlin offers free Kita).
Driving licence
German driving licence — class B from age 18 with theory, driving lessons and a TÜV/DEKRA test.
Exchange of foreign driving licence
Conversion of a foreign (e.g. Serbian) licence into a German one — possible within 6 months of Anmeldung; depending on country may require additional tests.
Vehicle registration
Registering a car at the Zulassungsstelle — requires vehicle title, eVB number, insurance proof, ID and a valid HU certificate.
Mandatory technical inspection every 2 years
Mandatory technical inspection every 2 years — without a valid HU sticker the car may not be driven and cannot be sold.
Electronic insurance confirmation for vehicle registration
Seven-character electronic insurance confirmation code from your insurer — without it the Zulassungsstelle cannot register the vehicle.
Annual motor vehicle tax
Annual motor vehicle tax — collected by the Zoll (customs), based on engine size, CO2 emissions and fuel type.
Apostille (Hague certification)
International document certification — replaces legalization among signatory states.
Detailed guideCertification / notarization
Official certification of a copy or signature — done at a notary or public office.
Detailed guideCertified translation
Translation signed and stamped by a sworn translator — legally recognised by all German authorities.
Detailed guideSworn translator
Court-authorized translator whose translations have legal validity.
Detailed guideNotary public
Notary public — notarises real-estate contracts, wills and powers of attorney; fees are set by law (GNotKG).
Detailed guideOfficial document / certificate
Official document — birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, etc.
Detailed guideExtract from an official register
Official extract from a register (commercial register, land register, civil registry) — often requested together with an Apostille.
Detailed guideCriminal record check
Obtained at the Bürgeramt or online — often required for employment or citizenship.
Detailed guideNaturalization
Process of acquiring German citizenship — usually after 5-8 years of residence.
Citizenship / nationality
Legal bond between individual and state — by birth or naturalization.
Detailed guideRetention permit
Required when you want to keep your old citizenship while acquiring a new one.
Detailed guideCitizenship Modernization Act
New law (June 2024) — enables dual citizenship Serbia-Germany.
Detailed guideMultiple citizenship
Right to hold multiple citizenships simultaneously — generally permitted in Germany since July 2024 (StARModG).
Detailed guideFormer obligation to choose one citizenship (abolished)
Former obligation for children of foreign parents born in Germany to choose one citizenship by age 23 — abolished by the StARModG in 2024.
Detailed guide