Your new employee has successfully joined your company? Now you are faced with the challenge of integrating the new qualified professional into the company. Both colleagues and management should establish a welcoming culture and actively help the new qualified professional to settle into their new everyday working life.

Welcome folder: overview and download

Welcome folders are a symbol of a genuine welcoming culture in your company. They help the new qualified professional in finding their way around their new home and provide information about the company, the first steps to be taken as well as about the life in the surrounding region.

With a welcome folder, you are not only expressing your concern for the personal well-being of your new qualified professional, but also easing some of his or her concerns when arriving in what is often still a foreign country. The welcome folder can also strengthen the bond between the new qualified professional and your company.

"Make it in Germany" provides you with a precast, customisable welcome folder with useful and verified information for a successful start for the new qualified professional in Germany. You can download the welcome folder as a PDF in German and English free of charge.

What does the welcome folder include?

• Useful facts about the company and everyday working life (filled out by the company)
• Information about life in Germany and the region, e.g. finding accommodation, mobility, child care, cultural and leisure activities, restaurants and language classes
• Important information about the first steps in Germany, e.g. dealing with authorities, insurances, medical care, banks, taxes and the social security system
• Important and useful contact information and advice centres
• A glossary with explanations of important terms

You can also add specific details about the company and the region to the welcome folder. This could be information on public transport, addresses of local authorities or suggestions for leisure activities in the area.

How employers can provide additional support for new employees?

Searching for initial accommodation

The very first thing an people immigrating to Germany need upon their arrival is a place to live. Without a place to live, it is not possible to register a residence or open a bank account. A temporary hotel address is rarely accepted as an official registration address. It is therefore important that you arrange an initial accommodation for your skilled worker. If possible, look for temporary housing near the company that you can offer your new skilled worker for the initial period.

 

Organising language courses

The acquisition of the language is an essential requirement for a successful integration. Especially if German is the language spoken in the company, it is important to help the new qualified professional to learn German. This will help them find their way around more easily.
If there is still enough time before the start of employment, you can encourage your new qualified professional to learn German in their country of origin. To do so, it is helpful to provide information about local language courses and their focus. The Goethe-Institut (External link)  offers German courses abroad. Aside from in-person courses, there is also the possibility to take online courses. The “Welcome Coaches” (External link)  also help newcomers settle in and learn German: for example, through information sessions, workshops, and language training. As a company, you can support your trainees and skilled workers by letting them know about these free services. You can also contact the Goethe-Institut for advice on these services, with no obligation. In addition to on-site courses, you also have the option of taking German courses online. 

You can find tips for German courses on the job and for language acquisition in the company under “Language courses”.

Get a SIM card

A SIM card is important to ensure that your skilled worker can be contacted and find their way around Germany with the help of a mobile data volume, whether by using navigation services or translation tools. Since a registration certificate and a valid residence title may be required to buy a SIM card, we recommend that you help your qualified professional to get a SIM card.