Expat Services in Frankfurt am Main

Expat Services in Frankfurt am Main

Frankfurt am Main is Germany’s most international city by percentage — nearly 30% of residents hold foreign passports, and over half have a migration background. This is no accident. As the seat of the European Central Bank, the Bundesbank, and Germany’s largest stock exchange, Frankfurt attracts finance professionals from every continent. Add Europe’s busiest airport hub (FRA) and the headquarters of Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, DZ Bank, and KfW, and you have a city that runs on global talent.

Why Expats Choose Frankfurt

The financial center of continental Europe. Post-Brexit, Frankfurt absorbed thousands of banking jobs from London. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Standard Chartered have all expanded their Frankfurt operations. If you work in banking, insurance, asset management, or fintech, Frankfurt is likely where the job is.

Compact and connected. Frankfurt’s Innenstadt is surprisingly small — you can walk across the banking district in 20 minutes. The city compensates with excellent S-Bahn and U-Bahn connections (RMV network) that reach deep into the Rhein-Main region. Many expats live in Offenbach, Bad Homburg, Oberursel, or Mainz and commute in easily.

High salaries, high costs. Frankfurt ranks second only to München for cost of living. A one-bedroom apartment in Westend, Nordend, or Sachsenhausen runs EUR 1,000-1,500 warm. The housing market is competitive, but turnover is higher than in München — the transient nature of the banking workforce means apartments become available more frequently.

Surprisingly livable beyond the skyline. Frankfurt’s skyscraper image can be misleading. Sachsenhausen’s Apfelwein pubs, the Museumsufer along the Main river, the Palmengarten botanical garden, and the extensive Stadtwald forest give the city depth that newcomers often don’t expect. The food scene is diverse — from Korean in Bahnhofsviertel to Turkish in Bornheim.

Our Services in Frankfurt

We offer the full range of expat services in Frankfurt, tailored to the financial capital’s unique profile:

• Relocation Assistance — End-to-end support including neighborhood guidance for Westend, Nordend, Sachsenhausen, Bornheim, and the wider Rhein-Main region
• Visa & Residence Permit Support — Navigate Frankfurt’s Ausländerbehörde with document preparation and appointment booking
• Housing & Anmeldung Help — Apartment search in Frankfurt’s high-turnover market, Bürgeramt registration, and understanding the commuter-belt options
• Job & Career Guidance — Access Frankfurt’s banking, consulting, and fintech job market with English-language and German CV preparation
• Tax & Finance Consulting — Understand Hessen-specific tax obligations, Kirchensteuer, and the implications of bonus-heavy compensation packages common in finance
• Health Insurance Setup — Navigate public vs. private insurance decisions, particularly relevant for high-earning finance professionals above the Versicherungspflichtgrenze
• Banking Assistance — Open a German bank account (several major banks have their HQ right here) and establish your Schufa rating
• Settling-In Services — German courses, international school enrollment for families, driving license conversion
• Energieberatung zum Kostensparen — Identify where electricity and heating costs arise in Frankfurt am Main and which savings measures pay off first.

Getting Started in Frankfurt

Frankfurt moves fast — the city is accustomed to international arrivals. Bureaucratic processes are generally more efficient than in Berlin, though appointments still require advance planning.

1. Before arrival — Visa application, coordinate with your employer’s HR or relocation department (many Frankfurt firms offer packages), begin apartment search on Immobilienscout24 or through relocation agents
2. First two weeks — Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt (Höchst and Bergen-Enkheim tend to have shorter waits), bank account, health insurance, Steuer-ID
3. First three months — Residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde on Kleyerstraße, tax registration, getting your bearings in the Rhein-Main network
4. Long-term integration — German courses at VHS Frankfurt, joining international professional networks (InterNations, industry-specific groups), exploring the Rheingau wine country and Taunus mountains

Contact Us in Frankfurt

Whether you’re a banker relocating from London, a consultant joining the Big Four, or an ECB hire arriving from Brussels, Frankfurt’s expat infrastructure is built for you — and so are we. Book a free consultation to start your Frankfurt relocation.