Our yearly “Welcome to Germany” magazine is a guide for newcomers and is a vital resource for understanding your new home in Germany.

112 is the emergency phone number throughout Europe.

These services are common across Germany, and will deliver meals to off-installation addresses from local restaurants.

• Lieferando

• Wolt

• Uber Eats

For grocery delivery

• Flink

• myTime

• REWE (also offers pickup service)

Common small grocery stores

• Aldi

• REWE

• Lidl

• Wasgau: Primarily in the Rheinland-Pfalz

• Netto: Discount grocery chain

Larger supermarkets

• Globus

• Edeka

• Kaufland

• Marktkauf

Thrift Stores: Often run by spouse clubs; no rank requirements apply.

Kaiserslautern Military Community

• SCSC Thrift Store-Spangdahlem (Also known as Penny Lane)

• KLSA Thrift Shop- Landstuhl Base

• RESA Thrift Shop- Ramstein Air Base

• BCSC Thrift Store- Smith Barracks, Baumholder

Wiesbaden

• WCSC Thrift Store-Hainerberg

Stuttgart

• Patch Thrift Shop—Patch Barracks

Ansbach

• ASCC Thrift Shop- Katterbach Kaserne

Bavaria

• Hohenfels Thrift Shop—JMRC, Hohenfels

• BCSC Thrift Shop: Vilseck—Rose Barracks, Vilseck

• BCSC Thrift Shop: Grafenwöhr—Tower Barracks, Grafenwöhr

• GCC Thrift Shop—Garmisch

On-installation free stores available to service members and families; rank requirements may apply.

• Ramstein Air Base—BLDG 2162

• Spangdahlem Air Base—BLDG 441

Borrow household items and appliances while waiting for household goods (or after you ship them back). Often associated with ACS on Army installations.

Kaiserslautern Military Community

• Bldg. 3210—Kleber Kaserne, Kaiserslautern

• Bldg. 8666—Smith Barracks, Baumholder

• Loan Locker—Bldg. 2162 (in Airman’s Attic), Ramstein Air Base

• Loan Locker—Bldg. 307 (in AFRC), Spangdahlem Air Base

Wiesbaden

• Bldg. 7790—Hainerberg Housing Area, USAG Wiesbaden

Stuttgart

• Bldg. 2915—Panzer Kaserne, USAG Stuttgart

Ansbach

• Bldg. 5817A—Katterbach Kaserne, Ansbach

Bavaria

• Bldg. 244—Tower Barracks, Grafenwöhr

• Bldg. 322—Rose Barracks, Vilseck

• Bldg. 10—Camp Nainhof, Hohenfels

• Bldg. 203—Artillery Kaserne, Garmisch

• Ansbach MWR

• Baumholder MWR

• Bavaria MWR

• Garmisch MWR

• Hohenfels MWR

• Kaiserslautern MWR

• Ramstein 86 FSS

• Spangdahlem 52 FSS

• Stuttgart MWR

• Wiesbaden MWR

Getting a European bank account with an International Bank Account Number (IBAN) is necessary for paying bills and transferring money. It is also helpful for making purchases, getting cash, and managing funds between dollars and euros.

Here are some regional and online banks that can be a great tool to get local bills paid by offering an IBAN account and competitive exchange rates. 

Note: The DOW will not deposit paychecks to European banks.

• Bunq: International banking brand where you can create an account to pay bills in Euro. Visit bunq.com.

• Deutsche Bank: National bank with locations all over Germany and the globe as well as online banking options to pay bills in Euros. Visit deutsche-bank.de/pk.html.

• Wise: International banking app that lets yuo create a local account to pay rent and bills in Euros. Visit wise.com.

• N26: International banking app that lets you create a local account to pay rent and bills in Euros. Visit n26.com.

The German banking system differs from the U.S. Your IBAN is typically used to send money to people, to pay bills for German services or utilities, and also to pay invoices like medical bills or traffic fines. 

You can set up automatic transfers, automatic direct debits or one-time payments using a fund transfer from your IBAN to the recipient. Most banks have an easy online form for transferring funds.

Check conversion rates before transferring large amounts between U.S. and euro accounts.

To send money, or pay a bill you will need:

• The euro amount due

• The receiver’s International Bank Account Number (IBAN)

• The receiver’s Bank’s Identifier Code (BIC)

• A reference number from your utility bill, service invoice, or other details for the reference section

• The payee’s name

Welcome to Germany