Having the correct information available when you need it is priceless.
Here are some apps that can make your life easier in Germany. Note for most we did not add links to the apps, as it is a lot of work to maintain for all operating systems. Use the search function to search the apps
Residence card
- Ausweisapp2 – Use it to identify yourself online with your electronic residence permit
Mobility
- DB Navigator – Deutsche Bahn Navigator to book long-distance train tickets. Local tickets can also be bought. Apple App Store or Google Play store
- DB App – Deutsche Bahn main app
- Local public transport apps e.g HVV for Hamburg or VVS for Stuttgart
- Bicycle hire apps like StadtRAd Hamburg
- Mobility apps for a taxi, E-Roller, E-Scooter, and carsharing e.g Free Now or Reach Now
- mobiLet – parking payment app
- Taxi Deutschland
- Voi, Lime and Bolt for E-bike and scooter hire
Public transport in Germany
The German public transport system is extensive, reliable and very affordable. The Deutsche Bahn AG is the national railway company and is state-owned. The DB offers long distance, regional and local travel options.Here is a list of PDF Files with the route maps in German Long distance trains Long-distance trains offer fast and convenient connections between major cities. The following types of trains are available for long-distance travel: ICE – InterCity Express. These are high-speed trains with limited stops
Outdoor and sport
- Komoot – Routes for hiking, running and cycling
- Strava. Join the South Africans in Germany Group
- Alltrails – Routes for hiking, running and cycling
- Outdooractive – portal for outdoor activities
- Hiking and tour apps in your region e.g Tours in BW
Maps
- Offi directions – public transport
- HereWeGo (downloadable maps)
- Google Maps
Medical
- Doctolib – search and book appointments. You can also search for English-speaking providers
- Jameda – app to rate and rank medical professionals
- Shop-Apotheke for buying medication online
- Doc Morris for medication
Ask a Pharmacist
A qualified pharmacist offered to assist in trying to answer questions regarding substitute suggestions for South African pharmaceutical products.Very important – always refer to your
Health product substitutes
We are not medical professionals and cannot give any medical advice. We do however have contact with a qualified Pharmacist who offered to answer questions
Visiting a doctor
When I first came to Germany, I was fortunate to still frequently travel back to SA, so I did all my check-ups there and tried
Weather and warnings
- DWD WarnWetter App – Deutscher Wetterdienst. Weather warnings by the German Weather service
- Nina Warn app – Natural disasters and general warnings
- Power outages – see where there are current power outages
Entertainment
- Spotted by locals
- Open Table – Restaurant bookings
- Eventim – Concerts etc
- Radiobox – Worldwide radio station streaming
- PressReader Inc. – Access to all publications as a member of the local public library. Many German newspapers and magazines but also worldwide, including South African and Afrikaans.
Translators and language
- Leo Translator
- Linguee
- Deepl Translator
- Dict – excellent German/English Dictionary
- Google translate, can also translate text on photos
- Alle Deutschen Wörterbücher – one app with all the different German dictionaries
- See our Where to learn German page for more apps
Learning German
There are several approaches to learn German, all of which can help you achieve your language learning goals. You can opt for convenient online sites that offer a range of language courses or download mobile apps that make learning on-the-go a breeze. Alternatively, you can choose to attend classes where you’ll benefit from practical and interactive lessons that help you build your language skills. It’s worth noting that Germany uses the European Language Framework, which
Food
- Hello Fresh for weekly ingredients delivered to you for meal preparation
- Flink – Flink promises to deliver groceries “in 10 minutes”
- Gorillas – Fast grocery deliveries
- Wolt – order food and household goods from the platform’s restaurant and merchant partners
- Picnic – grocery deliveries
- Flaschenpost – grocery deliveries
- Lieferando for restaurant food deliveries
- Too good to go – Discover shops and restaurants near you with Too Good To Go and save bags of surplus groceries from going to waste – at a great price.
Where to shop for clothes
We understand how difficult it can be to find the perfect shop where you can buy new clothes. That’s why we took the initiative to put together a comprehensive list of shops that we believe could be helpful in your search. If there are shops that you believe should be included on the list, please don’t hesitate to let us know by visiting our Contact Us page. We value your input and we want to ensure that
Travel
- Airline apps like Lufthansa or Eurowings
- Booking.com app for hotel etc bookings
- Airbnb – Accomodation
- Momondo flight search and comparison app
- Moovit for maps, it also shows bus information
- Fuelflash – compare fuel prices in your area
- Parkopedia – find parking spots
- Flush app – Find a restroom
- Rome2Rio – handy app to find different ways of getting to your destination
- The Auswärtige Amt has a Sicher Reisen App. In the app you will find tips and a checklist for your travel preparations, and the addresses of the representations of your destination country in Germany. For problems on site, the app offers you information for emergencies as well as the addresses of the German representations in your travel country.
Communication, social and community
- Threema, Signal or Whatsapp
- Discord – There is a South Africans in Germany group that you can join
- Nebenan – neighbourhood community
- Familywall – use it to keep a shopping list: each in the family can contribute to the lists
- Internations – International communities
- We also have a webpage with a list of South African communities in Germany
Money transfers
Please refer to our Foreign Exchange Information on the following pages ZAR to EUR and EUR to ZAR
- Xoom or Paypal
- Worldremit
- XE – currency converter. Please note that there is a buying and selling rate for Forex. Most apps show an average
Foreign Exchange- EUR to ZAR
We are not financial advisors and therefore cannot give financial advice. The information here should not be seen as financial advice in any way.Always make
Foreign Exchange- ZAR to EUR
We are not financial advisors and therefore cannot give financial advice. The information here should not be seen as financial advice in any way.Always make
Financial
- Many banks have mobile apps, see your bank’s website for more information
- Most medical aid companies have mobile apps where you can submit your claims, and see your documentation
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