Which bank account and insurances should I arrange in Germany before emigrating?

Much of this can no longer be arranged once you have deregistered from Germany — sort it out beforehand. Bank: only a few German banks accept a residence in another EU country. One of the most reliable is DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank); ING or comdirect also work. A fee-free international credit card that works cheaply in Bulgaria is useful too — for example the Mastercard from the Luxembourg-based Advanzia Bank. Compared with German direct banks, Bulgarian banks usually offer weaker terms, and opening an account is more cumbersome. Insurance: in terms of insurance, Bulgaria is still a developing market. Policies such as private liability (Haftpflicht), term life insurance and supplementary health insurance are better taken out before you deregister — afterwards a new policy is often no longer possible. Whether you keep points of contact in Germany (a postal address or ADAC membership, say) needs to be weighed carefully for tax reasons. This is exactly what Svetlana keeps a network of insurance and finance experts in Germany for. The key rule: before you deregister for good in Germany, talk to Svetlana — she puts you in touch with the right specialists while everything is still possible.