Your first 30 days abroad: an arrival checklist built on official deadlines

The first month includes several deadlines. Some are legal and some are practical. This checklist uses only deadlines we confirmed on official pages for Germany, the UK and Ireland, and says where we could not. It is general information, not advice for your case. Your visa letter and the authority handling your case take priority.

Before you travel

• Keep every approval document in one folder, on paper and on your phone.
• Read your permission's conditions. Whether you can work or study is set by your status.
• Know the address you will register. Registration depends on having one.

Germany: register your address within two weeks

German law requires you to register with the local residents' registration office (Meldebehörde) within two weeks of moving into a dwelling. If you later move out and leave Germany, you must deregister within two weeks of moving out. The section we read does not mention short stays or exemptions for them, so ask the local office if your stay is short.

The Make it in Germany portal says the registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) is official proof that you have registered your current address, useful for official and private purposes, and issued by the local office. The glossary page we read did not give the deadline or the steps, which is why we rely on the law itself for the deadline and send you to your local office for the process and the documents it asks for.

Practical consequence: finding a home that lets you register is part of your first-month plan. Ask your landlord at the start whether you will receive what the office needs.

Ireland: register your permission within 90 days

The Irish Immigration Service says non-EU, EEA, UK or Swiss nationals planning to stay more than 90 days to work, study, live or join family must register within 90 days of arriving. Booking the appointment is free. You attend the Registration Office in Dublin, where an officer reviews your documents and takes a photograph and fingerprints. The visit should take about 30 minutes. You may have to pay a fee of up to €300 depending on permission type, and you are told the amount at the appointment. The Irish Residence Permit card is posted to the address you give, usually within 10 working days.

Practical consequence: your address must be settled before the card can reach you. We did not read what happens if the 90 days are missed, so register as early as you can.

UK: your eVisa

Gov.uk says eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents. An eVisa is a digital record of your identity, status and conditions such as whether you may work or study. You need a UK Visas and Immigration account to view it, and setting up the account and access are free. Access is usually immediate once the eVisa is linked, and can take up to 24 hours. You can generate a share code to prove your status, for example when starting a job or renting a home, and you can travel with the eVisa after adding your passport details to the account. Biometric residence cards may still be usable in some situations, and visa vignettes remain valid until expiry.

Practical consequence: set up the account early, because a landlord or employer may ask for the share code.

A simple 30-day sequence

1. On arrival. Secure a home you can register at. Photograph every document.
2. Within the legal deadline. Complete address registration where the law sets a short deadline (Germany: two weeks).
3. As early as you can. Book the status appointment or create the status account (Ireland: book, within 90 days; UK: create the account).
4. Keep a log. Write each deadline, the source page and the date you read it.