Dating in Germany as an expat, from Berlin to Munich

Germany draws people for work, study and love, and most of them arrive knowing little German and nobody in town. Colleagues are friendly but keep work and private life apart, and the clubs and associations that run local social life can feel closed at first. Dating in Germany as a foreigner gets much easier when you start with people who have stood in the same queue at the registration office.

Why online dating in Germany works for expats

For expats in Germany, a dating site solves the two problems a new city does not: who is single, and who you can talk to easily.

Each city guide below shows the neighbourhoods expats live in, where a first date usually happens and how dating there feels to someone new.

Dating culture in Germany: what to expect

Germans are often described as direct, and on a date that can be a relief: if someone says they enjoyed the evening, they usually mean it, and a clear "no" is meant kindly. Punctuality counts, so arrive on time for that first coffee.

First dates tend to be simple. A walk in a park, an ice cream by the river, a coffee in a quiet neighbourhood cafe or a picnic in summer are all normal, and splitting the bill is common. Dating in Germany also moves at its own pace; meeting a few times before calling it a relationship is usual.

Getting to a date is easy almost everywhere. The Deutschlandticket, a monthly subscription, covers local transport and regional trains across the whole country, so a weekend date in the next city by regional train costs no extra fare.