Practical answers for life and paperwork abroad
Clear guides for the official tasks that are difficult to figure out on your own.
Local Manual explains unfamiliar rules and paperwork in plain language. Find help with residence permits, address registration, health insurance, taxes, housing, work, education, and other tasks, with links to the official pages you may need.
Your first steps, country by country
A few useful places to begin
Go straight to practical guides on moving, registration and everyday essentials. Choose the question that fits your situation.
Translate complex administrative requirements into clear, actionable steps
Clear guidance for managing your daily life and paperwork abroad
Local Manual helps you handle essential tasks like registering an address, arranging healthcare, and understanding local taxes. Our guides break down complex administrative requirements into simple steps and connect you directly to official government portals to complete your paperwork.
- Find the task you actually need to do
- Read the steps written in plain language
- Go to the right official website and get it done
Use our plain-language overviews to prepare before you apply on official sites.
How we translate official rules into practical steps
We translate complex public regulations into clear, step-by-step guides. By explaining the essential forms, fees, and deadlines first, we help you prepare your paperwork efficiently before you head to official government websites to complete your tasks.
In every guide
- The forms you need
- Fees and deadlines
- Who it applies to
- The official website you need
Get clear instructions for official administrative tasks without the confusing jargon.
How do I register my address, set up health insurance, or file taxes?
Search using everyday words to find practical guides on residency, housing, and healthcare. You will get clear explanations of the official steps you need to take, along with direct links to the correct government forms and department websites.
Local Manual explains how things usually work — it is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Rules change and cases differ, so always confirm the details on the official website before you act.
Understand local rules, paperwork, and daily life
Practical country guides for living abroad
Select a country to find clear, step-by-step guides on essential tasks and daily administration. Learn how to register your address, set up public healthcare, understand local tax requirements, and find housing. These resources help you handle official systems and settle into your new home.
Belgium Relocation & Life Guide
Find practical information on registering your address, setting up healthcare, and understanding taxes in Belgium, including regional variations.
50 guides11 topics
Practical help for living in Germany
Find clear guidance for official requirements and everyday tasks, from registering an address to managing work, health, housing or study questions.
50 guides11 topics
Iceland Practical Guides and Services
Access practical information for moving to Iceland, registering your domicile, and understanding public services.
50 guides11 topics
Poland Practical Guides
Explore step-by-step guides on Polish residency, address registration, healthcare, taxes, and daily administration.
50 guides11 topics
Practical guidance for living in Spain
Find grounded explanations of Spanish public services, documents, rights and deadlines, organised around the tasks people actually need to complete.
50 guides11 topics
Practical help in the Netherlands
Find clear answers about Dutch registration, healthcare, taxes, housing, work, education, residence matters, and other everyday tasks.
49 guides11 topics
Offices and services
Find the office for your paperwork
Pick a country to see everyday tasks, from registering your address to replacing a passport, and the local offices that handle them.
Services in Spain
Most offices in Barcelona, Murcia, and Zaragoza
Offices1132 offices47 cities25 everyday tasksServices in Poland
Most offices in Warsaw, Kraków, and Wrocław
Offices694 offices42 cities24 everyday tasksServices in Germany
Most offices in Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg
Offices665 offices40 cities24 everyday tasksNetherlands services
Most offices in Eindhoven, Amsterdam, and Groningen
Offices430 offices83 cities20 everyday tasksBelgium public services
Most offices in Ghent, Brussels, and Liège
Offices359 offices41 cities23 everyday tasksPublic services in Iceland
Most offices in Reykjavík, Akureyri, and Egilsstaðir
Offices123 offices20 cities12 everyday tasks
Understand registration, healthcare, and employment rules.
Clear guides for official tasks and settling in
These step-by-step guides walk you through official procedures, from registering an address and arranging health insurance to understanding tax obligations. Learn what documents you need to prepare, how to submit applications, and where to access official public services.
Find clear answers for settling in
Explore essential topics for daily life
When you are settling into daily life, knowing where to start can be difficult. Select a broad area to find step-by-step guides on registering your address, arranging local health insurance, understanding tax requirements, and securing housing.
From official language to plain English
A word you do not recognise?
Look up local terms and abbreviations from forms and letters, and learn how easily confused names differ.
Find a termIndependent guidance, official references
Know where the answer comes from
Use the sources in each guide to check important details. Read our editorial standards or tell us when something needs correcting.
Read our editorial standardsWhere to next
Have a specific question?
Search for the task, document, public service, or country you need help with, or browse guides by country and topic.
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