Find your community

Where Americans in Berlin get advice in English, meet people, find churches, baseball and American football, English-language news, work, German classes and a German-American school.

On 30 June 2026, 20,944 US nationals lived in Berlin, and 35,872 people had a migration background from the United States, counting dual citizens and German citizens (Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg, Statistischer Bericht A I 5 hj 1/26). This page lists free, public or non-profit places. Links checked on 5 November 2026; programmes and opening hours change, so check the site before you go.

Where Americans live in Berlin

People with a US migration background are spread across the inner city. Most live in Mitte (5,712), Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg (5,184), Pankow (5,067), Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf (4,642) and Steglitz-Zehlendorf (4,591). Fewest live in Spandau (661) and Marzahn-Hellersdorf (266).

Advice in English, free of charge

• U.S. Embassy Berlin, American Citizen Services (Clayallee 170, Zehlendorf): passports, notarial services and emergencies for US citizens, by appointment. Not verified: the embassy website blocked our check. Use de.usembassy.gov and travel.state.gov for current booking and hours. Your own papers: Documents and apostille.
• BEMA – Berliner Beratungszentrum für Migration und Gute Arbeit (Lorenzweg 5, Tempelhof): labour-law advice on contracts, pay and dismissal for migrant workers, run by Arbeit und Leben. Website in English; make an appointment by phone 030 5130 192 69 or [email protected]. Languages of the advice itself and fees are not stated on the site; ask when you book.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft: free consulting for people founding or relocating a business, site in English. See Freelance and self-employed.
• Willkommenszentrum Berlin: the Senate's list of counselling centres, filterable by language. When we checked, only one entry named English: Ankommen in Spandau (Reformationsplatz 2), housing advice.
• berlin.de in English: the official city site, with all city services in English. Step by step: After arrival.

Meeting people: churches, clubs, culture

• American Church in Berlin: worship every Sunday at 11:00 in the Luther Church (Dennewitzplatz 1, Schöneberg; U2 Bülowstraße or S-Bahn/U7 Yorckstraße), with coffee afterwards. Ecumenical, open communion. Office: Leberstr. 7; [email protected]. On Meetup it also lists worship in English and a Wednesday Bible study.
• St George's Anglican Church (Preußenallee 17–19, Neu-Westend; U2 Neu-Westend): Eucharist in English every Sunday at 10:30 with children's church; a second service every Sunday at 18:00 in St. Marienkirche, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 8, Mitte. Part of the Church of England's Diocese in Europe.
• American Women's Club of Berlin: social and charitable club for women; regular membership for US passport holders, spouses of US citizens and relatives of US citizens, others as associate members. Fees: €60 per year, €30 for students.
• American Academy in Berlin (Hans Arnhold Center, Lake Wannsee): free public lectures, readings and concerts by American fellows; some are livestreamed. Programme at americanacademy.de/program/.
• Fulbright Germany (Charlottenstr. 65, Mitte): the German-American Fulbright Commission runs grants and a community of alumni and grantees in Berlin.
• Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek (Blücherplatz, Eva-Mamlok-Platz 1, Kreuzberg): central library; a digital card with e-books costs €10 a year. English-language holdings were not stated on the page.
• Online: search Meetup for English-speaking groups (for example a bilingual tech and creative afterwork) and Facebook for "Americans in Berlin". Treat tips in groups as tips, not facts.
• Voting: US citizens abroad request their ballot through the Federal Voting Assistance Program (fvap.gov). Not verified: the site did not load for our check.

Festivals and events

• Fourth of July: we found no verified public Berlin event for 2026 or 2027; ask the American Church and the Embassy.
• Karneval der Kulturen: street festival in Kreuzberg, free; expected 14 to 17 May 2027 (Pentecost). Official dates not yet published.

Sport: baseball and American football

• Berlin Flamingos e.V.: baseball and softball since 1990, with a team in every age class of the federation; kids' programmes and training schedule on the site. Contact [email protected].
• Berlin Sluggers e.V.: baseball since 1985, home ground Paul-Rusch-Sportanlage, Kölner Damm 36, Neukölln. Book a non-binding trial training online; Coach Toss league for under-10s, youth team ages 13 to 15; [email protected].
• Berlin Rebels (American football department of SC Charlottenburg, since 1987): adult, junior and U17 teams plus U13 flag football; free four-week trial training; train at Stadion Wilmersdorf and Forckenbeckstraße.

Students and professionals

• AmCham Germany (Berlin office: Charlottenstr. 42, Mitte): the American Chamber of Commerce; networking and events for member companies. Membership terms are on its join page.
• Studying: Study route; Fulbright (above) for US grantees; training: Ausbildung.
• Self-employed or founding: Freelance guide and Berlin Partner (above).

News and media in English

• The Berliner (Exberliner): English magazine on Berlin since 2002, with events, culture, politics and guides.
• The Local Germany: English news and practical guides (visas, taxes, housing); some articles are for paying members.

Finding work

• Arbeitsagentur Jobsuche: the official job board. Which permit fits: Any job, Skilled worker and Blue Card, Opportunity Card, Working holiday and au pair.
• Make it in Germany: federal portal in English with a job board for skilled workers.
• Before signing: have the contract checked by BEMA (above). Pay and taxes: Taxes for US citizens; insurance: Social security and health.

German, tandems, volunteering

• Volkshochschulen (vhs): each of the 12 districts runs German courses under "Deutsch" or "Deutsch als Zweitsprache"; book through your district vhs. Mitte has an English-language page.
• Tandems and conversation groups: search Meetup for "Tandem" or "Stammtisch"; there are also German-language groups on Meetup that mix English and German speakers.
• Volunteering: the American Church runs a neighbour-support project, "Laib und Seele" (serving neighbours); ask the church office.

Children: bilingual school and heritage language

• John F. Kennedy School (Teltower Damm 87–93, Zehlendorf): bilingual, bicultural German-American school from entrance class to Abitur, founded 1960; the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district lists it as a Gemeinschaftsschule with all-day care. Students can earn the German Abitur or a US high school diploma. Apply via [email protected]. Current admission rules were not stated on the pages we checked.
• Heritage-language lessons: the Senate's free first-language programme (Erstsprachenunterricht) does not list English; English is taught only as a foreign language from grade 3. For English at home use the church, the library and the school above.
• Sport for kids: Sluggers, Flamingos and the Rebels' flag team (above).

Doctors who speak English

Search the KV Berlin Arztsuche; entries can show the languages a practice offers. Urgent appointments: 116117. Insurance basics: Social security and health.

Questions about military status or returning home: Military and return. German roots: German ancestry.