Opening a bank account
If you plan to work or live in Berlin, having a German bank account becomes mandatory. Without one you will not be able to receive your salary, rent an apartment or get a postpaid mobile phone. Fortunately, opening a bank account is usually simple and fast.
Below you will find the steps required to open a Deutsche Bank (DB) and N26 bank account, but keep in mind that there are many other banks available. Choosing a bank is a very personal matter, so that decision is at your discretion.
Deutsche Bank
Simply go to an agency with your passport and proof of residence (the document you receive after your address registration) and one of the managers will take care of everything for you (German speaking skills are not required :P). After you sign up the contract, you will need to wait some days until your account becomes active.
Sidenote: I've been using Deutsche Bank as my primary bank account and I've only had positive experiences with it. The "customer area" in their website is also available in English, so I can do almost everything I need online. In the rare cases when I had questions, my emails were always (!!) responded within minutes.
If you are a Deutsche Bank client you can withdraw money from your account without paying any fees if you use ATMs of any of the following banks: Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Postbank or HVB (HypoVerinsbank). It is also possible to use different ATMs, but usually there is a fee ranging from €3,50 to €4,50.
N26
Differently from other banks, N26 is an online bank with no physical branches, so you can do everything online. Opening a bank account at N26 is also relatively easy and fast. You can sign up for an account here and then follow the website instructions to create your bank account. You will also need a smartphone, a passport and a German address to activate your bank account.