Indian Community in Germany: Associations, Temples & Student Groups

Find Indian associations in Germany, city by city: temples and gurdwaras, Indian grocery hubs, university student associations and cultural groups. This guide is checked as of August 2026 and links only to official, registered or long-running community resources — no paid placements.

Newcomers get the most from these associations by treating them as a practical local network, not just a social circle. A registered Indian association can introduce you to flat leads, second-hand furniture, student mentors and employer referrals. A temple or gurdwara often doubles as a place to ask questions in Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or English, and the notice board at an Indian grocery shop is usually the first place to find roommates, language exchanges and weekend events.

The short answer

  • The largest Indian communities are in Berlin, Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area, Munich, Stuttgart and Hamburg, with big student groups in Darmstadt, Aachen, Dresden and Leipzig.
  • The fastest way in: the registered Indian association in your city, the nearest temple or gurdwara, the notice board of an Indian grocery shop, and the city Facebook group.
  • For visa, tax and job law questions use the free official services (MBE migration advice, Faire Integration, your city welcome centre), not community groups.
  • You do not need German to join the community, but you do need it for the Bürgeramt, doctors, landlords and most non-IT jobs.

Universities and study bodies

Use these before you apply. They cost nothing and they decide most of what happens later.

  • DAAD India

    Course search, scholarships and free advice sessions for Indian students, run from Delhi and Chennai.

  • uni-assist

    Central service that checks Indian certificates before your application reaches the university.

  • Hochschulkompass

    Official list of every accredited German university and degree programme, with English taught filters.

  • Studierendenwerk (student services)

    Student halls, cheap canteens and counselling in each university city. Apply for a room the day you get admission.

  • International Offices

    Every German university has one. They answer admission, buddy programme and enrolment questions by email.

Going to study? Read our Study in Germany guide or get the Study Starter Pack on our resources page.

City welcome portals

Welcome centres are city run offices for newcomers. They explain registration, permits and family matters in English, free of charge.

Arriving soon? The Arrival Pack walks through Anmeldung step by step.

NGOs and free advice services

These organisations are independent of your employer and your landlord. That matters when something goes wrong.

  • Handbook Germany

    Independent, plain language guide to German life, funded publicly and available in several languages.

  • Caritas migration advice

    Free, confidential advice for adult migrants, in person across Germany and online in English.

  • Diakonie migration advice (MBE)

    The other big church welfare network offering the state funded MBE advice service, free of charge.

  • Faire Integration

    Free advice on wages, contracts, working hours and unfair dismissal for migrant workers.

  • IQ Netzwerk

    Advice centres that walk you through getting an Indian degree or trade qualification recognised.

  • Deutscher Mieterbund (tenant associations)

    Local tenant associations check your rental contract and deposit for a small yearly membership fee.

Official federal portals

The rules themselves come from these four. When a blog and one of these disagree, believe these.

  • Make it in Germany

    The federal portal for skilled workers: visa checks, job board and a free hotline in English.

  • BAMF

    Residence permits, integration and German courses, plus the official NAvI course finder.

  • Bundesagentur für Arbeit

    Germany's official job database and career advice, free for anyone living in Germany.

  • Recognition in Germany

    Official first stop to find out which office decides on your Indian qualification.

Planning a job move? See our Jobs in Germany guide and the Chancenkarte guide.

Where Indians live in Germany

Around 250,000 people of Indian origin live in Germany, and Indians are now one of the largest groups of international students and skilled workers. They are not spread evenly, so the city you pick changes how quickly you find a community.

Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area

Banking, IT services and the airport. One of the oldest and largest Indian communities in Germany, with temples, grocery shops and a big Diwali scene.

Munich and Bavaria

Engineering, automotive and tech employers, plus TUM and LMU. Expensive housing, but strong professional networks.

Berlin

Startups, research and a young international crowd. The easiest city to get by in English and to find people your age.

Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg

Car makers and their suppliers, with many Indian engineers on project assignments and their families.

Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Cologne

Trade, logistics, media and consulting. Smaller but well organised Indian associations and temple communities.

Dresden, Leipzig, Aachen and Darmstadt

Student cities. Cheaper rents and large Indian student groups at the technical universities.

For a deeper city-by-city breakdown, see our directory of Indians in Germany, or the city guide for Indians in Berlin.

Indian cultural groups, grocery hubs and student associations by city

For the biggest Indian community hubs in Germany: who lives there, which temples and gurdwaras hold regular programmes, where the Indian grocery shops and student associations are, and which cultural groups to join first.

Berlin

Around 20,000 Indian nationals, the largest single concentration in Germany, plus a big student population.

Temples and gurudwaras
Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple in Berlin-Neukölln, the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat in Reinickendorf, and ISKCON Berlin in Kreuzberg run regular weekend programmes.
Indian grocery shops
Indian grocery shops cluster around Kottbusser Tor, Karl-Marx-Straße in Neukölln and Wittenbergplatz; most have a notice board with room and job adverts.
Associations and groups
The Indian Embassy is in Berlin (Tiergartenstraße 17). Search Facebook for "Indians in Berlin" and "Indian Students in Berlin", and Meetup for Bollywood dance, cricket and Hindi language meetups.

Munich

A strong professional community around BMW, Siemens, Infineon, Google and the two big universities, TUM and LMU.

Temples and gurudwaras
The Hindu temple association in Munich and the gurdwara in the north of the city hold weekly gatherings; ISKCON Munich runs Sunday feasts.
Indian grocery shops
Indian grocery shops and restaurants sit around the Hauptbahnhof district and Schwanthalerhöhe, with more near Giesing.
Associations and groups
The Consulate General of India is in Munich for all of Bavaria. Indian Association Munich e.V. and the TUM/LMU Indian student groups run Diwali and Holi events; Meetup has active cricket and hiking groups.

Frankfurt and Rhine-Main

The oldest Indian business community in Germany, built around banking, IT services and the airport, spilling into Offenbach, Eschborn and Darmstadt.

Temples and gurudwaras
Sri Nagapooshani Amman temple and several Tamil Hindu temples in the Rhine-Main area, plus a gurdwara in Frankfurt and ISKCON in the region.
Indian grocery shops
The Münchener Straße area behind the main station is the densest strip of Indian and South Asian shops and restaurants in Germany.
Associations and groups
The Consulate General of India Frankfurt covers Hessen and the west. Look for Indian Association Frankfurt, the Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft chapter, and city Facebook groups such as "Indians in Frankfurt".

Hamburg

A trade and shipping city with a long-standing Indian merchant presence and a growing IT and media crowd.

Temples and gurudwaras
Tamil Hindu temples in the south of the city and a gurdwara serving the whole north of Germany.
Indian grocery shops
Indian grocery shops around the Hauptbahnhof and St. Georg, which is also where most Indian restaurants are.
Associations and groups
The Consulate General of India Hamburg covers the northern states. The Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft Hamburg and "Indians in Hamburg" Facebook group are the usual entry points.

Stuttgart

Engineering country: Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bosch and their suppliers employ a large number of Indian engineers, many in the surrounding towns.

Temples and gurudwaras
Several Hindu temples in the Stuttgart region, a gurdwara in the wider area, and regular Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam celebrations organised by regional associations.
Indian grocery shops
Indian grocery shops near the Hauptbahnhof, in Bad Cannstatt and in Vaihingen, close to the university and the tech campuses.
Associations and groups
Indian Association Stuttgart, Malayali and Telugu regional associations, and company internal Indian networks at Bosch and Daimler are the fastest way in.

Düsseldorf and the Ruhr area

Consulting, telecoms and trade fairs draw Indian professionals to Düsseldorf, while Essen, Dortmund and Bochum add a large student population across the Ruhr universities.

Temples and gurudwaras
Tamil Hindu temples across North Rhine-Westphalia, a gurdwara serving the Ruhr region, and Hindu associations that organise Diwali and Navratri in rented halls.
Indian grocery shops
Indian and South Asian grocery shops around Düsseldorf Oberbilk and Worringer Platz, with more near the main stations in Essen and Dortmund.
Associations and groups
Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft has active chapters across NRW, and most Ruhr universities have an Indian student association that runs airport pickups and first-week help.

Cologne and Bonn

Media, insurance and the UN and development agencies in Bonn, plus a steady flow of research students at the two universities.

Temples and gurudwaras
Hindu and Tamil temples in the Cologne area and an ISKCON centre; several associations hold Holi and Diwali events on the Rhine promenade in summer and autumn.
Indian grocery shops
Indian grocery shops cluster in Cologne around Neumarkt and the Eigelstein quarter, and near Bonn Hauptbahnhof.
Associations and groups
Indian student associations at the University of Cologne and University of Bonn, plus professional meetups tied to the UN campus and the DAAD in Bonn.

Nuremberg and Erlangen

A fast-growing hub around Siemens Healthineers, Adidas in Herzogenaurach and the FAU university, with cheaper rents than Munich.

Temples and gurudwaras
A Hindu temple association in the Nuremberg area and shared prayer spaces used for Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam and Durga Puja by regional groups.
Indian grocery shops
Indian grocery shops near Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof and in Erlangen city centre, close to the medical campus.
Associations and groups
The FAU Indian student association is the main entry point, alongside company networks at Siemens and a busy cricket scene in summer.

Leipzig and Dresden

The east is newer territory for Indians: research institutes, TU Dresden, chip and car plants, and rents well below the west.

Temples and gurudwaras
No large purpose-built temples yet; associations rent halls for Diwali, Navratri and Holi, and the nearest big temples are in Berlin.
Indian grocery shops
A handful of Indian and Asian grocery shops near Leipzig Hauptbahnhof and in Dresden Neustadt; many people also order spices online.
Associations and groups
University Indian student associations do most of the organising here, and the city Facebook groups are small enough that questions actually get answered.

Details such as opening times and group owners change, so confirm locally before you travel across a city. Our Berlin guide goes deeper, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.

For couples: Coupleverse

An app for couples who want their social life in one place and want to meet other couples with the same interests.

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How to connect once you are there

Seven ways to find Indian cultural groups, grocery hubs and student associations in almost every German city, from formal associations to the notice board in a local grocery shop.

Indian associations and cultural societies

Nearly every large city has a registered Indian association (often called Indian Association <city> e.V.) and a Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft chapter. They run language classes, Independence Day and Diwali programmes, and are the safest first contact. The Indian Embassy in Berlin keeps a list of registered associations.

Temples, gurudwaras, mosques and churches

Places of worship double as community centres: Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple in Hamm, Shri Ganesha Hindu Temple in Berlin, Sikh gurudwaras in Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich, and Indian Christian congregations in most big cities. Sunday programmes usually end with food and an easy way to talk to people.

Student groups at your university

Most technical universities have an Indian student association and a buddy or tandem programme through the International Office. Write to them before you fly: they often help with the first nights, SIM cards and second hand furniture.

Online groups

Search Facebook for "Indians in Berlin", "Indians in Munich" and so on, and Reddit for r/germany, r/Indian_Academia and city subreddits. WhatsApp and Telegram groups are usually shared inside those. We do not link individual invite links here because they expire and change owners quickly.

Festivals and city events

Diwali, Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Durga Puja and Independence Day are celebrated publicly in every big German city, and several cities run an India Week or Bollywood festival. These are the easiest places to meet dozens of people in one evening.

Indian grocery hubs

Indian grocery shops and restaurants are the real community notice boards: rooms, tutoring, jobs and events are pinned on the door. Most big cities have a dense strip of South Asian grocers — Frankfurt's Münchener Straße, Berlin's Kottbusser Tor and Karl-Marx-Straße, Munich's Hauptbahnhof area and Hamburg's St. Georg. They are the fastest way to find what is happening locally.

Doctors, lawyers and weekend schools

Cricket clubs, Bollywood dance classes and Hindi or Tamil weekend schools for children exist in most cities. Many areas also have Indian origin doctors and lawyers, which helps when you need a first difficult conversation in a mix of German, English and a South Asian language.

Official community contacts

Embassy, consulates and the long established German-Indian networks. Start here rather than with a random group.

Writing your first message

Keep it short and concrete: who you are, which city and when you arrive, what you study or do, and one clear question. "Hi, I am moving to Stuttgart on 1 October for a mechanical engineering job. Has anyone here found a WG in Bad Cannstatt recently?" gets answers. "Hi guys, any tips?" does not.

These groups are excellent for flat leads, used furniture, job referrals, a SIM card on day one and someone to sit with in the first weeks. They are not a substitute for visa, tax or legal advice, where a wrong answer costs you months.

Stay safe in community groups

  • Never pay a deposit for a flat you have not seen, and never to someone who says they are abroad and will post the keys. This is the most common scam against new arrivals.
  • Paid job agents who promise a German work visa for a fee are usually selling nothing. Employers and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit do not charge candidates.
  • Do not send passport scans, visa documents or bank details to a group or a person you met there.
  • If something feels wrong at work or with a landlord, go to Faire Integration or a tenant association. Their advice is free and independent.

Indian community in Germany: common questions

Short answers to what newcomers ask most before and after they land.

How many Indians live in Germany?

Around 250,000 people of Indian origin live in Germany, including roughly 175,000 Indian citizens. Indians are one of the largest groups of international students and skilled workers, and the numbers have grown every year since the Blue Card and Chancenkarte routes opened up.

Which German city has the biggest Indian community?

Berlin has the largest single group of Indian nationals, but Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area have the oldest and most established community, and Munich and Stuttgart have the densest professional networks because of IT and engineering employers.

How do I find the Indian community after I arrive?

Start with three things in your first two weeks: the registered Indian association in your city, the nearest temple or gurdwara, and the notice board of an Indian grocery shop. Then add the city Facebook group and, if you are a student, the Indian student association at your university.

Are there WhatsApp or Telegram groups for Indians in Germany?

Yes, almost every city has them, but the invite links expire and change owners constantly, so we do not publish them. The reliable way in is to join the city Facebook group or the student association first and ask there for the current WhatsApp link.

Can I get visa or legal advice in these community groups?

No. Community groups are excellent for flat leads, furniture, job referrals and everyday questions, but visa, tax and employment law answers there are often out of date. Use the free official advice services instead: the migration advice centres (MBE) run by Caritas and Diakonie, Faire Integration for workplace rights, and your city welcome centre.

Do I need German to be part of the Indian community?

No, the community itself runs in English, Hindi and regional languages. You will still need German for the Bürgeramt, doctors, landlords and most non-IT jobs, and many Indian associations run cheap or free German conversation evenings.

How do I find Indian associations in Germany?

Start with the Indian Embassy in Berlin, which lists registered Indian associations, and search for "Indian Association <city> e.V." plus your city. Deutsch-Indische Gesellschaft chapters, university Indian student associations and temple committees are also reliable entry points. We list the main ones for Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Nuremberg and Leipzig/Dresden below.

Where can I find Indian grocery shops and temples in Germany?

Every big city has both. The densest strip is Münchener Straße behind Frankfurt main station; in Berlin look around Kottbusser Tor and Karl-Marx-Straße, in Munich around the Hauptbahnhof, and in Hamburg around St. Georg. Hindu temples, Tamil temples and gurdwaras run weekend programmes in all five cities, and the city sections below list them.

Is it easy for an Indian to settle in Germany?

The paperwork is the hard part, not the people. Registration, the residence permit, health insurance and finding a flat take the first two to three months. Socially it is easier than most expect, because every large city already has Indian associations, temples, cricket clubs and student groups. Free official help exists for the paperwork through the migration advice centres (MBE) and your city welcome centre.

Take the checklists with you

Our free Germany Move Checklist covers the paperwork before you fly, and the paid packs go step by step through jobs, study, arrival and housing, with editable Word templates.

See all guides and PDFsHow to move from India to Germany