Six months in and I can already see the mistakes I made in week one. If you could go back and tell your just-arrived self one thing, what would it be? Let's save the newcomers some pain.
Learn the ten admin words before anything romantic — "appointment", "registration", "tax number", "proof of address". Small talk can wait; the town hall can't.
Join one community group in your first week, before you feel ready. The friends I made early carried me through the lonely bit that hit around month two.
Scan and back up every single document the day you get it. I've been asked for the same certificate four times by four offices. Future-you will be so grateful.
Be patient with yourself. Everything takes three times longer and you're doing it in a second language. That's not you failing, that's just the difficulty setting.
Say yes to invitations early, even the awkward ones. My whole network here traces back to one barbecue I almost skipped.