Despite recent trends in the financial sector, most of the banks in Germany are still very conservative. There is a lot of protocol observed that you may find unnecessarily frustrating. So be patient when trying to open your account. This is however starting to change, even though slowly.
If you make your application at a typical bank, do not expect to walk out of the branch with your ATM card, your PIN and ready to start cashing out.
Usually, your PIN will be sent to you via the post-office to the address you provided within a week or two. After that, your card will be sent to you within another few days.
Most German banks will generally issue you with a free Giro-card that comes with your unique bank ID called an IBAN. Do however note that you may not be able to use some of them for international online transactions as they may not use the international 16 digit and CVV system that is standard with most Visa and Master-cards. To be sure, confirm with your bank whether the card they issue does support it in case you intend to make non-IBAN online payments
Below is an example of the standard international card with 16 digits and a 3 digit CVV at the back.