diff --git a/.sequelizerc b/.sequelizerc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6f14ffd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.sequelizerc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+import path from 'path';
+
+module.exports = {
+  'config': path.resolve('server/src/db/config', 'database.js'),
+  'models-path': path.resolve('server/src/db/models'),
+  'seeders-path': path.resolve('server/src/db/seeders'),
+  'migrations-path': path.resolve('server/src/db/migrations')
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index b571cc6f..45f70a33 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ services:
       - "${BACKEND_PORT:-8080}:${BACKEND_PORT:-8080}"
     env_file: .env
     environment:
+      DB_HOST: ${DB_HOST}
       BACKEND_URL: ${BACKEND_URL}
       # to ensure Playwright works in Docker
       PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH: /ms-playwright
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index d9818fcc..3e8c3bc1 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -96,7 +96,13 @@
     "build:server": "tsc -p server/tsconfig.json",
     "start:server": "cross-env NODE_OPTIONS='--max-old-space-size=8000' server/dist/server/src/server.js",
     "preview": "vite preview",
-    "lint": "./node_modules/.bin/eslint ."
+    "lint": "./node_modules/.bin/eslint .",
+    "migrate": "sequelize-cli db:migrate",
+    "migrate:undo": "sequelize-cli db:migrate:undo",
+    "migrate:undo:all": "sequelize-cli db:migrate:undo:all",
+    "seed": "sequelize-cli db:seed:all",
+    "seed:undo:all": "sequelize-cli db:seed:undo:all",
+    "migration:generate": "sequelize-cli migration:generate --name"
   },
   "eslintConfig": {
     "extends": [
diff --git a/server/Dockerfile b/server/Dockerfile
index 65e472eb..8770b78e 100644
--- a/server/Dockerfile
+++ b/server/Dockerfile
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ COPY public ./public
 COPY server ./server
 COPY tsconfig.json ./
 COPY server/tsconfig.json ./server/
+COPY .sequelizerc ./
 # COPY server/start.sh ./  
 
 # Install dependencies
@@ -41,11 +42,18 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
     libxext6 \
     libxi6 \
     libxtst6 \
+    postgresql-client \
+    netcat-openbsd \
     && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* \
     && mkdir -p /tmp/.X11-unix && chmod 1777 /tmp/.X11-unix
 
+COPY server/docker-entrypoint.sh /app/
+RUN chmod +x /app/docker-entrypoint.sh
+
 # Expose the backend port
 EXPOSE ${BACKEND_PORT:-8080}
 
+ENTRYPOINT ["/app/docker-entrypoint.sh"]
+
 # Start the backend using the start script
 CMD ["npm", "run", "server"]
diff --git a/server/docker-entrypoint.sh b/server/docker-entrypoint.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ad670faf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+# Function to wait for PostgreSQL
+wait_for_postgres() {
+  echo "Waiting for PostgreSQL at $DB_HOST:$DB_PORT..."
+  
+  max_retries=30
+  retries=0
+  
+  while ! nc -z $DB_HOST $DB_PORT; do
+    retries=$((retries+1))
+    if [ $retries -eq $max_retries ]; then
+      echo "Error: PostgreSQL not available after $max_retries attempts. Continuing anyway..."
+      break
+    fi
+    echo "PostgreSQL not available yet (attempt $retries/$max_retries), retrying..."
+    sleep 2
+  done
+  
+  if [ $retries -lt $max_retries ]; then
+    echo "PostgreSQL is ready!"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Wait for PostgreSQL to be ready
+wait_for_postgres
+
+# Run the application with migrations before startup
+NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096" node -e "require('./server/src/db/migrate')().then(() => { console.log('Migration process completed.'); })"
+
+# Run the server normally 
+exec "$@"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/db/config/database.js b/server/src/db/config/database.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae6972d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/db/config/database.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+dotenv.config({ path: './.env' });
+
+// Validate required environment variables
+const requiredEnvVars = ['DB_USER', 'DB_PASSWORD', 'DB_NAME', 'DB_HOST', 'DB_PORT'];
+requiredEnvVars.forEach(envVar => {
+  if (!process.env[envVar]) {
+    console.error(`Error: Environment variable ${envVar} is not set.`);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+});
+
+
+module.exports = {
+  development: {
+    username: process.env.DB_USER,
+    password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,
+    database: process.env.DB_NAME,
+    host: process.env.DB_HOST,
+    port: process.env.DB_PORT,
+    dialect: 'postgres',
+    logging: console.log,
+  },
+  test: {
+    username: process.env.DB_USER,
+    password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,
+    database: process.env.DB_NAME,
+    host: process.env.DB_HOST,
+    port: process.env.DB_PORT,
+    dialect: 'postgres',
+    logging: false,
+  },
+  production: {
+    username: process.env.DB_USER,
+    password: process.env.DB_PASSWORD,
+    database: process.env.DB_NAME,
+    host: process.env.DB_HOST,
+    port: process.env.DB_PORT,
+    dialect: 'postgres',
+    logging: false,
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/db/migrate.js b/server/src/db/migrate.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a76c04eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/db/migrate.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+'use strict';
+
+import { execSync } from 'child_process';
+import path from 'path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import db from './models/index.js';
+
+const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
+
+async function runMigrations() {
+  try {
+    console.log('Testing database connection...');
+    await db.sequelize.authenticate();
+    console.log('Database connection established successfully.');
+    
+    console.log('Running database migrations...');
+    execSync('npx sequelize-cli db:migrate', { 
+      stdio: 'inherit',
+      cwd: path.resolve(__dirname, '../../..') 
+    });
+    console.log('Migrations completed successfully');
+    return true;
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Migration error:', error);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = runMigrations;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/server/src/db/models/index.js b/server/src/db/models/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1f26e70b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/db/models/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+'use strict';
+
+import fs from 'fs';
+import path from 'path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
+import Sequelize from 'sequelize';
+import databaseConfig from '../config/database.js';
+
+const __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+const __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);
+const basename = path.basename(__filename);
+const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
+const config = databaseConfig[env];
+const db = {};
+
+let sequelize;
+if (config.use_env_variable) {
+  try {
+    sequelize = new Sequelize(process.env[config.use_env_variable], config);
+    console.log(`Connected to database using ${config.use_env_variable}`);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Unable to connect to the database using environment variable:', error);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+} else {
+  try {
+    sequelize = new Sequelize(config.database, config.username, config.password, config);
+    console.log(`Connected to database: ${config.database}`);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Unable to connect to the database:', error);
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+}
+
+fs
+  .readdirSync(__dirname)
+  .filter(file => {
+    return (
+      file.indexOf('.') !== 0 &&
+      file !== basename &&
+      file.slice(-3) === '.js' &&
+      file.indexOf('.test.js') === -1
+    );
+  })
+  .forEach(file => {
+    const model = require(path.join(__dirname, file))(sequelize, Sequelize.DataTypes);
+    db[model.name] = model;
+  });
+
+Object.keys(db).forEach(modelName => {
+  if (db[modelName].associate) {
+    db[modelName].associate(db);
+  }
+});
+
+db.sequelize = sequelize;
+db.Sequelize = Sequelize;
+
+module.exports = db;
\ No newline at end of file