Thanks for sharing! Can you give us tips on how to find a job in Germany or just applying online? for the case of non EU citizens who are temporarily living in Germany.
Aubrey found her job by literally googling jobs in her field! There are other great sites to look at as well like Monster Germany or Indeed.com. However, like we said in the video, if you just apply from outside of Germany, you need to have a career field that is big demand or they will not generally consider bringing someone in from outside the country. They want people in the country and who can start quickly. If you come here, use the online sites as a starting point but a great way to ensure they know you exist and want a job is to visit places in person that you would like to work at.
@@PassportTwo Do you believe it is possible you had a little easier time with the Government paperwork because you are in a area of Germany that is often referred to as "Little America"? By the way, I love Ramstein. You are very lucky and I am jealous. Enjoy your time there.
Jamie Hardee we think that could definitely play a part as to why we have it easier simply because maybe more people speak English more often here dealing with so many Americans but most Americans here don’t go through our path due to the fact we have nothing to do with the American military or government here. We really had it a lot easier because of us having a great employer go with us to all meetings to make sure we were doing everything correctly we think! We are excited to be here as well!
@@jamiehardee1957 I'm German and can tell you that it would as easy everywhere in Germany. Most Germans (especially younger ones) speak decent English.
Great video 👍 My husband has gone through the whole immigration process too (he's Canadian, I'm German, we're living in Germany) and I can confirm, and want to emphasize again for everybody else here looking for info on how to do it, *it all starts with a registered address*! It appears "backwards" for people from the USA, but it's really true, everything else depends on having a registered address here. You won't get a tax ID without it, you can't open a bank account without it, you can't get a job without tax ID, and so on... (it also depends on the country you're from, but generally speaking) A few little corrections /additions : - the German tax ID number is not the equivalent to the American social security number, but we have a social security number too, additionally to the tax ID, it's two different things. The tax ID is connected to having a registered address, because as a resident of Germany who works in Germany you have to pay taxes in Germany (my husband got his long before he even had a work permit which doesn't make much sense but that's how it was). the social security card (Sozialversicherungsausweis), with number and btw its not an actual card but just a piece of paper, you will get once you're registered in the social security system, which usually (for non EU citizens) depends on having a job. - not everybody needs a tax ID to open a bank account. There are special requirements for American citizens, but if you're not American you can open a bank account with a registration confirmation (Meldebescheinigung) alone. For Canadians for example that's enough. - In most cases you need to prove B1 German skills for any kind of long term visa. To get one without German language skills is a rather rare exception, that only applies if you have a formal education in a field thats in general heavily lacking workers in Germany or if you come to do a specific job that nobody here could do (like in Aubreys case it seems, a German can't do the job because the job requires an English native speaker /American native, so that would count for this category of exceptions). Normally you won't get a long stay visa without language skills. Even when you're married to a German national, like in our case, you still need an A1 German certificate, B1 for everything else that's not a special exception case. So that would be the very first step, even before coming here (otherwise the tourist visa time frame wouldn't be enough if you aren't a language genius), to learn German in your home country first, at least up to B1, and then come here. - Only citizens from certain countries can do their visa applications from within the country, within Germany, ie come here first and then during the 3 months visa free time start the visa applications. For many countries of origin it's the other way around and you have to go through the German embassy in the respective home country and get your visa from there. Even though I'm a year late, still: Welcome to Germany, I hope by now you've settled in and your big adventure turned out to be as exciting and awesome as you imagined it to be! 🌸 All the best for the future 👍🌻 (Edit: Just spelling, grammar etc. Content unchanged.)
This was great information. I have a question maybe you can answer. I have been living in Germany for almost two years with the Army. But, I’m ready to make the move into Germany like I have always wanted to do. What should be my steps for processing to the German side? I live in an apartment already but no one never told me to register. So, I’m sure that might be a problem. I have contact immigration office and waiting to hear back from the this month. Also, I have contact the abreitagentur to get more information and waiting as well. Thank you for your help! 😊
@@dionwestjr4772 Hi Dion, welcome to Germany (two years late, but anyways) 🌸 Registering your address should be your very first step in any case! You are actually legally required in Germany to do that - regardless of your citizenship, visa situation, anything... Just the fact that you're living here, have your residence here, requires you to register. But don't worry too much that you haven't done it yet, in my experience it's not a big deal (obviously I can't give you any guarantees, but just speaking from my personal experience with different registration offices in different states). These people there have always been very nice and lenient, given me a stern look and a little speech, that I would have been required to blablabla (I was veeery late a few times too), but now you're here okay, fine, whatever... That's always how it's been for me. Just look it up where your closest (to your apartment) Bürgeramt is, or it might be called Einwohnermeldeamt, and make an appointment there. Before the pandemic you could just show up, but now you need appointments. What you need to register is your passport and a Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung from your landlord (they'll know what it is, just tell them you need this paper. it's a written confirmation, following a specific form, that you've really rented this place and really live there). That's it. Make sure not to lose the paper they'll give you, you need it to get a bank account, you need it in the foreigners office and all kinds of stuff. If you do lose it you can just go back, with a new appt, and get another copy for like 9€or so though. You say you already are in contact with the Ausländerbehörde, that's good, because that's the next step. They're responsible for all the visa /permanent residence stuff. Just make an appt there and they should be able to tell you everything you need to know and do. Mind you, that's how it generally works and I don't know if there are any special rules for members of the military, that's something you might need to check with your superiors, and ask the guys in the foreigners office about. I hope it'll all work out for you (:
Danke für die Info! Kannst du mir was über diese verschiedenen Deutschlevel sagen? Ich werd das gleich noch googlen, aber ist ja immer gut von jemandem zu hören der damit schon konfrontiert war....Das wäre nett, danke :)
I enjoyed your video! I lived and worked in Germany from 1990 to 1997. How wonderful it would have been to have had the internet and UA-cam videos like yours before we went! I loved living in Germany and even after all these years I miss it everyday. Sounds like moving there now is a much easier process that what it was when we went. We were sent as expatriates employees of an American company that had a partnership with a German company to build the first digital cellular system in Europe (now Vodafone). The German partnership Attorneys did all, or the majority of, the residence and work visas for us. In fact they even had to co-sign the apartment leases for all the Americans coming over to work on the project. German landlords like American landlords didn't want to rent to people unless you could prove that you had a long-term stable job in Germany, a good credit history, etc. You also had to sign long term leases -- I think the minimum was at least 3-5 years. There was no way back then you could have shown up without a job, work permits, etc. and been able to rent an apartment (other than a vacation rental). Anyway, enjoy every minute of your time there, you will discover over time that it will change who you are as a person --for the better!
Wow, 7 years is amazing! Thanks so much for the well wishes. We can definitely already see how it is changing us and we look forward to all we will learn. We truly can't imagine what the process would have been like without the interenet and how much you would have really had to learn back then without being able to rely on it!
I'm an American that has moved to Japan where I have lived and worked and the process is very similar so this makes me happy because I'm really feeling like Berlin is my next adventure. I lived in the Netherlands for over a year as well so I can't wait to get back to Europe.
This is some really great information thank you for that but in all honesty if you have the level of education and expertise that you guys have to get pretty much move anywhere. I would like to know more about if you only have a bachelor's and where or how you can move in Germany
thank you so much for this. i'm planning to move out there to be with my boyfriend, so it's really comforting to hear people say it's easier than you might think it is 😅
Did you already do that? My bf and me are also in a ldr and he wants to move here one day and I already try to get some information about how good he has to be in english, if he needs a job first and so on
Remember to carry your passport as well as the Aufenthaltstitel if you travel inside the EU! Your Aufenthaltstitel is only valid in conjunction with a valid passport outside of the issuing country.
The reason it is called Rathaus - rat means to give advice in german so it basically means it's a place where you can get advice /consulting regarding housing, food , issue and so on.
Great video content! Question - How much money should a couple keep in buffer or carry with themselves to settle down in germany after receiving a job offer?
Be aware of the fact that the route to work in Germany without having applied for a visa in advance is only available to nationals of certain countries: those are Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and the USA. For all others this does not apply. You video might have led to wrong expectations by people of India, Pakistan and other developing countries.
I think there are a few videos out there that talked about this topic😏...but yours is the best i've seen so far.👌 Maybe because your process of moving went that smooth. 😁 Most content makers had a lot about german bureaucracy in theirs. Because they had a lot to say about that bureaucracy.😏😄 How has finding a place to stay and live gone so far?
Sam Fetter thanks so much! Really appreciate that! Finding a place was made most difficult by the fact that housing moves extremely fast here. Pretty much if you find a place you like, you have to take it IMMEDIATELY or else someone else will...but we have shot another video talking about the differences in German homes that will be coming out later this week! 😊
@@PassportTwo no spoiler then 😁 Yea...housing. 🙄There is still a debate going on (and going for years) among our two government parties as how to deal with the issue. Meaning only quarter messures get done...at best.🙄😒 On another topic: As you are seeking travel destinations...if you are into hiking, or gorgeous mountain views in general...the Alp region is worth a look. And it has the advantage of you being able to visit 3-5 countries in one go.😁 I always liked the area around Garmisch Patenkirchen and Mittenwald...but i was stationed there...so a little bias in those words. 😉 We always said we get paid to do work where others go for vacation...and that work includes what the tourists do for their vacation...hiking and skiing.😄 Being a mountainranger has its perks.😎 For summer i can recommend Hungary, especially the Balaton region, if you are into chilling. If sightseeing is more your thing and you liked Prag, Budapest is worth a visit as well. And is near to the Balaton...win-win situation 😊 See ya next video...and thanks for this one.🥰
Awesome! thanks for the great tips! We are actively making lists of where we should go and travel around so we will definitely consider these locations. We have been to the alps in Switzerland but we have really really wanted to check them out in Germany.
This rat house joke works only in english. In german Rathaus means just the place You find the local mayor, the deputies and some important offices. The rat in english is in german die Ratte. Der Rat means here the council, the local political assembly and das Rathaus is the place they come together.
Wol Sch exactly. That’s what we were saying when we said it sounds funny to us, native English speakers, because of the English word “rat” and “house.” In the US, politicians also aren’t normally looked at favorably so the English connotation along with the view Americans have of politicians just makes for a perfect funny name. We weren’t saying anything about the German verbiage because we don’t speak German.
I suppose main while you understand what Rathaus means, otherwise I explane it too you; Rat= council and Haus of course house, the word is used since the middle age for the house the council of the cities most honorable and powerful man meet and decide over important things and laws which are ruled in the town.
Hi there great video good information more than i can obtain from our German Consulate in South Africa. My Sister is married to a German Citizen and she has a Blue card, she has been staying and working in Germany for the past 13 years. My daughter who is 15 has been invited by my sister, her Aunty to come and complete her schooling there and to later go to college there. My question is can I apply for a tourist visa for 3 months and in that time we can do all the paper work in Germany while she is there attending school. Many thanks keep up the good work.
Don’t you only get one week to register once you initially arrive in Germany? I am American and plan on moving there with the intention to work at the same place as my uncle. It’s been difficult to find information on this since I don’t have a special degree or work experience
There are a few inaccuracies: E. g. when you´re talking about a visa you actually mean a residence permit. Americans and a few other priviledged nations don´t need a visa which is for tourists only and doesn´t give you permission to work. You can apply from abroad if you want to - no need to come to Germany first. You should maybe have mentioned that the process you describe applies only citizens from certain countries. It doesn´t apply to EU citizens (they don´t need a permit) and to citizens of most other countries who cannot apply from within Germany (neither for visa nor residence permits).
Peter Fischer your explanation isn’t completely accurate. Americans do have to have a visa. There are way more types of visas than just a Tourist Visa. For instance, a very popular visa for Americans who teach English and want to work in Germany is a “Freelance Visa.” Also, yes, technically you can apply from abroad but in our experiences, this is only good for people or jobs who are in high demand. A company would then be willing to wait on that person to move and go through all the work to get them here. That advice is for those who may not have a job that someone would be willing to sponsor you coming over. It would be better for some who is in a field that is not in high demand but wants to live and work here to move here and try first because then they have a higher likelihood of being hired since they are here and available. I will acknowledge we didn’t specify if this is the right path for everybody. We made the assumption since we are Americans, we were talking to Americans. Understand that could have been a slight mistake.
"...Americans do have to have a visa..." No, for Americans, Australians, Japanese and a few others your passport is good enough. No need to apply for a visa to stay for up to 90 days.
But if you already have a "spouse" (which means a partner, right? Still confused about that word) in germany, you can just move to her/him without job/visa/whatever? Or do you have to be married?
My partner and I are looking to move to Germany Fall of 2020 and I have to say to you both, THANK YOU. This is the best video I’ve seen on this topic. I actually feel so much more at ease. We don’t have jobs lined up but plan to just move there with a lot of savings and “do it.”
That's awesome to hear! If there is any way that we can help, feel free to reach out to us. It was a daunting process until we got here and started going through the motions. It has been frustrating at times jumping through weird hoops, but we are glad that you know it is possible! 😊
where are you guys planning to move, do you have a city in mind? my partner and I are actually moving to Berlin in February :) He finally received a job offer end of December and we decided to just go for it even though I don't have a job lined up..yet :) he's German, I'm not but I'm a EU citizen...
Hello! I severed in the us Air Force in Germany and I ended up meeting my girlfriend who is a German. I’m out of the Air Force now I’m moving to Germany in a few weeks as a civilian. We already have an apartment that she has that I’ll be living in. I plan on just doing online school while living in Germany. The visa I was looking at was “family reunion” which is basically saying we’re planning on getting married. Do you know if I will for sure have to get a job in Germany or would they grant me the visa if I didn’t. I really would just want to focus on school. Thanks for this great video !
Btw I will be getting paid from the military from the gi bill as well as disability so I can definitely still pay my bills! I heard that that’s one thing they definitely ask is if you can cover your bills. Which I’ll be able to just not from working in Germany.
Hey! If you have done your research on the family reunion visa and have specifically found something saying you can come over without being married, then you already know more than us about this situation! Our understanding is that with this visa they are very strict about it being specifically for already married couples or blood family and not for committed relationships. In that case, they are going to want you to get a job or find a way to get a student visa. Maybe look into doing school at. German university? I’m sure your looking at doing school online to be paid for by the US government since you served, but German university has a lot of English programs and is free anyways so that may be a more sure option for getting a visa that allows you to stay? In any case, if I was you, I would email the “Auslanderbehörde” for the city you are planning on moving to or have your girlfriend do so and specifically ask your questions about what your options are as they are the one issuing the visas to you. Good luck! 😊
Great video; very informative. Thank you! One thing to note: if you are not working a specialized job for Americans, and if you’re looking to move to Germany permanently, you MUST learn German. You don’t have a choice. Before you can receive permanent residence status, you must be proficient in the language.
Thanks! You are right about needing to have language skills in order to have permanent residence, but you can live and work here for years without a permanent residence and not have to know the language. For example, we decided to bump down to a regular work permit and will have to renew it every year. However, there really is no time limit for how long we stay in the country as long as we choose to pay the renewal fee every year and the government grants us that (may not be the wisest, but is possible.) For this, you do not have to meet any language requirements and can live, work, and renew every year as long you want and the government allows.
We don’t want to speak for every visa and situation, but in our experience, you can’t apply for a visa without having an address registered in Germany. We had to move here first, find a place to live, register our address with the local government THEN apply for a visa. We also couldn’t apply for a visa without having a job because the visa type depends on what you are doing. So therefore, yes, you have to move here and find work first before applying for a visa. In that case, you have 3 months from getting here to do all that because when you arrive you will be on a tourist visa that is only valid for 90 days.
Hi while you are looking for a place to stay and looking for a job, where do you stay in the meantime and what would your source of income be? or just savings?
We found an Airbnb in the area we were looking for a place to live but a hotel will do as well. Right, savings will have to get you through while you are looking for a job.
I was stationed in Darmstadt with the Army as well. Wanting to move back to Germany can you please tell me if it's easy to do?! Also I have 2 children I'd like to bring with me
Thinking about moving to Germany in July , already have a job there. Should I still apply for resident visa while I’m in the US to make sure I will get approved or should I not worry and just move and do everything there.
Do you get paperwork or a Visa the same day that you can use to get the bank account and everything? From what i have seen, we'r are supposed to have a German bank account with 3 months of living expenses in it when we apply for the resident Visa's. We're moving back over next summer and we have a guaranteed income due to my husband's VA disability and social security and should have my VA disability by then also. After I'm over there, I'll be looking for a job so I can make sure we have a little extra to account for the exchange rates and to fully immerse myself.
Jennifer Sheldon all the banks we have applied with want our German address and copies of our residence visas to open an account. We got our visas AND THEN went to set up a bank account. You just have to have an address registered with your local Rathaus first before you can get your visa.
A couple of the many meanings of the German word Rat are "Senior Official" and "Council". So the Rathaus is exactly what we call a "City Hall" in the U.S.A.
Well there are atleast three words you could think of when hearing rathaus in german. First raten=guess, second rat geben= hand out advice, third ratte=rat so yeah^^ although it might be based on the second
JonKess haha, I’m learning German now so i knew the first two examples you gave but I haven’t learned the word for “rat” yet. That’s funny it’s so similar also!
@@PassportTwo yeah although its pronounciation is different because it has two tt instead of one. The next thing is these are only the basic words with rat i it. There is Stadtrat = City Council, there is Rat einberufen = call a council (i guess?) although this is not used alot anymore. You can use "den Stadtrat einberufen" but when you are speaking about other types of council in german you would use other words instead nowadays. But i guess this is the origin of Rat. Its only used in other types of words that are put together like Betriebsrat/Beirat/Bezirksrat/ and so on.
There are alot of these examples in german where the original word itself is no longer used but it remains part of other words. Oh yeah and when you have " i guess" at the end of a sentence you dont use raten at all but you rather use denken or vermuten like in : "He loves football, but i guess he loves baseball more" " Er liebt Fußball, aber ich denke(or "ich vermute" or vermute mal) er liebt Baseball einfach mehr.
We are hoping to move soon. My dad is a citizen, so I wonder how that changes things. I'm also a Dual and not sure what that does to my husband. This is helpful to give me a place to start from.
We are no experts but if you are a Dual citizen, I'm guessing of the US and Germany (?) Then you shouldn't have any problems getting your husband citizenship as well. If you want more direct answers, email the Auslanderbehörde of the city you are wanting to move to and they will answer all of your questions! 😊
Does anyone have any good job search sites for finding a job before you get there. I know the language pretty well, have spent time there before. I am doing my Masters degree now and would like to consider moving there after.
Hi I'm planning to move from Ireland to Germany did you require to provide schufa agreement certificate inorder to rent an apartment or without it. Did they ask for bank account to pay for the apartment?
Awesome, good luck on your move! We personally did not have to shoe a Schufa report although I do not know if that is normal or not. There are all sorts of different ways to pay for your apartment but our landlord did not ask for our bank information. We do have theirs and we transfer money to them every month between our bank accounts.
@@PassportTwo basically the schufa is not really needed for new "comers" into the country to rent, hopefully they won't ask me finger crossed,do you know which websites you used to find good reasonable apartments? I'm trying to avoid fake one's, thanks so much I just subscribed to your channel 💖💖
Hey love the video! So i really want to move to Germany but i have no idea where to start :(. I was in germany during the summer and i really liked it. Also i live in California so everything here is super expensive. I’m just about to start college next school year and i was wondering if i get an education here would i be able to find a job in Germany? Sorry this was a mess but i really need help with how to start.
There are so many variables that it is hard to give you a direct answer. However, the first thing is that is is going to depend on what you get an education in. By far, medical related fields, engineering fields, computer tech fields, etc are going to be a lot easier to find jobs that will allow you to move abroad. For example, I (Donnie) have my Bachelors in graphic design (BS) with minors in art and business but I also have my Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Aubrey has her Bachelors (BA) and Masters in Speech Pathology (MA-SLP). First off, in terms of need, fewer people go into those fields I described above than into more general fields like business. Second off, if you are going to get a job, a business will have to sponsor your visa. For them to spend the loads of time and money to sponsor your visa, the German government requires them to prove they made an attempt and cannot easily hire someone who is already a German citizen rather than hiring from outside the country and the business is going to need to feel like you are worth all of that time and money to invest in your visa process. That is why those higher demand and higher paying jobs are generally the ones that they will make it worth it. There are SO many caveats though and that is all generally speaking. 1. If you are already here and available and have fronted a lot of the costs to get established here yourself, then they may be more likely to take you on. Your chances of this are also greatly increased if you already speak German. 2. There are freelance visas that allow you to work and live here if you work for yourself. You however have to prove you have enough money to sustain yourself here if you don't find work (they literally want to see bank information) and you also must prove you have a few regular paying customers inside of a timeframe. 3. Have you looked into doing school here? Student Visas are probably one of the easiest visas to get, college is free in Germany, but (if I am correct) you need to get yourself to a B1 level of German. This can be done in 6 months if you work really hard at it. I am doing that right now. All-in-all, look into what types of visas Germany offers and figure out which one sounds the most achievable. My suggestion would be get a degree you love and figure it out from there. OR, get a student visa, go to school here (or at least part of your education) then go from there. Feel free to reach out and ask us any questions any time! Hope this is a little bit of a starting point!
@@PassportTwo my husband and I would like to move to Germany with our children. I too have a MBA in Health Care Administration, what jobs do you suggest I start looking for if you know of any?
Had a question about the taxes , is it true that you still have to file income Tax in the US when working there. And also the money you bring from the US to Germany , will that get taxed from the Germans again??
*First the disclaimer that we are not tax experts and the situation is going to be different for everybody generally speaking so we are only speaking from our experience. For actual tax advice you should seek a professional out* 😅But yes, for money we make in Germany we have to file German taxes and also American taxes on that money. However, there are also a whole host of exceptions to these rules that you can apply for and get mainly pertaining to paying the US taxes on foreign income. When it comes to American money that we have or make in the US, we do not have to report that to the German government.
I've got a question. say i wanted to come visit germany for like 2 weeks or so and then return to the usa, but if i decide i want to move there, can i then go back for the 90 days? or do they take the 2 weeks off or how does that work?
You have 90 days within a 180 day period you are allowed to be inside of the "Schengen Zone" until they renew and you have a fresh 90 days. The "Schengen Zone" is a group of European countries that all have free movement agreements between them on one visa and Germany of course is one of them. So, if you come to Germany and spend two weeks (14 days) here, leave and want to come back within 180 days of you arriving Germany, then you will have those two weeks still dedicated and you will have 76 days you would be allowed in Germany. However, if you let 180 days pass from when you entered in Germany, you will have a new set of 90 days you will be allowed in Germany.
"Rat" in German means a tip or a hint. So a Rat-Haus is a house where you can get hints or tips from your government. Yes, you should ALWAYS register at the Rathaus/Einwohnermeldeamt. Einwohner = resident, Melde = register, Amt = office/bureau, so this is a typical German compound word. I.e. a resident registering office/bureau. Try to get some help in rural areas from someone speaking both German and your native language fluently. Many rural government offices are still not so explicitly dual language supported. In larger cities you will almost always find someone speaking English well enough to help you fill out the forms. One very important aspect that you did not mention in your video is that Germany has a mandatory health insurance system for any employees. So get to looking for an insurance company as soon as you know where you are registered. It is often even more important than having a job. It is a hand-in-hand process. Finding a job and having a health insurance is both very important in Germany. Insurance: in Germany everyone employed has to have a mandatory health insurance. Basically you pay one-half of the insurance charge, the other half is paid by your employer. BUUUUUT you will probably never see anything of that happening due to something you have to do. You simply tell your employer your insurance agency and your insurance number and everything is done on your employer's side. The employer then automatically deducts your part of the charge from salary and charges it to the pool of insurance charges. There are basically two different types of health insurances in Germany: public and private. Most public insurances will be absolutely sufficient for any of your standard ailments. ANY doctors charges are covered by the public health insurance. Your co-pay for any kind prescribed medical drugs will amount to approximately 5 € per different type of drug. So if you take three different types of medical drug you would have to pay around 15€ maximum co-pay. Obviously, if you desire a special drug that is not prescribed by your doctor you might have to pay a bit more, but it will still probably be very affordable, especially when compared to the USA. Private health insurance might get you a bit more specialized care in some very specific cases, and it might also get you a tiny bit better access to earlier dates, but that's pretty much it. But private insurance is a lot more expensive than public insurance.
Actually this week in my German class, "der Rat" was one of our vocabulary words so this is a very timely explanation. haha Your absolutely right about the insurance! We hadn't maybe realized at that point that it was mandatory but we had just gotten it with the help of our employer. Thanks for adding that! Insurance is such a huge political topic in the US, this is one thing we have been really excited about learning about here. We want to see a different system work (or how it may not work) and see how it could possibly apply to the US. We want to gain a different perspective to add to the conversation in the US from a first hand experience with a different system. Thanks for the explanation of the German system! We are still learning, even with our insurance here.
I'm sorry but the "Rat"-thing is bullshit. Of course, "Rat" in German also means hint or advice, but a "Rat" is also a council of people governing a community. So in a "Rathaus" you'll find the administration and sometimes also the "parliament" of a community. In a larger city ("Stadt") it's called "Stadtrat", in smaller ones for example "Gemeinderat". But this has nothing to do with getting help there, while of course they'll help you a lot, I hope. 😊
Really sorry but we don’t have a good suggestion. When we moved over here, we had sold all of our things and just came with a couple of checked bags on the airplane so we didn’t use one...
I think it helped you that you had a job when you went there. Taking a leap of faith without a specialty which is really needed and you're a bit older....... I don't think that would be so easy.... Any suggestions?
Absolutely it was helpful. We had been wanting to move to abroad for years before this opportunity finally arose. Now that we are here though, I (Donnie) am in an intensive German course and have met a lot of people who have moved here without a specialty and are trying to make it work and are successful. It really comes down to what you want. For us, it was that we just really wanted to move abroad. Aubrey preferred to work in her field but after a few years of trying, we decided to instead become certified to teach English abroad and make that our avenue. There are TONS of job opportunities to teach English abroad and we thought this could be our way of doing it. However, right as we were becoming certified, Aubrey got this opportunity which opened doors without us needing to teach English. But, this is an option if you just want to move abroad and have some sort of avenue in. Also, a student visa is also fairly easy to obtain if you wanted to go back to school for a something just to be able to get over here. Finally, it is daunting and it may not work out, but truly. If you aren't over here and don't have a specialty, I don't see how it can happen. If you can come here and make an effort to find a job, simply by you being here and being available, a job is more likely to sponsor a visa for you to remain over here. We aren't saying its easy, and it would be a huge leap of faith, but that is how so many people do it here because of the system in place where you have to live here first anyways before you can even get a visa.
I am not so sure you have to live there first to be able to get a Visa. There is a UA-camr who came from Canada and she had a job before she got her visa.
I am not sure where you are from but various countries have different agreements with others as well. Canada does have a program where new graduates from college can go and live and work in Germany under a work-holiday visa if I am not mistaken. I don't know if that is their situation but it could be. However, for us, and everybody around us, you have to have an address registered locally before you can get your physical visa. We had a job which came with the almost promise of a visa, but that didn't mean we had a visa. We had to move here, register an address, THEN go get the visa, THEN start working. Again, I don't know what UA-camr you are talking about, but she may have had a different visa or situation but she could also have had a promise of a job but then still had to come to Germany, find a place to live, register the address, then get the visa.
the immediate problem I foresee is that I'm trying to move specifically to Germany by my lonesome. I don't know anyone there but I need to go there for a better living situation than I currently have.
I did it on my own. It was rough but make sure you have everything first money, searching for jobs, places before moving and then it will be an easy process.
I’m going to need a lot of help I want to movie to Germany in February 2022 and I don’t know how to start and I don’t know where to find a good job or housing
My husband and I are moving to Germany from the US in August. He has a job, but I do not. Guess I’m going to be a housewife 😀. My question is? When I try to apply for a one year Visa what type of documentation will I need and do these need to be translated into German. We will be in Baumholder. Also I am a registered nurse and hope to get a job with DoD but do you know if non german speaking nurses can find a job in Germany
I’m sorry, I’m guess I’m a little confused. So your husband is military? Or he has a job in Germany? It’s the first option, is that why you have to apply for a visa yourself to work in Germany? Honestly I don’t know, but I am fairly confident to be in the medical field outside of US gov jobs or private clinics specifically for Americans in the area (if those exist), you have to speak a very high level of German. Our only experience was a guy we were friends with over here who has his medical license and to be able to be a doctor, he was required to have at least C1 level German and take an exam specifically on German terminology. Aubrey’s speech path job is off-base and we have no association with the US government or military directly and she is able to practice because her business is a private clinic that only services Americans and some Brits in the area. If you can find a job like that in a private clinic specifically for Americans then you should be fine! But I don’t have a great answer for that unfortunately...
Passport Two My husband is a contractor that works for the American government. I am presently a federal employee with the veterans administration as a registered nurse but at this time have not been able to find a job on the base. So he will have a visa with no problems and I will be coming over with him and will be getting my visa based on his employment and his insurance. I have heard that I would need my documents translated into German to try to get my visa. I have also heard that there are Clinics that see Americans and there may be a chance I could get on at one of those but I do know you have to speak at least B2German for other positions
Gotcha! I have also heard about documents sometimes needed to be translated to German for us, we didn't translate any documents and were just fine. I would account that to the fact that we have such a massive American community here but that may not be super accurate information. I am sorry because I am a little hesitant to say "we didn't translate ours so you don't have to" because we may just have been working with a person who let it slide and I don't want to give you information that would mess you up. I would definitely say it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and just do it just in case. If you need to reach B2 German, I am currently doing a German integration course through the government. It is 5 days a week, 4 hours per day and taught 100% in German from day 1. It is intended to get people to speak as quickly as possible and is very intensive. These classes have the goal of getting someone through B1 in 6 months. It would be an additional 2-3 months to get through B2. This is just for your reference that this is the fastest and most intense way I have found to learn German to get to a level unless someone also stacked private tutoring on top of that I guess.
Both are correct in English. If you say "at the Rathaus" that is saying you literally went to the Rathaus and did something. "With the Rathaus" is also correct because that implies you probably physically went to the Rathaus but the important information in this verbiage is that you had to do an action "with" those at the Rathaus which is accurate because we had to do the action of registering with an employee at the Rathaus.
@@PassportTwo I assumed this. The explanation was more for the other international viewers. I hope you still enjoy your everyday life in Germany. A few travel tips not so far away for the coming spring: Castle Trifels where king Lionheart was held for ransom. The Moselle river valley with many castles, especially Castle Eltz. The city of Luxembourg. The city of Koblenz with it's Prussian fortress Ehrenbreitstein. The Rhine river valley with castles every other mile. Getting a bit of big city vibes not so far away in Frankfurt, many great museums and the only skyscrapers in Germany. Speyer is a nice city with it's cathedral and the Technik Museum where you can see the Buran, the Soviet Space Shuttle. Thank you for your great videos!
I (Donnie) studied abroad in Germany for a few months in college and loved my experience. It opened up my world a lot and I wondered why I had to go back to school, get a job, and hope for 2 weeks vacation to maybe go back one day. I also really wanted to learn more about what it was like to live day-to-day life in a completely different country. Aubrey had a passion for travel as well so we decided it was a goal of ours to live abroad some time. We sought after the chance to do so for multiple years and finally it all came together. There are tons of other reasons like people always told us that "while you're young and don't have kids you should travel" so we decided to just go for it. Many factors went into this decision!
@@PassportTwo "My lovely Mr. singing club". That's what I call "travelling". It is one thing to visit other countries and culture for a period of time. It is another thing to settle in and try to adapt as much as possible and needed. Wish you lots of fun. Don't get caught up with "scheduling" your life away. We germans have a love hate relationship with those. ;)
Hape not yet because neither of us have had a chance to really go to a doctor or have anything yet. The taxes are extremely high which was a shock but we still have high hopes!
@@PassportTwo It's automaticaly done by the employer. You might get a letter from Krankenkasse to answer a few questions (in German.) You have to send them passport sized pictures and a few days later you get your insurance card.
furzkram thank you again for your very informative response to the video but again, the example does make sense from an American perspective. We don’t have “tax identification numbers” in the USA and instead use social security numbers for taxes as well. In fact, we use it for social security, taxes, identification numbers, and much more. So us saying that it is the equivalent to a social security number IS CORRECT because that is what we use in the US for the same purpose as a German Tax Identification number. 🙋🏻♂️
Are you trying to move abroad or specifically to Germany?? Please do not hesitate to ask us any questions you have! 😊
Thanks for sharing!
Can you give us tips on how to find a job in Germany or just applying online? for the case of non EU citizens who are temporarily living in Germany.
Aubrey found her job by literally googling jobs in her field! There are other great sites to look at as well like Monster Germany or Indeed.com. However, like we said in the video, if you just apply from outside of Germany, you need to have a career field that is big demand or they will not generally consider bringing someone in from outside the country. They want people in the country and who can start quickly. If you come here, use the online sites as a starting point but a great way to ensure they know you exist and want a job is to visit places in person that you would like to work at.
@@PassportTwo Do you believe it is possible you had a little easier time with the Government paperwork because you are in a area of Germany that is often referred to as "Little America"? By the way, I love Ramstein. You are very lucky and I am jealous. Enjoy your time there.
Jamie Hardee we think that could definitely play a part as to why we have it easier simply because maybe more people speak English more often here dealing with so many Americans but most Americans here don’t go through our path due to the fact we have nothing to do with the American military or government here. We really had it a lot easier because of us having a great employer go with us to all meetings to make sure we were doing everything correctly we think! We are excited to be here as well!
@@jamiehardee1957 I'm German and can tell you that it would as easy everywhere in Germany. Most Germans (especially younger ones) speak decent English.
Thank you so much for making this video! I was very lost until I watched both of you explain everything. Really brought my mind at ease!
Great video 👍 My husband has gone through the whole immigration process too (he's Canadian, I'm German, we're living in Germany) and I can confirm, and want to emphasize again for everybody else here looking for info on how to do it, *it all starts with a registered address*! It appears "backwards" for people from the USA, but it's really true, everything else depends on having a registered address here. You won't get a tax ID without it, you can't open a bank account without it, you can't get a job without tax ID, and so on... (it also depends on the country you're from, but generally speaking)
A few little corrections /additions :
- the German tax ID number is not the equivalent to the American social security number, but we have a social security number too, additionally to the tax ID, it's two different things. The tax ID is connected to having a registered address, because as a resident of Germany who works in Germany you have to pay taxes in Germany (my husband got his long before he even had a work permit which doesn't make much sense but that's how it was). the social security card (Sozialversicherungsausweis), with number and btw its not an actual card but just a piece of paper, you will get once you're registered in the social security system, which usually (for non EU citizens) depends on having a job.
- not everybody needs a tax ID to open a bank account. There are special requirements for American citizens, but if you're not American you can open a bank account with a registration confirmation (Meldebescheinigung) alone. For Canadians for example that's enough.
- In most cases you need to prove B1 German skills for any kind of long term visa. To get one without German language skills is a rather rare exception, that only applies if you have a formal education in a field thats in general heavily lacking workers in Germany or if you come to do a specific job that nobody here could do (like in Aubreys case it seems, a German can't do the job because the job requires an English native speaker /American native, so that would count for this category of exceptions). Normally you won't get a long stay visa without language skills. Even when you're married to a German national, like in our case, you still need an A1 German certificate, B1 for everything else that's not a special exception case. So that would be the very first step, even before coming here (otherwise the tourist visa time frame wouldn't be enough if you aren't a language genius), to learn German in your home country first, at least up to B1, and then come here.
- Only citizens from certain countries can do their visa applications from within the country, within Germany, ie come here first and then during the 3 months visa free time start the visa applications. For many countries of origin it's the other way around and you have to go through the German embassy in the respective home country and get your visa from there.
Even though I'm a year late, still: Welcome to Germany, I hope by now you've settled in and your big adventure turned out to be as exciting and awesome as you imagined it to be! 🌸 All the best for the future 👍🌻
(Edit: Just spelling, grammar etc. Content unchanged.)
This was great information. I have a question maybe you can answer. I have been living in Germany for almost two years with the Army. But, I’m ready to make the move into Germany like I have always wanted to do. What should be my steps for processing to the German side?
I live in an apartment already but no one never told me to register. So, I’m sure that might be a problem. I have contact immigration office and waiting to hear back from the this month. Also, I have contact the abreitagentur to get more information and waiting as well.
Thank you for your help! 😊
@@dionwestjr4772
Hi Dion, welcome to Germany (two years late, but anyways) 🌸
Registering your address should be your very first step in any case! You are actually legally required in Germany to do that - regardless of your citizenship, visa situation, anything... Just the fact that you're living here, have your residence here, requires you to register. But don't worry too much that you haven't done it yet, in my experience it's not a big deal (obviously I can't give you any guarantees, but just speaking from my personal experience with different registration offices in different states). These people there have always been very nice and lenient, given me a stern look and a little speech, that I would have been required to blablabla (I was veeery late a few times too), but now you're here okay, fine, whatever... That's always how it's been for me.
Just look it up where your closest (to your apartment) Bürgeramt is, or it might be called Einwohnermeldeamt, and make an appointment there. Before the pandemic you could just show up, but now you need appointments. What you need to register is your passport and a Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung from your landlord (they'll know what it is, just tell them you need this paper. it's a written confirmation, following a specific form, that you've really rented this place and really live there). That's it. Make sure not to lose the paper they'll give you, you need it to get a bank account, you need it in the foreigners office and all kinds of stuff. If you do lose it you can just go back, with a new appt, and get another copy for like 9€or so though.
You say you already are in contact with the Ausländerbehörde, that's good, because that's the next step. They're responsible for all the visa /permanent residence stuff. Just make an appt there and they should be able to tell you everything you need to know and do.
Mind you, that's how it generally works and I don't know if there are any special rules for members of the military, that's something you might need to check with your superiors, and ask the guys in the foreigners office about.
I hope it'll all work out for you (:
Danke für die Info! Kannst du mir was über diese verschiedenen Deutschlevel sagen? Ich werd das gleich noch googlen, aber ist ja immer gut von jemandem zu hören der damit schon konfrontiert war....Das wäre nett, danke :)
I enjoyed your video! I lived and worked in Germany from 1990 to 1997. How wonderful it would have been to have had the internet and UA-cam videos like yours before we went! I loved living in Germany and even after all these years I miss it everyday. Sounds like moving there now is a much easier process that what it was when we went. We were sent as expatriates employees of an American company that had a partnership with a German company to build the first digital cellular system in Europe (now Vodafone). The German partnership Attorneys did all, or the majority of, the residence and work visas for us. In fact they even had to co-sign the apartment leases for all the Americans coming over to work on the project. German landlords like American landlords didn't want to rent to people unless you could prove that you had a long-term stable job in Germany, a good credit history, etc. You also had to sign long term leases -- I think the minimum was at least 3-5 years. There was no way back then you could have shown up without a job, work permits, etc. and been able to rent an apartment (other than a vacation rental). Anyway, enjoy every minute of your time there, you will discover over time that it will change who you are as a person --for the better!
Wow, 7 years is amazing! Thanks so much for the well wishes. We can definitely already see how it is changing us and we look forward to all we will learn. We truly can't imagine what the process would have been like without the interenet and how much you would have really had to learn back then without being able to rely on it!
This is an underrated video. Thanks for sharing your experiences and insights.
I'm an American that has moved to Japan where I have lived and worked and the process is very similar so this makes me happy because I'm really feeling like Berlin is my next adventure. I lived in the Netherlands for over a year as well so I can't wait to get back to Europe.
This is some really great information thank you for that but in all honesty if you have the level of education and expertise that you guys have to get pretty much move anywhere. I would like to know more about if you only have a bachelor's and where or how you can move in Germany
Thank you so much, this video was great help and informative as people also wanting to move to Germany :)
This is so helpful and love your positivity!
My german correctness is triggered by the dipping frame behind you. ;)
You must also have an alte Zeitung under your Kuckucksuhr in case the kuckoo makes a mess?
Great information Folks, job well done. I love your personalities :).
Thanks so much, Darion 😃
@@PassportTwo :) :) Very welcome. :)
This is super helpful and makes the whole process a lot less conveluded. Thank you!
thank you so much for this. i'm planning to move out there to be with my boyfriend, so it's really comforting to hear people say it's easier than you might think it is 😅
Did you already do that? My bf and me are also in a ldr and he wants to move here one day and I already try to get some information about how good he has to be in english, if he needs a job first and so on
Remember to carry your passport as well as the Aufenthaltstitel if you travel inside the EU! Your Aufenthaltstitel is only valid in conjunction with a valid passport outside of the issuing country.
We already carry it with us everywhere we go anyways 😊
The reason it is called Rathaus - rat means to give advice in german so it basically means it's a place where you can get advice /consulting regarding housing, food , issue and so on.
Great video content! Question - How much money should a couple keep in buffer or carry with themselves to settle down in germany after receiving a job offer?
$10k-$20k
Good to know!! Thank you so much!
Best Video ever watched..beautiful!
Welcome to Germany :o)
Vielen Dank!
Be aware of the fact that the route to work in Germany without having applied for a visa in advance is only available to nationals of certain countries: those are Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and the USA. For all others this does not apply. You video might have led to wrong expectations by people of India, Pakistan and other developing countries.
Gerd Papenburg thanks for that info! We only know our process so we appreciate the other insight!
So it is possible to find work in Germany without a jobseeker's visa, or in other words with just a tourist visa?
@@nicholasvogt2524 if you are citizen of one of the countries Gerd Papenburg mentioned above.
Thanks for the info, it's really surprising and unheard to have that process backward from our country U.S.A
Great video and great tips😍😍
I think there are a few videos out there that talked about this topic😏...but yours is the best i've seen so far.👌
Maybe because your process of moving went that smooth. 😁
Most content makers had a lot about german bureaucracy in theirs. Because they had a lot to say about that bureaucracy.😏😄
How has finding a place to stay and live gone so far?
Sam Fetter thanks so much! Really appreciate that!
Finding a place was made most difficult by the fact that housing moves extremely fast here. Pretty much if you find a place you like, you have to take it IMMEDIATELY or else someone else will...but we have shot another video talking about the differences in German homes that will be coming out later this week! 😊
@@PassportTwo no spoiler then 😁
Yea...housing. 🙄There is still a debate going on (and going for years) among our two government parties as how to deal with the issue.
Meaning only quarter messures get done...at best.🙄😒
On another topic:
As you are seeking travel destinations...if you are into hiking, or gorgeous mountain views in general...the Alp region is worth a look.
And it has the advantage of you being able to visit 3-5 countries in one go.😁 I always liked the area around Garmisch Patenkirchen and Mittenwald...but i was stationed there...so a little bias in those words. 😉 We always said we get paid to do work where others go for vacation...and that work includes what the tourists do for their vacation...hiking and skiing.😄 Being a mountainranger has its perks.😎
For summer i can recommend Hungary, especially the Balaton region, if you are into chilling. If sightseeing is more your thing and you liked Prag, Budapest is worth a visit as well. And is near to the Balaton...win-win situation 😊
See ya next video...and thanks for this one.🥰
Awesome! thanks for the great tips! We are actively making lists of where we should go and travel around so we will definitely consider these locations. We have been to the alps in Switzerland but we have really really wanted to check them out in Germany.
The Rathaus - you must go to Ruedesheim am Rhein and see the real rat house (aka Mauseturm, or mouse tower).
I’d love to live there but I’m on disability. Thank you for the information 🌸
This rat house joke works only in english. In german Rathaus means just the place You find the local mayor, the deputies and some important offices. The rat in english is in german die Ratte. Der Rat means here the council, the local political assembly and das Rathaus is the place they come together.
Wol Sch exactly. That’s what we were saying when we said it sounds funny to us, native English speakers, because of the English word “rat” and “house.” In the US, politicians also aren’t normally looked at favorably so the English connotation along with the view Americans have of politicians just makes for a perfect funny name. We weren’t saying anything about the German verbiage because we don’t speak German.
Another example is “Ausfahrt” (exits on Autobahn) 😂
I suppose main while you understand what Rathaus means, otherwise I explane it too you; Rat= council and Haus of course house, the word is used since the middle age for the house the council of the cities most honorable and powerful man meet and decide over important things and laws which are ruled in the town.
Thanks so much for the history and explanations 😊
Hi there great video good information more than i can obtain from our German Consulate in South Africa. My Sister is married to a German Citizen and she has a Blue card, she has been staying and working in Germany for the past 13 years. My daughter who is 15 has been invited by my sister, her Aunty to come and complete her schooling there and to later go to college there. My question is can I apply for a tourist visa for 3 months and in that time we can do all the paper work in Germany while she is there attending school. Many thanks keep up the good work.
Don’t you only get one week to register once you initially arrive in Germany?
I am American and plan on moving there with the intention to work at the same place as my uncle. It’s been difficult to find information on this since I don’t have a special degree or work experience
There are a few inaccuracies: E. g. when you´re talking about a visa you actually mean a residence permit. Americans and a few other priviledged nations don´t need a visa which is for tourists only and doesn´t give you permission to work. You can apply from abroad if you want to - no need to come to Germany first. You should maybe have mentioned that the process you describe applies only citizens from certain countries. It doesn´t apply to EU citizens (they don´t need a permit) and to citizens of most other countries who cannot apply from within Germany (neither for visa nor residence permits).
Peter Fischer your explanation isn’t completely accurate. Americans do have to have a visa. There are way more types of visas than just a Tourist Visa. For instance, a very popular visa for Americans who teach English and want to work in Germany is a “Freelance Visa.”
Also, yes, technically you can apply from abroad but in our experiences, this is only good for people or jobs who are in high demand. A company would then be willing to wait on that person to move and go through all the work to get them here. That advice is for those who may not have a job that someone would be willing to sponsor you coming over. It would be better for some who is in a field that is not in high demand but wants to live and work here to move here and try first because then they have a higher likelihood of being hired since they are here and available.
I will acknowledge we didn’t specify if this is the right path for everybody. We made the assumption since we are Americans, we were talking to Americans. Understand that could have been a slight mistake.
"...Americans do have to have a visa..." No, for Americans, Australians, Japanese and a few others your passport is good enough. No need to apply for a visa to stay for up to 90 days.
But if you already have a "spouse" (which means a partner, right? Still confused about that word) in germany, you can just move to her/him without job/visa/whatever?
Or do you have to be married?
My partner and I are looking to move to Germany Fall of 2020 and I have to say to you both, THANK YOU. This is the best video I’ve seen on this topic. I actually feel so much more at ease. We don’t have jobs lined up but plan to just move there with a lot of savings and “do it.”
That's awesome to hear! If there is any way that we can help, feel free to reach out to us. It was a daunting process until we got here and started going through the motions. It has been frustrating at times jumping through weird hoops, but we are glad that you know it is possible! 😊
where are you guys planning to move, do you have a city in mind? my partner and I are actually moving to Berlin in February :) He finally received a job offer end of December and we decided to just go for it even though I don't have a job lined up..yet :) he's German, I'm not but I'm a EU citizen...
Hello! I severed in the us Air Force in Germany and I ended up meeting my girlfriend who is a German. I’m out of the Air Force now I’m moving to Germany in a few weeks as a civilian. We already have an apartment that she has that I’ll be living in. I plan on just doing online school while living in Germany. The visa I was looking at was “family reunion” which is basically saying we’re planning on getting married. Do you know if I will for sure have to get a job in Germany or would they grant me the visa if I didn’t. I really would just want to focus on school. Thanks for this great video !
Btw I will be getting paid from the military from the gi bill as well as disability so I can definitely still pay my bills! I heard that that’s one thing they definitely ask is if you can cover your bills. Which I’ll be able to just not from working in Germany.
Hey! If you have done your research on the family reunion visa and have specifically found something saying you can come over without being married, then you already know more than us about this situation! Our understanding is that with this visa they are very strict about it being specifically for already married couples or blood family and not for committed relationships. In that case, they are going to want you to get a job or find a way to get a student visa. Maybe look into doing school at. German university? I’m sure your looking at doing school online to be paid for by the US government since you served, but German university has a lot of English programs and is free anyways so that may be a more sure option for getting a visa that allows you to stay? In any case, if I was you, I would email the “Auslanderbehörde” for the city you are planning on moving to or have your girlfriend do so and specifically ask your questions about what your options are as they are the one issuing the visas to you. Good luck! 😊
Great video; very informative. Thank you! One thing to note: if you are not working a specialized job for Americans, and if you’re looking to move to Germany permanently, you MUST learn German. You don’t have a choice. Before you can receive permanent residence status, you must be proficient in the language.
Thanks! You are right about needing to have language skills in order to have permanent residence, but you can live and work here for years without a permanent residence and not have to know the language. For example, we decided to bump down to a regular work permit and will have to renew it every year. However, there really is no time limit for how long we stay in the country as long as we choose to pay the renewal fee every year and the government grants us that (may not be the wisest, but is possible.) For this, you do not have to meet any language requirements and can live, work, and renew every year as long you want and the government allows.
So you don't need to apply for a visa before you leave for Germany? I'd like to move there with my kids!
We don’t want to speak for every visa and situation, but in our experience, you can’t apply for a visa without having an address registered in Germany. We had to move here first, find a place to live, register our address with the local government THEN apply for a visa. We also couldn’t apply for a visa without having a job because the visa type depends on what you are doing. So therefore, yes, you have to move here and find work first before applying for a visa. In that case, you have 3 months from getting here to do all that because when you arrive you will be on a tourist visa that is only valid for 90 days.
@@PassportTwo thank you so much
Why is the phone plan the last thing? Can you just purchase, for lack of a better term, a burner phone? Like, a pay as you go phone?
Hi while you are looking for a place to stay and looking for a job, where do you stay in the meantime and what would your source of income be? or just savings?
We found an Airbnb in the area we were looking for a place to live but a hotel will do as well. Right, savings will have to get you through while you are looking for a job.
awesome guys
Where did you apply for jobs online? Did you need to be fluent in German?
Thank you for this video. Lived in Germany as a Military person and now looking to retire there. Any sites that are best for renting flats/expat? TIA
bookoo.com, immowelt.de, ImmobilienScout24.de 😊
@@PassportTwo thank you
I was stationed in Darmstadt with the Army as well. Wanting to move back to Germany can you please tell me if it's easy to do?! Also I have 2 children I'd like to bring with me
Thinking about moving to Germany in July , already have a job there.
Should I still apply for resident visa while I’m in the US to make sure I will get approved or should I not worry and just move and do everything there.
Update on what happened?
Do you get paperwork or a Visa the same day that you can use to get the bank account and everything? From what i have seen, we'r are supposed to have a German bank account with 3 months of living expenses in it when we apply for the resident Visa's. We're moving back over next summer and we have a guaranteed income due to my husband's VA disability and social security and should have my VA disability by then also. After I'm over there, I'll be looking for a job so I can make sure we have a little extra to account for the exchange rates and to fully immerse myself.
Jennifer Sheldon all the banks we have applied with want our German address and copies of our residence visas to open an account. We got our visas AND THEN went to set up a bank account. You just have to have an address registered with your local Rathaus first before you can get your visa.
@@mslinda8456 no, everything got shut down before we were supposed to move over.
Rathaus in german means rathouse in english...wonderful!!
A couple of the many meanings of the German word Rat are "Senior Official" and "Council". So the Rathaus is exactly what we call a "City Hall" in the U.S.A.
Well there are atleast three words you could think of when hearing rathaus in german. First raten=guess, second rat geben= hand out advice, third ratte=rat so yeah^^ although it might be based on the second
JonKess haha, I’m learning German now so i knew the first two examples you gave but I haven’t learned the word for “rat” yet. That’s funny it’s so similar also!
@@PassportTwo yeah although its pronounciation is different because it has two tt instead of one. The next thing is these are only the basic words with rat i it. There is Stadtrat = City Council, there is Rat einberufen = call a council (i guess?) although this is not used alot anymore. You can use "den Stadtrat einberufen" but when you are speaking about other types of council in german you would use other words instead nowadays. But i guess this is the origin of Rat. Its only used in other types of words that are put together like Betriebsrat/Beirat/Bezirksrat/ and so on.
There are alot of these examples in german where the original word itself is no longer used but it remains part of other words. Oh yeah and when you have " i guess" at the end of a sentence you dont use raten at all but you rather use denken or vermuten like in : "He loves football, but i guess he loves baseball more" " Er liebt Fußball, aber ich denke(or "ich vermute" or vermute mal) er liebt Baseball einfach mehr.
We are hoping to move soon. My dad is a citizen, so I wonder how that changes things. I'm also a Dual and not sure what that does to my husband. This is helpful to give me a place to start from.
We are no experts but if you are a Dual citizen, I'm guessing of the US and Germany (?) Then you shouldn't have any problems getting your husband citizenship as well. If you want more direct answers, email the Auslanderbehörde of the city you are wanting to move to and they will answer all of your questions! 😊
@@PassportTwo thank you!!!
Does anyone have any good job search sites for finding a job before you get there. I know the language pretty well, have spent time there before. I am doing my Masters degree now and would like to consider moving there after.
Hello!! How much would be a cost of rent in the area for 2 adults and one child ? Do you like the area you live in? Thank you !
Hey guys, awesome video. Really clear and to the point as well. I'd love to exchange emails with you guys to ask some questions.
Hi I'm planning to move from Ireland to Germany did you require to provide schufa agreement certificate inorder to rent an apartment or without it. Did they ask for bank account to pay for the apartment?
Awesome, good luck on your move! We personally did not have to shoe a Schufa report although I do not know if that is normal or not. There are all sorts of different ways to pay for your apartment but our landlord did not ask for our bank information. We do have theirs and we transfer money to them every month between our bank accounts.
@@PassportTwo basically the schufa is not really needed for new "comers" into the country to rent, hopefully they won't ask me finger crossed,do you know which websites you used to find good reasonable apartments? I'm trying to avoid fake one's, thanks so much I just subscribed to your channel 💖💖
How do you get residence if you aren't from there?
Hey love the video! So i really want to move to Germany but i have no idea where to start :(. I was in germany during the summer and i really liked it. Also i live in California so everything here is super expensive. I’m just about to start college next school year and i was wondering if i get an education here would i be able to find a job in Germany? Sorry this was a mess but i really need help with how to start.
There are so many variables that it is hard to give you a direct answer. However, the first thing is that is is going to depend on what you get an education in. By far, medical related fields, engineering fields, computer tech fields, etc are going to be a lot easier to find jobs that will allow you to move abroad. For example, I (Donnie) have my Bachelors in graphic design (BS) with minors in art and business but I also have my Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Aubrey has her Bachelors (BA) and Masters in Speech Pathology (MA-SLP). First off, in terms of need, fewer people go into those fields I described above than into more general fields like business. Second off, if you are going to get a job, a business will have to sponsor your visa. For them to spend the loads of time and money to sponsor your visa, the German government requires them to prove they made an attempt and cannot easily hire someone who is already a German citizen rather than hiring from outside the country and the business is going to need to feel like you are worth all of that time and money to invest in your visa process. That is why those higher demand and higher paying jobs are generally the ones that they will make it worth it.
There are SO many caveats though and that is all generally speaking. 1. If you are already here and available and have fronted a lot of the costs to get established here yourself, then they may be more likely to take you on. Your chances of this are also greatly increased if you already speak German. 2. There are freelance visas that allow you to work and live here if you work for yourself. You however have to prove you have enough money to sustain yourself here if you don't find work (they literally want to see bank information) and you also must prove you have a few regular paying customers inside of a timeframe. 3. Have you looked into doing school here? Student Visas are probably one of the easiest visas to get, college is free in Germany, but (if I am correct) you need to get yourself to a B1 level of German. This can be done in 6 months if you work really hard at it. I am doing that right now.
All-in-all, look into what types of visas Germany offers and figure out which one sounds the most achievable. My suggestion would be get a degree you love and figure it out from there. OR, get a student visa, go to school here (or at least part of your education) then go from there.
Feel free to reach out and ask us any questions any time! Hope this is a little bit of a starting point!
@@PassportTwo my husband and I would like to move to Germany with our children. I too have a MBA in Health Care Administration, what jobs do you suggest I start looking for if you know of any?
Had a question about the taxes , is it true that you still have to file income Tax in the US when working there.
And also the money you bring from the US to Germany , will that get taxed from the Germans again??
*First the disclaimer that we are not tax experts and the situation is going to be different for everybody generally speaking so we are only speaking from our experience. For actual tax advice you should seek a professional out* 😅But yes, for money we make in Germany we have to file German taxes and also American taxes on that money. However, there are also a whole host of exceptions to these rules that you can apply for and get mainly pertaining to paying the US taxes on foreign income. When it comes to American money that we have or make in the US, we do not have to report that to the German government.
@@PassportTwo great , thank you so much for your help 🙏
I've got a question. say i wanted to come visit germany for like 2 weeks or so and then return to the usa, but if i decide i want to move there, can i then go back for the 90 days? or do they take the 2 weeks off or how does that work?
You have 90 days within a 180 day period you are allowed to be inside of the "Schengen Zone" until they renew and you have a fresh 90 days. The "Schengen Zone" is a group of European countries that all have free movement agreements between them on one visa and Germany of course is one of them. So, if you come to Germany and spend two weeks (14 days) here, leave and want to come back within 180 days of you arriving Germany, then you will have those two weeks still dedicated and you will have 76 days you would be allowed in Germany. However, if you let 180 days pass from when you entered in Germany, you will have a new set of 90 days you will be allowed in Germany.
@@PassportTwo perfect, thanks so much!
Fellow American Citizen here, can I possibly contact you, as i have a few doubts.
"Rat" in German means a tip or a hint. So a Rat-Haus is a house where you can get hints or tips from your government.
Yes, you should ALWAYS register at the Rathaus/Einwohnermeldeamt. Einwohner = resident, Melde = register, Amt = office/bureau, so this is a typical German compound word. I.e. a resident registering office/bureau.
Try to get some help in rural areas from someone speaking both German and your native language fluently. Many rural government offices are still not so explicitly dual language supported.
In larger cities you will almost always find someone speaking English well enough to help you fill out the forms.
One very important aspect that you did not mention in your video is that Germany has a mandatory health insurance system for any employees. So get to looking for an insurance company as soon as you know where you are registered. It is often even more important than having a job. It is a hand-in-hand process. Finding a job and having a health insurance is both very important in Germany.
Insurance: in Germany everyone employed has to have a mandatory health insurance. Basically you pay one-half of the insurance charge, the other half is paid by your employer. BUUUUUT you will probably never see anything of that happening due to something you have to do. You simply tell your employer your insurance agency and your insurance number and everything is done on your employer's side. The employer then automatically deducts your part of the charge from salary and charges it to the pool of insurance charges.
There are basically two different types of health insurances in Germany: public and private. Most public insurances will be absolutely sufficient for any of your standard ailments. ANY doctors charges are covered by the public health insurance. Your co-pay for any kind prescribed medical drugs will amount to approximately 5 € per different type of drug. So if you take three different types of medical drug you would have to pay around 15€ maximum co-pay. Obviously, if you desire a special drug that is not prescribed by your doctor you might have to pay a bit more, but it will still probably be very affordable, especially when compared to the USA.
Private health insurance might get you a bit more specialized care in some very specific cases, and it might also get you a tiny bit better access to earlier dates, but that's pretty much it. But private insurance is a lot more expensive than public insurance.
Actually this week in my German class, "der Rat" was one of our vocabulary words so this is a very timely explanation. haha
Your absolutely right about the insurance! We hadn't maybe realized at that point that it was mandatory but we had just gotten it with the help of our employer. Thanks for adding that!
Insurance is such a huge political topic in the US, this is one thing we have been really excited about learning about here. We want to see a different system work (or how it may not work) and see how it could possibly apply to the US. We want to gain a different perspective to add to the conversation in the US from a first hand experience with a different system. Thanks for the explanation of the German system! We are still learning, even with our insurance here.
I'm sorry but the "Rat"-thing is bullshit.
Of course, "Rat" in German also means hint or advice, but a "Rat" is also a council of people governing a community. So in a "Rathaus" you'll find the administration and sometimes also the "parliament" of a community. In a larger city ("Stadt") it's called "Stadtrat", in smaller ones for example "Gemeinderat". But this has nothing to do with getting help there, while of course they'll help you a lot, I hope. 😊
Any suggestion, what is the best trustworthy shipping company to move your items across the world, like moving to Germany from USA?
Really sorry but we don’t have a good suggestion. When we moved over here, we had sold all of our things and just came with a couple of checked bags on the airplane so we didn’t use one...
@@PassportTwo No problem. I however got so many video games to bring. Can't just leave them....anyway thanks for the reply.
I wanna go there as a web developer but i don’t have College degree is it possible?
I plan on moving to Germany but I still have no idea where to begin. I have so many questions.
REFUGEES NOT WELCOME
I'm just worried about work because I have no degree.
I think it helped you that you had a job when you went there. Taking a leap of faith without a specialty which is really needed and you're a bit older....... I don't think that would be so easy.... Any suggestions?
Absolutely it was helpful. We had been wanting to move to abroad for years before this opportunity finally arose. Now that we are here though, I (Donnie) am in an intensive German course and have met a lot of people who have moved here without a specialty and are trying to make it work and are successful. It really comes down to what you want. For us, it was that we just really wanted to move abroad. Aubrey preferred to work in her field but after a few years of trying, we decided to instead become certified to teach English abroad and make that our avenue. There are TONS of job opportunities to teach English abroad and we thought this could be our way of doing it. However, right as we were becoming certified, Aubrey got this opportunity which opened doors without us needing to teach English. But, this is an option if you just want to move abroad and have some sort of avenue in. Also, a student visa is also fairly easy to obtain if you wanted to go back to school for a something just to be able to get over here. Finally, it is daunting and it may not work out, but truly. If you aren't over here and don't have a specialty, I don't see how it can happen. If you can come here and make an effort to find a job, simply by you being here and being available, a job is more likely to sponsor a visa for you to remain over here. We aren't saying its easy, and it would be a huge leap of faith, but that is how so many people do it here because of the system in place where you have to live here first anyways before you can even get a visa.
I am not so sure you have to live there first to be able to get a Visa. There is a UA-camr who came from Canada and she had a job before she got her visa.
I am not sure where you are from but various countries have different agreements with others as well. Canada does have a program where new graduates from college can go and live and work in Germany under a work-holiday visa if I am not mistaken. I don't know if that is their situation but it could be.
However, for us, and everybody around us, you have to have an address registered locally before you can get your physical visa. We had a job which came with the almost promise of a visa, but that didn't mean we had a visa. We had to move here, register an address, THEN go get the visa, THEN start working.
Again, I don't know what UA-camr you are talking about, but she may have had a different visa or situation but she could also have had a promise of a job but then still had to come to Germany, find a place to live, register the address, then get the visa.
the immediate problem I foresee is that I'm trying to move specifically to Germany by my lonesome. I don't know anyone there but I need to go there for a better living situation than I currently have.
Maybe i can help you, message me on Insta if you like @m.arit02
I did it on my own. It was rough but make sure you have everything first money, searching for jobs, places before moving and then it will be an easy process.
I’m going to need a lot of help I want to movie to Germany in February 2022 and I don’t know how to start and I don’t know where to find a good job or housing
Email this person and they will get you fixed up😊: ua-cam.com/users/LifeinGermanyofficial
My wife is an EU citizen. How does that affect moving to Germany for me? (From the USA)
My husband and I are moving to Germany from the US in August. He has a job, but I do not. Guess I’m going to be a housewife 😀. My question is? When I try to apply for a one year Visa what type of documentation will I need and do these need to be translated into German. We will be in Baumholder. Also I am a registered nurse and hope to get a job with DoD but do you know if non german speaking nurses can find a job in Germany
I’m sorry, I’m guess I’m a little confused. So your husband is military? Or he has a job in Germany? It’s the first option, is that why you have to apply for a visa yourself to work in Germany?
Honestly I don’t know, but I am fairly confident to be in the medical field outside of US gov jobs or private clinics specifically for Americans in the area (if those exist), you have to speak a very high level of German. Our only experience was a guy we were friends with over here who has his medical license and to be able to be a doctor, he was required to have at least C1 level German and take an exam specifically on German terminology. Aubrey’s speech path job is off-base and we have no association with the US government or military directly and she is able to practice because her business is a private clinic that only services Americans and some Brits in the area. If you can find a job like that in a private clinic specifically for Americans then you should be fine! But I don’t have a great answer for that unfortunately...
Passport Two My husband is a contractor that works for the American government. I am presently a federal employee with the veterans administration as a registered nurse but at this time have not been able to find a job on the base. So he will have a visa with no problems and I will be coming over with him and will be getting my visa based on his employment and his insurance. I have heard that I would need my documents translated into German to try to get my visa. I have also heard that there are Clinics that see Americans and there may be a chance I could get on at one of those but I do know you have to speak at least B2German for other positions
Gotcha! I have also heard about documents sometimes needed to be translated to German for us, we didn't translate any documents and were just fine. I would account that to the fact that we have such a massive American community here but that may not be super accurate information.
I am sorry because I am a little hesitant to say "we didn't translate ours so you don't have to" because we may just have been working with a person who let it slide and I don't want to give you information that would mess you up. I would definitely say it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and just do it just in case.
If you need to reach B2 German, I am currently doing a German integration course through the government. It is 5 days a week, 4 hours per day and taught 100% in German from day 1. It is intended to get people to speak as quickly as possible and is very intensive. These classes have the goal of getting someone through B1 in 6 months. It would be an additional 2-3 months to get through B2. This is just for your reference that this is the fastest and most intense way I have found to learn German to get to a level unless someone also stacked private tutoring on top of that I guess.
Passport Two how much are the classes and where are they located. How do you sign up for program?
What happens if you go, and can’t find a job in the 3 months. That’s a lot of money for a maybe
How did you rent a place without a Schufa?
Just had to show we would have income
I’m looking to move to Germany.
Nice! Good luck with your adventure! 😃
This does not really help, because you have a specialized job and your degree is recognized. Not so for many of us
with Rathaus. With? Or at the Rathaus
Both are correct in English. If you say "at the Rathaus" that is saying you literally went to the Rathaus and did something. "With the Rathaus" is also correct because that implies you probably physically went to the Rathaus but the important information in this verbiage is that you had to do an action "with" those at the Rathaus which is accurate because we had to do the action of registering with an employee at the Rathaus.
@@PassportTwo thank you so much!
The US army bases in Germany offer jobs as well, google for "chra europe".
Rat = Council...so the Rathaus is the Seat of the City Council.
Seit (nur) drei Monaten lerne ich Deutsch und jetzt weiß ich, dass 😀
@@PassportTwo I assumed this. The explanation was more for the other international viewers. I hope you still enjoy your everyday life in Germany. A few travel tips not so far away for the coming spring: Castle Trifels where king Lionheart was held for ransom. The Moselle river valley with many castles, especially Castle Eltz. The city of Luxembourg. The city of Koblenz with it's Prussian fortress Ehrenbreitstein. The Rhine river valley with castles every other mile. Getting a bit of big city vibes not so far away in Frankfurt, many great museums and the only skyscrapers in Germany. Speyer is a nice city with it's cathedral and the Technik Museum where you can see the Buran, the Soviet Space Shuttle. Thank you for your great videos!
Wow! Those are some awesome suggestions!! Thank you so much. I am going to screenshot this so we can remember to check all of these sites out 😊
Why did you move in the first place??
I (Donnie) studied abroad in Germany for a few months in college and loved my experience. It opened up my world a lot and I wondered why I had to go back to school, get a job, and hope for 2 weeks vacation to maybe go back one day. I also really wanted to learn more about what it was like to live day-to-day life in a completely different country. Aubrey had a passion for travel as well so we decided it was a goal of ours to live abroad some time. We sought after the chance to do so for multiple years and finally it all came together.
There are tons of other reasons like people always told us that "while you're young and don't have kids you should travel" so we decided to just go for it. Many factors went into this decision!
@@PassportTwo "My lovely Mr. singing club". That's what I call "travelling". It is one thing to visit other countries and culture for a period of time. It is another thing to settle in and try to adapt as much as possible and needed. Wish you lots of fun. Don't get caught up with "scheduling" your life away. We germans have a love hate relationship with those. ;)
Do you already have any thoughts about our healthcare system? (As it is a big issue in the US and the actual election campaign.)
Hape not yet because neither of us have had a chance to really go to a doctor or have anything yet. The taxes are extremely high which was a shock but we still have high hopes!
@@PassportTwo It's automaticaly done by the employer. You might get a letter from Krankenkasse to answer a few questions (in German.) You have to send them passport sized pictures and a few days later you get your insurance card.
But what if you don’t have anyone?
Don’t have one what?
What do you mean by anyone?
TIN = Taxpayer identification numer
finnaly a video!! Can you explore Slovakia Paradise? It's beautiful there!
Absolutely! We are trying to plan out some trips around Europe and this is a great suggestion!! Will add it to the top of our list! Thanks!
@@PassportTwo no problem.
Lol that little side hit against the UK when you greyed it out on the EU map :D
I’m 14, America sucks, so I guess I here lol 💀😂
The tax ID number is NOT equal to the social security number, because we also have a social security number! It's called Sozialversicherungsnummer.
furzkram thank you again for your very informative response to the video but again, the example does make sense from an American perspective. We don’t have “tax identification numbers” in the USA and instead use social security numbers for taxes as well. In fact, we use it for social security, taxes, identification numbers, and much more. So us saying that it is the equivalent to a social security number IS CORRECT because that is what we use in the US for the same purpose as a German Tax Identification number. 🙋🏻♂️
You need a Job in germany? Pm me 😃
Willkommen in Deutschland 🇩🇪.