Personal experience recs for US citizen's move to Germany, please
February 27, 2022 12:09 PM Subscribe
Hello! I am researching a (permanent) move to Germany from the US, and finding lots of great info on the Make it in Germany site but it's also sparking more questions. While I'm saving $$$ and working on my language skills, I'm also seeing sites like expath and expatica who claim to help with relocation services, but...
...I'm not sure how to tell what is trustworthy and what is grift. I've also heard there are firms who will help with job placement and have joined a Facebook group for US folks moving to Germany but would not consider that an authoritative resource on its own. Do you have experience to share in this process and services, groups, or forums to vouch for (or against!)? I'm open to quite a few regions and a change of career, if that's relevant at this time. Vielen Dank!
...I'm not sure how to tell what is trustworthy and what is grift. I've also heard there are firms who will help with job placement and have joined a Facebook group for US folks moving to Germany but would not consider that an authoritative resource on its own. Do you have experience to share in this process and services, groups, or forums to vouch for (or against!)? I'm open to quite a few regions and a change of career, if that's relevant at this time. Vielen Dank!
Toytown (as mentioned above) may be worth searching. I agree that it's not always newbie friendly, but if you're happy to just read through various posts you can get a sense of what things are like as well as specific answers or tips. It's usually stronger on NRW and Bavaria than other parts of Germany. The main general things I have learned from there is that the school system in Germany needs careful navigating (in case that's relevant) and that if you can get work in a sector that operates in English you should be fine, but if not, you probably need much better German than you think.
posted by plonkee at 4:19 AM on February 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by plonkee at 4:19 AM on February 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
We moved here a long time ago (2006) so it was all a little different, but not very very different. Also my spouse is German, though they hadn't lived here in 25+ years so lots of things were as foreign for them. And the extended family here were helpful but ... with limits.
Bureaucratically it's not actually, really, honestly, that scary. Family in the US are currently trying to work with their health insurance over some claim and they are having a dramatically worse time Beaurocrat Wrangling Insurance Company Stooges than anything we've faced wrangling Gov. beaurocrats.
There are some significant cultural differences which are either going to freak you out or are going to be not that big a deal. Bureaucracy operates differently (there's none of that 'Pioneer Spirit!' "Do it yourself!" "We don't need no Govmint!" - people recognize the value (and shortcomings) of government and respond accordingly.) Also everything is closed on Sundays (except at the train station) which is sometimes great and sometimes very very annoying. Knowing the language will be an enormous help.
Generally, if you're not breaking the law and not actively being a jerk, everything gets worked out. There's lots of dancing around about rules and regulations but if you're a square and color inside the (very reasonable) lines, if you screw something up it all works out.
For having kids, it is a very positive, family-friendly and supportive environment. We opted for a WaldorfSchool for our kids (though a very casually Waldorf one, Waldorf/Anthroposophists people can get a little nuts) and friends with kids in different schools all had relatively chill experiences - now getting a kindergarten spot, that has gotten very tough in Berlin, but after that -
The history hangs over you, but then again I lived in Richmond, Va for a year once and hahahahah (no one talked about it but "the past was not really past. At all")
posted by From Bklyn at 7:59 AM on February 28, 2022
Bureaucratically it's not actually, really, honestly, that scary. Family in the US are currently trying to work with their health insurance over some claim and they are having a dramatically worse time Beaurocrat Wrangling Insurance Company Stooges than anything we've faced wrangling Gov. beaurocrats.
There are some significant cultural differences which are either going to freak you out or are going to be not that big a deal. Bureaucracy operates differently (there's none of that 'Pioneer Spirit!' "Do it yourself!" "We don't need no Govmint!" - people recognize the value (and shortcomings) of government and respond accordingly.) Also everything is closed on Sundays (except at the train station) which is sometimes great and sometimes very very annoying. Knowing the language will be an enormous help.
Generally, if you're not breaking the law and not actively being a jerk, everything gets worked out. There's lots of dancing around about rules and regulations but if you're a square and color inside the (very reasonable) lines, if you screw something up it all works out.
For having kids, it is a very positive, family-friendly and supportive environment. We opted for a WaldorfSchool for our kids (though a very casually Waldorf one, Waldorf/Anthroposophists people can get a little nuts) and friends with kids in different schools all had relatively chill experiences - now getting a kindergarten spot, that has gotten very tough in Berlin, but after that -
The history hangs over you, but then again I lived in Richmond, Va for a year once and hahahahah (no one talked about it but "the past was not really past. At all")
posted by From Bklyn at 7:59 AM on February 28, 2022
Expath is legit (and, wow, seems to have seriously expanded and grown since I took a German class with them in a lil rented room in Neukolln in 2014). Are you a "knowledge worker"? If so, the Berlin Scholars listserv.
You can send me a mail with questions and I would be happy to answer if I can!
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:11 AM on March 1, 2022
You can send me a mail with questions and I would be happy to answer if I can!
posted by athirstforsalt at 1:11 AM on March 1, 2022
When I moved there I did it all myself. I didn't have a job or work authorization, but I had signed up for a program to be trained to teach English to adults (CELTA), and they helped me find an apartment for a bit longer than the 4-week duration of that program. There were lots of resources provided by that school, my classmates, and the employers I eventually found.
In Berlin I needed an employer to "sponsor" me in that they wrote a letter to the local congress or something declaring that I had a set of skills that no other German--within reason--had. In this case it was being a native English speaker, having a degree from a university in an English-speaking country related to language, spoke German (at least nominally), and having the training to teach someone how to speak English. That letter got me the work and residency authorization. I also needed to prove that I had health insurance (my cheap BCBS insurance from the U.S. worked) but I had to translate my coverage into German for them, on a document.
One of the most beneficial things that happened to me was then finding an apartment with a real German as a roommate. After a few months of speaking English she only talked and listened to me in German. She helped me figure out what I needed to extend my visa, get a tax number, register with the local registry (you tell them your name and your address so that they know where everyone lives), and other Amt-deutsch things, as CharlesV42 said. I also agree with the sentiment that you need to know more German than you think you do. Some of that comes with time and practice, though.
Also very happy to answer other questions in MeMail about my WONDERFUL AMAZING experiences, and the very, very few things that frustrated me.
posted by Snowishberlin at 10:16 AM on March 1, 2022
In Berlin I needed an employer to "sponsor" me in that they wrote a letter to the local congress or something declaring that I had a set of skills that no other German--within reason--had. In this case it was being a native English speaker, having a degree from a university in an English-speaking country related to language, spoke German (at least nominally), and having the training to teach someone how to speak English. That letter got me the work and residency authorization. I also needed to prove that I had health insurance (my cheap BCBS insurance from the U.S. worked) but I had to translate my coverage into German for them, on a document.
One of the most beneficial things that happened to me was then finding an apartment with a real German as a roommate. After a few months of speaking English she only talked and listened to me in German. She helped me figure out what I needed to extend my visa, get a tax number, register with the local registry (you tell them your name and your address so that they know where everyone lives), and other Amt-deutsch things, as CharlesV42 said. I also agree with the sentiment that you need to know more German than you think you do. Some of that comes with time and practice, though.
Also very happy to answer other questions in MeMail about my WONDERFUL AMAZING experiences, and the very, very few things that frustrated me.
posted by Snowishberlin at 10:16 AM on March 1, 2022
I moved to Germany 2.5 years ago, and while at first it was difficult (just by nature of being the first time living outside of my state in the US even), I'm now incredibly glad I did, and if it weren't for family remaining in the US, would probably stay her permanently.
It's a bit hard to provide too much advice without knowing more about your circumstances. For me, I switched fields slightly and pursued a master's degree here. You need to save up some money (you need to prove you have at least 861 euro for each month you will stay), but cost of living is generally lower here especially if you live in a smaller city/town. The quality of education was equal to what I had experienced in the US, and costs were extremely minimal (~4000 eur for the whole 2-year degree). During the program, I was able to work "student jobs" (your student visa limits you to a certain number of hours per year that you can work, but companies hire specifically for roles fitting these hours because they get tax breaks) which covered the majority of my costs during the degree.
Following my degree, I was luckily able to find a full-time role with the same company that I had my most recent student job in. So far, working has been fantastic in particular because of the very stark differences in benefits and labor laws in my view. In the US, I had a well paid job but was expected to work evenings, weekends very often, meet unrealistic deadlines, and of course had extremely minimal vacation. My salary is less here (although different field, so hard to compare) but when I adjust for quality of life and adjust for some lower expenses (e.g., health insurance being cheaper and all-inclusive when you need to use it), I feel like I'm in a drastically better position than I was in the US.
I'm not sure your current level of German - If not yet conversational, don't worry - I spoke some when I arrived but have been gradually improving while here. Even small cities have quite a range of German language classes usually available, and often at reasonable prices (check your local Volkshochschule, for example). For most essential things (shopping, doctors, etc.) you may will find that basic German is enough to get along and when things are beyond normal conversational-level (e.g., at doctor), they will almost certainly know English.
Some of the negatives - it can certainly be difficult to make many friends; personally I find it easier to make friends with other immigrants here, but that hasn't bothered me too much yet. I moved last year Hamburg and there's quite a diverse range of people from all around the world in all of the big cities so you can easily join various activities based on your hobbies and meet people (also in English, often).
Seconding what I read above about Toytown - it can be very useful to search and read, but I wouldn't recommend posting / engaging too much. It's almost the complete opposite of the experience I have had on Mefi - the users seem to take pride in making you feel like complete shit when asking a question (have had more than one bad experience, so I know it wasn't just a particular user).
As the prior replies mentioned though, I would be happy to share more insights, feel free to reach out via memail anytime.
posted by unid41 at 2:36 PM on March 1, 2022
It's a bit hard to provide too much advice without knowing more about your circumstances. For me, I switched fields slightly and pursued a master's degree here. You need to save up some money (you need to prove you have at least 861 euro for each month you will stay), but cost of living is generally lower here especially if you live in a smaller city/town. The quality of education was equal to what I had experienced in the US, and costs were extremely minimal (~4000 eur for the whole 2-year degree). During the program, I was able to work "student jobs" (your student visa limits you to a certain number of hours per year that you can work, but companies hire specifically for roles fitting these hours because they get tax breaks) which covered the majority of my costs during the degree.
Following my degree, I was luckily able to find a full-time role with the same company that I had my most recent student job in. So far, working has been fantastic in particular because of the very stark differences in benefits and labor laws in my view. In the US, I had a well paid job but was expected to work evenings, weekends very often, meet unrealistic deadlines, and of course had extremely minimal vacation. My salary is less here (although different field, so hard to compare) but when I adjust for quality of life and adjust for some lower expenses (e.g., health insurance being cheaper and all-inclusive when you need to use it), I feel like I'm in a drastically better position than I was in the US.
I'm not sure your current level of German - If not yet conversational, don't worry - I spoke some when I arrived but have been gradually improving while here. Even small cities have quite a range of German language classes usually available, and often at reasonable prices (check your local Volkshochschule, for example). For most essential things (shopping, doctors, etc.) you may will find that basic German is enough to get along and when things are beyond normal conversational-level (e.g., at doctor), they will almost certainly know English.
Some of the negatives - it can certainly be difficult to make many friends; personally I find it easier to make friends with other immigrants here, but that hasn't bothered me too much yet. I moved last year Hamburg and there's quite a diverse range of people from all around the world in all of the big cities so you can easily join various activities based on your hobbies and meet people (also in English, often).
Seconding what I read above about Toytown - it can be very useful to search and read, but I wouldn't recommend posting / engaging too much. It's almost the complete opposite of the experience I have had on Mefi - the users seem to take pride in making you feel like complete shit when asking a question (have had more than one bad experience, so I know it wasn't just a particular user).
As the prior replies mentioned though, I would be happy to share more insights, feel free to reach out via memail anytime.
posted by unid41 at 2:36 PM on March 1, 2022
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In general, toy town is full of very cranky folks who will yell at you for not using the search. For Berlin, Reddit is unfortunately better.
I’m not sure your skills or career but I’d suggest looking for a job before arriving if possible. There is lots of work in IT (as they call tech), but you’d want to find a place that could sponsor you and be clear on that before moving. It’s relatively common, though. A “blue card” is a type of visa that gets you special privileges and is granted based on industry, salary and if you have a university degree. Namely, it can be converted to permanent residency after 21 months with B2 German knowledge or 33 with A1.
Made in Germany covers a lot but you have specific questions, ask away! I moved here with my wife and at the time, 18 month old son, if there is any relevant experience there as well.
Viel Glück!
posted by CharlesV42 at 1:02 PM on February 27, 2022 [8 favorites]