Germany

Traveling information:

Due to Corona Virus Pandemic there are some restrictions on traveling to Germany: 

• Digital entry registration is must.
• You need to submit the proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or negative test results.
• You have to follow the quarantine regulations before departure.
• COVID tests (Antigen or PCR) should not be older than 48 hours at the time of entering Germany. 

For more travel advice please visit: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/coronavirus/2317268

How to Immigrate:

Germany has one of the smoothest and fastest immigration processes in the world. It is possible to move here even if you don’t have a job for both the EU/EEA and non EU/EEA citizens. The average cost to immigrate to Germany is approximately € 3,940. General requirements to move to Germany are: 

• Get a German Visa
• German Immigration for employment and Education
• German Residence Permit
• Prove financial stability
• Have a Health Insurance
• Can Speak or understand basic German

For more information please visit: https://www.germany-visa.org/immigration-residence-permit/immigration-germany/

People: 

Germans are the naives or inhabitants of Germany, naïve speakers of Germany language. They are hardworking, disciplined and efficient people. They often spend their time thinking quite practically about how to solve a problem. They are friendly and humorous, but not stiff and humorless like many people think.

Germans love for food is well known at the same time they keep themselves fit and healthy. These people are known for beer, football, Bread and sausages, Festivals and carnivals, Cars and their love for technology. Germans tend to be thrifty, sensible and respect one another’s privacy. 

For more information please visit: https://dammann-german-english-translations.com.au/seven-clear-personality-traits-germans/

Work permit:

To work in the Germany, you need apply for the German Work and Residence Permit.

How to apply:

• Firstly, apply for a job seeker visa or employment visa at the German embassy in your own country
• Register your living address at the local citizen’s registration office (Bürgeramt).
• Health insurance is must.
• Get an appointment at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) which issues German visas and residence permit.
• Collect and submit the required documents at the German embassy while applying for the work permit such as, passport, passport size photo, application form (filled and signed), work offer or contract, etc.

For more information please visit: https://www.germany-visa.org/immigration-residence-permit/working-germany-getting-german-work-permit/

Job offers:

To get a job in the Germany is fairly simple. Work permit is must. There are various companies where well qualified staff is required all year long.

If you are a citizen of an EEA/EU country, you can move in this country and start your job search. You don’t need to apply for work permit. Work and study at the same time and after graduation apply for the EU Blue card or work permit is possible for EEA/EU citizens.

Jobs like Software developers, electronics engineers, programmers, architects, IT consultants and analysts, Nurses, Business or Account managers, etc are highly in demand.

How to get a job offer:

Firstly look for a job.

• Then write an application.
• Apply for a visa.
• At last get a health insurance.

For more information please visit: https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/business/finding-work-in-germany-step-by-step

Unemployment rate:

According to a survey report, Germany’s unemployment rate in the year 2021 was approximately 5.8%. The number fell down 0.1% from last year which was 5.9%. This rate shows unemployed persons among the number of employees available in the market. Germany has a good economy after the pandemic, but even after a healthy economy unemployment occurs.

For more information please visit: https://www.statista.com/statistics/227005/unemployment-rate-in-germany/

Economy:  

The economy of Germany is a developed social market economy. It has the largest economy in Europe and one of the largest economies in the world. The economy has grown to 2.6% and will strongly expand in the future according to the German Government, it is because of the innovative ideas and focus on export of high quality manufactured goods. Economy is good, also because of German Government’s competitiveness and strong global networking. The federal government has an important role in the economy; it takes care of management and labor and regulates the relationship between the capitalist participants in the market. 

For more information please visit: https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/Economy

Renting and buying of real estates for foreigners:

If you are planning to move to the Germany, you might rent a property rather than buying it. Renting property here is common among both locals and expats. Renting a property is expensive here and buying a house even costs much more than renting. After pandemic the prices are continuously rising, so renting actually works out cheaper in Germany. Prices for renting or buying apartments, detached or semi-detached homes etc. may vary. The rising of cost is also depends on the lifestyle of the residents. It is most notable in the cities lie Cologne and Hamburg, where demand is far greater. People earning an average salary will usually have to turn to more rural areas. Even people earning a good amount of salary are limited as to where they can buy a house. 

For more information please visit: https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/real-estate-news/most-googled-why-do-germans-prefer-renting-rather-buying-house

Climate:

Germany has temperate climate throughout the country. This type of climate generally features cool summers and mild winters. Rainfall is throughout the year. Frost or snow for long time rarely happens, but it’s rainy and windy because of the Atlantic Ocean.  

Spring in the country starts from the month of March; the average temperature is 8˚C.

Summer, here starts from the month of May. The average temperature is 30-32˚C.

Autumn starts from September. Average temperature is 14.5˚C.

Winter starts on December. The average temperature during winter is 2.7˚C. 

For more information please visit: https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/germany

Languages:

German is the official and mostly spoken language of Germany.  It is most similar to the other languages like Dutch, English, the Frisian, etc. It also contains some similarities in vocabulary to some other languages like Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. German is one of the major languages in the world and most taught after English and French. Office work is mostly done in German, so understanding and speaking the language is must in this country, for education and work also. People here speak and understand English and French too.

There are plenty of straightforward rules through which learning the language is not that tough as many people may think, as English and German stem from the same language. You might be surprised when u picks up the language without even trying and most important, it is a useful one.

For more information please visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language

Traffic:

Germany has the dense road networks in the world. Traffic is considered safe here. Driving a vehicle in this country has a few differences from some countries in the world. It’s a law here to always drive in the right lane, even driving on the National highway system (Autobahn). It is Federal Government who sets speed limits in Germany. There are two default rules here for traffic, such as speed limit should be less than 50 kmph (31mph) within cities and less than 100 kmph (62 mph) outside the cities. Some autobahn have speed limit of less than 120-130 kmph. While some areas like rural sections have no speed limits.

Motorways here are free of cost for wagons up till 3.5 tons. Tolls are paid for only two tunnels in the north of the country. You will also come across the cyclists while driving. Riding a bicycle is very common and convenient in the country. Renting a bicycle is an affordable option. You can also travel by public transport here.

For more information visit: https://www.wanderingermany.com/germany-driving-guide-and-german-driving-rules/

Currency:

Currency used in Germany is EURO. Since the year 2002, Germans no longer use Deutsche mark. Deutsche mark notes and coins can be exchanged for Euros at the Federal Bank locations in Germany. A euro note comes in denominations like €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500, etc and coins in €1, €2, 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, and 50c cents.

Payment Transaction:

In Germany payments can be done by cash, cheque, debit/credit card or through online transaction depends on the situation and is a personal choice. Germany is one of the fragmented markets when it comes to the payment methods. Non-credit card payment methods like, SEPA direct debits, SOFORT, Giropay are the widely used methods for the online transactions. If you’ve come from a European country and want to make payments here SEPA (Single Euro Payment Area) is useful as this makes transactions easy and feels no difference between a domestic payment and a euro payment from or to the other European Country.

Other payment methods accepted in Germany are Google Pay, Paypal, Ratepay, Mastercard, Visa, Klarna, Ewallets, Swish or Mobilepay, etc. 

For more information visit: https://www.adyen.com/knowledge-hub/guides/global-payment-methods-guide/local-payment-methods-in-europe#france

Cost of living: 

Compared to the other European Country cost of living in Germany is quiet reasonable. The average cost of living expense is €900 per month and for a year around €11,000. It also depends upon the lifestyle and the area you choose to live. The prices of food, accommodation, bills, clothes and entertainment will cost you less than the rent. The monthly rent is the biggest expense in Germany.

For example (Approx):

Cost of living varies from cities to cities and how many people want to stay, such as a single person or a family of four, means individual’s personal preferences and situations.

For more info visit: https://www.studying-in-germany.org/cost-of-living-in-germany/

Apartment Rent:

Cities like Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne are the main and big ones; hence the apartment rent is more expensive than other cities like Leipzig and Karlsruhe. In Munich, one bedroom apartment which is fully furnished, large and located near the city centre will cost you €1,000 – €1,200. Room in a shared apartment will cost you around €500 – €600. Prices of accommodation may vary according to individual’s choices. Apartments outside of the city of one, two or three BHK will cost you less than the amount you will be charged for the apartment in the city centre. Staying in cities like Hannover, Dusseldorf or Aachen is much cheaper. Rent for downtown areas are higher, so sharing the apartment with someone will be affordable especially for a student. 

For ex. renting one bedroom apartment in Stuttgart will cost approx €850 per month, on the other hand similar one bedroom apartment in Bremen will cost you €560 per month. 

For more info please visit: https://www.studying-in-germany.org/cost-of-living-in-germany/

Important addresses:

Embassy of India:
Tiergartensraẞe 17,
10785 Berlin,
Germany
Ph: +49 30 25795303

British Embassy:
Wilhelmstraẞe 70/71,
10117 Berlin,
Germany
Ph: +31 70 310 8200

Embassy of Ireland:
Jägerstraẞe 51,
10117 Berlin,
Germany
Ph: +49 30 220720

Munich International Airport:
Nordallee 25,
85356 München-Flughafen,
Germany
Ph: +49 89 97500

Dresden Airport:
Flughafenstraẞe,
01109 Dresden,
Germany
Ph: +49 351 8810

Frankfurt Airport:
60547 Frankfurt,
Germany
Ph: +49 69 6900

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Subway Station):
Am Hauptbahnhof,
60329 Frankfurt am Main,
Germany

Gostenhof (Subway Station):
90429 Nuremberg,
Germany

Summary:

Germany is a beautiful, clean and high-tech country with free healthcare and one of the best educations in the world. It is a good place to live and as we all know every good thing has a price. This country is expensive and you will experience a high quality life according to your lifestyle. Germany is a happy and beautiful country with a good income. People are friendly and peace loving. It has plenty of job offers and good education system. It also costs you according to the lifestyle you choose to live. It is a task to find a good or high quality accommodation. Still it is worth living in this country.