Immigration to Germany

Traveling information

Restrictions due to Corona Virus Pandemic will be lifted till June 15, 2022. From now onwards entry in Germany will be permitted for all travel purposes (including tourism and work trips). However Chinese citizens still need a valid reason to enter this country. This does not apply to German citizens staying in the People’s Republic of China. For entry Proof of vaccination and Proof of testing is not required. 

German government distinguished countries with the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus variants of concern as the areas of variant of concerned. Travelers, stayed in within the areas of variant of concern in ten days before their entry in this nation must follow some special regulations. There is a travel ban on these areas. Travelers are also required to register before their entry and provide a negative PCR-test result and quarantine for fourteen days. Detailed requirements are specified in the below mentioned website. 

For more travel advice please visit: auswaertiges-amt.de

How to Immigrate to Germany

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: germany-visa.org

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. Gеrmany is a divеrsе country with many diffеrеnt rеligions. Thе largеst group is Christians, who can bе еithеr Roman Catholic or Protеstant (mostly Luthеran). Thеrе arе also many Muslims, еspеcially among immigrants and thеir familiеs. Othеr rеligions in Gеrmany includе Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Sikhism. It’s important to know that Gеrmany is a placе whеrе pеoplе can frееly choosе thеir rеligion or dеcidе not to follow any. Thе country has bеcomе morе divеrsе in tеrms of rеligion duе to migration and incrеasеd global connеctions.

For more information on German People, Culture, Traditions and Lifestyles, please visit: expatrio.com

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: germany-visa.org

Job offers in Germany

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: deutschland.de

Unemployment rate

Germany’s unemployment rate has remained relatively low in recent years, standing at around 5.7% as of mid-2024. This stable rate is due to the country’s strong industrial base, robust service sector and government policies supporting employment through vocational training and apprenticeships. However, challenges such as labor shortages in certain sectors, the impact of digitalization on traditional industries, and a slowdown in global demand have affected job availability. Additionally, the ongoing energy transition and geopolitical uncertainties have contributed to some economic disruptions, influencing unemployment trends in specific regions and industries. For more detailed information on the unemployment figures in Germany, please visit: statista.com

Economy of Germany

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: britannica.com

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: iamexpat.de

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: climatestotravel.com

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. To learn any of the above languages in just 17 minutes a day,  click on language course. 

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: wanderingermany.com

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: adyen.com

Cost of living in Germany 

Germany is cheaper than 67% of countries in the Western Europe and expensive than 68% of countries in the world. Major cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Stuttgart are expensive than rural areas. The monthly rent is the biggest expense in Germany. The average monthly expense for a single person is approximately €2,510. And the approx. monthly expense with family of four people is €4,500. Food items and beverages are cheaper compared to housing or dining. 

We give you a list of some products used regularly, which will give you a fair idea of the cost of living in Germany. The cost may change anytime and may vary from city to city: 

For more detailed list, visit: expatistan.com

Apartment Rent

Finding a rental place is not too easy in Germany for foreigners, especially when you are abroad. It is recommended to first find a temporary accommodation, then once you are in Germany, then search for your rental place. Without seeing the house, yourself and carefully making a legal contract, do not pay security deposit. You do not know if they are scammers, so be careful. Rental property scam are common in Germany. All then residents must be registered at the local town hall in Germany, and its mandatory that you get a tenancy confirmation letter from the landlord, which is registered at the Registration Office. In German, it is known as, “Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung”. Only after registering you will be issued income tax, social security number, health insurance card etc. We found the article on Renting in Germany on GermanPedia very helpful, kindly visit the link for more details: germanpedia.com

Rents in major cities of Germany are on rise in 2024, even though the property prices plummeted due to Russia-Ukraine war. This is partly due to high immigration rate in Germany. The German government has planned to build new homes to build in 2024 to meet the rising demands of housing. However, in many rural areas rents tend to rise slowly.

Important addresses

Embassy of India
Tiergartenstraẞe 17,
10785 Berlin,
Germany
Ph: +49 30 25795303
Website: https://www.indianembassyberlin.gov.in/

British Embassy
Wilhelmstraẞe 70/71,
10117 Berlin,
Germany
Ph: +49 (0) 30 204570/ +44 20 7008
Website: https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-berlin

Embassy of Ireland
Jägerstraẞe 51,
10117 Berlin,
Germany
Ph: +49 30 220720
Website: https://www.dfa.ie/irish-embassy/Germany/

Munich International Airport
Nordallee 25,
85356 München-Flughafen,
Germany
Ph: +49 89 97500
Website: https://www.munich-airport.de/

Dresden Airport
Flughafenstraẞe,
01109 Dresden,
Germany
Ph: +49 351 8810
Website: https://www.mdf-ag.com/

Frankfurt Airport
60547 Frankfurt,
Germany
Ph: +49 69 6900
Website: https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/de.html

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Subway Station)
Am Hauptbahnhof,
60329 Frankfurt am Main,
Germany
Website: https://www.vgf-ffm.de/de/

Gostenhof (Subway Station)
90429 Nuremberg,
Germany

Summary

Germany is the 7th largest country in Europe and one of largest contributor in terms of GDP in the European Union. Germany is a country of innovation. It spends more than 3% of its GDP on Research & Development.