New members of the Germany forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Hi All,

I am thinking to move Hamburg with my wife and 2 year old kid possibly in next 4-5 months as I got some offer however I have not accepted it yet.

Have few questions to the people here:

(i) What would be the good salary for a person having approx 12 years of exp in FMCG as a Manager?
do we need to negotiate take home or gross salary?
(ii) What about the renting a furnished apartment having size approx 100 sq mt.
(iii) Is is advisable to live nearby to the office or 10-15 km away from the city would work?
(iv) what about the tax rates?
(v) what are other important things or benefits should I clearly ask and get it from the company before we move.
(vi) what about the public transport in hamburg? how much it costs to get monthly pass which would work in train, buses, trams etc?

thanks for your support.
Shashi

I think you need to do some further research on your own, as we cannot give you all the answers for your specific situation.

(i) In Germany, only gross salary is negotiated, as nett depends too much on your own personal situation.
You should consult salary surveys of your industry or ask others that work there for the appropriate salary level.

(ii) There is an official survey of rents published for each town in Germany, which you can consult. It is called "Mietspiegel" (available in German only).
The actual rent of course depends on location, amenities, etc. and thus varies. Furnished places are rare and cost a lot more.

(iii) If the public transport connection is good, you can live anywhere. So check that for every location where you view an apartment!

(iv) The income tax system is very complicated, rates depend on many individual factors and are quite variable. You can get a first estimate from online calculators like www.brutto-netto-rechner.info
Once in Germany, you should engage a professional tax consultant, as the system is impossible to manouvre without very good language skills and expertise.

(v) German companies are normally stingy with additional benefits (and few of them are negotiable). You should ask for the move (household goods and furniture) to be paid and a property agent for the apartment search. They could also possibly provide the first one or two months temporary accommodation until you find a permanent place.

(vi) The public transportation website is here: https://www.hvv.de/de
The price of monthly passes depends on the distance you travel daily.

Hello, I am Rob, I moved to Germany in April and I am just getting settled in thr altstadt area of Nuremberg. I am looking for fun things to do around the area and to make some friends to hang out with.

Elza Schwibinger wrote:

Hi ! Christina
If your dad is German automatic you’re German too
You don’t need an Aufenthalt to stay here in Germany just make your application of your passport
Regards
Elza

This statement is probably wrong since the poster said she lived in Germany and had a residency permit. She would not have needed this if she had a right to German citizenship. And such a thing would or should have been clarified when she previously lived in Germany. Her father had been German but from the context of what she writes it would seem her parents settled in the US. If her father was naturalized as a US citizen before her birth, then she does NOT get German citizenship by birth.

Hi ,
I am Nac and 38 years old. I plan to work in Germany.
I am learning German language and at this moment learning B1.2.  I have MS in Industrial Management but I have not find any proper job so far, so I decide to attend a nursing Ausbildung. But I do not certain weather it consist any age limitation!!
your advice would be highly welcomed

Regards
Nac

How old are you?

Hallo Leute,

Just to say Hi to all the forum members.
I am Arvin, currently residing in Mumbai and planning to visit Germany soon.
Will be attempting B1 in August and later search for a job as an SAP Basis Consultant.

Kind Regards.

I can get you an apartment to live just contact me.
Thanks
Harry

TominStuttgart is correct, The laws for the year I was born do not give me the permissions, they came later, unfortunately. Otherwise I would be there already.
My parents came ti the USA prior to my birth. In the 60's, you did not get automatic citizenship if a parent became a naturalized US citizen, which my German father did do..after WW2 it was a big deal.
Mom became one much later but Austria does notrecognize that, I checked citizenship in austria via mother as well.
I was married to a German chemist who has since passed away and came back to the US...by comeing back, I lost that Aufenhaltserlaubnis. Had I stayed as a widow, I would have been okay but I chose to return to my family in Texas. That negated all of my permissions and I declined widow's pension as I did not think it was necessary or appropriate as I was able bodied and young enough to work (I shoud have taken the money, I know...eye role for stupidity here).

TominStuttgart is correct, The laws for the year I was born do not give me the permissions, they came later, unfortunately. Otherwise I would be there already.

Hello everyone,
                             My name is Mike I am 20, and I just joined the forum I am from Chicago and I am looking to move to Germany I have not decided where I also want to get involved in politics.

Hello All,

My name is David and I am from Seattle, WA, USA. My wife and three children are in the process of moving and will be in Munich full time starting in August 2019. I work as an engineer in the aerospace sector. Please do not hesitate to reach out, I'd love to meet new friends!

Hi Everyone,

I am Saskia, a bubbly South African that speaks fluent German. I attended the Deutsche Schule Pretoria and completed my matric there in 2012. I also hold a DSD ( Deutsches Sprach Diplom) with Level C1.

I studied Project Management and Social Media Marketing (these have only been qualifications and not degrees, as it is not always possible for mid level families to afford for their kids to attend universities). I currently work as a Content Manager.

I am looking at moving over to Germany, with a heavy heart. Does anyone know if my chances will be higher in getting a job due to my language proficiency or will the visa/work permit issue still arise every time? I would also be more than happy to move over to Germany for an "Ausbildung" oder a "traineeship" that could promise future employment.

I am specifically looking for work in Frankfurt, Köln, Trier, Saarbrücken or even Luxembourg.

Thanks so much and looking forward to your responses!

As a non-EU citizen, wou'd need a visa, regardless of whether you speak German or not.
Whether you can find a job depends largely on the job market in your field (which OI don't know in detail)), how you present yourself and convince the employer that hiring you is worth the extra hazzle of supporting (and waiting for) a visa application.
An apprenticeship "Ausbildung) is easy to find in certain fields, but you'dfor three years only get a small stipend that may opr may not ne enough to survive on.

Hallo,
Ich heiße Heissam , aus Ägypten , Apotheker und Ich liebe Deutsche Sprache am besten. Ich spreche viele Sprachen.
Danke

Haithamhassan55 wrote:

Hallo,
Ich heiße Heissam , aus Ägypten , Apotheker und Ich liebe Deutsche Sprache am besten. Ich spreche viele Sprachen.
Danke

[Hello, My name is Heissam, from Egypt, pharmacist and I love German language best. I speak many languages. Thank you]

Thank you for that, but please do write in English so that others can understand you.

Never mind , It is supposed to be a german forum.
Good luck

Haithamhassan: Please check the forum rules, which you agreed to during the signup process - this is an Anglophone forum for expats in Germany and it is not allowed to post in any language other than English. The reason for it is to enable the moderators' team to do their work - they are sitting in Mauritius and do not understand German.
If you want to practise your German language skills, there are plenty of other forums for that.

Hello everybody!

I am Velibor, from Serbia. In the next few months I am moving in Berlin with my family. Hope I will find here all information I need (rent apartment, finding job, school, kindergarten....).
I am economist, love music, football....

Hey there.
I'm from India and will be marrying my German fiancee in a month or so in India. I'm preparing for spouse reunion visa.
Already obtained my A1.
The visa process does take test of one's patience but I and my future wife hope we can start living together in Germany soon.

I can answer question about A1 Langauge. And I'll try to answer other things too, message me if anyone needs help.

Pleased to meet you all. It's an honor for me to join a community as outstanding as this!

My name is Omar Garcia, I am 28 years old. I was born in Mexico, where I studied a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Communication, and a Master's Degree in International Management (with two exchange programs, in the USA and the UK).

A few weeks ago, I left my job as Communications Director to study another Master's Degree, but now in Berlin. All my documents and visa are ready, and I am only waiting until January 2020 for classes to begin.

As a new member of this community, it would be an honor for me to help you with anything, if my profile can be useful. Feel free to write me and you can be sure I will give my best for this forum.

Have a wonderful day!

Hi members,I'm Monica 23yrs. Ugandan by nationality but working in Germany now and i have been here for 2 years ,everything is going well am just enjoying my life and happy to be here .Though at first it wasn't easy for me but now am used in every situation.

Hello to all out there,

I am new to this forum. My name is Gary Baumgart. Yes, my forefathers were born in Germany. That is why I now want to move back to where it all began. First, something about me.

I am a retired English teacher who has traveled to 97 countries. I taught English in ten of them. They range from Chinese Government, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Brazil to Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh to Sri Lanka. Before, I taught English, I was employed for Georgia Pacific  working in the shipping department where I operated computers that in turn operated robots. I produced toweling, toilet tissue and napkins for the dinner table.  i was also an elected officer of the local union. I was their treasurer for 22 years. The books were perfect. I was audited by our government agencies more times than I want to remember.

I am a good listener which means I enjoy learning from others.
Hope to hear from people who are able to help. I have a decent income for myself as well.
Gary

Gary: Welcome to the forum! If you have any questions about your planned and/or other topics related to Germany, please feel free to post them here. Greetings!

Hi everyone!

I'm Paul, and I recently retired after studying in Germany and then living and working there all my adult life. Hope to get to know you and, of course, I will be glad to offer advice to anyone living in this beautiful albeit complicated country!

Hi, my name is Jonathan Woodyard, you can find me @thejdw81 I have lived in Germany since 2006 with my German wife and now three German kinder. We used to live in Nuremberg, the capital city of the Franconians. Since 2014 we have lived in Wurzburg, beautiful rolling Franconian wine country.

Hello,

I am applying on Job Seeker Visa. please help me what things i need to consider. I am an IT professional.

Star148: Please start by reading the many disussions on this forum about the JSV and how to find jobs in Germany in general. After that, you may come back with more specific questions that were not already answered.

Hello, I have an IT degree albeit from many years ago (late 1990's) and have had one year of German in Grad School, also in the 1990's. I was born in France so I have every "right" to be anywhere in the EU, actually, no "visa" needed; I am coming back that way towards France after being kicked in the head so to speak by Poland in terms of English teaching job offers that then left me at the Airport when I got there. I would be looking for an IT job or maybe a live-in Au Pair "job" in Germany because rotting away in France isn't the answer either even though I was born there. In spite of being "black" I had job offers in Germany (Stuttgart) before, and it was this calendar year so not all that long ago, so maybe there's hope???

Pkennedy1990: How can we help you?
Aupair engagements are not possible at your age. But this forum has lots of advice on how to find jobs in Germany, so go ahead and read it!

pkennedy1990 wrote:

Hello, I have an IT degree albeit from many years ago (late 1990's) and have had one year of German in Grad School, also in the 1990's. I was born in France so I have every "right" to be anywhere in the EU, actually, no "visa" needed; I am coming back that way towards France after being kicked in the head so to speak by Poland in terms of English teaching job offers that then left me at the Airport when I got there. I would be looking for an IT job or maybe a live-in Au Pair "job" in Germany because rotting away in France isn't the answer either even though I was born there. In spite of being "black" I had job offers in Germany (Stuttgart) before, and it was this calendar year so not all that long ago, so maybe there's hope???

Strange rantings! Why do you need to assert your right to work in the EU; has anyone said otherwise? And your profile says you are Irish and living in Russia. Your post claims you are French and just had a bad experience in Poland. None of this fits together.
And the idea that someone experienced in IT would look for a job as an au pair is crazy. It is something limited to young people and only up to a year and they get pocket money, not a real job and not a real wage.

And the claim to be French because they were born there is not necessarily true. If both parents are foreigners, and they are born after 1998, then they are considered foreigners until reaching adulthood and still living in France and meeting certain residency requirements. It is NOT automatic. From 1993 to 1998 children born of foreigners in France had to specifically apply for citizenship at adulthood. And what the rules were before 1993, I don’t know – but it is unlikely they had automatic citizenship given for being born there and then put on such restrictions. I don’t know your situation to make such a determination but making assertions of being French just by being born there are questionable.

And what I don’t get is what you might be asking? Or what is it you are really trying to say? I don’t see you contributing any useful information here. I am requesting the administrator to review your profile but you are of course welcome to clarify yourself.

Hi All,

My name is Sal just moved to bayreuth, Germany working as a product developer. My German skills are very basic and looking forward to meet expats here. I grew up in Manchester, England.

Anyone in Bayreuth or nearby region do drop a email and lets meet up for beer!!!
Email: ***
Regards
Sal

Hello,
I just came to Germany about a month ago and I am attending Jacobs University Bremen. I am looking for a mini job to help me financially. Do you mind giving me some advice regarding mini jobs?

MickeyMesfn wrote:

Hello,
I just came to Germany about a month ago and I am attending Jacobs University Bremen. I am looking for a mini job to help me financially. Do you mind giving me some advice regarding mini jobs?

For the rules about working as a student one can see at the following link to the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart. Such rules are basically the same in all regions, generally one can work up to 20 hours/week. Legally a student could earn more than just a mini job but then they would have to pay taxes, social contributions and possibly more for their public health insurance. These complexities are why most students prefer to limit themselves to a mini job.

https://www.studierendenwerk-stuttgart.de/geld/jobben/

The site for the Bremen Studieredenwerk does not provide this information directly but they have an advice center for students where one can find out information or where to get it.

https://www.stw-bremen.de/de/beratung

But these organizations to assist students are not lining up jobs directly. To actually find a job then one can go to the public employment office known as the Arbeitsamt Job-Center.

https://www.jobcenter-bremen.de/

Otherwise, there are sometime adverts on pin-boards at all universities from employers that are specifically looking for students for part time jobs. Otherwise, one could look on their own, say in restaurants or cafes.

Thank you very very much. This helped me a lot. I highly appreciate it. Thanks once again.

Hi guys,

Just a quick intro, from Australia and moving to the area shortly with my family.  Looking forward to hitting the ground running.

One thing I am struggling with though is how to find a rental house to live in the area, does anyone know where I can go to look.  All I can seem to find are apartments.

Thanks

Hi, I live in Bulgaria and plan to move to Germany permanently, I am a certified wood carpenter with experience, I have 5 years of construction experience.  I expect worldly, new friendships

Curtis: Welcome to „the area“!
Since the rental market varies from place to place, it isn‘t easy to give you advice without knowing where you will move to.
But it is generally difficult to impossible to find a place from afar. You really can start your search only after your arrival - so arrange temporary accommodation for the first weeks to months until you find what you are looking for!

Fair enough, makes sense I guess.

Thanks for that.

CurtisJT wrote:

Hi guys,

Just a quick intro, from Australia and moving to the area shortly with my family.  Looking forward to hitting the ground running.

One thing I am struggling with though is how to find a rental house to live in the area, does anyone know where I can go to look.  All I can seem to find are apartments.

Thanks

I’ll keep this short since it has been covered extensively on other threads. Forget about looking for a house!  The housing market in Germany cities is very tight and even more difficult for foreigners. Land is expensive and the vast majority of people live in apartments; private ownership of individual apartments, like a condominium in America, is common. So one will not find many stand-alone houses to rent and couldn’t afford them if they did. An exception might be found in a very small community. Germany is not the US or Australia in this matter. Insisting on finding a house will greatly complicate an already difficult problem, the biggest facing most migrants here other than getting a job.