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

Tom's comment above is true for the major cities in West Germany and Berlin. The situation regarding houses is quite different in the countryside and East Germany. Therefore my hesitation to say anything without knowing your intended location.

Hello, my name is Andy and l was in the military for 37 years. We live by Titschendorf which is around 20 mins from Bad Lobenstein, Thuringia. I have just retired and recently moved out to Germany to be with my family full time. I am looking to meet new English speaking friends for a beer and banter.

Hi, I'm Ivan coming from Croatia, civil engineer/photographer, currently looking for job. My english is great, but my german still needs some work I would like to settle around Hessen. Any advice on where and how to look for job in my area of interest is welcome! br

Hi,

I have just joined the forum as I need help with finding a 1 bedroom apartment for rent at  Schleiermacherstraße, or around that area as I am moving to Germany next year in March 2020 for Job.

Would anyone have any contacts as I have visited couple of websites and sent emails but got no response.

Thank you
Sanjay

Sanjay: A short search on Google shows that there are streets called "Schleiermacherstraße" in many German cities.
Rather than the exact street (where you are unlikely to find accommodation in most cases) it would thus be better to mention the city you intend to move to.
And, as was written on the forum several times before, it is a waste of time to search for accommodation before your arrival in Germany - no honest landlord would rent to someone he/she has never met and neither should you rent a flat you have never seen!

Hi All,

I am Frank. Just my first time to post on this forum. I am from Nigeria a west African country but I been living in Germany for close to 15 years. Today, I would say that Germany is my second home, based on my feelings about the country. I am interested in used automobiles, especially when it has a connection with Africa.

I look forward to reading your response.

Regards

Hi all,
I am planning on moving to Germany to join my longtime girlfriend who is a German doctor. I have a bachelors degree in geology and a masters degree in hydrology. For the past several years I have worked as a geologist in environmental consulting.
I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of chances I would have of finding work in Germany once I learned the language.
Thanks,
Aaron

alkalt10 wrote:

Hi all,
I am planning on moving to Germany to join my longtime girlfriend who is a German doctor. I have a bachelors degree in geology and a masters degree in hydrology. For the past several years I have worked as a geologist in environmental consulting.
I was wondering if anyone knew what kind of chances I would have of finding work in Germany once I learned the language.
Thanks,
Aaron

Well, the attitude that you plan to learn German is certainly the biggest step you can take to increase your chances. Unfortunately, I doubt anyone here can give you more than some general statements since this sounds like a rather specialized field. If it were me I would do a lot of research to see what companies and possibilities exist and then try to contact the companies directly. But nobody can know better than yourself which things fit to your skill set and interest. There are of course many website for jobs like indeed(dot)de Monster(dot)de jobware(dot)de. I knew a number of people back in the States that studied geology and at the time most of the jobs were in the petroleum industry, which is not a major industry in Germany. But anything connected to environmental projects would logically seem to be in demand. But as they say; the devil is in the details.

Hello there, ladies & gentlemen. My name is Benn. I come from australia. I'm a devout Christian & i'm headed to Germany on a working holiday visa on september 28. However, i might actually stay more permanently (the authorities there told me i could change to a different visa if this happens). I am studying both cert iv & diploma of accounting online, but i have no experience & don't want to do tyres anymore. I intend to settle in either Bavaria or Baden-Wuertemburg.
I have a few questions:
Firstly, what's the job market like? & must my qualification match my occupation? So far, my prospects don't look so good.
Secondly, cars. I see many fords, volkswagens & toyotas going for cheap on quoka. Are those brands any good? In Germany, what cars are reliable & what cars are lemons?

I'd rather not return to Australia. It is far too hot, & it's a rather boring & nasty place to live. I'm also aware that Germany isn't all sunshine & rainbows, either. But, i intend to go in through the front door. Work my way in. I'm open to marrying, but if i do, it'll be for love - not a "green card".

Guzzisti: The job market in general is still good, although it has seen a bit of downturn recently (together with the whiole economy). Your job chances entirely depend on your Ger,man lkanguage skills and whether you have a niche that EU citizens cannot fill (who are preferentially hired, of course).
Unless you bring plenty of savings, frget about having a car (or anything else costly) while on a WHV: You are only allowed to earn up to €450/month and that won't even pay for your living expenses (which are almost double that, at the poverty line)!
And even after that, having a car in Germany (for a single petrson) costs more than going by (the very convenient) public transport and being member of a car sharing scheme, for the occasional trip that is difficult by train or bus..

Expensive? Haha! You haven't been to sydney, have you.... Anyways, the German embassy website states that there is no limit on how much i can earn or how long i can work. Maybe it's an agreement they have with Australia & no one else. Main requirements are insurance, plane tickets (or equivalent funds) & at least $7100AU in my account. I'm saving $10k. I forgot to mention that i've been to Germany twice before (hired a car the second time), & with the exception of fuel, i found general expenses to be much cheaper than australia's. This time is a more permanent affair. Say i get a car anyway - because, let's face it, public transport has limits - which cars are less likely to fall apart? Volkwagens are lemons here in australia, but fords are kinda ok, while toyotas are considered bulletproof - but is that the case in Germany?

I’m not a car expert - I usually rely on recommendations of friends who know.
But the max. Earnings could still be an issue. I know some WHV holders (not Australians) who cut their stay short because of this, and it was also not known to them beforehand.
Fact is that from €451/month oneards, you have to contribute to social security, join a German health insurance and are tax-liable on your income. Setting all this up will take some effort - especially if you don’t speak German. I am not even sure if you can get a tax ID on WHV!
But your savings will cover a few months if you are thrifty.

Yeah, my friend from Italy had a bit of an issue with that on his WHV here. Except we just tax them more. I was taxed roughly 10%, while he was taxed around 30%, along with an elevated medicare levy. I'm prepared to pay that tax. As with the insurance, they kinda want me to have that cover before boarding the plane, & it must cover repatriation. But let me make one thing clear about australia - it is not a laidback country. Don't let anyone sucker you into thinking otherwise, or you'll be in for a rude shock. In my dealings with the German government so far, i'd much rather deal with them than my own government - & that's not saying much.
I could bash my nation all day, but i'm not here for that.
Anyways, any car guys on here?

Guzzisti91 wrote:

Hello there, ladies & gentlemen. My name is Benn. I come from australia. I'm a devout Christian & i'm headed to Germany on a working holiday visa on september 28. However, i might actually stay more permanently (the authorities there told me i could change to a different visa if this happens). I am studying both cert iv & diploma of accounting online, but i have no experience & don't want to do tyres anymore. I intend to settle in either Bavaria or Baden-Wuertemburg.
I have a few questions:
Firstly, what's the job market like? & must my qualification match my occupation? So far, my prospects don't look so good.
Secondly, cars. I see many fords, volkswagens & toyotas going for cheap on quoka. Are those brands any good? In Germany, what cars are reliable & what cars are lemons?

I'd rather not return to Australia. It is far too hot, & it's a rather boring & nasty place to live. I'm also aware that Germany isn't all sunshine & rainbows, either. But, i intend to go in through the front door. Work my way in. I'm open to marrying, but if i do, it'll be for love - not a "green card".

I don’t know much about working-holiday visas. Timewise, it is limited to 12 months. Obviously it is not the same as a work visa for which one needs to have a job lined up and meet qualifications. I’m not sure how this visa change after already in the country is supposed to work, nor that a work-holiday visa could be unlimited as to what one can earn. Just doesn’t fit together with the normal requirements and if it were so simply then everyone would do it.
And even if the legal conditions are met, the prospect of working in a professional field without a degree is unlikely and for 98% of jobs one will need good German. Jobs where one can use English without speaking German are concentrated in some niche areas like IT and high tech. 
Anyway, I googled the subject and found the following site and quote some passages form it.
https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/lif … liday-visa
“Where can I apply for my working holiday visa?
Usually in advance at the German diplomatic missions in the respective country. Only Australians, Israelis, Japanese, Canadians and New Zealanders can apply for the visa even after entering Germany
What jobs are there?
Work and travel jobs are not full-time jobs, but temporary and summer jobs. There are many offers in tourism, in call centres, in online business and in agriculture.
How well do I have to speak German?
You should have at least a basic knowledge. As a rule of thumb, the more demanding the job, the better language skills that are needed.

Work and Travelers must have health and accident insurance valid for Germany and financial reserves of about 2,000 Euro. Often a return ticket is also required or proof of the necessary money for one. How many months participants in the Working Holiday Programme are allowed to work in Germany and how much money they have to prove as security is regulated differently in the bilateral agreements. You should therefore inform yourself at the websites of the German Embassy in your country about details.”

Guzzisti91 wrote:

Secondly, cars. I see many fords, volkswagens & toyotas going for cheap on quoka. Are those brands any good? In Germany, what cars are reliable & what cars are lemons?

I don’t know that this site is the place to have a long discussion about cars. The well-known brands are basically the same the world over. What one might buy depends on budget and personal taste and of course one can look in the internet to research which particular models and years might have a better track record. But the quip in the other post that public transportation is limited is rather nonsensical. Maybe in Australia but not in Germany unless one is in a rural area rather than a city.

Just trying to find a place to park ones car in a big city makes it a burden. Not that nobody in a city owns a car but the mind-set that one is needed here is wrong. It took me a long time to really accept this although I used public transportation much more than my car when I had one. Since a few years I have no car and am much happier. If I really need one, I am member in a car sharing scheme or there I are normal rental companies.

Again, such a thing depends on individual circumstances but to presuppose needing a car is a mistake.  One has taxes, insurance, safety inspection, parking fees and repairs, plus a foreigner here for more than 6 months will have to get a German drivers. There seems to be an exchange provision between Germany and Australia so you would not have to do the whole drivers school bit but it can mean a lot of bureaucracy. And unless the license shows that you have driven for at least 3 years then the German license will be a provisional one.

Hello there, Tom, & thank you for the reply. I will check again to see what i have missed. I took screenshots just in case, but given the additional bipartisan agreements between these countries, WHV conditions can vary wildly. For example, your google search states a requirement of €2000 in reserve funds, equal to roughly AU$4000. However, the German embassy in Australia says i need AU$7100.
In regards to the visa transition, immigration told me that once i find work & meet the qualifications, i can apply for the working visa, but i can stay on the WHV until the working visa kicks in.
Oh, & i can speak German on an intermediate level, but i desperately need practice

TominStuttgart wrote:

Guzzisti91 wrote:

Secondly, cars. I see many fords, volkswagens & toyotas going for cheap on quoka. Are those brands any good? In Germany, what cars are reliable & what cars are lemons?

I don’t know that this site is the place to have a long discussion about cars. The well-known brands are basically the same the world over. What one might buy depends on budget and personal taste and of course one can look in the internet to research which particular models and years might have a better track record. But the quip in the other post that public transportation is limited is rather nonsensical. Maybe in Australia but not in Germany unless one is in a rural area rather than a city.

Just trying to find a place to park ones car in a big city makes it a burden. Not that nobody in a city owns a car but the mind-set that one is needed here is wrong. It took me a long time to really accept this although I used public transportation much more than my car when I had one. Since a few years I have no car and am much happier. If I really need one, I am member in a car sharing scheme or there I are normal rental companies.

Again, such a thing depends on individual circumstances but to presuppose needing a car is a mistake.  One has taxes, insurance, safety inspection, parking fees and repairs, plus a foreigner here for more than 6 months will have to get a German drivers. There seems to be an exchange provision between Germany and Australia so you would not have to do the whole drivers school bit but it can mean a lot of bureaucracy. And unless the license shows that you have driven for at least 3 years then the German license will be a provisional one.

Nonsensical? How so? You can't cover an entire landscape with railroad tracks & bus routes. I've been to Germany twice before & know how well the system works. It can't do everything. It's equally nonsensical to assume that all car owners take their cars into the big city. Anyone with half a brain will tell you that's foolhardy no matter where you go. I'm actually trying to avoid the big cities, & need a car for the overland trip to Italy. I'm visiting my friend there & go snowboarding. My original plan was to buy a motorcycle, but on ice, that will kill me.
Anyways, this was way too long winded. My heart is set, i've done my research, & i needed answers to my 2 questions. If you're going to say "don't buy a car", don't waste your time

To all responding to my queries, i have found the "cars & transportation" section. But please, don't tell me not to buy a car & that public transport will fulfill my needs. I find that annoying. I'm actually going to be spending most my time on the outskirts - not the big city - & will be taking an overland journey to Italy, so a car is needed.

Guzzisti91 wrote:

As with the insurance, they kinda want me to have that cover before boarding the plane, & it must cover repatriation.

Make sure you have an insurance that can be terminated once you have to join a German statutory health insurance. As I said, this will be the case once you earn above €450/month (there are no exceptions and your foreign insurance is not accepted). You don't want to pay twice for health cover!
Typical WHV jobs are harvest helper, supermarket shelf stocker or waitress. They are paid at (or even below) the minimum wage of €9/hr.
At the car price range you would be able to afford, the brand matters much less than age and pre-existing ailments. I recently bought a 17-years old Ford Focus (in good condition for its age) for €3600 from a dealer (who is also friend of a friend, so I could be reasonably sure about its quality). You can probably get one cheaper from a private seller, but dealers have to give a one-year warranty (by law), which I think is worth it.

Guzzisti91 wrote:

To all responding to my queries, i have found the "cars & transportation" section. But please, don't tell me not to buy a car & that public transport will fulfill my needs. I find that annoying. I'm actually going to be spending most my time on the outskirts - not the big city - & will be taking an overland journey to Italy, so a car is needed.

You seem to have an attitude problem, you asked for advice and got it. You just seem not to be willing  to understand it. But then most of your assumptions and claims sound rather unlikely. And it would be even more sensible to take trains and public tranportation in Italy. Sure, some people might need a car but it is only sensible to inform people how the system works here and that public tranporation is light years ahead of many non-European countries.

Guzzisti91 wrote:

Nonsensical? How so? You can't cover an entire landscape with railroad tracks & bus routes. I've been to Germany twice before & know how well the system works. It can't do everything. It's equally nonsensical to assume that all car owners take their cars into the big city. Anyone with half a brain will tell you that's foolhardy no matter where you go. I'm actually trying to avoid the big cities, & need a car for the overland trip to Italy. I'm visiting my friend there & go snowboarding. My original plan was to buy a motorcycle, but on ice, that will kill me.
Anyways, this was way too long winded. My heart is set, i've done my research, & i needed answers to my 2 questions. If you're going to say "don't buy a car", don't waste your time

Bro, you need to chill a little, ok?

You came here as a new member asking for an advice, without even having helped anyone else in this forum, just thinking about yourself. Then, TominStuttgart and Beppi, as kind and attentive as ever, tried to answer your questions. And this is the way you thank them? Excuse me, but this isn't the appropriate way to behave in a forum like this.

I hope everyone else is having an excellent week. See you soon!

He’s just another example of someone who accepts advice only if it is what he wants to hear. We had them a lot on the forum over the years (just recently, the self declared “young man in his prime” was another example!).
I don’t care if he rejects our advice (at his own peril), my aim is to assemble on this forum as much factual advice as possible for anyone to read who needs (and accepts) it. I think this thread did contribute to that. Thanks to all who answered!

beppi wrote:

He’s just another example of someone who accepts advice only if it is what he wants to hear. We had them a lot on the forum over the years (just recently, the self declared “young man in his prime” was another example!).
I don’t care if he rejects our advice (at his own peril), my aim is to assemble on this forum as much factual advice as possible for anyone to read who needs (and accepts) it. I think this thread did contribute to that. Thanks to all who answered!

You misunderstand me. I'm not after an "echo chamber" here. Note that i wasn't upset about the answers to the first querie. I have viewed the job market on indeed & it appears difficult, & insurance is tough. That's part & parcel of moving to another country.
Look, I'm not trying to be nasty. But it appears you folks forget that i've been to Germany before, & that i have seen the public transport system for myself. I asked what cars were reliable, you & tom say to use public transport, but i said it has limits. Tom said that was nonsensical, I merely clarified my position. But you didn't like that, & typical on forums you took it the wrong way & created an echo chamber of your own. But then again, i'm not a hippy, so i probably won't last long.

If you folks can't help me, that's fine. I'll go somewhere else.
Now Beppi, you said you have a ford focus? That's a common car on quoka. It also has an ok track record here in oz. Has it let you down?

TominStuttgart wrote:

Guzzisti91 wrote:

To all responding to my queries, i have found the "cars & transportation" section. But please, don't tell me not to buy a car & that public transport will fulfill my needs. I find that annoying. I'm actually going to be spending most my time on the outskirts - not the big city - & will be taking an overland journey to Italy, so a car is needed.

You seem to have an attitude problem, you asked for advice and got it. You just seem not to be willing  to understand it. But then most of your assumptions and claims sound rather unlikely. And it would be even more sensible to take trains and public tranportation in Italy. Sure, some people might need a car but it is only sensible to inform people how the system works here and that public tranporation is light years ahead of many non-European countries.

Tom, i appreciate your advice & all, but i'm not interested in public transport. I know how it works. Thank you. I'll use it when i need to get into the city as taking the car there is foolhardy - just like i do in congested sydney.
Have a nice day

Guzzisti91 wrote:

Now Beppi, you said you have a ford focus? That's a common car on quoka. It also has an ok track record here in oz. Has it let you down?

Well, I only have it for six months now. Of course there were some problems and repairs needed, which is probably normal for such an old car. I don’t like it as much as the previous one, which was just too small for a family of four - and the new one does also serve its purpose. We use it only for grocery shopping and occasional outings.

Before you buy from private sellers (like those on Quoka), it is probably worthwhile to have an experts check it for hidden problems and prior defects. Some workshops offer such services for a fee (a few hundred €, as far as I heard) and then issue a report with estimated value and a buy-or-not recommendation.
The private car market here isn’t known for honesty - serious people sell their cars to dealers (and most of them go to Eastern Europe then).

beppi wrote:

Before you buy from private sellers (like those on Quoka), it is probably worthwhile to have an experts check it for hidden problems and prior defects. Some workshops offer such services for a fee (a few hundred €, as far as I heard) and then issue a report with estimated value and a buy-or-not recommendation.
The private car market here isn’t known for honesty - serious people sell their cars to dealers (and most of them go to Eastern Europe then).

Private or dealer, i'm going to take someone with me before looking over it with a fine tooth comb. If i see rust holes or leaks, i'm running away. After 10 years of car ownership, i've learned that you can't trust anyone. I do have mechanical knowledge & can do most repairs myself, but precision jobs such as timing belts? I'll take it to a mechanic for that. I'll look into the mechanic thing, however. If i get holiday shock like i did in Newcastle (that is, after a short time i hated it there & yearned to go back), i'll be happy if it lasts me 3 months. I just don't want it falling apart on my way to Italy.

Now, you say average wage is €9? That's roughly what i get paid now. There appears to be no limits to how much i can earn, but i'll have to look again. I've been far too busy with my studies & my job - among other duties. There's also the old adage to changing careers, moving to another country or getting ahead in general - "it's not what you know, it's who you know". That's why i'm here - to try & establish some connections & help me through. It ain't gonna solve all my problems, though.

I had a less than stellar start here as cars don't appear to be anyone's forte, but you do appear to know about the other stuff.

Thanks for your help, Beppi. Sorry if i appeared to bite your hand

You win’t find anyone here who can give you a job.
And low-skilled odd jobs are also not discussed here often. It is more a forum of Indian IT experts ...

Hello everyone,

I am originally from the Philippines, lived and worked in Dubai for roughly 4 years and now happily live in Germany since roundabout 9 years.

I would certainly be happy to help or answer questions, where I can.

Looking forward!

B

My name is Ron and myself and my wife Mary will be moving to Germany hopefully by March. Hopefully we can get some help with some questions we have. Thank you

Hi everyone,

I'm from Angola and i moved to Germany/Hamburg 3 months ago to work as a Software Developer. Please feel free to contact me

BeZwe, what sort of visa got you into Germany?

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=880430

Thanks!