Top 5 tips to live in Germany

I think that an important thing that was in every conversation when I searched for information and it's being a big challenge is learning the language.
Second of all, study and adapt to the culture, laws and history, it's important to be polite and respectful.

1. Be tolerant and adaptable - expect the unexpected.
2. Do not judge - complaining about your host country helps nobody, accepting it is far better.
3. if you are not happy, you have only yourself to blame. And only you can change it.
4. Do the first step towards the locals, and be patient in (but don't give up) building friendships - Germans are quite reserved, but will appreciate your genuine effords in the end.
5. And, last not least, learn the language. This is probably the most important advice of all!

Been in lubeck for 4 month+, what ive noticed is the following

1) A very huge chunk of the people here dont speak english, so getting from one point to another might be alil bit hard.

2) Asking for directions is harder, so make sure you properly research what you want , and where you heading

3) Bus Transportation pretty much cover everything, so getting a weekly/Monthly pass helps alot

4) If you are here during winter time,MAke sure you dress well, Even if you see blue skies , Dont get fooled

5) great places to buy stuff from:

Super Market: Reve

rothman " have more of deodrants, detergents"

karstadt: Sells  clothe,perfums,luggage bags

CA: same as kartstadt, and prices are little bit better

6) If you wanna eat Chinese or turkish, note that 90% of these places dont use  Credit card"no idea why"

7) Internet data sim cards: sells for 10 euros for 1 gb quota, and when you run out of quota, you can keep on using it , but speed drops buy 20X

8) You can recycle your plastic bottle at reve , and your get 25 cents per bottle

9) If you want to get medical insurance during your stay here, check with mawista.com, you pay 1.25 euro for every day , insurance covers emergencies

Over all, very nice country,very nice people. Atleast for me , i love it here

so yeah that what i could remember till now, if anything else pops into mind, ill posted here.

Living here about 1 year now ,  The Utmost Important thing is the Language.. You have to learn it to get more socialize..study further... Finding Work... making friends... etc

People are nice and gentle , a bit reserved but if you go to a cafe at evenings most probably if there are more people mostly if they are older , they usually start a conversation with you , I can not generalize this. But It happened to me several times. So they like to talk to you and you can have a good conversation..

For Language , you can take classes but its not enough to learn quickly , you have to have some native speakers around you so you can practice german Language, and also you can learn alot by watching some tv series or movies as well , I personally watch a tv series on youtube ,, its funny and very beneficial for learning and listening. and also its funny . you will enjoy it too if want to watch in free time , its called as "Deutsch Lernen Extra" you can search it.

thanks Thats I could tell with my little experience ..

I've lived in Hamburg for nearly 10 years and I think the following things would help an expat;

1. As everyone else has said, learn the language. Even a few words will go far and people will appreciate it. German people know that it's a diffcult language to learn and will be impressed if you make the effort. It can be difficult to learn at times, especially in a large international city where almost everybody speaks your native language and wants to.

2. Find an expat network, if only for help with practical things like finding an apartment or work. It can also be nice to have a few people to chat with in your native language and who understand your cultural background. However, this can sometimes hinder your efforts to learn the language. I've experienced it myself. It's much easier to hang out in the Irish pub and speak English than to try and mix with some locals and speak their language.

3. Be flexible. Take advantage of the differences in culture. If the shops are closed on a Sunday then go and do something else, as the locals do. Hire a bike, take a walk. Go and see what people do.

4. Roll with it. Yes, the system is different and you need a piece of paper for everything. When you accept this and are prepared for it things will seem easier. Before you can do anything in Germany you will need a certificate proving that you are registered. It's normal and everybody has to do it.

5. Have fun. There's no need to stop practising your hobby just because you're in a foreign country. About 90% of Germans belong to some sort of club so chances are that you'll find people with a similar interest. This can also make learning the language more fun.

Good luck.

Hello, as an ex-pat who has lived in Germany for over 40 years , I would say the most important thing is to learn the language . Do not be afraid to ask for help, The Germans love to tell you how to do things.Do follow all the polite rules. 
Be very punctual.Always use 'sie'  unless offered the 'du'.Do not try to use humuor when in a difficult situation. !!

Well, first of all, Germany, for me is a great country. Clean, organized and beautiful.

1) Language. It is important to learn it. Germans know how difficult the language is, so don't be afraid to try, they will love it!

2) Weather. Unfortunately since years weather is changing and seasons are not clear in date as before. Winter may last longer or may appear late as it should be.
Raining and gray sky may last longer as in any other countries. Not be depressed it will passes and when spring/summer arrives it is just wonderful!

3) Shopping Centers or malls are not in the german culture, but they used to have a long street or a neighborhood where the main stores are. It saves you time and money, because everything is in the same area.

4) Supermarkets, they are plenty of small  and mid-sized supermarkets. Also many chain fear price markets are almost in every corner: Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Plus amongst others.  … a bit more pricy Rewe, EDEKA, Kaufland, Kaufhaus Supermarket, etc .

5)Tech and innovation stores are also good there, amongst the traditional EU countries, Germany is one with the lowest price and with the major stock!

6) People are very nice, but doesn't expect just because you are the new kid on the block, they will take you to drink or to tour. It takes time until they get closer, but when they have a friendship, they are sincere and fair.

7) If you are for winter, you will enjoy the many beautiful street markets. Carnival, depending on the regions, is a huge celebration. Oktober Fest the most famous beer party in the world take place in München, but some other regions makes small beer fest, similar to München or just something real regionally, in a different date of the Münchener fest. In summer you will find small fests in almost every single neighborhood.

There are many things to write about Germany, but at the end, you have to live it! I hope you enjoy it! Every relocation is an experience, make it always the best!!!

Good luck!

Ed

Good morning soon-to-be expats or maybe not so soon-to-be expats!
To begin with you need to remember that Germany is a big country and much like many other countries it has local or regional differences in tastes, language and culture. Also worthy of note is where you will be leaving from. I came from the US which made my entry much easier than say if I was coming from Russia.

So first of all I would check if there are any Visa requirements for you to get into Germany. That being said, I moved to Hamburg about 18 months ago. Hamburg has really changed in that they are very welcoming of foreigners and at the local registration office. The Hamburg Welcome Center, it was incredibly easy and fast to get all of my paperwork finished. Again this varies, I have heard that in Berlin it is a nightmare: no patience, help or acceptance of foreigners regardless of where they come from.

I don't know about other eastern cities or in southern Germany. It is about 40% cheaper to live in what was the former DDR, but wages are also less.

The big cities in the west are all expensive and expect to spend quite a lot of time trying to find decent, affordable housing unless you have friends or family here that you can stay with until you find housing. Another suggestion is to come with at least 6 months to 9 months of reserve.

Finally, I would check out Internet groups such as the Expat.com here or check out the local MeetUp groups to help begin building a social network that will help ease your transition into the new culture and begin building relationships with Germans too. To be able to converse with others who are also going through some of the same challenges as you or to get advice, comfort or tips on what's happening locally.

So that's my 5 cents worth and I hope it was of some help
Best of luck and if you decide to live in HH look me up
Sharon

1.) Be sure you have health insurance available.
2.) Subscribe to Babbel or take a basic language course. Knowing even a little German will help a lot. Set a priority goal of continuing to learn the language. The better you know the language, the better your quality of life will be.
3.) Get acquainted with neighbors, and shopkeepers in your community. Become involved in local community activities.
4.) Before coming, be sure to have all needed personal documents, e.g. birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce  decrees, for every family member.
5.) Obtain an international drivers license that will allow you to rent a car and drive until you can obtain your German drivers license.

Just a few ideas.

If you stay in Germany, learn the language as well as possible and don't be surprised that there are different dialects and accents.

Germans are the world champions of recycling. One separates paper, glass, plastics and cans out of the normal garbage. Most beer and soft drink bottles and cans have a deposit.  Stick to the rules if you want to integrate. Littering is frowned upon but has become more prevalent. Many municipal budgets have been tightened and the emptying of public trash cans and cleaning of the streets been cut back which means it is all the more important to not be a litter bug.

Value-added-taxes are included in the prices at shops and eateries.  But often services will have them added on afterwards. Like if your car mechanic quotes you a price for parts and labor for a repair; don't forget that the 19 % value-added-tax is going to get added on as well.

Public transportation tends to be a dream compared to America but is it isn't cheap. One often saves by getting day, weekly, month or yearly tickets. Be aware that the systems in cities vary. Like in Stuttgart, if you get a single ride ticket out of a machine it already has a time stamped on it and it does not need to validated in the bus or subway like it does in Munich. There, if you forget to validate it upon entering a train or bus and are controlled then your ticket is good for nothing. Fines all over Germany start at 40 Euros for not having a valid ticket and are set to go up to 60 Euros.

Long distance and regional trains do not always run on time in Germany contrary to the clichés.  Actually the service from Deutsche Bahn has gotten worse over the years and the nice trains like ICE and EC have very little space for large luggage. The prices are also very expensive. There are yearly cards like the one that gives you a 25% discount in second class which only costs 62 Euros a year. A second class 50% card costs 255 Euros and a second class 100% over 4000 Euros. First class in general costs about 50% more but there is truly not much difference. There are also group tickets often in connection with a regional day or weekend ticket which excludes the fast trains but is often incredibly cheap.  For example, one can get a day's ticket for the entire SW region of Baden-Württemberg for 20 Euros with up to 5 additional people at 5 Euros per person extra.

But one can get discounts up to 70% by booking a particular train at least 3 days in advance. The website official website www.bahn.de works pretty well. Pick a train and they show the normal and “spar” discount price. They only sell so many discounted tickets so the longer in advance the better chance one has of getting a good price, the limit being 2 – 3 months. Tickets can be bought online with major credit cards and printed out. I think there are options to even show the ticket on a smartphone without having printed it but I don't have a smartphone and am not up on this.

Food is cheap in German supermarkets. There are discount chains like Penny, Lidl, Aldi and Netto which carry some brand name articles but mostly concentrate on cheap brands. Although cheap, the quality tends to be very good, even offering a selection of organic products. Chains like Rewe, Edeka Rossmann, Tengleman are more upscale but often have a generic or cheap house brand for basic items. The laws about shop hours have been liberalized over the years. 25 years ago, all shops closed by 6.30 pm and even earlier on Saturdays. Now there are shops, especially most supermarkets that are open until 10 pm and Rewe City one in large cities that are open until midnight. Most shops are still closed on Sundays although some bakeries will open until midday and many gas stations have an expensive convenience store attached that might be open 24/7.

By German and European law, all electronic devises have at least a 2 year guarantee. Big chains like Media Markt and Saturn often have special warranty extensions. One might pay 100 Euros so that a TV is guaranteed for 4 instead of 2 years. Makes sense for a TV that costs over 1500 Euros but not one that cost 200. A laptop used for business that is still under warranty and breaks should get fixed (or replaced) within 2 weeks yet NO company actually does it. Expect 4 – 8 weeks at least. There is a gap between some rules like this for consumers and the reality and companies know that a lawsuit to do anything about it would be expensive and drag on for a long time.

In general, police are OK in Germany; they rarely shoot and kill people anyway. Yet they can be abusive and run over peoples' rights with virtual impunity. Courts in Germany are very slow and inefficient, many cases get appealed to higher courts and justice is really a matter of luck and having a good (generally expensive) lawyer. Corruption in Germany is not quite so blatant as the mafia in Italy but the whole judicial system works for the rich and well connected in a vastly different way than for the little guy. I don't say it is different in most countries but many foreigners seem to falsely expect fairness in a country known for its many rules and laws.

Unlike America, guns are thankfully very regulated and gun deaths and violent crimes are rare. Burglary, car and bike theft are on the rise in many municipal areas yet one is more likely to be target by a pickpocket in certain locations rather than robbed at gun or knife point. On the other hand, the penalty for major crimes like murder or rape is minimal. One often hears of a murderer getting say 4 – 6 years and then being paroled half way through.

Thank you.