MAKING THE MOVE

The answer to your first question is easy: No, nothing - especially involving bureaucracy - is easy in Germany. Yes, there are rules and immigration laws.

Regarding job opportunities, if I were making this move I would search the internet for my field and the city to which I want to move. I don't think anyone on this forum can answer confidently what job career opportunities are like for Business Development Executives in Leipzig. If your partner doesn't speak German, you'd need to search for an English-speaking position in childcare.

My (adult) children stayed in the US, so I've got no advice on that one. :-)

Good luck with your move.

It’s always a good idea to go and check things out before making any commitments. As a UK citizen (still in the EU) you can go to Germany and work. But what do you do if you don’t find work? Planning a permanent move before finding work sounds risky if even doable. An EU member citizen cannot just show up and get any social assistance if you don’t find work; one has to have worked in Germany for some years before being eligible. The paper work for buying or renting property is not specifically more complicated than for a non-foreigner.

The thing is that buying property doesn’t give one any additional residency rights nor any advantage towards eventually citizenship. Property prices have also skyrocket in Germany in recent years. And the rental market is VERY tight. Many Germans struggle to find a place in big to middle sized cities. Even if landlords are not against foreigners per se, they want security and will usually feel safer renting to a German or someone who has been here a long time.

And while there are some exceptions in areas of high tech or academia, there are few jobs for people who don’t speak German. Or better said, decent jobs, if one doesn’t want to stock the shelves in a super market or be a janitor.

Unless one is going for a limited time then the kids HAVE to learn the language. The idea of an English instructed international school should be limited to short stays or possibly for the first year as a transition period. A major problem is cost; typically one pays 12000 Euros or more for a year. Public schools are generally good and are free but there is always the risk that a child loses a year getting their German up to speed. Obviously, the more they have learned the language beforehand the better. And in general, the younger they are the quicker they pick up on the language. But it is to be expected that a child be supported as much as possible to make the transition. Is it ever easy? I doubt it.

Thank you for your valued replies,
Obviously I would never make a move without having a job cemented first.
Also I have no intention of claiming a benefit my partner and I want to run a family life based solely on our hard work, which I believe every citizen should try and do.
The kids will be learning the language and although we are not expecting them to be fluent before we arrive we would have them at an efficient level to communicate in schools and in public.
We would prefer them to be enrolled into public German schools and be just like the other children we see no sense in separating them just because of language barrier, they will learn as millions of other children have.

My partner and I are both learning the language and are even looking at doing language courses at the local university to get us up to speed.

We look forward to visiting in November and seeing the beautiful city of Leipzig

Thanks again for your input it’s highly appreciated

Most of what you need to know is included in the excellent replies above. I just want to add some local knowledge:
- Leipzig, as part of the former Eastern Germany, has a less tight housing market (and subsequently lower prices), better child care facilities, but less job opportunities and far less appeal and social life for foreigners (especially if your German is limited) than Western cities or Berlin.
- Child care teachers are sought after, especially native speakers for early English education. Your wife will have a job in an instant, but the profession is generally badly paid.
- Kids generally make the transition quickly and painlessly. Within 6 months they will speak German better than you. The 7 years old will probably have to re-start at the first school year (usually for 6-year-olds), but other than that there is no concern.

Thank you Beppi,
We have had some advice given to us also from a friend who lives just north of Osnabruck where i used to live, and it all matches up with what yourself and others have said, I think its a matter of going on our trip and seeing what we think then doing more and more research to see if its where we want to settle, i suppose getting there and seeing if we can string up conversation with a local see how we get on !
Thanks again for your feedback