New members of the Germany forum, introduce yourselves here - 2022

Hi all, let me inaugurate this thread and wish everybody a happy new year in 2022. Maybe international relocation be easier this year.

I live in Berlin ATM but might move soon. Happy to connect.

Hi to all! 

Happy new year!

I am a senior electrical engineer with 15+ years of experience of which 8+ years have been actively as an expat. One of my goals in 2022 is to relocate to Germany. 

Hi everyone,

I'm a polish girl from Italy, trying to make it in Düsseldorf.
I have been here for a couple of years now and feel very much at home here. I am happy to help with question regarding living here!

Hello, Im Linda and Im going back to Germany, Reinland Pfaltz area, March 30.  I need help or advice about Health insurance providers for Germany , please.
Linda

Welcome to the forum, Linda!
Please have a look at the discussions about health insurance on this forum. A lot of good information is available there.
If you do not find what you are looking for, please feel free to post your questions here - somebody will surely answer!

I am Samuel Agyemang from Ghana with 10 years experience of which 3 years are actively working. I will be much greatful to relocate to Germany since it's is my dream to live and work there. I'm currently living in Ghana and ready to relocate to Germany

agyemangsamuel31 wrote:

I am Samuel Agyemang from Ghana with 10 years experience of which 3 years are actively working. I will be much greatful to relocate to Germany since it's is my dream to live and work there. I'm currently living in Ghana and ready to relocate to Germany

Dreams won't get you here. If you have education and job experience in a demanded field and preferably speak fluent German then you might be able to line up a job online with an employee willing to take the extra effort,risk and cost to recruit one from outside of the EU. It's all about what you have to offer and what is in demand.

How you

- @victor1313705

@beppi thank you. They all are in German . My german needs a lot of work still. But anyway i will try.

They all are in German .

- @zinkgforsangs

Hi everybody, my name is Daniel Ding and I'm from Malaysia and currently living in Leipzig. I'm employed at Horbach Expats Financial Advisory and love going out with friends or colleagues after work for a cold one. My plan is to stay in Germany long-term and start a life here. Nice to meet you all!

- @danieldingyushan

This thread sparked my interest so I looked at the website of Friedensau University. They claim to be a State recognized institution. If the OP's degree is recognized then admission should not be a problem if their grades are adequate. I assume the degree earned is a bachelor so having the equivalence of the German Abitur is irrelevant. But it must then be assumed that the OP is intending to do a masters program, a couple of which this university offers in English rather than German.

They also mention German as a foreign language program intended to bring one's German level up to C1 within 18 to 24 months, which would be needed to do a further German taught program. It specifically says citizens of the EU are accepted or students from the USA that have completed 2 years at one of their associated Adventist universities. Not sure why these limitations are set or if there are exceptions?

Whether they might have the means to properly accommodate a deaf student is in question. I didn't see anything mentioned about catering to special needs.

The OP mentioned that he studied theology, so going to a Christian school is not surprising. But the English taught masters in theology mentions the intention of being a pastor for this particular sect the Seventh Day Adventists. Is the OP already a member of this group or planning to convert to their dogma? Another red flag is the level of English used in the original question. Understandable? Yes. Proper grammar and on a university academic level? Definitely not.

Thank you for your responses above, I can summarize my reply as follows, yes I am an Adventist member, a deaf pastor for the deaf who wishes to do my masters at University. I visited it in 2014 during my 2 weeks tour of Deustcheland. I also advocate for the equal rights for the persons with disabilities.

The Seventh Day Adventist is not a sect but a Protestant religious group. Actually my friends at Hamburg sponsored my trip to Germany in 2014.

However I understand  that the university may not have the capacity to cater for the special needs students like me.

Does anyone else here have a different suggestion?

- @warriorke

Britt Higgins: I think, rather than an immigration consultant's opinion (which is costly and of limited value), you should decide based on what is more realistic - can you find a job as nail artist, or do you prefer the risk of starting a business in a foreign location? In that field, it all depends on how well you speak German (to understand the customers).

Hi to you all my name is Dickson KWAME OWUSU,I come from Ghana.i like to immigrate to Germany I have 4 years experience in bakery please help me thank you

- @dickowusu025

My name is Heike Gabriel and i'm an alternative practitioner. I run a  and i will be available for questions regarding health and alternative medicine

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Expat.com !

@ Gabriel, Welcome on board !

Please note that the promotion of services/advertising is not allowed on the forum section. Should you want to offer your services, please register in the business directory so that members can find your contact details.

Thank you in advance,

Bhavna

Hello everyone!

Wife moved to Germany. I guess I need to follow. ;-)

Best regards,

Neil

Greetings,

I am an American living in Belgrade. My fiancée, a Serbian, is enrolled in an educational program in Berlin which she is currently attending. We (and our cats) are desperately trying to find an apartment in Berlin and have thus far submitted many applications but with little response. From what we are seeing the options are apply endlessly for apartments only to have your information go nowhere or pay a broker an exorbitant amount and commission to help you find an apartment.

If anyone has some good tips on finding places that aren't based around rental websites geared to western foreigners (€€), etc., please let me know.

Thank you

@JP Berlin As you have encountered, the rental market is very tight in most German cities - and especially Berlin (where most of the current refugees arrive). There is no solution for flat-seekers, other than being persistent (over months) or paying more than others. But I can give you a few hints:

• The most common sites for rental ads are Ebay Kleinanzeigen, WG-Gesucht and Immoscout - the latter mostly with property agents.
• Agents fees are regulated. You pay at most two months rent (plus 19% tax). In many cases, where the property owner engaged the agent, you pay nothing. I don't think this is exorbitant, as you claim.
• Have realistic expectations for location, amenities and cost. There are rental surveys ("Mietspiegel", published by the city authority) that tell you what is a realistic price - if your local survey if from before the war, add 10 - 20% (or more to find something quickly).
• You must be in Berlin during your search - it is not possible to find a place while abroad. (You need a temporary accommodation, e.g. hotel or hostel, for the search duration.)
• Be prepared to buy your own furniture. A fitted kitchen is often present in flats, but nothing else (not even lights or curtains). Furnished places are rare and cost a lot more.
• Long-term tenants are greatly preferred. If you want to stay for less than three years, your options will be limited.
• Many landlords rule out candidates with pets. So expect a more difficult (and longer) search due to your cats (or get rid of them).
• Reply to ads quickly after they are published (this means checking the sites several times a day - yes, apartment search is a full-time job here!) with a detailed introduction that includes what landlords are most interested in: Your finanancial situation (i.e. that you can pay the rent reliably).
• If you get no reply, write again after a few days (IF the ad is still online).
• When invited to a viewing, bring a German-speaking friend along (I assume you don't speak it fluently, otherwise this is of course not needed), arrive in time, appear friendly and positive about the property.
• After the viewing, answer back whether you are seriously interested in renting the place (or not). Many landlords ten require you to fill in a detailed form with your personal data. Contact them again after a week or two if there is no reply.
• Have an expert (e.g. at a Mieterverein - tenants' association) check an offered rental contract before you sign.
• Since most places (and for sure the better or cheaper ones) are taken right after the previous tenant tenders his/her resignation - and notice periods being three months or longer - you will only be able to move in months after signing the contract. So prepare for temporary accommodation to cover this period.

Good morning!

My name is Simon and I am a relocation specialist living in Berlin! Originally from the UK, I have moved around Europe lots before settling in the wonderful German capital. Here I run two companies that help expats settle in Germany:

• [commercial links removed by moderators - please read the forum rules!]

I look forward to contributing my knowledge to this forum and also continuing to learn about the challenges faced by newcomers to Germany :-)

Hi everyone! I just became a member today we are currently living in Singapore.

My husband has been offered a transfer to his company's German office, and the visa process has been started. We seem to be having hitches and hope it get straightened out soon as we are quite excited to start a new life in Stuttgart. I've been taking A1 classes too so I hope I can converse in decent, simple German soon!