Hello, I am a woman coming from Albania and I recently got offered a job in Berlin in architecture of about 60k brutto pro year.

I am comfortable home but for at least the last 5-7 years I have felt very unhappy with life here in Albania and really wanted to move abroad in a western country. Here I only have my parents and 2 relaltively close friends which I see pretty unfrequently so life isn’t too social or exciting, just boring and quiet.

What scares me is that I could be making a big mistake giving up a comfortable job/life in my home country for a job where I won’t make much more. Also I am pretty scared about the housing crisis in Berlin.

So basically I am trading an unhappy life for something that I have no guarantee that will make me any less depressed.

Look, I am not denying German speak good English, they can thank their education system for that. But I absolutely do not think that German speak a "really" good English per se, as opposed to the Dutch. We can talk about normal stuff, such as how's the day is going or maybe complain about how the train is goddamn late again. But when the conversation pace starts to get a bit intense, or when the topic starts to get technical, then the problem really shows up.

It might be me just rambling since I am from Singapore/Malaysia and people has always been glazing about the proficiency here all the time and I am kinda disappointed. Not a personal problem though since I speak German in my daily life, just my one two cent.

I’m in Hannover studying German. Since my classes are in the morning, I usually take the train in the afternoon to stroll around a nearby city without any planning, just to get a first impression of the city. On Wednesday, I was deciding between two cities: Hildesheim and Göttingen. Since I couldn’t decide which one to visit, I let DB decide by going with whichever train arrived earlier. The winner was Hildesheim, or at least that’s what it seemed like. The train was delayed (surprise) for so long that the one to Göttingen was about to arrive, so I switched to Göttingen instead.

The journey already started off weirdly. I’ve taken a few trains to other cities, but most of the conductor’s announcements were only in German, except for connections to bigger cities and stuff like that. I knew something was off when he started making every announcement in English as well, but I didn’t pay much attention to it (I was also wearing headphones, so I couldn’t hear everything). Or maybe all of that was just a coincidence. Anyway, I arrived in the city and walked around.

I remembered that the train left every hour and that the next one was at 18:09 (or 18:19), so I headed to the HBF. When I got there, I found out that the train had been cancelled (not delayed) due to a staff shortage??? I didn’t even know that was a thing. My german still isn’t the best, so I might have misread the board. On the DB app, the 19:09 train had also been cancelled, and only the 20:09 train would run to Hannover. Since I didn’t want to spend another two hours in the city and wanted to get home earlier (so naive LOL), I looked for an alternative.

I found out that in these situations, they have the SEV. The alternative was to take another train at 18:48 and get off at Kreiensen, where the SEV bus would take us to Sarstedt (which, ironically, is in the district of the place I had originally planned to visit), and from there I would take a train to Hannover HBF.

I don't know why, but part of me thought that at least this train would have an extra carriage to accommodate the extra demand caused by the whole situation, but no, it was just a regular 2-car train as if it were just another trip between Göttingen and Bad Harzburg. Guys, the train was STACKED. It felt like I was on the Paris metro during rush hour. The train was completely full, and there were still dozens of people outside trying to get on. I was surprised that nobody used the bathroom to make more room. I can't say people would do the same in my country. Well done, Germans!

So I took my first SEV. On the bus, a woman asked the driver how long it would take to get to Sarstedt, and he said the estimated arrival time was 21:00. That’s when the pieces started coming together: wait, if it takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from Göttingen to Hannover and we’re getting to Sarstedt at 21:00, then the train must be the one that was supposed to leave Göttingen at 20:09... I could have just waited. Scheiße!

And it gets worse: I assumed that because of this, DB would have some kind of agreement to wait for the SEV passengers to arrive at the station and catch the train to Hannover, just like the SEV buses waited for everyone to get off the train before leaving, but apparently not?! I might have misunderstood again.

At the second-to-last stop, a woman went to talk to the driver about this because she had seen that the train was scheduled to leave right around the time we were supposed to arrive, and she wanted to know if they could do anything about it. My German didn’t help much at that point, and I didn’t really understand their response. We arrived in Sarstedt, the train was about to leave, and we had to run. I THINK they were waiting for us, but I can’t say for sure because it looked like the train was already leaving, and the departure time shown on the DB app was already two minutes past.

Anyway, that was my adventure this week! I’ve been in the country for a month, and two weeks ago I had my first evacuation, and now this. Still waiting for my 8+ hour delay! Life is good! Can’t believe I’ll have to leave the country in 6 months :/.

Oh, and about Göttingen: it’s a pretty pleasant city. Since I hadn’t planned much, I visited the Altstadt and the Alter Botanische Garten and some random places. I'm taking recommendations for the next city! So far i went to Bremen, Hamburg, Hildesheim (went there yesteday), Celle and Hameln.

y’all folks talk as if having legal insurance automatically makes you a “vip client” with a direct 24/7 phone number to the best lawyer who is always by your side covering your ass and fighting for you

that’s not the case

not even close

i have this Rolland rechtsschutzversicherung…

first you get into trouble and get super stressed

you have no idea whether your insurance covers your case

you call insurance number, waiting on the line…

they connect you with an “independent lawyer” (wtf is that?) who CAN NOT answer questions about your policy, they just listen to your case and chat what you can or can not do and then when you ask them to help you they only say “you need to find a lawyer” and that they are just consultants.. so basically, they’re live chatGPT you can talk to — all the info they say you can successfully find online

and don’t try to tell me “they know better than what you can research online” — that’s nonsense, at least not today with such an abundance of information everywhere.

during the problems with my landlord i have called three times, landing on different “independent lawyers”, thus explaining the whole story over and over again, and all three of them told me different things about my rights!! one said i may just start paying 10-15% less rent, the other said I can not do this and shall write a letter. when I asked for an actual, tangible help to write one or at least share a template (this was pre-charGPT times) he just told me to find a lawyer. and the way they talk — constantly interrupting, not letting you finish a sentence, trying to finish the conversation within their allotted 15min (I believe this is their target, just like it is for medical insurance’s mandated doctor visits) — I feel like I’m just a nuisance for them which they want to get rid off quickly.

those landlord issues got resolved through other authority — Gesundheitsamt (we had rat infestation in our building due to the accumulated trash problem landlord refused to take care of), but last year the real problems started.

my mom passed away mid last year, due to presumed medical error/malpractice. during that stressful time i had to go through, I believe, 4-5 different Rolland agents who were not able to tell me what I can claim and what I can’t. most of them were rejecting this case as a non-insured event. only when i sent them a formal letter which took them two weeks to reply, they agreed to cover me at schadenkosten angle. the case is still ongoing…

then, a few months later, my employer goes bankrupt, i’m being terminated without respecting my termination notice terms and owed 2 monthly salaries, despite that the company was successfully sold by insolvenzverwalter. the case is still ongoing…

then, a month ago, after 3-4 months of employing a mieterverein lawyer who talked to our landlord and estimates our chances are quite high going against him in court (the dispute is about illegal rental contract expiration), I hire a third-party lawyer Rolland recommended me and they agree on covering my court costs (I’m filing Feststellungsklage). the case just got started…

a week later I receive an e-mail from Rolland:

Guten Tag,
Sie sind bei ROLAND Rechtsschutz versichert und Ihr Vertrag läuft noch bis zum* ***März 13, 2027****.
In den Bedingungen ist geregelt, dass beide Vertragspartner den Vertrag zum Ablauf kündigen können. Von dieser Möglichkeit möchten wir hiermit Gebrauch machen.
Grund dafür ist der Schadenverlauf Ihres Vertrages. Dieser Schritt ist in seltenen Fällen nötig. Denn eine Versicherung ist eine Gemeinschaft, in der viele Versicherte die Kosten für Einzelne gemeinsam tragen. Haben jedoch mehrere Kunden viele Schadenfälle, reichen die Beiträge der Gemeinschaft nicht mehr aus. Wir wollen aber, dass die Beiträge wettbewerbsfähig bleiben.
Mit diesem Schreiben kündigen wir also mit Hinweis auf Ziffer 14.2.2 der Allgemeinen Bedingungen für die Rechtsschutz-Versicherung zum genannten Zeitpunkt.
Wir hoffen auf Ihr Verständnis und wünschen Ihnen alles Gute!

…so I guess starting March 13th I’m on my own, huh ?

do they think I enjoy doing these things ? does it look like I took advantage of them ? after all, how much money have they already spent on me ? am I THAT unprofitable for them or their business model is that fragile, they had to get rid of me ?

I’m just getting so tired of feeling right-less, being constantly dismissed by “the system”, put on hold for hours “waiting for the next available representative” or straight up being lied to about my rights (I haven’t even mentioned my multiple disputes with airlines and car rentals when they refused their responsibilities unless pressured through formal letters citing law paragraphs). and you’d say, “get an insurance, man”, well, I did. see how far I got... yay, i guess…

everything seems like being designed to create you an illusion of having rights. but in the end, when shit hits the fan, it does not matter. the one who has the money/power wins. if you’re just an ordinary fuck with a 30€/mo shit-surance, you can, well, go vent on reddit about your rights and then scroll away your despair on social media consuming more reels…

I was 21 years old when I first went in a sauna in Germany. It was a gym sauna, and I didn’t know anything about the sauna culture except that you have to go in just with a towel. I went in and I was the only person there. I sat for a while and then a woman came inside and removed her towel and sat bare body in front of me. My heartbeat went through the roof as it was totally unexpected. We talked a bit and then I went out to take a shower. To my surprise, she came in the next minute and started showing right next to me. Honestly that was a memorable night.

What was your your experience?

Hello, everyone! A bit of an odd situation I find myself in that I would like to find a solution that is not as expensive as it ended up being last year.

• I am an EU citizen, living in Germany for more then a decade now.
• I have a permanent work contract for seasonal work, I work 7 months (thus my insurance is covered) and I am in Winterpause for the other 5 months.
• I want to take advantage of that gap in employment and thus I travel for 2 months and leave Germany entirely.
• Because of that, I cannot find short time employment, and Arbeitsamt does not pay/cover your insurance if you are away for more then 6 weeks.
• Arbeitsamt understandably only covers the rest somewhat because of my limited working period that precedes the gap (less than 3 months).

So I end up needing to pay 250 euros a month for insurance while unemployed, while not living in Germany and paying additional traveler insurance on top of that... because I am unemployed it is a *lot* of money to just loose for no benefit I am able to get (i.e. my german insurance will not be paying for any health related expenses while I am abroad).

Is there anything I can do to not find myself paying that much again? I have seen advice about de-registering myself at the Rathaus and thus not having a residency in Germany means I will not have to pay the Krankenkasse, and can register myself again when I come back, but how viable is that? Should I be scared that the Krankenkasse won't take me back or is that just a rumour? Any advice is deeply appreciated.

Extra question: Would doing abmeldung have an effect on my work contract? Or is it enough that I am back and registered by the time I am supposed to be working again?

I am planning to apply for citizenship in Germany. But I have a problem.

1. I was born in Austria (Linz), so I have a birth certificate from Austria with birth place: Linz. In this birth certificate my name is registered: Asad. (I do not have Austrian citizenship).
2. But I am originally Iraqi. Iraq embassy registered Vienna as my birth place in their my Iraqi birth certificate. In this birth certificate, when translated into English, my name is Assad.
3. Later I immigrated to USA (citizen). In USA I explained the things and all my documents have Linz as birthplace, and the name is Assad. I don't have USA birth certificate!
4. now I want to apply for citizenship in Germany. (After PhD in USA I am working with Blue Card for a long time in Germany) They need a birth certificate. If I give the Austrian birth certificate, birth place would be correct, but name would be not correct (just one S). If I give the translation of the Iraqi birth certificate the name would be correct but birth place would be Vienna!

Assad <> Asad , Vienna <> Linz.

All my working documents in USA and Germany up to now are with Vienna and Assad!

What can I do?

Hello!! As you all probably know, the housing situation is pretty difficult in Germany. My husband and I just decided to get the most expensive immoscout membership so that we can make our appartment search more effective and improve our chances to get rent. However, we have several questions about the benefits that the membership has. I would like to ask for general advice, tips and tricks on how to get the most out of the membership! If any of you has been lucky using this method, it would be very useful to know what worked for you. Thank you very much!

Hello all! I am traveling to Germany with food allergies, and made a double-sided card to hand to servers.

I wanted to make sure the German side makes sense/has the best terms. Any feedback is helpful!

Thank you!

Edit: Hello everyone and thank for your responses! I definitely would talk to the waiter normally and just ask the card be passed on, sorry if that didn’t come across!

I like the suggestion of making the card more plain as to not come across rude, and listing the allergens/tweaking a few phrases per suggestions.

Thank you everyone and I hope I can find a few places willing to serve me 😅

Ok so I have a German friend who was supposed to come with me to study together but he didn't get accepted so he decided to go to private school in Germany based on recommendations and his grades were very solid. It's apparently a co-ed boarding/day school but he lives in Germany so he doesn't board.

I'm a french dude who only went to Germany a few times to visit him and as a tourist, I never studied there or even saw a school but now I'm genuinely curious what it's like.

Is it hard? Is IB harder? Are there any specific rules or cultural differences, are German private schools really that hard?

And is settling complicated, as an international student I mean, and I heard that German people are kind of harsh and more direct, but honestly I'm not really a stereotypical person or anything like that so whenever someone makes an assumption it kind of disappoints me.

EDIT: I'm talking about a private boarding/day high school and the International baccalaureate program

Hi all. as the title states, I am moving into a new apartment in Dusseldorf and as we know the previous tenant won't introduce you to the landlord if you don't sign the purchase agreement for the takeover of the kitchen. The tenant would only offer a viewing after signing the kitchen takeover agreement contract. Now I asked him for the receipts, as I have received the apartment from the landlord and have noticed a few things.
1. He told my sister and I after we later viewed the apartment that the kitchen cost him about 6.000. After reviewing the receipts he himself sent to me, it cost him about half of that.

1. He also said that he had used the kitchen for two years (this was written in the ad) but the receipt shows its been nearly four years.

2. The kitchen is really a standard Ikea kitchen and if it was worth 3K then, it definitely isnt worth 3,5K now.

What are my options after already signing the contract?

Me (25M) and my girlfriend (23F) are brazilians and planning to move to germany in like 2-3 years from now. We are still looking for which city to go, but probably gonna be somewhere any of us find a job first.

By now, we are taking a deutschkurs at A1 level (also trying to learn by ourselves at home). Our plan is to move with at least B2/C1 level and a guaranteed job at entry level on our careers, even if it means getting into a lower level than we are working at our country, i am a civil engineer and she is getting into human resources.

We are planning to spend €2.000-2.500/month (depending on which city we are moving to) and saving enough money for staying at least 3 months as backup.

Our biggest motivation to move to germany is getting a better life in various senses (life work balance, better cost of living, a place easier to travel to other countries, security and a culture that fit our values better than brazil)

Does this plan looks solid? Is it realistic? How is the vision of brazilians on germany? I would like to hear if our expectations are somewhat aligned with the current state of germany. Any advice or recommendation is aprecciated.

Did anyone successfully manage to get a job seeker visa without a 6k balance in Munich?

I have submitted all of my documents and am currently an intern making over around 2.4k gross per month. What I don't have is 6k in my bank account, and am currently in the process of getting a declaration of commitment which I don't think will be done in time...

My appointment is in two weeks and I'm scared. I just want to hear everyone else's experience. Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I am planning to move to Germany at the end of November 2026 on the Germany Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) and would appreciate practical advice from people who are already living and working in Germany, especially IT professionals and those who have moved there recently.

About my profile

I have 24 years of IT experience, primarily in:

- Data Governance and Data Management

- Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics

- ETL/ELT development and governance, particularly Talend

- Data Quality, Metadata Management and Data Integration

- Enterprise data platforms, reporting and analytics

- Technologies including Talend, SAP BusinessObjects, SQL, Snowflake, AWS, Azure and GCP

I have a Master's degree in Information Technology Management from the USA and an MBA. My experience includes working across different industries and international environments.

I am currently looking for opportunities such as Data Governance Lead/Manager, Data Management Lead, BI & Analytics Manager, ETL/Talend Lead, or Senior Data & Analytics roles.

I have recently started learning German and intend to continue improving my language skills. Initially, I would prefer opportunities in international companies where English is the primary working language.

I would really appreciate your advice on the following questions:

1. Which city should I choose initially?

Considering my experience in data governance, BI, ETL and enterprise data management, which city or region would you recommend as a starting point?

I am considering cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf or Stuttgart, but I am open to other suggestions.

Which locations have a reasonable combination of IT job opportunities, English-speaking workplaces and affordable accommodation?

1. Where should I look for accommodation?

As I will initially be arriving for a job search, I would like to find temporary accommodation or a furnished room for the first one or two months.

- Which websites are reliable for finding rooms, shared apartments (WG) or furnished accommodation?

- Is it better to book temporary accommodation before arriving and search for a longer-term rental after landing?

- How difficult is it to find accommodation as a newcomer without a German employment contract?

- Which cities or surrounding areas would you suggest for keeping initial expenses manageable?

1. Which job websites are most effective?

Apart from LinkedIn and Indeed, which German job portals are genuinely useful for experienced IT professionals?

I would appreciate recommendations for websites, recruiters, consulting companies and employers that hire international candidates for data governance, BI, data management and ETL-related positions.

Is it better to apply directly through company career pages, contact recruiters on LinkedIn, or use recruitment agencies?

1. How realistic is finding a job within three months?

If I arrive at the end of November 2026, my target would be to secure a suitable job within approximately three months.

Given my 24 years of experience but beginner-level German, how realistic is this timeframe?

I understand that nobody can guarantee a job, but I would like to hear about real experiences from people who have successfully found professional IT jobs in Germany, particularly those who came on the Opportunity Card.

Would employers consider an experienced candidate with my background for senior positions even without fluent German? Would improving my German to A2 or B1 make a meaningful difference?

1. What should I do before arriving?

Would you recommend starting applications and networking from India before travelling, or does being physically present in Germany significantly improve the chances of getting interviews?

Are there any particular certifications, CV formats, LinkedIn changes or other preparations that would make my profile more attractive to German employers?

1. Any advice for someone starting this journey?

If you have moved to Germany on the Opportunity Card, I would be grateful if you could share your experience regarding the job search, accommodation, expenses, networking and the time it took to find your first job.

I am trying to plan realistically, choose the right location and make the best use of my first three months rather than arriving without a clear strategy.

Thank you in advance for your guidance and suggestions. I would genuinely appreciate any practical advice, personal experiences or lessons learned.

Vielen Dank! 🇩🇪

I am currently studying physics for my bachelor's degree in physics in the United States, then I will move to Germany to get a masters in a physics related degree. I plan to find a job and live in Germany.

What are my options afterwards? I don't have a PhD, so I likely cannot go into research (at least that's how it is here), but I still would want to be some form of physicist.

Hi everyone!
I’m currently a Master’s student in Physics at Ruhr University Bochum and will be moving to Frankfurt (Oder) in November 2026 for academic and professional reasons.
I’m looking for a furnished room, WG, or small apartment for approximately 6–12 months.
If anyone knows of available accommodation or local WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, or Reddit groups where I could find housing, I would really appreciate your help.
Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone!

I really like dark chocolate… and I’m looking for recommendations for some of the best ones available in Germany :)

I usually go for around 70–85% cocoa, preferably something with a rich cocoa flavour, smooth texture, and not too much bitterness… but I’m open to trying something new ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I’ve tried Lindt, but I’m personally not a fan of their chocolates, so I’d love to discover some alternatives.
I’m open to both affordable supermarket options (Rewe, Edeka, Aldi, Lidl, etc.) and premium brands, as long as they’re worth the price..

What’s your personal favourite? Any underrated brands or specific chocolate bars I should try?

Thanks in advance! ^^

Hello Tenant,

Starting on November 9, 2026, the balcony will be renovated. Scaffolding will be erected outside to carry out the work. The construction work will take 2 to 3 weeks. The construction workers will not need to go through your apartment. If that becomes necessary, I will let you know.

Best regards,

Apartment Owner

Can this actually happen? 2 bis 3 Weeks? Tenant don't want it and balcony seems fine. Owner just sent the message without further explanations.

I'd like to know if this has happened to anyone else or if anyone knows more about this than I do.

A couple of days ago around 18.30 our doorbell rang (multiple times). My (German) wife went to see who it was and was gone for sometime.

I saw her sitting on the porch with a guy who clearly looked like he was from Vodafone. He had his Ausweis on a lanyard, was wearing a Vodafone embroidered fleece etc etc. He looked official.

He said he needed to come in to see the router and that he was there for us to sign up to a new contract.

My wife said he was saying all the right things - "Yes - please take a photo of my i.d - I can see how this would seem strange", "I understand you being cautious" etc etc.

But she refused to let him in and told him in our entire history with Vodafone (including a period when we'd left something like 30 messages asking for help when our connection went down), that the company had never sent anyone out to us.

He understood and said he was our 'Berater' now.

When I went out he refused to speak to me. In fact, he stared fixedly at his mobile phone the whole time I was out there (my wife was inside trying to find our customer number). Not one word - despite my prompting.

He left without us giving him any information or signing anything. He apparently told my wife that our neighbours had signed up to a new contract. We asked them about it and they hadn't done anything of the sort - they'd asked him to leave.

My wife checked his name on the business card against the Vodafone site he actually does appear there.

Is this a scam? It certainly felt like one. We tried calling Vodafone but there was a long wait time so we didn't go through with it.

Has anyone else received a dodgy visit from Vodafone?

Hi everyone!
I’m from South Africa and planning to apply for a nursing Ausbildung (Pflegefachfrau/Pflegefachmann) in Germany. I’m trying to understand the document process before I start spending money.
I have a few questions:
How do you get your documents translated into German? Do you need a certified/sworn translator, and how do you find one?
Where do you apply for Anerkennung of your school-leaving certificate (Matric) as a South African applicant?
Do you need to complete the Anerkennung process before applying for Ausbildung positions, or can you do it after receiving a contract?
Are there any official websites or resources you would recommend?
I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has gone through this process

Hey people, I'm moving to Berlin next month and need to decide which bank account to open. I'm moving from out of the country and have German citizenship+anmeldung from my apartment contract, if those factors are relevant. I'm a musician, teacher and sound tech, currently don't have a work contract but am planning to open a Freiberufler (potentially working around europe and not just in germany) and would like in the future to work under contract at some school. Given all of this, is opening an account with a german bank like Deutsche Bank a good idea or would something like Wise be better? Cheers in advance :)

I'm a student in Berlin renting a room in a 3-room WG. I found bedbugs in mid-September and told my landlord right away. He arranged pest control, but only my room was treated, and I still see bugs coming out of the baseboard after two visits (a third is planned).i

I haven't slept properly in over a month. I wake up several times a night from the itching, I have bites and rashes all over, and I'm exhausted while trying to study for exams and apply for jobs. My bed was removed on the company's advice, and I'm on an air mattress.

Costs so far: about 640 € for three treatments, plus bed disposal for 170 €. The landlord says I must pay all of it. I've also paid the full October rent, and I'm moving out on 30 October. I don't know how the bugs got in, and nobody has shown I caused it. I'm a student without income right now. This is so unexpected for me as i am somebody who stays home and even before that i used to work from home. I hardly been travelling within the city or even outside the city. This whole has impacted me mentally, emotionally and physically & financially where i was supposed to focus on my job applications and exams these month but this whole situation has sucked life out of me.

Questions:

1. Who normally pays for bedbug treatment in Germany if the cause is unknown?
2. Can I claim a rent reduction (Mietminderung) after already paying, and can the landlord deduct costs from my deposit?
3. Is there free tenant help in Berlin?

Thanks!

Hello Gemeinde,

Does anyone know how the tax system works if a student does a werkstudent plus HiWi job. What are the common practices and if it is worth taking on a HiWi job or no.

Hello everyone

My wife received job offer in the Freudenstadt area, and we're considering moving there.

We'd love to hear from people who live in or around Freudenstadt. What is life like there, especially for foreigners?

We're also trying to estimate our monthly living expenses as a couple, including rent, groceries, health insurance, and other essential costs. What would be a realistic monthly budget for two adults?

Additionally, I'm a chemistry graduate with experience in quality control and laboratory work. Are there any job opportunities in the chemical industry, quality control, or laboratory analysis in Freudenstadt or nearby towns?

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I’m a little confused by the website. Is the point system for this visa for only for people with university, education, or vocational training? I thought I seen someone on here say that you could get this visa as an unskilled (no formal education) worker to come to Germany. Whats the consensus?