myGermanExpert Blog

How to Register as a Freelancer in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 09:27:00 +0000

How to Register as a Freelancer in Germany — and Why Sorted is Your Best Friend

Moving to Germany and starting your freelance journey can feel like stepping into a maze of forms, rules, and bureaucracy. But the good news is, you’re not alone. Thanks to digital tools like Sorted, navigating self-employment in Germany has never been easier.

In this post, we'll cover how to become a freelancer/self-employed individual or start a small business in Germany — and how Sorted can help you register, manage invoices, and even tackle taxes like a pro (without needing to speak fluent German or spend money!).

What is Sorted?

Sorted (by Deel Inc.) is a modern, English-speaking platform designed to help freelancers and self-employed people in Germany handle the often-intimidating bureaucracy around:

Freelance registration
Invoicing clients
Tax reports (like the Einnahmenüberschussrechnung or "income surplus statement")
VAT returns
Submitting tax returns directly to the Finanzamt (tax office)

It’s free to start, intuitive to use, and specifically built for expats and freelancers who are just trying to get things done without drowning in paperwork or needing a tax advisor on speed dial.

Step-by-Step: How to Register as a Freelancer in Germany (with Sorted)

1. Check your freelance status

In Germany, you can either be a Freiberufler (liberal profession) or a Gewerbetreibender (small business owner).

Freiberufler include:

Designers
Developers
Consultants
Journalists
Translators

If you offer creative, intellectual, or educational services, chances are you fall into this category.

If your work is more commercial (like selling products), you’ll need to register a Gewerbe (small business).

Sorted helps you figure this out during the registration process.

2. Register with the Tax Office (Finanzamt)

Normally, registering means filling out the intimidating Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung — a form that's entirely in German and full of tricky tax lingo.

But with Sorted, you can complete this form in English and submit it digitally for free. Here’s how:

Go to Sorted’s registration page
Create an account
Answer the guided questions in English
Sorted fills out the official tax form for you
Submit it to the Finanzamt electronically

You’ll receive your Steuernummer (tax number) within a few weeks.

3. Start Invoicing Clients

Once you're registered, you can start invoicing clients. Sorted offers a built-in invoicing tool where you can:

Create and send invoices in English or German
Automatically calculate VAT (MwSt)
Track unpaid invoices
Export financial summaries for bookkeeping

It’s a clean, professional system that makes you look legit from day one.

What About Small Businesses (Gewerbe)?

If you're not a Freiberufler and your work involves selling goods or commercial services, you’ll need to:

Register a Gewerbe at your local Gewerbeamt/Rathaus (city office)
Pay a small registration fee (usually €20–€60)
Notify the Finanzamt (you can use Sorted for this part)
Keep track of income & expenses (Sorted helps here too)
File Gewerbesteuer (business tax) if your income is high enough

Sorted doesn’t handle Gewerbe registration yet, but you can still use it for invoicing, tax filing, and managing income/expenses once you're registered.

Why Sorted Is a Game-Changer for Expats in Germany

✅ 100% in English
✅ No tax jargon
✅ Works for both beginners and pros
✅ Submit taxes without needing an expensive tax advisor
✅ Free to use (with optional paid tax support if needed)
✅ Built for German bureaucracy — but makes it painless

Bonus: What Else Can Sorted Do?

Monthly VAT reports
Automatic reminders for tax deadlines
Export documents for your tax advisor (if you use one)
Collaborate with an accountant in-app
Prepare your annual tax return (even if you’re part-time freelancing)

Final Thoughts

Starting your freelance life in Germany might seem daunting at first — but with tools like Sorted, it's totally manageable, even for non-German speakers.

Whether you’re a graphic designer in Berlin, a developer in Munich, or a translator in Hamburg, Sorted can help you register, send invoices, and stay compliant with the tax office without losing your mind.

💬 Ready to get started?
Check out Sorted by Deel Inc. and start your freelance journey today!

How Health Insurance Works in Germany: Essential Info for Expats & Newcomers

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:34:00 +0000

How Health Insurance Works in Germany: Essential Info for Expats & Newcomers (2025 Guide)

Navigating Germany's healthcare system is crucial for newcomers, as health insurance is mandatory for all residents. Understanding your options ensures compliance with German law and access to necessary medical services.

1. Mandatory Health Insurance

Since 2007, all residents in Germany must have health insurance. Travel health insurance is insufficient once you've entered the country. Non-EU citizens often start with expat health insurance until securing employment or a steady income. This temporary insurance is typically valid for up to five years and offers a cost-effective initial solution.

2. Types of Health Insurance

Germany offers two primary health insurance systems:

Public Health Insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung - GKV): Covers approximately 90% of residents and is funded through social security contributions deducted from salaries.
Private Health Insurance (Private Krankenversicherung - PKV): Available to specific groups, including high-income earners, freelancers, and civil servants.

3. Eligibility Criteria

Employees: As of 2025, if your annual gross income exceeds €73,800, you can choose between public and private insurance. Those earning below this threshold are generally required to enroll in public insurance.
Self-Employed/Freelancers: Have the option to select private insurance, offering flexibility in coverage and premiums.
Students: Typically covered under public insurance, with affordable rates until the age of 30. After this age, private insurance may be a more economical choice.

4. Cost Considerations

Public health insurance premiums are income-based, approximately 14.6% of your gross salary, shared equally between employer and employee. Private insurance premiums are determined by factors such as age, health status, and chosen coverage, potentially offering more personalized benefits.

5. Family Coverage

Public insurance often includes free coverage for non-working spouses and children. In contrast, private insurance requires separate premiums for each family member.

6. Switching Between Insurance Types

Transitioning from private back to public insurance can be challenging, especially for those over 55. Employees under this age earning below the income threshold may re-enter the public system. Self-employed individuals might need to take up employment to qualify for public insurance again.

7. Choosing an Insurance Provider

Germany has numerous public and private health insurance providers. When selecting one, consider factors like customer service (availability of English-speaking support), coverage options, and additional benefits. Providers such as TK and Barmer are popular among expatriates for public insurance, while companies like Feather offer tailored private insurance plans for internationals.

8. Application Process

To apply for health insurance, you'll typically need:

Passport or ID
Proof of residence (Anmeldung)
Employment contract or proof of income
Bank account details

Ensure timely enrollment to avoid gaps in coverage, as proof of health insurance is often required for visa applications and employment contracts.

9. Additional Contributions

Some public health insurers charge an additional contribution (Zusatzbeitrag) on top of the standard premium. These rates can vary annually and between providers. For instance, in 2025, the contribution increased from 1.49% to 3.89%.

10. Digital Health Records

Starting January 15, 2025, all individuals with statutory health insurance in Germany will have access to an electronic patient file (EPA). This digital record will house essential health information such as medication details, lab results, vaccination records, and dental treatment plans, aiming to make healthcare more efficient and safer.

Understanding Germany's health insurance system is vital for a smooth transition and ensuring you receive the healthcare you need. Evaluate your personal circumstances to choose the most suitable insurance option.

Living in Munich as an Expat

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 09:03:00 +0000

Pros and Cons of Living in Munich

Home to the world-famous Oktoberfest, endless greenery, and enough history and culture to keep you occupied for weeks on end, Munich has become a popular destination for expats looking to settle down in one of Europe’s best cities. However, like every city across the globe, Munich has its own unique perks and pitfalls.

If you’re still unsure whether this German city is for you, we’ve put together a list of the pros and cons of living in Munich as an expat, covering everything from whether the city is considered to be a safe place to live and how to navigate the high-tier educational institutions.

Pros of Living in Munich

With thousands of expats choosing to make Munich their home each year, it won’t come as a surprise that there are plenty of pros to living in Munich. Here’s what we found.

1. Plenty to see and do close by

Home to more than 65 museums, Munich is said to be the heart of German history and culture. Whether you’re a history buff or an art lover, Munich’s many museums have you covered to keep your weekends in check. Head over to the Kunstareal, a cluster of art galleries with high-profile pieces from international artists, or over to the Munich Residenz for an insight into 14th-century German history.

For those days when the sun is shining, why not grab some fresh air in the city's many open spaces? With more than 20% of Munich made up of parks and green spaces, including the picture-perfect Englischer Garten, there’s no better way to spend a summer’s day. What’s more, getting away on a day trip or weekend break isn’t difficult when the Bavarian Alps are just a stone’s throw away.

2. Wide range of career opportunities

With the headquarters of BMW, Google, Microsoft, and Siemens in Munich, the city is quickly attracting expats looking for their next career opportunity. While the service sector remains the city’s biggest industry, Munich also sees huge activity in the technology, engineering, and financial sectors, opening up a wealth of opportunities for those that want them.

What’s more, you don't have to speak German fluently to secure a job with one of these major brands. German-based companies are regularly looking for English speakers and international workers to work for them in Munich. Saying that, having some basic German under your belt will always help when it comes to integrating with your co-workers and understanding the ins and outs of your contract as well as day-to-day interactions.

3. You can get by speaking English

With a huge international population, it’s no surprise that the vast majority of people in Munich can speak a good level of English. This is especially true in the city center, where workers are used to interacting with tourists and visitors from across the world. However, while English is sufficient for daily life, learning German is generally a must-do for long-termers.

Understanding and being able to speak a good level of German will unlock a different type of life in Munich. Not only will it make the infamously difficult bureaucracy a lot easier to get your head around, but it will also give you a better chance of meeting and making friends with locals, making your integration into society all the easier.

What makes integration into Munich even easier is its huge population of expats. In fact, it's said that 25% of residents in the city have an international background, giving you the perfect opportunity to find like-minded individuals.

Credits: Daniel Seßler (Unsplash)

4. There’s a neighborhood to suit everyone

Munich can be divided into 25 separate city districts or Stadtbezirke as they are known locally, giving you a huge choice of places to find accommodation. From the historic heart of Munich, known as the Old Town, to the leafy green suburbs of Neuhausen, there’s something for young professionals, families, or solo travelers. Here are some of our top picks for the best neighborhoods in Munich.

Alstadt. Otherwise known as the Old Town, Alstadt makes up the very heart of the city and is surrounded by Munich’s most famous landmarks. Home to cobblestone streets and medieval architecture, life in the city center is a busy but fascinating experience.
Maxvorstadt. Living in the neighborhood of Maxvorstadt puts the majority of Munich’s most famous cultural landscapes right on your doorstep, including the Alte Pinakothek, Glyptothek, and Egyptian Museum.
Neuhausen. Neuhausen has become one of Munich’s most popular suburbs for families, and there’s good reason for it. With Schlosspark Nymphenburg just moments away and spacious residential accommodations, this neighborhood offers the perfect balance of proximity to the city center and the great outdoors.
Giesing. Once a village of its own, Giesing has slowly been absorbed into the city of Munich. On the outskirts of the hustle and bustle, the neighborhood retains its village-like feel and offers budget-friendly rental prices for those who don’t mind living a little further from the center.

5. Education is top quality

Whether you’re moving to Munich with your family and want to ensure top-quality education for your little ones or are looking to enroll as a student yourself at one of the city’s top-ranked universities, you’re in luck. Munich is home to endless educational institutions, many of which are considered to have a high standard of excellence in teaching.

The majority of expat children tend to enroll in one of the city’s international schools, where they can receive an education in English or their native language. Alternatively, some choose to integrate their children more into the local community by sending them to a public or private school in the city. This has proven to be particularly beneficial for younger children who can quickly adapt to their new environment and pick up the German language at the same time. You’ll also find a range of special needs schools and tutoring services to support your children in any way that they need.

In terms of higher education, Munich is home to several top-ranking universities offering hundreds of different specialties. These include Ludwig Maximilian University, Technische Universitat, and the Munich School of Philosophy. What’s more, higher education at public institutions is considered to be some of the most affordable in Europe.

6. One of the safest cities in Germany

Not only has Munich been named one of Germany’s safest cities, but it's also recently been crowned as the eight-safest city in the world. The overall risk of coming across crime is much lower than average probabilities around the world, and violent crime is scarce in the city. However, that doesn’t mean that petty crime doesn’t happen. As you’d expect in any busy city around the world, there is still a small chance of pickpockets and scam risks, but if you have your wits about you, you shouldn't have a problem.

7. Established and affordable public transport network

For a large city, Munich is incredibly easy to navigate, and we have a well-established public transport network to thank for that. Boasting reliable bus, train, and metro services between the city center and its suburbs, commuting is relatively easy. Plus, if you consider yourself somewhat of a cyclist, the city’s many bike lanes will keep you safe on the road.

To make things easier, Munich is divided into seven different transport zones, all with their own pricing and connections. If you’re living relatively centrally, you’ll only really need to worry about the M zone, which covers the heart of the city and its inner suburbs. Weekly, monthly and annual tickets allow for unlimited journeys for a set fee, and there's a generous discount for students too. What’s more, the S-Bahn, which is the train system connecting Munich and its many districts, tends to run until 1 am and start up again at 4 am, allowing for almost 24-hour transport around the city.

Cons of Living in Munich

Living in Munich isn’t without its pitfalls, including a higher cost of living, tricky bureaucracy, and a cooler climate. Here, we explore a few of the cons of living in Munich.

1. Rental costs are above the German average

One of the main reasons some expats may look past Munich as a place to settle for the long term is its higher-than-average rental prices. While monthly rentals in Munich do not compare to the heady heights of living in European capitals like London and Paris, it is generally more expensive than in other German cities.

For example, if you’re looking for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center, you can expect to pay upwards of €1,350/month. Heading out into the suburbs, this price can drop to around €1,000/month and can cost as little as €750/month if you’re happy to move into a house share.

2. Finding long-term accommodation can be difficult

As is the case with most popular cities across Europe and in Germany, the demand for accommodation in Munich outweighs the supply. This can make finding accommodation here a frustrating process. However, if you start your search well in advance of your moving date, explore as many rental avenues as possible and keep an eye out for online listings, you will find that your stars align, and you’ll find your dream home in the big city.

Munich is home to various accommodation options, including flat shares, studio flats, traditional homes, modern condos, and serviced apartments. Many choose to secure a serviced apartment in Munich for the first few weeks or even months of their time in Munich, which can make things easier when it comes to organizing your longer-term permanent accommodation and other red tape like the infamous Schufa.

3. Understanding German bureaucracy can be frustrating

Not unique to Munich, German bureaucracy can make getting settled in the country a bit of a headache. Everything from registering in your local city, opening a bank account, setting up Wi-Fi, and securing accommodation can require in-person appointments and lots of paperwork, some of which isn’t always translated into English. Here’s a quick checklist of must-do’s to make your transition to Munich a lot smoother:

Anmelden. If you’re planning to stay in Germany for more than three months, you’ll need to register your address within 14 days of moving to your new apartment. On completion of this process, you’ll receive your Meldebescheinigung, an essential document that you will need for things like getting a local sim card and opening a local bank account.
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Once you’ve found your accommodation, you’ll need proof of your address, otherwise known as a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.
Health Insurance. Long-term residents must sign up for the local public or private health insurance system to ensure access to health services like hospitals and GPs.
Bank account. Opening a local bank account will make things like getting paid your salary or setting up accounts with utility providers much easier. Mind, you will need your Meldebescheinigung before you can do this (Except with N26).

4. Cold winters and unpredictable summers

The climate in Munich can be unpredictable, to say the least. While you’re likely to have several warm and dry summer days, there are usually just as many that are gray, rainy, and overcast. Winters aren’t bitterly cold, but thunderstorms, snow, and plenty of rain aren’t uncommon. Saying that, if you’re not searching for an endless summer, and are equipped with an umbrella and a waterproof jacket, the weather in Munich is more than manageable. Especially on those warm summer days, where the city’s close access to the Alps and multiple mountain trails make it all worth it.

Credits: Malek Boukhris (Unsplash)

Final Thoughts on Living in Munich as an Expat

Rich with history and culture, boasting an abundance of career opportunities, and a relatively low crime rate, the pros of living in Munich tend to outweigh the cons for many. While you may need a higher than average salary to live a comfortable lifestyle in Munich and an ounce of patience to deal with the often complicated red tape, life in the city offers up a balanced lifestyle, with access to sought-after career opportunities as well as the great outdoors.

Cost of Living in Munich

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Tue, 29 Jun 2021 18:47:00 +0000

How much does it cost to live in Munich?

Updated: June 2021

Cost of Living in Munich in 2021

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Munich is well-known in Germany for being the country’s most expensive city. In 2020, the city was ranked 72nd out of 209 cities across the globe (source), coming in as more expensive than Madrid and Brussels, but less expensive than Milan and Paris. But with cities like Berlin and Hamburg growing more populous and expensive every year and a predicted fall in Munich’s real estate prices, will Munich soon be considered an affordable option? Let’s dive deep into Munich’s cost of living in 2021 to find out:

Price of accommodation

Renting an apartment in Munich will be the largest monthly expense for most people. Housing costs are currently significantly higher here than in other German cities, with a 1-bedroom apartment in the city center costing on average almost €1300 per month. Living outside of the center will lower the price by about a quarter. Investing in property in Munich will also cost you a pretty penny: the Bavarian city is currently the most expensive place to buy an apartment in Germany, with an average value of €8,442 per square meter in 2020. That being said, Jochen Möbert, an expert at Deutsche Bank, recently stated that housing prices are expected to drop in coming years. However, this is just an estimation, and prices are still at an all-time high.

Did you know that you'll be asked to provide a proof of Privathaftpflichtversicherung (private liability insurance) and, if any dog, Hundehaftpflicht (dog liability insurance) when renting an apartment? This is to cover damages caused by you or your dog to the rented property.

Cost of food

Food provisions in Munich are similarly priced to the rest of Germany, with a carton of milk costing around €1. For expats familiar with German grocery stores, the monthly food allowance will be mostly the same as in any other German city. Depending on how large your family is and which food preferences you have, you can expect to spend between €200-500 every month on groceries. For those who like to buy lunch out, the average cost of a lunchtime menu in the business district is around €11.

Restaurants and entertainment

Eating out in Munich is more expensive than in Berlin, but not significantly higher than in other European cities. At an inexpensive restaurant, the main dish will cost around €14, while a meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant will cost around €60. A cappuccino at a café costs on average €3.20. Two tickets to the movies will be around €22, and a cocktail at a downtown club will be about €10.

Transportation

Public transportation in Munich is about 10% more expensive than Berlin, with a one-way ticket costing €3.30. A monthly transport ticket will cost about €61, which is cheaper than driving a car. Gas is somewhere around €1.32/liter, but car insurance and taxes are costly, as is parking within the city center. That being said, Munich is a great city to get around with a bicycle, with many bike lanes throughout the metropolis.

Conclusion

Munich is undeniably an expensive city when compared to the rest of Germany. Housing prices, especially, have skyrocketed in recent years. According to Deutsche Bank, if the prices continue to rise at the current rate, Munich will replace Paris as the most expensive European city in 2024. However, Deutsche Bank also predicts that the current value growth rate is not maintainable and real estate prices are expected to level off if not drop in the next few years. Food, entertainment, and transportation are slightly higher in Munich than in other German cities but are still within reason and comparable to most other large European metropolises. It should also be noted that salaries are generally higher in Munich than in Berlin or other parts of Germany. With these facts in mind, Munich is not necessarily an unaffordable city for expats looking for a new German home.

Author: Catherine Norris from EverEstate

Originating from Tennessee, Catherine has been living in Berlin since 2017, and writing for the EverEstate blog since 2019. EverEstate is the digital platform of the ZIEGERT Group for real estate brokerage, with a forward-looking digital approach and a superb portfolio of properties in Berlin, Leipzig and beyond.

7 Steps for Setting Up as a Freelancer in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 09:39:00 +0000

Step-by-Step Guide for Becoming Self-Employed in Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

We have all heard how difficult it is to become freelancer or self-employed in Germany. Lots of paperwork and confusing information online!

We made it easy for you because simplifying bureaucracy is our mission!

Find below a step-by-step guide for setting up as a freelancer in Germany. No bla bla bla... Just facts!

[STEP ONE] ANMELDUNG

tax ID (Steuer-ID) by post within 2-3 weeks. Without registration, you cannot work in Germany or do the next bureaucratic steps.

Important: Your name must be on the mailbox on the delivery day.

Paperwork: Bring your completed and duly signed Anmeldung form, a valid ID or passport

and a completed & signed landlord letter to your local citizens' office for registering your address in Germany. Make also sure to bring all translated documents proving your civil status: translated marriage certificate, translated divorce certificate, translated children's birth certificates, etc.

Appointment: Book directly an appointment for your Anmeldung here if you live in Berlin. Other locations: Hamburg - Düsseldorf - Frankfurt - Cologne - Dortmund - Stuttgart - Munich.

If you live in another city, you first need to search for your local registration office here (select "Einwohnermeldeamt", insert your ZIP code & hit the search button), then search for the "Termin" page to book an appointment.

[STEP TWO] GERMAN SIM CARD

Get a German SIM card and/or a phone plan. You need one because you will have to add it on the freelancer registration form in case the Finance department wants to get in touch with you.

Here are a few suggestions.

[STEP THREE] BANK ACCOUNT

Open a German bank account. You need one because you will have to add a German bank account number (IBAN) on the registration form to become a freelancer.

As a freelancer, the best choice for a bank account would be N26 (because not all banks accept freelancers!). It's totally free and you also get a free Mastercard (Debit).

[STEP FOUR] REGISTRATION AS A FREELANCER

Register as a freelancer or self-employed to get a tax number (Steuernummer) and a VAT number sent by post to your registered address within 2-3 weeks. You can do this process easily online and in English for free using this website. They have good customer support in English if you need help filling in the form.

Important: You need to already have a Steuer-ID (see Step One), a SIM card (see Step Two) and a German IBAN (see Step Three) to be able to fill in entirely the registration form.

[STEP FIVE] HEALTH INSURANCE

Take out German health insurance. It is mandatory to have one in Germany, you cannot start working without having proper health insurance!

If you are a freelancer who recently arrived in Germany from a non-EU country, your best choice at the beginning would be to take out expat health insurance. We recommend this insurance provider as they are cheap, popular, in English and 100% digital. They have excellent online reviews.

If you are an EU citizen, you should request a free and non-binding quote from this local independent insurance broker who will find you the best health insurance plan that meets your needs.

[STEP SIX] POST DELIVERY

It's done! Once you get your freelancer tax number and VAT number by post (within 2-3 weeks from the freelancer registration), you can start working as a freelancer and issue invoices.

You can also use this service for free to create professional invoices and connect your bank account.

[STEP SEVEN] VAT & TAX RETURNS

Once you start working, you will need to file quarterly or biannual VAT returns. Every 3 or 6 months, you need to declare your VAT to the tax authorities (via ELSTER); then at a later stage, you also have to do your income tax return...

You can do everything online using this website again. You can start for free then upgrade to a different plan depending on the size of your business.

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We hope this guide was useful and could help you relocate smoothly to Germany, stress-free!

What is Haftpflichtversicherung?

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 11:28:00 +0000

"Was is das?" Blog Series:

What is Haftpflichtversicherung?

This is our first article of the series "Was is das?" (in English: "What is this?"). We will try to explain with simple words the German terminology in particular fields like insurance, banking, finance, real estate, immigration, etc. We will also give you examples of typical situations that could happen in real life, so you can visualise it better. Basically, everything about German bureaucracy.

You will need to know all or some of those terms if you intend to live in Germany as they will be part of your daily life. Those words are needed as they are the first steps you will need to take out to settle down in Germany.

German bureaucracy is a jungle, we will help you with it and try to facilitate your move to Germany. Simplifying bureaucracy is our mission. Enjoy our first article of the "Was is das?" Series!

What is Haftpflichtversicherung?

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Haftpflichtversicherung, Privathaftpflichtversicherung or Privathaftpflicht (or just Haftpflicht) means Third-Party Private or Personal Liability Insurance in German.

Private liability insurance is optional, but one of the most popular and important insurances to have in Germany. Indeed, if you accidentally damage another person’s property or injure someone in your day-to-day life, you are liable for all your personal assets (cash, investments, properties, vehicles, furniture, etc). That’s German law (source)!

If you have private liability insurance, you can protect yourself against financial risks and potential lawsuit costs.

What is covered by private liability insurance?

Here are some examples:

If you accidentally drop and break your friend’s new MacBook Pro, you will be held liable for the damage. In other words, you will owe him 2,700€. With private liability insurance, you do not have to be worried; your provider will take care of that amount.

If you accidentally drop a glass of red wine on your neighbour's carpet, you will be held liable for the damage. In other words, you will have to pay out of your own pocket for the carpet cleaning service or – even worse – buy him a new carpet if the wine stains can’t be removed. This could cost you up to 3,000€... Unless you have private liability insurance that will pay the bill for you.

If you accidentally drop a pot of flowers from your second-floor balcony on another person’s car or – even worse – cause personal damage with possible hospitalisation to that person, you will be held liable as the party responsible for the damages. This could easily run into several thousand euros, if not more. If you have taken out private liability insurance, your provider could cover the hefty costs of that person’s treatment and hospital stay, and even pay for the car damages.

If your kids accidentally scratch another person’s car with their bikes, you will be held liable for the damage. A surface scratch can cost you as little as 150€, but a deep paint scratch can cost upwards of 3,000€.

If your 4 years old daughter accidentally belted a soccer ball into another kid’s face, but that kid was wearing glasses! Glasses were broken and there was blood coming out from this kid’s nose... You will be held liable for the broken glasses as well as the injury (potential hospitalisation). Your provider could cover the costs of that kid’s treatments and pay for brand-new glasses.

You rented a furnished flat and accidentally hit the TV while vacuuming the floor. The screen is completely broken and the TV that you do not own needs to be replaced. You will be held liable by your landlord for the damage. With private liability insurance, you do not have to be worried; your insurance provider will take care of the bill.

You are in a parking lot entering your car to leave the place, but the owner of the car next to you claims that you scratched his car’s door when opening yours, but you actually didn’t do it. You can protect yourself against potential litigation costs if you have private liability insurance.

If you lose the keys to the entrance of your rented apartment building, you will be held liable by your landlord for the loss. Landlords usually charge between 40€ to 60€ for key replacements and around 1,000€ in case all building locks need to be replaced. Don't worry, your private insurance provider even covers you for those expenses.

If you’re driving a rented car abroad in Europe and cause damage to someone else or their property, you will be held liable for the damages or injuries caused. With private liability insurance, you do not have to be worried; your insurance provider will take care of the whole bill.

Imagine this scenario: You are crossing the road with a red light causing a car to hit a traffic signpost after trying to avoid hitting you. The driver is injured and incapable of working again. The driver's injuries and damages could cost you millions. Private liability insurance will save your life in this case. Make sure to choose a provider with high financial coverage.

Third-party liability insurance can protect you from an unimaginable financial crisis, defend you against potential litigation costs and save you from additional bureaucracy. In other words, it will help you to enjoy a peaceful and stress-free life in Germany (and abroad).
Also, private liability insurance is cheap despite it being the second most important insurance in Germany after health insurance. The regular monthly price for this type of insurance varies between 3€ to 6€ on average.

What is not covered by third-party private liability insurance?

Damages or injuries made by your dog or drone to another person or to someone else's property. In order to be protected against financial risks and potential lawsuit costs, you need to take out dog liability insurance (check out here) and drone liability insurance (check out here).

This is another topic. We will be writing about dog and drone liability insurance very soon... We will keep you posted.

Other stuff that isn't covered: Damage to your property caused by yourself, window damage in rented living spaces, car accidents (more details here) and damage from deterioration.

Are any other animals insured with private liability insurance?

Private liability insurance covers tame pets like cats, small domesticated animals and bees. This includes pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, pigeons, chickens, other poultry and bees, as long as they are kept for private purposes. Wild small animals (such as spiders, chameleons, and Norway rats) are also insured.

Animals that aren't included in the coverage: dogs (more details here), cattle, horses and other riding animals and animals used for commercial or agricultural purposes.

What is the financial coverage for private liability insurance?

If you choose a good insurance provider, you can cover yourself for up to €50 million in damages, injuries and litigation costs.

Is it possible to get an insurance tailored to your needs in less than 5 minutes on your phone?

Yes! Get the best insurance coverage on your smartphone – all in a matter of minutes.

✓Enjoy worldwide coverage ✓No fixed duration, can be cancelled at any time ✓ 100% digital ✓100% in English ✓Insure yourself in just 5 minutes ✓Flexible - Extensions can be added at any time ✓24-hour service ✓Payouts made in a matter of minutes ✓Cover yourself for up to €50m ✓Award-winning products

»» Get a Private Liability Insurance Quote Now ««

We will keep you posted about our next "Was is das" Blog Series soon...

Filing your Taxes as a Freelancer in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 12:34:00 +0000

How to File your Taxes as a Freelancer in Germany

Learn how you can easily file taxes as a self-employed in Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Filing taxes in Germany can be tricky, especially if you don’t speak German. Making a mistake could end up costing you a lot of money! As a freelancer in Germany, you are probably finding the German tax system too complicated to manage on your own. Doing your taxes as a freelancer is way more complicated than doing it as a regular employee.

Hiring a Steuerberater (German tax consultant) who can offer advice in English can be very expensive! You may not be able to afford it if you just arrived in Germany and do not have a steady income yet.

In this post, we will write about an affordable alternative to file your taxes and VAT to the authorities as a freelancer in Germany. We can recommend you an online & English-language tax tool for freelancers working in Germany. Keep reading this article to learn how you can file your taxes as a self-employed person in Germany.

What is the online tax tool we are talking about?

The tax tool is called "Sorted" and was created to help freelancers in Germany deal with their taxes. Sorted is available in German and English.

Why choose "Sorted" to do your taxes as a freelancer?

This tax tool guides you through your registration process with your local Finanzamt: freelancer registration, tax number and VAT applications.
It tracks all your expenses and invoices
It files your income tax return (Steuererklärung)
It files your VAT return (Umsatzsteuererklärung)
It files your advance VAT declaration (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung)
It files your profit report
It gives you access to certified tax consultants
It is available in English
No ELSTER account or certificate is needed.

Click here to try out Sorted for FREE!

Who can use Sorted?

Sorted is a tool for German & non-German speaking freelancers and self-employed in Germany.

Freelancers (Freiberufler) & businesses with a single owner (Einzelunternehmern) and not registered as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company can use Sorted to do their freelancer taxes.

Note: In Germany, many independent academics (doctors, lawyers, IT specialists, and so on) are also designated as freelancers (Freiberufler).

How can I register as a freelancer in Germany?

If you are not yet a freelancer in Germany but want to become one, you can just sign up with Sorted to register officially yourself as a self-employed with the German tax authorities.

They provide you with a tax registration form in English and directly submit it online to your local Finanzamt once completed. This process is totally free.

If you are already a freelancer in Germany, then you can use Sorted for your bookkeeping, tax & VAT declarations.

Do I need to charge VAT?

In German, Value Added Tax (VAT) is called either Umsatzsteuer or Mehrwertsteuer (MwSt).

Value-Added Tax is the consumption tax throughout the European Union, levied on almost everything sold in the EU. Your customer’s location determines what VAT you need to charge.

The tax office relies on you to report and declare the Value Added Tax on a monthly or quarterly basis, and the only money you will be able to keep for yourself is your income, after-tax.

Exception: You may count as a “Small Trader” (in German: Kleinunternehmer) if your revenue for the whole first year is less than 17,550€, and less than 50,000€ for the next business year (estimation). In this case, you do not need to charge VAT to your customers.

How can I pay my taxes in Germany?

You can submit your tax declaration to the Finanzamt online through Sorted.

Sorted helps you file your income tax return (Steuererklärung), VAT return (Umsatzsteuererklärung), profit report and advance VAT declaration (Umsatzsteuer-Voranmeldung); the whole process is in English and online.

How does it work?

Sorted submits your tax declaration directly to the Finanzamt through the official ELSTER interface.

Bear in mind that it might take a few weeks before the Finanzamt actually reviews your tax declaration and sends you a tax assessment via post.

How much does it cost to do my taxes with Sorted?

You can register as a freelancer online, invoice your clients, track income and expenses and connect your bank account for free.

You only have to pay if you book a consultation with a tax advisor or purchase an additional tax service (submission of your yearly tax reports, monthly or quarterly VAT declaration, etc).

Important: Once you start earning above a certain threshold, you will need to submit a monthly or quarterly VAT declaration to the tax authorities. This is the law! This could be done easily with the "Kleinunternehmer Plan" (for income lower than €22.000 per year) or the "Pro Plan" (for income above €22.000 per year). More details here.

In brief, if you want to do your freelancing taxes in Germany, we recommend you try out Sorted. Try out their Free "Starter Plan" first and register as a freelancer, then upgrade to their "Kleinunternehmer Plan" or "Pro Plan" whenever you need it.

Try it out for free now!

Is there any alternative to Sorted?

If you also need a German bank account specifically designed for freelancers and want to combine it with a tax service, you should choose Kontist. Kontist is an advanced business bank account with automated bookkeeping in real-time, and a seamlessly integrated tax service.

Taxes, bookkeeping and banking under one roof! Kontist Tax Service organizes all your tax topics and your financial bookkeeping. Completely. They take care of your advance VAT payments, P&L, adjustment of advance payments based on your current income, tax declarations and much more. Besides, their proficient and experienced tax advisors advise you on all tax-related questions. More details here.

Unfortunately, they do not offer any online registration with the German tax authorities. So if you need to apply for a tax number and a VAT number to register as a freelancer, you will need to use the free registration service offered by Sorted.

Try it out for free now!

Top 10 things to do when moving to Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Wed, 27 May 2020 11:28:00 +0000

Ten things to know when relocating to Germany

I am not much of a list-writer, but I do believe there is a benefit to gathering information together in the same space for specific topics.

When I first decided to move to Germany, I found myself searching multiple sites as I tried to gather the required information I needed; sometimes I was successful in finding a list or an instructional “to-do” type document, but most often, I found myself having to write my own lists. I thought I would compile a list or two here in this blog to assist my readers, thinking that these lists might be helpful to someone else; so here it is: the top ten things to do when moving to Germany.

10 Must-Do's When Moving to Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

VISA [if applicable]

I wrote an entire blog post (and more) on this subject so all I will say here is to have a valid visa that allows you to be in the country for a space of time (3 months, 6 months, 2 years… whatever-just have a visa).

More details about German visas here and here.
If you want to apply for the EU Blue Card, you can find more details here.

FLAT/PLACE TO LIVE

This is another one that I have already written about extensively in full blog posts. Whether you use a sublet for your first few months, or an Airbnb, hostel, WG or you found your own flat, you need a space to live that will allow you to legally register at that address.

Read here, here and here how to find accommodation in Germany.

ANMELDUNG

There’s a full blog post on this item: suffice it to say, you need to register (Anmeldung) within two weeks of moving to your new address (this time frame is listed on the government site so I am repeating it here). At the end of that process, you will get the so-called Meldebescheinigung (proof of registration); this is a required certificate/piece of paper that you need in order to get a residence permit, tax ID, health insurance, bank account, and many other vital things to establishing a life in Germany.

Once you are registered, you will receive by post, within 2 to 3 weeks, a tax ID called Identifikationsnummer. Everyone living in Germany is required to have one. Don't confuse that number with the Steuernummer (tax number) which is only required if you want to become a freelancer or run your own business.

Read here how to get a Steuernummer and become a freelancer. If you need more details about the Anmeldung, read this article. Here you will get more info about the tax ID.

If you want to get a tax number and a VAT number to work as a freelancer in Germany, you can use this free service. All the process is online and in English.

If you need more details on how to become a freelancer, you can follow these 7 steps in this article.

BANK ACCOUNT

Once you’ve registered, you need to get a bank account; I wrote an entire article on this and am stating that you need the Anmeldung in order to get a normal checking account (You do NOT need to be registered to open a bank account with N26; I opened myself an account with them as they accept freelancers. Check out their different plans here).

Read this article about the various banking possibilities you have.

SIM CARD

I compared the different SIMs on offer and the different plans available in this article; whichever service you decide to use, you will need to be registered and have your ID/passport validated in order to get the SIM turned on so you can use it.

HEALTH INSURANCE

In order to live in Germany, you must have health insurance. This is German law!

In Germany, there is public health insurance, private health insurance and expat health insurance; there are lots of pros and cons for each.

Basically, you must opt for public health insurance if you are employed and earn less than 64,350€ per year. On the other hand, you are allowed to opt for private health insurance if you earn more than 64,350€ per year or are a freelancer.

If you are self-employed, or currently looking for a job, and have just moved to Germany from a non-EU country, then you should sign up for expat health insurance (limited to 5 years - not valid for residence permit extension). Once you have a steady income, you can easily cancel and switch to public or private health insurance. The most popular expat health insurance provider in Germany is Feather.

If you need more details about the health insurance system in Germany, you can read this complete guide.

AUSLÄNDERBEHÖRDE [if applicable]

This is German for “foreigners office”. You will find an in-depth article on the LABO and what documents you need for this appointment here, but one small step you need to take when you first arrive in Germany is to make an appointment for your residence permit.

Make that appointment within your tourist visa time; by this I mean just book the appointment even if it is months and months away so you can remain in the country with an “extension” as long as you have a booked appointment.

LEARN GERMAN

Find/Pick a German Language School: Do some research and determine which language class works for you and your schedule; there is a separate article you can read here regarding the differences in some of the most popular programs around Berlin specifically (many of those schools offer online lessons!). You need to determine which one offers class times that work for you, or which one uses a learning program that works for you.

If you want to learn German online, you can use this website.

OTHER INSURANCES

I am including this step because it is an important one. You need to be aware that Germans are fans of insurances and you need to get some coverage for yourself. As a renter, pet owner, driver, etc… living in Germany means that you will have multiple liability insurances so get researching.

If you want to protect your personal belongings, you will need to buy household insurance.

If you want to protect yourself and your family in the event that you are held responsible for bodily injury or property damage to a third party, then you will have to get personal liability insurance (often mandatory for renting an apartment).

If you own a dog, you can buy dog liability insurance (mandatory for renting an apartment) and pet health insurance. By German law, it is mandatory to have dog liability insurance in Berlin, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein. In other states, it will depend on the dog breed.

You can read this article for more details.

NEIGHBORHOOD

Exploring your neighborhood: this serves a few purposes- regardless of the length of time you’ll be in that specific neighborhood, you need to learn the closest public transport stops, the closest grocery shops, the closest bank/ATMs, doctor’s offices, schools, daycare, cafes, furniture stores, etc. etc.

This also serves the purpose of you learning whether or not you like this part of town. If you don’t, you know you need to explore further afield to get an idea of where you might want to live long term.

Take public transport and get lost. Find your favorite restaurants and cafes and just enjoy this amazing city you are now a resident of. Enjoy!

Tres C is an American who’s lived and worked all over the world and who has traveled extensively. She moved to Berlin in July 2017 with her dogs; she’s excited to share her hard-earned knowledge about relocating to Berlin through her writing on this blog.

Anmeldung & Tax ID during the Coronavirus

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 07:00:00 +0000

How to get Anmeldung & tax ID in times of Coronavirus?

How to get registered in Germany when all Anmeldung offices are closed?

[Enthält Werbelinks]

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[News] Information on entry restrictions and quarantine regulations in Germany.

» More details here «

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[News] Germany is in a strict lockdown. Travel has not been banned, but an appeal was issued to refrain from non-essential trips. The borders remain open. Here's what you need to know about Germany's entry regulations.

» More details here «

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A few days ago we talked with Aakash who moved to Germany 3 weeks ago. With a German visa in his pocket, he moved from his hometown in India to Munich for employment purposes. He received a very good job opportunity to work in a startup as a Senior Engineer. So here he is, in Germany, during a worldwide crisis called COVID-19... or as it is generally known: Coronavirus.

Aakash stumbled upon our website after looking for information about the so-called Anmeldung(1) and the tax ID(2).

(1) The Anmeldung is the process of registering your address at the citizen's office (Bürgeramt). The Anmeldung is necessary for getting tax ID, health insurance, residence permit, etc.

(2) The Identifikationsnummer, IdNr or SteuerID is your unique & permanent tax identification number. Your employer needs your tax ID to calculate your income tax. The only way to get a tax ID is to do the Anmeldung.

He emailed us asking one very good question that he couldn’t find an answer to: “How am I going to get my first salary if I cannot register my address and get a tax ID?”. “I can’t even get German health insurance without the Anmeldung! (3)”

(3) Health insurance is mandatory for everyone living in Germany. You cannot get health insurance without first doing your Anmeldung.

Indeed, that was a very good question! What’s going on?

Basically, in order to keep the risk of infection with the Coronavirus as low as possible, German authorities have decided to shut down their administrative offices in the entire country. Depending on where you are in Germany, either all, or some, of the Bürgerbüros(4) must remain closed until further notice. Also, all appointments booked for the Anmeldung expire!

(4) Depending on where you live in Germany, the citizens' office where you need to register your address is called differently. It could be named Bürgeramt, Bürgerbüro or Kundenzentrum.

But let’s back up a little bit... After 3 weeks of intense home searching, Aakash finally managed to find a flat using the largest search engine for furnished apartments in Germany (upon our advice). The flat-hunting wasn’t easy. Not only because the demand was higher than the number of offers, but also because some landlords won’t rent out their apartments to prospective tenants with an Anmeldung. Luckily, most of the landlords listing on our partner’s website were accepting it. Just to make sure, as we recommended him to do, Aakash sent the landlord a message to know if the Anmeldung was permitted... and the answer was YES! Success... Apartment booked online!

So here he is, just moved into his new home... His landlord handed him a letter(5) that he completed and signed for the registration office. Aakash also filled in the registration form(6) for Munich in English using our free digital and multilingual registration form; and within 5 minutes, received the original PDF form totally translated into German.

Meanwhile, a friend announced to Aakash that all citizens' offices in Munich were closed because of the Coronavirus! Bad luck! Not having a clue what to do, he asked us for some help... so here we go!

(5) The “landlord letter” (in German: Wohnungsgeberbestätigung or Vermieterbescheinigung) is mandatory to get registered in Germany. It is a document given by the landlord or the main tenant to prove that you are allowed to live at that address.

(6) To register your address in Germany, you must fill the so called Anmeldung form (in German: Anmeldeformular) and bring it to any Bürgeramt in your city, unless you speak perfect German and can answer questions in German.

So Aakash is in Munich where all the offices for the Anmeldung and the tax ID are closed! What now? His employer asked him for a tax ID which he can only get if he does the Anmeldung, but how can he do the Anmeldung if all citizens' offices are closed? How can he get his salary paid without a tax ID?! How can he get health insurance without the Anmeldung? How can he get his work permit without an address registration? All good questions we had to investigate further with the German authorities.

So we made a few calls & sent a few emails and here is all the information we managed to gather...

Despite all, or some, offices being closed in your city, you can sometimes take advantage of a temporary service for registering your address and getting a tax ID online or by post. However, in most cases, your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. In other words, your Anmeldung needs to be URGENT! For reasons of data protection law, the registration certificate(7) can ONLY be delivered by post and, in most cases, you would also receive an invoice with an admin fee to be paid. Here below we explain how to get your Anmeldung and your tax ID in some of the largest cities in Germany.

(7) The registration certificate (in German: Meldebescheinigung) is the registration proof you will get at the end of the Anmeldung process at the Bürgerbüro. Keep this certificate safe as you will need it for many bureaucratic matters.

If the Anmeldung by post or email is possible, written applications must be sent to the respective residential district to which you have moved!

The following documents must be submitted in full: a signed & completed registration form, a move-in confirmation letter signed by the homeowner (aka landlord letter) and a valid ID or passport (incl. visa if applicable).

Anmeldung in Berlin:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent! Unfortunately, there is no centralized point of contact for the Anmeldung.

Phones & Emails: mygermanexpert.com/go/buergeramt-berlin

Anmeldung in Hamburg:

Phones & Emails: mygermanexpert.com/go/kundenzentrum-hamburg

Anmeldung in Munich:

The residence registration can be done by post (until further notice). There is no guarantee your request will be handled if it is not urgent! You will need a completed & signed Anmeldung form, a completed & signed landlord letter and a copy of your ID or passport. All those documents need to be sent to:

Kreisverwaltungsreferat

Bürgerbüro

Ruppertstraße 19

80466 München

Phone number (for questions): 089 / 233-96000

Anmeldung in Cologne:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!

Phone number: 0221 / 221-26070

Email: buergerbuero@stadt-koeln.de

Anmeldung in Frankfurt am Main:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!

Phone number: 069 / 212-31600

Email: buergeramt.zentrale@stadt-frankfurt.de

Anmeldung in Stuttgart:

Phones & Emails: mygermanexpert.com/go/buergeramt-stuttgart

Anmeldung in Düsseldorf:

The residence registration can be done by email (until further notice). There is no guarantee your request will be handled if it is not urgent! You will need a copy of a completed & signed Anmeldung form, a copy of a completed & signed landlord letter and a copy of your ID or passport. All those documents need to be sent to: einwohnermeldeamt@duesseldorf.de.

Phone number (for questions): 0211 - 89 99111

Anmeldung in Dortmund:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!

Phone numbers: 0231 50-29831 and 0231 50-29837

Anmeldung in Essen:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!

Phone number: 0201 88-33222

Anmeldung in Leipzig:

The citizens' offices in Schönefeld, Otto-Schill-Straße, Ratzelbogen, Paunsdorf Center, Wiedebach-Passage and Gohlis-Center are still open for very urgent matters and only available by appointment. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed.

You can schedule an appointment by phone: 0341 123-0 or on this page.

Anmeldung in Bremen:

Bürgeramt

Stresemannstrasse 48

28207 Bremen

Phone number (for questions): (0421) 115

Anmeldung in Dresden:

The Bürgeramt Altstadt in Theaterstraße 11 is still open for very urgent matters and only available by appointment. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed.

You can schedule an appointment by phone: 0351-4886070

Anmeldung in Hannover:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!

Phone number: 0511 / 168-32000

Anmeldung in Nuremberg:

You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!

Phone number: 0911 / 231-0

Anmeldung in Bonn:

citizens' offices are still open for very urgent matters and only available by appointment. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed.

Phone number: 0228 776657 (Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

If your city is not listed above, go to this website to search for your city’s administration website.

Once on that page, insert “Bürgeramt” in the first field and, in the second field, insert your postcode (ZIP code). Try to search for the registration service and see if there are news about the process.

Good Luck & Stay Safe Wherever You Are!

Importing your vehicle and household goods from overseas to Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Guide to importing your car (and other goods) from overseas to Germany

If you’ve been living in Germany for a little while and you’re ready to make your move permanent and import your vehicle and household goods from overseas to Germany – or you’re preparing for an overseas move – you may be wondering what this process looks like.

In this guide, we will take a look at the basics about importing your vehicle and household goods to Germany from overseas. From taxes and VAT to required documentation and more, you’ll get all the details you need.

Importing Household Goods Into Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

If you are a non-German citizen or a German citizen who has resided abroad for one year or more, you can bring your household goods into Germany duty-free.

You must have owned your household goods for at least 6 months before they are sent to Germany. You will need an EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) to use while working with European Union customs. If you are not established in the EU, you must obtain this number from German authorities.

In addition, all of your household goods and/or vehicles are subject to a Security Filing. German customs will provide your Destination Agent and the Inland Customs Authority with an “MRN number” which may be used to arrange a security inspection of your goods.

There are some items that are dutiable, and must be taxed but are allowed in limited quantities:

• Tobacco products, up to 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g tobacco
• 1 liter of spirits over 22% alcohol by volume, 2 liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine or still wine
• Perfume (50g) or Eau de toilette (250ml)

Some items may not be imported into Germany for any reason:

• Explosives, ammunition and other such controlled items
• Drugs and psychotropic substances
• Pornographic articles, video, publications, software etc.
• Medicines
• Radioactive materials of any kind
• Meat and dried plants
• Items of “historical value”

For more information, you can consult the website of the German customs here.

Required Documentation For Household Goods In Germany

To qualify to bring in your household goods duty-free, there are a few requirements. You need to show proof that you have terminated your residence in another country (such as a sale of your home or termination of the lease agreement, or a letter from an employer showing your transfer to Germany).

You will also need to prove you have been living outside of Germany for at least 12 months, and to provide proof of establishing a new residence in Germany, such as a lease agreement as well as the so-called “Anmeldebestätigung” (official proof of registration). More details about the residence registration process here.

You’ll need some documents, too, such as:

• A valid passport and visa for German entry
• Your Air Waybill (AWB) or Bill of Lading (B/L)
• A full packing list of items written either in German or English
• Customs Registration Form 0350 (“Customs declaration of personal property”)
• A letter of employment
• A signed letter/customs declaration regarding your shipment

Importing Your Vehicle Into Germany

If you want to bring a vehicle into Germany, you are allowed to do so duty-free, providing that you meet a few basic requirements: your motor vehicle must be registered in your name as the sole owner. It must also have been personally used by you at your previous residence for at least 6 months before moving. This can be proven with a registration certificate from your local Department of Motor Vehicles or other such offices. Furthermore, your vehicle should get into Germany more or less at the same time as you do, and you have to keep it (usually) for personal use for at least one year after arriving in Germany.

You may be required to convert your vehicle to meet EU standards before it’s roadworthy, depending on your country of origin. If your vehicle doesn't have an EU-type approval, it must pass a test according to §21 StVZO from the Technical Inspection Organization (GTÜ - Gesellschaft für Technische Überwachung mbH) of your future place of residence in Germany before it can be registered. Search for your local GTÜ inspection office here. After the inspection, an approval certificate (TÜV certificate) will be issued if all tests were successful. The so-called TÜV needs to be re-done every 24 months.

In addition, you will have to pay a German Road Tax (Kraftfahrzeug Steuer or Kfz-Steuer) in advance for one year at the port of entry. The so-called Kfz-Steuer is a yearly tax that always needs to be paid one year in advance. Use this free calculator (in German) to know how much you will have to pay for the Road Tax.

Required Documentation For Vehicles In Germany

To import your vehicle to Germany, you will need:

a copy of your passport (picture page)
a copy of your foreign registration certificate (proof of ownership - original registration paper from the origin country with a German certified translation)
[Vehicles from the US] a certificate of title or manufacturer's statement of origin
a purchase invoice (not a copy, but the original)
a proof of car insurance from the origin country (ask your insurance company)
an export permit
the license plates from the origin country (not needed for new cars).

For more information and to learn about other applicable requirements and restrictions, we recommend that you visit the Germany Customs website here.

Once you register yourself at your local Bürgeramt (Anmeldung process), you can then register your motor vehicle at your local Vehicle Registration Office (Kfz-Zulassungsstelle). The cost of vehicle registration can vary from 10 to 40 Euros depending on the German State. Search for your local Vehicle Registration Office here.

Be aware that you cannot drive your motor vehicle on public roads until it has been approved.

To register your motor vehicle in Germany, you will need:

a valid passport or ID
the residence registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
a proof of car insurance (eVB number) - You cannot drive in Germany without having an EU-approved car insurance. Get your German car insurance now and get 5 additional drivers included!
a foreign registration certificate (proof of ownership from the origin country with a German certified translation)
a proof of street-worthiness from the technical inspection (TÜV certificate)
customs clearance papers
export permit
SEPA direct debit mandate for future payments of the road tax (here is the form).

Tips For Bringing Your Household Goods And Vehicle To Germany

Ready to get started and bring your household goods to Germany? Here are a few tips you should follow to make the process easier for yourself.

• Double-check for restricted items – Bringing restricted items into Germany can put you in a lot of legal trouble, and may prevent you from getting your household goods in a timely manner. Make sure you do not bring any restricted items like firearms, explosives, explicit items, and so on. Double-check with German customs if you’re not sure about a particular item.

• Pare down your possessions – The less you bring to Germany, the better. A smaller shipment of household items will cost less when you hire an international moving company to move you to Germany, and it will also take less time to process your stuff once your goods arrive. Bring only valuables, and don’t bring anything that can be easily replaced once you move to Germany.

• Don’t bring a car that you’ve owned for less than 6 months – If you have not owned your car for at least 6 months, you’ll pay taxes of 12% of CIF (Cost, Freight and Insurance) + VAT of 16% of CIF including the duty. This can add up to thousands of dollars. If you have had your car for less than six months, you may want to sell it and purchase a new car in Germany – this will often be cheaper.

• Plan ahead as much as possible – A minimum of 3-6 months of planning before your move is recommended. This will give you more time to pack up your stuff, fill out the appropriate paperwork, work out your residence permits, find a home or apartment to rent (search here), and more.

Know What To Expect When Bringing Your Household Goods And Vehicle To Germany

As long as you meet the stated requirements, you can bring your stuff to Germany free of duties and taxes. So take another look at the information above to start planning your move – and remember to contact German customs (Zollamt) directly if you have any other questions.

Thanks to Jason Mueller for this article about Importing your vehicle and household goods from overseas to Germany.

The Sozialversicherungsnummer Explained

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 11:29:00 +0000

How to apply for a Social Security Number in Germany

Last Updated: November 2021

The Rentenversicherungsnummer

[Enthält Werbelinks]

When I moved to Berlin I didn’t have a job waiting for me, instead I was entering on my tourist visa and then applying for a freelance work visa. As a freelance worker in Germany, I needed to get health insurance (mandatory!), but I didn’t need to get a Sozialversicherungsnummer (which is voluntary!).

What is a Sozialversicherungsnummer? It literally translates as “Social Insurance Number,” and it is the German Pension Insurance Number that all workers in Germany—mainly all workers who aren’t freelance-based—must have to get identified by the German public pension scheme (the Deutsche Rentenversicherung). It is also called Rentenversicherungsnummer and is abbreviated RNVR.

The German Public Pension Scheme, Rentenversicherung, is the public pension fund that all employees (some exceptions may apply) have to pay into and that allows them to:

be covered by German health insurance,
get assistance if they become unemployed,
have a pension at retirement,
get help if they can no longer look after themselves due to illness or old age and need care,
get all costs covered in case of an occupational accident or occupational disease (accident insurance).

Employers must register their employees for social security when employment starts. Depending on the type of employment, the relevant collecting agency is either a statutory health insurance company (i.e. TK or AOK), the artists’ social insurance (Künstlersozialkasse) or the central agency for mini-jobs (Minijob-Zentrale).

In most cases, freelancers do not have the obligation to contribute to the social security system (pension insurance, unemployment insurance and accident insurance). In other words, self-employed people in Germany only have the obligation to contribute to the health insurance fund, either public or private. If you do not have health insurance yet and/or want to contribute to the social security system, you can request a free quote from a trusted and independent German insurance broker here.

German nationals, since 2005, don’t have to apply for this number as it is assigned to them at birth, but all foreign workers who are in Germany on a job contract (and not freelance) must apply for one.

Image Source: pkv-gesundheit.de

The social security number itself is a series of 11 digits and 1 letter and it is as in the image shown above. As you can see, it is divided into four parts:

with the first part (the 66) being the Area number of the pension insurance institution;
the 150872 in the second bit is your date of birth;
the letter (P) is the initial letter of your last name;
the 10th and 11th number (the 0-8 in the last bit of numbers) is a serial number designating gender (00-49 male and 50-99 female);
the final number in the 12th space is a check digit (it's often attached to the two previous digits). These numbers are unique to each person and each worker contributing to the pension fund must have one.

Getting this number (as a non-native who didn’t have it assigned) requires you to apply for public health insurance; once you’ve applied for the public health insurance you will receive an Insurance Card in the mail 2-4 weeks later. You can apply for TK, the most popular public health insurance fund here.

To know your social insurance number you can request a special document from your health insurance company, called Mitgliedsbescheinigung, which is a membership confirmation document. The reason there are two different numbers to identify health insurance from social/pension insurance in Germany is down to the data protection laws; these laws make it impossible for one number to serve as personal identification in all things.

I do not have this number because I am a freelance worker not working a job that is subject to social insurance (social benefits); in fact, on my freelance residence visa, it states that I am unable to claim any social benefits while in Germany.

In brief, if you have public health insurance, you will get it 2 to 4 weeks after you apply for insurance. If you want to know your number, ask for a membership confirmation certificate (Mitgliedsbescheinigung) from your insurer (You can usually do it online!). That certificate contains your Sozialversicherungsnummer.

If you have private health insurance, and you never had public health insurance before, you probably don't have a Sozialversicherungsnummer yet. You should request the number from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung. It is not difficult to request the document from your pension insurance to learn your Sozialversicherungsnummer. Once you asked for it, you will also receive a letter from the public pension fund. That letter contains your Versicherungsnummer.

If you have any questions regarding your number my best recommendation would be to contact your health insurance, pension fund or your company’s HR department to receive the paperwork with your number on it.

Good luck!

Zollamt - the German Customs Office

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 16:05:00 +0000

The Zollamt Explained

Last Updated: November 2021

What is the Zollamt?

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Why do people become so incensed the minute you mention it? How can you learn what you need to know and how to beat it?

Well, I am going to do my best to explain what it is, why people become so enraged and why everyone seems to have a “Zollamt story,” and what you can do to try to avoid having to deal with it.

Image: www.berlin-airport.de

First, the what- what is the Zollamt, or the Zoll?

Officially “Zoll” is the shortened version of “Bundeszollverwaltung,” the Federal Customs Service; this is a “German executive and fiscal administrative unit of the federal government and part of the Federal Ministry of Finance.”

The Zollamt deals with imported and exported items arriving through the post. In other words, all packages outside of the European Union must clear customs. The clearance often happens upon arrival at an international airport in Germany, but those non-EU parcels sometimes end up at the local Zollamt.

This is why it is mainly expats who seem to have run-ins with the Zoll and who all have stories to share about it; I say it is mainly expats because that is who I spend the majority of my time with in Berlin, and I have yet to hear any stories or anger from locals when the Zoll is mentioned.

All right back to the facts: so this is the customs arm of the federal government, which lets you know that this isn’t going to be an enjoyable experience for most people. Remember, that the customs services of most countries ensure the flow of revenue from federal trade tariffs and taxes (excise taxes, the beer tax, electricity tax, etc etc).

As explained above, the Zollamt is also responsible for monitoring the importing, exporting and transit of all goods coming through Germany. Let’s think about that for a second: “concerned with the importing, exporting and transit of all goods,” plus ensuring revenue from tariff law… so that care package from Grandma with all her baked goods and Christmas gifts that she valued as worth USD 200 will most certainly be tagged and inspected, plus you residing within Germany will receive a bill for taxes on whatever is in that care package.

Back to the facts: the Federal Customs Service executes demands for payment by the federal government through the “Bundesagentur für Arbeit” (the government employment agency); these are the civil servants that we all get to deal with when we have to go to the Zoll to collect our package and pay the taxes.

Image: Instagram (polizistmensch)

Ok, so now we have covered the official name and federal mandate of the Zoll.

Let’s now look at why people seem to become so heated and angry whenever the Zoll comes up in conversation.

Basically, it’s like I said above- whenever you receive any type of care packages or gifts, or order something online from a non-EU country to your address in Germany, the person sending it needed to fill out some sort of customs declaration where (s)he listed the items inside and their value.

Now, if you’ve got no frame of reference for this and don’t know any better, you would tell your family to be honest and truthful regarding the value of the items they are sending. This honesty is what will make all of your packages subject to inspection and taxes; I am not saying to be dishonest or lie, but, you do learn through experience to always value the items at less than the accepted amount that is not subject to any extra taxes.

For example: my one and only Zoll story is as follows: I had been in Berlin for maybe a month when my mom wanted to send me some important mail (just mail, not gifts or items-paper mail like letters and bills, etc) and I asked her to include some small items from Target that I couldn’t find in Germany (mainly woven floss not that plastic/wax floss and some other small stuff).

Fast forward about a month when I remember that I should have received this small package by now but I hadn’t, so I ask my mother if she mailed it? Yes she mailed it and she marked the value on the customs declaration as USD 60 and she sent it to the DHL package center address I gave her. I thought this was really strange, I mean, how long could a small box take to get to Berlin from the U.S.?

I didn’t have a lot of friends in Berlin yet so I went to the hive mind on Facebook named “Free Advice Berlin” for some insight as to what happened to the package. It was here where someone asked me if my name was on the mailbox or not- basically had I been able to register using the address I had sublet? Well as a matter of fact, no, I wasn’t able to do so (this is another story for another day); and this random stranger informed me that because my name wasn’t on the mailbox, the Post hadn’t been able to deliver the official letter from the Zoll telling me that my package had been pulled, inspected and subject to further taxes.

It was in that Facebook group where I also learned that you officially have only seven days to respond to the official letter from the Zoll and if you don’t respond within those seven days your package is returned to sender. Well, imagine my shock and surprise at learning these facts, plus learning that those “allotted seven days,” start from the EXACT MOMENT THE ZOLL DATES YOUR LETTER- there is no allowance for the delay of mailing it and delivering…no, no, no, the time clock on that seven days starts immediately. (Imagine that the Zoll picks out your care package on September 20 and sends an official letter dated September 20th to you… it takes two days to get to your address and you open it after work on the second day (September 22) at 7 pm at night. Your seven days are now five days to get to the Zoll and retrieve your package and pay the taxes. Say you work every day during normal office hours and the day you got the official letter is a Monday; well, you better take a morning off work or race over there to the Zoll during your lunch break because those five days are ticking away and once that seventh day, September 27th, comes, the Zoll will send your package back to the sender without batting an eye.).

Image: Instagram (zoll_und_polizei)

I tell my mom I never did get the package because of this Customs issue and sure enough, maybe 6 weeks after she sent it to me, my mom came home to find the battered package sitting on her doorstep. This was my one and only experience with the Zollamt because I told my mom that the value threshold was only EUR 45 and sending me anything in the mail just wasn’t worth it at all if I am going to have to pay excess VAT taxes on the goods, even if they aren’t new goods. (I didn’t have to deal with this beyond paying the extra taxes but my shipment from the UAE of 13 boxes full of all of my used clothes and items-nothing new and unused- cost me an extra USD 400 when it came through German customs).

If you look through the expat Facebook groups, or the different blogs online written by foreigners living in Germany, you will see and read many stories relating to the Zoll.

Suffice it to say, it is in your best interest to either tell your friends and family to not bother sending you gifts etc, or learn what you need to do to avoid having any packages tagged by the Zoll. Whether this includes keeping the value at always under the allotted amount of EUR 45, or having your family wash any new clothes they are sending you so that they can truthfully mark “used” rather than “new” goods on the customs form…whatever it is you need to do, I highly recommend doing it. Check out the Customs Office website for further details.

For me, it was easier to just live without anything from the U.S. than having to take a couple of hours out of my day to get to the Zollamt office and pay the extra fees. You need to figure out what you can live with and do some research to get tips and tricks from other expats on how to beat the Zoll.

Good luck!

Rundfunkbeitrag: Paying (or not) the German TV Tax

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Should I pay the Rundfunkbeitrag?

Last Update: November 2021

TV and Radio Broadcasting License in Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

There is a lot I truly love about living here in Berlin, from the amazing beer and bread/bakeries to the public transport, but there are also some things that I am not too keen on. I say “some” but this isn’t a setlist, rather, it’s a list that varies daily- sometimes I hate how the buses come two minutes early and if you arrive on time for the bus you’ve still missed it! Or, sometimes, I don’t like how unfriendly people seem in the morning- I mostly chalk this one up to how early it is in the morning that I am out walking my dogs and I imagine these unfriendly people aren’t morning people, but also haven’t had their coffee yet!

As I said, this list of “dislikes” changes from day to day and is a very small list, but one item that isn’t on that list for me is the mandatory TV/radio tax that every household has to pay yearly. I hear so many people complain about this tax, expressing extreme dislike/hatred for it and their refusal to pay it (a really bad idea by the way-don’t do this).

I thought I would explain what this tax is and why it is required that all households pay it to the new arrivals because it can be a confusing thing, especially if you come from the U.S. where you pay a cable bill monthly but not a “TV or radio tax.”

The name of this required tax is the Rundfunkbeitrag, these are the TV and radio broadcasting fees in Germany; these fees are used to finance the production and the broadcasting of content by the public channels.

This tax was enacted in 2013 to replace an older rule that was hard for the state to police and implement; this new law in 2013 was designed to create a flat household fee in Germany of 17.50€/monthly (17.98€ before 31.03.2015).

The government office that collects this tax is called the “Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio” (you will hear many people refer to this office by the old name of the GEZ). This office is a public institution that accesses the public records (the Bürgeramt- ring a bell? The government office where you registered your address when you first moved to Berlin?) in order to have the names and addresses of all the households in Germany to send these tax letters to every year.

“So what?” you might be thinking, “I don’t watch German TV or listen to German radio so why should I pay this tax?” Bad idea friend- the easiest thing to do is to just pay this tax and look at it like this: do you walk on the sidewalks? Do you cross the roads? Do you enjoy the benefits of a well-run, efficient state government that provides efficient (cough cough) services to its’ citizens?

If you answered yes to any of the above (and I sure hope you did because you are living in Germany, in Europe, a continent and a country respectively, that operate in a far more social way than the USA does, so I assume that your desire to be here in this more socialized society is down to your agreement/support of said society) than paying this tax won’t bother you one bit. It won’t rub you the wrong way to pay for a service for the good of the many regardless of whether you use the service or not. This is where I stand on this issue- I am happy to pay the tax whether I watch German TV or listen to the radio because that is part of the social contract I entered into with the German state when I applied for a visa to live and work here.

End of story for me, but not for many- many people don’t like this idea of paying for something they don’t use and try to figure out ways to not pay it. This is a bad idea in many ways because this is a tax- there is no avoiding taxes. If you ignore the letters for payment and figure it won’t hurt anything, think again! Remember, this government office has access to the public records- any time you move in Berlin or Germany you have to register your new address (more details here), so they will ALWAYS be able to find you.

Also, when you ignore it, the fees increase (Säumniszuschlag) and you end up paying FAR more than you would have with just paying the original fee- that seems pretty stupid to me.

The only way someone is able to get out of paying it legally is if they prove to the State that they have an audio or visual impairment that impedes them from actually using the services; recipients of social welfare/benefits or grants are also exempted from paying the tax.

Another way to get out of paying the tax is to prove that someone else has already paid it-namely this is only applicable to those living in shared flats, WGs, and the person who is the main tenant can prove that they’ve paid the ARD fee for the year. This is a possibility because the fee applies to households not to individuals- one household gets one yearly fee.

Short and sweet right? No one can get out of paying this tax without a documented medical reason or proof that their shared flat/roommates have paid the fee for that year. The rest of us gots to pay!

Don’t forget that when (if) you leave the country for good and you go to the local Rathaus to file your Abmeldung (de-registration paperwork), you ALSO have to inform the Beitragsservice via their website so they remove you from their records/databases. If you forget this step, and you return to Germany in the future, you will be tracked down (that pesky Anmeldung again) and made to pay. Yay for living in a more socialized, people-friendly society-taxes up the wazoo (that I, for one, am happy to pay).

The city registration (Anmeldung) needs to be done within 14 days of relocating to your new German address.

Once registered at the citizens' office (often called Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro), you will get by post some papers necessary to pay the German TV tax. If they "forget" about you, you could always register directly on the Beitragsservice's website to avoid paying a late fee at a later stage. Here is their website.

This license must be paid even if you do not have any TV or radio and costs 17,50€ per month and per residence. Once you receive the bill (see image below), you have one week to pay. You can decide on your payment intervals when you apply for the license (i.e. monthly, quarterly, twice a year or yearly).

Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio

For more details, you can read their brochure in English. Here is also some additional information for students.

Top German Language Schools in Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Ready to speak German?

// You need to register as a freelancer in Germany and get a Steuernummer? Choose our partner Sorted // You need health insurance? Choose our trusted independent insurance provider here //

The Best German Language Schools in Berlin

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Scroll down to the bottom of this article to find the Top German Language Schools in Berlin. Many of those schools are now offering online courses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

You’ve moved to Berlin, you’ve found an apartment and you’ve got your visa to stay for a few months, you’re all set, right? Not so fast, since you are living in a foreign country with its’ own language that you need to learn if you really hope to become a member of German society.

There are many options open to those who want to learn German, from websites and phone apps to intensive courses at local schools; we will share here the different options we looked into and what we’ve found helpful as some of us tried to learn German.

Learning German Online

Duolingo

We’ve found Duolingo to be a pretty great app for helping learn vocabulary and practice basic sentences.

We really enjoyed using it and have learned a lot with it, plus a huge bonus of course is that it is FREE and you use it when you have time each day.

Free language education – no hidden fees, no premium content, just free.

Babbel

There is another app that was recommended to us called Babbel. We’ve heard it is also a good way to learn vocabulary and practice sentences.

Instead of drilling abstract sentences, vocabulary or grammar rules, the app teaches through real-life dialogue. Beginners start with typical greetings like, “Hello, how are you,” and gradually build up to practical dialogues like, “How can I book a single room?”

Babbel lets you learn anytime and anywhere with prices starting at 6.99€/month (20-day money-back guarantee).

Lingoda

If you are looking for an online German course with real teachers for all learning levels... look no further! Lingoda is the best website around!

Whether for students just beginning their language studies or for more advanced students, there are classes to suit everyone at Lingoda. Classes are offered across the areas of grammar, speaking and writing, with a broad range of topics and at all learning levels, from A1 to C2.

Lingoda has basic, premium and pro versions including group and private classes as well as certifications. Prices are starting at €8 per class. Start your free 7-day trial!

Discount available:

Promo period: 3rd to 21st February 2022

Offer: 30% off all Monthly Subscription and Marathon

Code: Love30

Group classes are led by native teachers, are 60 minutes long, typically have 5 students, and are organized according to the level and interests of participants, in order to achieve the best possible learning results for everyone.

German Language Schools Around Berlin

There are many different schools that have their own systems and cost varying amounts of money; some offer intensive courses that meet every day for 4 hours and then there are other courses that meet 2-3 times a week in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings.

It all depends on what you are looking for, what you are willing to pay, what time of day you prefer to attend class, etc etc.

The schools we looked into include Berlino Schule, Goethe-Institut, Deustche Akademie and Expath. You can find the full list at the bottom of this article.

We’ve heard that Die Berliner Volkshochschulen (Adult Education Centers) are a good option and people like it: it is cheap for students & unemployed people and it is flexible to choose the number of hours for all levels.

Basically, there are a lot of different options to learning German in Berlin and what you choose will be based on what you are willing to spend on each class, how flexible you are with your schedule and whether you want to jump into the deep-end with intensive classes.

Tandem Groups

There are different language tandem groups you can join via Meetup.com and Facebook; these tandem learning groups are knowledge exchange groups- practising English and German to help people learn the language and become comfortable using it in public.

Some of them have good reviews and have friends who enjoy utilizing them to practice their German.

The Top German Language Schools in Berlin

Here below you can find a list of all the best German-language schools available in Berlin. Please be advised that prices are always subject to change.

You can choose your preferred 4-weeks intensive course based on the neighborhood, your budget and online reviews (if available). All prices are exclusive of costs for learning material (books, photocopies, certificates, etc.). Visit the school website for more details.

Berlino Schule

Neighborhood: Friedrichshain

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (48 x 45 min. lessons) = 192€

Registration Fee: 20€ (valid for one year)

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (63 Google reviews)

5,0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 Facebook reviews)

Sprachinstitut Berlin

Neighborhood: Mitte

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (20 x 3 hours lessons, with breaks) = 298€

Registration Fee: None

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (72 Google reviews)

5,0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 Facebook reviews)

Anda Sprachschule

Neighborhood: Friedrichshain & Prenzlauer Berg

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 390€

Registration Fee: Only in July & August

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (60 Google reviews)

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (71 Facebook reviews)

Speakeasy

Neighborhood: Friedrichshain

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (60 x 45 min. Lessons) = 269€

Registration Fee: None

4,8/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (143 Google reviews).

4,8/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (142 Facebook reviews)

Sprachenatelier Berlin

Neighborhood: Friedrichshain

Price: 4 Weeks intensive (80 x 45 min. Lessons) = 340€

Registration Fee: 50€

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (120 Google reviews)

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (148 Facebook reviews)

Sprachsalon Berlin

Neighborhood: Kreuzberg

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (64 x 45 min. lessons) = 300€

Registration Fee: 35€

5,0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (15 Google reviews)

5,0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (37 Facebook reviews)

Kapitel Zwei

Neighborhood: Mitte

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (64 x 45 min. lessons) = €232

Registration Fee: None

4,6/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (342 Google reviews)

4,7/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (268 Facebook reviews)

Deutsch Akademie

Neighborhood: Mitte & Schöneberg

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (64 x 45 min. lessons) = 225€

Registration Fee: None

4,7/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (327 Google reviews)

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (455 Facebook reviews)

Goethe-Institut

Neighborhood: Mitte

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 1,150€ (+ Exams fees)

Registration Fee: None

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (59 Google reviews)

4,8/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (96 Facebook reviews)

Tandem Berlin

Neighborhood: Prenzlauer Berg

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 350€

Registration Fee: None

4,6/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (30 Google reviews)

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (71 Facebook reviews)

DAS Akademie

Neighborhood: Mitte

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 445€

Registration Fee: None

4,6/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (69 Google reviews)

4,8/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (103 Facebook reviews)

Expath

Neighborhood: Mitte & Neukölln

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (48 x 45 min. lessons) = 240€ (216€ when on sale)

Registration Fee: None

4,7/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (51 Google reviews)

4,1/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (102 Facebook reviews)

die deutSCHule

Neighborhood: Neukölln

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 218€

Registration Fee: 10€ (60€ if from abroad)

4,2/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (94 Google reviews)

4,6/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (287 Facebook reviews)

The Language Gallery

Neighborhood: Mitte

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 920€

Registration Fee: 70€

4,8/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (6 Google reviews)

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (71 Facebook reviews)

Die Neue Schule

Neighborhood: Wilmersdorf

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 380€

Registration Fee: 10€

4,4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (55 Google reviews)

4,7/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (79 Facebook reviews)

Humboldt-Institut

Neighborhood: Mitte

Price: 5 Weeks Intensive (120 x 45 min. lessons) = 1,220€

Registration Fee: None

4,6/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (26 Google reviews)

Sprachart Berlin

Neighborhood: Kreuzberg

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (48 x 45 min. lessons) = 185€

Registration Fee: 25€

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (36 Google reviews)

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (40 Facebook reviews)

Alpadia Language Schools

(Formerly ESL)

Neighborhood: Schöneberg

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (100 x 45 min. lessons) = 800€ (incl. learning material)

Registration Fee: 75€

4,5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (83 Google reviews)

4,3/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ (194 Facebook reviews)

Nativa Akademie

Neighborhood: Moabit

Price: 4 Weeks Intensive (80 x 45 min. lessons) = 355€

Registration Fee: ?

4,9/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (39 Google reviews)

5,0/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (47 Facebook reviews)

VHS - die Berliner Volkshochschulen

(Adult Education Centers)

Neighborhood: Berlin (12 locations)

Price: Discounted prices for students and unemployed people

Registration for all courses is only possible after personal consultation

====================

Learning languages is not easy and requires time, effort and a true desire to learn to remain motivated.

They say that it takes a person 3 years of full time learning to become fluent in any language; that’s a long time to spend learning a language and it’s important to jump in and start learning when you first arrive in Germany, otherwise, you might get stuck in the mindset that people speak English in Berlin and “I don’t really need to learn German,” but remember that to fully integrate into German society, to apply for a permanent residence card after 3-5 years, and many jobs require the German language at B1/B2 level (intermediate level), so you do need to learn the language.

Good luck!

14 Steps to Buying a Home in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 16:00:00 +0000

How to Buy a Property in Germany

[Last update: December 2021]

Mortgage & Property Buying Process Explained

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Thinking about buying a home? To a first-time buyer who wants to purchase a property in Germany, the buying process can appear overwhelming and hard to understand. Even if you are fluent in German, the process from first understanding your mortgage affordability to finally becoming the lawful owner of a property can be overwhelming. When buying a home in Germany, you will certainly be exposed to many unfamiliar German terms and daunting processes which are different from buying property in your home country.

In order to help you buy a property in Germany, we asked an expert to come up with this Guide to clearly outline what you can expect at every single step of you going through the property buying experience. Whether you are looking for your dream house for your family or are an investor looking into the German real estate market, the steps described in this guide will help you navigate through the process.

Note: The buying process outlined in this article is mostly applicable to the process when buying an already existing German property. If you are looking to buy a new-built property from a German project developer, the buying process will differ slightly but is fundamentally very similar.

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14 steps to buying a property in Germany

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Disclaimer:
This article describes a typical “Altbau” case in Berlin.
The mortgage & buying process could slightly differ depending on the Bundesland.

The mortgage & buying process is not a fully standardized and regulated process.
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Step 1: Check your affordability online

Before you start your property search, it is critical that you understand if you qualify for a German mortgage and how much you could potentially afford. Across Germany you must cover your purchase fees, these vary by Bundesland but are composed of the real estate broker commission (if required), the property transfer tax and the notary fees. Combined these fees can be anywhere from 5% and 15% of the total purchase price. Check your affordability online now.

Step 2: Meet a mortgage advisor

After you have calculated your maximum affordability, it is helpful that you get in touch with an independent mortgage adviser.

An independent mortgage advisor is able to prequalify your application and give you a pre-financing certificate to help in your property search. Not only can independent mortgage experts access all the German banks but they can advise you on the appropriate mortgage product for your situation. The advisor will help you understand if there are any limitations with regards to your employment status, residency status etc. that you may not have previously considered.

Important:

Most mortgage lenders will require you to have homeowners insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung) in order to get a loan. This kind of insurance offers protection against the risks of fire, water leakage, lightning, explosion, storm or hail damages to the property. Get a free quote now. The homeowners' insurance doesn't have to be confused with household insurance which protects the content in your home (furniture, electronics, clothes, etc).

Step 3: Finding the right property

Your affordability result will form the basis for the property price range you should be looking for. There are many ways of identifying the right property given your personal and financial circumstances using popular platforms like Immobilienscout24 and Immowelt, both in German, sadly. You can also find more platforms here.

In Germany, you can buy existing properties via real estate brokers or, alternatively, you can buy new properties (“NeuBau”) from project developers. The key difference is that buying a property from a project developer can save you from paying the real estate commission, which in cities like Berlin is 3.57%.

Note: Buying a “NeuBau” doesn’t only mean that you can just afford 3.57% more. In most cases, it means that the property price (or the size of the house) can be up to 50% bigger because you are borrowing against your down payment. In Finance, this is called leverage.

Step 4: Reserving the property

When buying through a real estate broker, the most common method of securing that property is to sign an official reservation agreement. After you have viewed the property, the seller/real estate broker will send you a reservation form. In these cases, it is often on a “first come, first served” basis. In some cities, like Berlin, where real estate brokers are pickier due to the high demand, it can pay off to have a pre-financing agreement set up via a mortgage expert or lender.

To reserve a property, you will typically need to pay a reservation fee (0.5-1% of the property price). In some rare cases, reservations can be free of cost. Only after the reservation fee has been paid, will the property be reserved in your name and be taken off the market.

The reservation period usually varies between 2-4 weeks and that should give you enough time to finalize your mortgage. If you go ahead with the property purchase, the reservation fee will be deducted from the broker commission or the property price.

If you decide not to purchase a property that you have reserved and paid a fee for, the reservation fee is legally required to be paid back.

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If you decide to not buy the property that you have reserved and paid a fee for, the bank will get you back the reservation fee!

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Step 5: Finalizing your mortgage contract

After the property has been reserved in your name, you will have several weeks to finalize your mortgage contract. Ideally, you have already met your mortgage adviser before reserving your property so that you can quickly get your mortgage approved.

The most important things to consider are:

How long do you want to fix the interest period?
How quickly do you want to pay back your mortgage?
How much equity should you put down to get the best rate?

Together with a mortgage adviser, you will then analyze your personal situation and find the right mortgage for your situation. The adviser will take the property (and its valuation) into account to finalize your mortgage, applying at the bank that gives you the best rate for this combination.

To finalize your mortgage contract, you must have all necessary property documents from the seller. In addition to your personal documents, the property documents are essential to complete your mortgage application. Your mortgage advisor will combine all personal and property documents and submit the entire mortgage application to the most suitable mortgage lender.

Step 6: Your mortgage is approved

After your mortgage application has been submitted, it will usually take a lender 3-10 working days to process your application. Some banks may ask for additional information to clarify questions related to your employment status, residency status, income etc. Ideally, your mortgage advisor will have prepared this beforehand to reduce the chance of any surprises.

In some cases, for example with properties valued at over 500.000€, the bank may have your property appraised by an external expert to determine the final value.

After all remaining questions have been clarified, the bank will let your mortgage advisor know about the final mortgage approval.

Step 7: Signing your mortgage contract

After receiving the mortgage approval, you will typically have up to 2 weeks to sign your contract (your mortgage conditions will not be subject to change during that period).

It is important to note that there is no financial or legal obligation if you decide to not sign a mortgage contract that has already been approved by the bank. The bank will not charge you any penalty fee for not signing the contract. This gives you the flexibility in case something does not go as planned.

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If you decide to not sign a mortgage contract that has already been approved by the bank, the bank will not charge you any penalty fee!

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Step 8: Your purchase contract is drafted

After you have reserved the property and signed your mortgage contract, the next step will be to start drafting the purchase contract between you and the seller.

A public notary, that either you or the seller is free to choose, will create the first draft of the purchase contract.

Leading up to the date of you signing the final version of the purchase contract, you can communicate with the notary and propose changes and additions to that draft.

It should be noted that from the day that you receive the first draft, there is a mandatory 14-day waiting period before the final contract could be signed at the notary's office.

Step 9: Signing the purchase contract (Notarization)

On the day that you sign the purchase contract, you will need to visit the notary office personally. At the notary, you will meet the seller.

The notary will read you the entire purchase contract out loud. You are allowed to ask questions in between and potentially propose last-minute edits to the contract. The notary procedure usually takes 1 hour.

Note: The notary will arrange for you to be named as the future owner of the property in what is known a priority notice. This notice is written to the Land Registry (“Grundbuch”). This notice implies that you have been named as the only buyer and protects your right to have the title of ownership transferred to your name 8-16 weeks later.

Note: From the date that you sign the purchase contract, you also become liable for all rights and obligations that come with owning property, e.g. maintenance fees, property tax, etc.

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In some Bundesland, a sworn interpreter is needed to translate the notarization. In some other States, a friend with very good German could be accepted.

Some banks will need the purchase contract to be in the language of the buyer (e.g. ING).

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Step 10: You need to pay the closing costs

After your property purchase has been fully notarized, the next step will require you to pay the closing costs from your own equity. If you bought your place through a real estate broker, a few days after signing the purchase contract, you can expect to receive an invoice from that broker (in Berlin, the buyer needs to pay a commission of 3.57% of the property price). In some states, the commission is split between the buyer & seller.

Several weeks after the purchase has been signed, you will also need to pay for the notary fees. This usually amounts to approx. 1.5% of the property price but can be slightly higher or lower depending on the purchase price.

The third closing cost is the property transfer tax (“Grunderwerbssteuer”) which in Berlin is 6%. This tax will not need to be paid immediately to the tax office. You will typically receive a letter 6-10 weeks after signing the purchase contract in which you will be requested to pay the amount.

In some cases, you will also need to pay a small amount (~100€) to the property manager because their approval for the property purchase might be needed.

Step 11: You pay the purchase price to the seller

6-8 weeks after signing the purchase contract, the notary will ask you to transfer the full purchase amount to the seller. This means that you will need to pay part of the purchase price from your own equity, i.e. this is your down payment.

The remaining amount (your loan amount) will need to be transferred directly from your mortgage lender to the seller's bank account.

To approve that payment, you will need to fill out a purchase order form that authorizes your lender to make that payment.

Step 12: You gain full access to your new property

Only after the seller has received the full amount of the purchase amount on their bank account, you can arrange for the official handover of your new property.

In case of a vacant property, you will arrange for a key handover either with the real estate broker or the seller directly.

In the case of you buying a rented property, there is no official key handover. You might arrange to meet the tenants or inspect the property in more detail.

Note: Even though at this stage you have gained full access to your new property, it still does not mean that you are the lawful owner of that property.

You only become the lawful owner after you have been entered into the German Land Registry (“Grundbuch”). This process could take anywhere between 8-16 weeks after signing the purchase contract at the notary.

Step 13: You pay the real estate transfer tax (RETT)

One to ten weeks after signing the purchase contract (see "Step 9"), you will receive a letter from the tax office asking you to pay the tax amount. The RETT needs to be paid within 4 weeks to avoid fines.

The RETT is calculated by multiplying the RETT basis (usually equal to the fair market value of the real estate) with the applicable RETT rate. The RETT rate depends on the location of

the property and ranges between 3.5% and 6.5%, depending on the Federal State.

The tax office will then notify the notary office that this tax has been paid and a so-called clearance certificate will be issued to the notary.

The notary will then instruct the Land Registry to change the property's ownership title to your name.

Step 14: You become the lawful property owner

Only after you have paid the land register fee (between 0.5% and 1.5% of the purchase price) to the German Land Registry, will the ownership title be officially transferred to your name. The land registry entry process is called "Grundbucheintrag" in German and it is regulated by the "Grundbuchordnung" (GBO).

Congratulations, you are now the legal property owner! This last step concludes the whole process of purchasing an existing property in Germany.

Need help?

Whether you are purchasing or refinancing a property, our experienced home loan advisors are available around the clock to help you navigate through your German property purchase process.

Like many mortgage brokers, we get paid by the German lender banks. Unlike many brokers, we won't charge you any fees for our services. We're confident that we always identify the best rate for you. But if you think you find a lower rate from a different lender, we will try to negotiate an even better deal.

»» Get started now! ««

Insurance Options in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Insurances in Germany

The Most Important Insurances in Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

When I arrived in Germany I was only worried about having the health insurance to meet the freelancer visa requirements, but, once I spoke with some friends and did some research I learned that Germany is extremely insurance happy.

I conducted research to determine which insurance I needed to have for my own peace of mind and I am going to share what I learned in this article. Insurance is, of course, one of those things you don’t worry about having until something happens and you realize how helpful it really could have been in the situation, so it can seem not important or not a priority to obtain- please, leave this thinking in the past.

Here in Germany, I have seen/heard multiple horror stories of events happening that cost someone 5,000 EUR or more out of pocket to cover the costs, things that I truly have never considered or imagined before, so believe me, it is important.

The first type of insurance I will discuss is called Haftpflichtversicherung and this is insurance for personal or private liability. I am talking about this one first because this is the second insurance you really really should have apart from health insurance.

In the US, personal liability coverage is part of the homeowners/ renters insurance, but not here in Germany. This type of insurance covers you from all the little oddities of life that can happen to you on a daily basis; for example: you have a lovely balcony in your apartment where you place different planters, some perched precariously on the edges (you tied them down but things happen eh?) and one particularly blustery day, the wind blows one of these planters down and it lands on someone or on someone’s car, causing damage-without this insurance you would be liable for all the costs that result from this random, freak occurrence.

Now I know this seems like such a random event that you are probably thinking, “Tres, come on! This isn’t going to happen-it’s so rare and random!” Let me assure you it isn’t as random or rare as you might think-in the year that I have lived in Berlin and walked down multiple sidewalks in many different neighborhoods I have actually witnessed this exact scenario happening on four (4!!!) different occasions.

I have seen planters/pots blown off balconies and window ledges, on one really cold winter morning as I walked past a building I heard the sound of breaking glass and couldn’t figure out where it was coming from until all of a sudden three feet in front of me and my dogs, shards of sharp window glass came crashing to the sidewalk! I was so shocked and scared I actually screamed out loud and jumped back a good foot or two- worse timing in this instance could have made a potentially dangerous situation for me and my dogs. Seconds after the glass hit the ground I heard “Scheiß!” from the now open window above me- the cold morning had caused the window glass to spontaneously shatter and fall out of the frame. Random huh?!

Did you accidentally drop your friends' phone or pour coffee over someone else's laptop?

Personal liability occurs in the event an accident, in or out of your home, that results in bodily injury or property damage that you are held legally responsible for.

Moral of the story: random, freaky stuff happens all the time and this insurance is really cheap. GET IT NOW! I can recommend this company. You can get your new liability Insurance for only 4.99€/month! And everything is digital and in English.

If you need more details about private liability insurance, check out our article here.

The second type of insurance I will talk about is called Hausratversicherung (Home Contents Insurance or Household Insurance) and this kind insures everything in your flat like your furniture, your belongings, your carpet, your tv, etc from damages (fire, water and theft).

This type of insurance also offers (sometimes) coverage for the windows in your flat for the costs from broken windows etc.

For more details about the home contents insurance, visit this website. They offer German insurance coverage (Hausratversicherung) for all your personal assets in your home for only 2.50€/month; even your bike could be insured here. Their insurance plans are affordable and flexible. It's 100% digital, in English and you can cancel anytime so you are fully in control!

Don't confuse that insurance with the homeowners' insurance which is for landlords and people owning properties.

The third type of insurance I will discuss is very important as well, but it doesn't concern me. It is an insurance to add up to your public health insurance coverage: Zahnzusatzversicherung (Supplemental Dental Insurance).

It doesn't concern me because I took out private health insurance which already includes a dental insurance plan.

However, if you have public health insurance, you better sign up for a supplemental dental insurance because public insurance has its limitations in regards to dental coverage.

Indeed, public insurance generally only covers the bare minimum such as dental check-ups, but you have to pay out of pocket for things like professional cleanings, high-quality fillings or tooth replacement.

By signing up for supplemental dental insurance, you will be covered not only for plaque removal, fluoride treatments, sealants, high-quality composite fillings, root canal and periodontal disease treatments, but also for bridges, crowns, implants, inlays, dentures and other tooth replacement procedures. I recommend this dental insurance; you can get the Basic Cover for just 9€ a month or the Advanced Cover for 25.80€ a month (incl. additional coverage for tooth replacement treatments and tooth whitening).

The only other insurance I looked into and purchased was insurance for my pets- the first type of insurance I got for my dogs is called, “Hundehaftpflicht.”

This is liability insurance for your dogs- in case of any damage your dogs might cause (to other dogs, to people, or to the rental unit you are in), this insurance will cover you and it is immediately active upon paying for it.

This is a truly required insurance here for dog owners because if anything happens you are covered for the liability of it. It’s cheap- I paid 60€ for the year coverage for my two dogs (30€ per dog). I used this insurance.

By German law, it is mandatory to have a dog liability insurance in Berlin, Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein. In other states, it will depend on the dog breed.

The other pet insurance I looked into and purchased was pet health insurance. The reason I took out that insurance is because veterinary costs (Tierarzt Kosten) in Germany could be quite expensive. The price depends on the type of treatment and also on the species of your animal, but, for example, a cat or dog surgery would easily cost thousands of euros. So be prepared and take out a pet health insurance to avoid unexpected surprises!

Now, these are the insurances I researched here in Berlin; there are more, like car insurance (this car insurance is pretty good and cheap!), life insurance, accident insurance, legal insurance (I advise this one), and so on.

Your first priority when coming to Germany, however, should be health insurance.

When looking for health insurance, make sure the insurer is an independent insurance broker (in German: unabhängiger Versicherungsmakler) and not an employee from an insurance company. For my specific case, I spoke with a local insurance broker who directed me to plans that would be accepted for the freelance visa within my budget and I chose one; it was accepted for the freelance visa.

Long Stay German Visas for Americans

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 20:18:00 +0000

The German Residence Visa

How to apply for a German residence visa

[Enthält Werbelinks]

I’ve written about entering Germany on a tourist visa and what it takes to get a freelance visa to live and work in Germany for up to two years (read the article here), but are there other visa options for Americans?

Yes, there are a few other visa options open to US citizens for coming to Germany and staying for longer than the three months allowed on the tourist visa. I’m going to share the information for these visas in this article, but the focus will be on Americans and what the requirements are for them since I am American and did a lot of research before moving here.

All of these long-term visas could be applied for from your home country through the German embassy/ consulate and most require proof of significant amounts of saving to cover your living expenses while in Germany.

It is important that you find and choose a good health insurance that meets the government requirements for the long-term visa. I spoke with a local insurance broker who directed me to plans that would be accepted for my freelance visa within my budget and I chose one; it was accepted for my freelance visa.

Important:

You need to schedule an appointment in order to apply for a residence visa. Schedule your appointment here.

Citizens from the USA (excl. green card holders), Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand, Venezuela and Colombia (see the full list here) are automatically granted a 3-month tourist visa immediately upon landing in Germany. You go through customs as you exit the plane and get a stamp in your passport that allows you to be in Germany for 3 months. You do not need to apply for a visa prior to entry and could apply for a residence permit once in Germany.

However, a so-called Residence Visa (that will be converted into a Residence Permit while in Germany) could be applied for from your home country through the German embassy/ consulate if you intend to stay in Germany for more than 90 days.

First Visa Option:
Job Seeker’s Visa

The requirements for this visa are that you have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university that is recognized in Germany, a good amount of savings to cover your living expenses while living in Germany and searching for a job, a place to stay in Germany (see the Anmeldung process here), and health insurance (more details here).

This visa lasts for six months; you must have the original diploma to take with you to the embassy, as well as a copy, and also any other certificates or qualifications that you have.

You aren’t allowed to work in Germany on this visa, you are only allowed to search for a job, and, if you find one, then you immediately switch to an employment permit.

Second Visa Option:
Language Learner’s Visa to Learn German

This is officially a student visa; this visa can last up to one year (depending on the language program you are enrolled in), and you must be enrolled for at least 18 hours of language classes a week.

When you enroll in a language school you receive a letter of enrollment that you use to apply for the visa, since it is required to show this letter at the embassy.

You also need a significant amount of savings to cover living expenses because you aren’t allowed to work.

This visa is grouped under the “student visa” section and there are two other student visas within this section. The first is called the “student applicant” visa, which is for if you want to study in Germany but are still trying to find the right program or haven’t received confirmation from a German university. The second visa in this group is called the “student visa” for those students who have already been accepted to a German university.

Keep in mind that as a language student with a visa, you won't be able to sign up for public health insurance. In this case, your only choice would be to take out expat health insurance. The good news is that it is a cheap solution! See your options now.

Third Visa Option:
Au Pair Visa

On this visa you can work in Germany as an au pair for one year; before applying for this visa you must find a host family.

There are plenty of companies and websites that assist with the au pair process and can help you with finding a host family and getting everything set. Your future host family should send you a signed contract and invitation letter by post. You need these documents for your visa application.

This visa has some other restrictions on it that other visas don’t carry: there is an age limit and you must have some knowledge of German. Basically, you should not be older than 26 when applying for your visa.

There are a few different long stay visa options for US citizens in Germany; you must meet the requirements for them of course, and apply at the German embassy/ consulate in your home country.

By German law, host families must take out insurance for their au pairs and bear the relevant costs. The au pair insurance must comprise travel health insurance, liability insurance, emergency assistance insurance and accident insurance. The question of who should pay for the au pair insurance needs to be discussed openly by the host family and the au pair involved. Sign up for your au pair health insurance now.

[For U.S. citizens] In order to apply for a visa, your passport must have at least two empty pages. Your passport must have been issued within the last ten years. A passport older than ten years that has been extended for a period exceeding ten years from the time of issuance cannot be accepted.
Visa applicants must have their biometric data taken, e.g. ten fingerprints and a digital photograph. All supporting documents for your visa application have to be presented in original plus 2 copies of each document.
(source: German Missions in the United States)

During my freelance visa headache, I applied for the German job seeker visa at the Boston consulate; at the first appointment, I brought all required documents and my original diploma. I submitted all documents, paid the eighty euro visa fee and handed over my passport; two weeks later I received an email informing me that my visa was approved and ready to be picked up at the embassy.

This is a quick and relatively easy visa to apply for and allows you six months of residency within Germany. The other visa options I’ve researched but I have not applied for any of them so I can’t speak to them personally.

Good luck!

How to get health insurance in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 09:00:00 +0000

Public and Private Health Insurance in Germany

Two Types of Health Insurance Options in Germany

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Health insurance in Germany is a complex topic and it’s also highly personal, so in this article, I will discuss the difference between public and private options, and which ones are accepted by the Ausländerbehörde for freelance visa seekers (a caveat: the foreigners office can change things or make a different decision the day of an appointment).

In Germany, there are two types of insurance (private and public): government-regulated public insurance (GKV) and private insurance from a German or international insurance company (PKV). First, I am going to give a rundown on these two and then I will discuss who qualifies for them.

GKV (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) is the government-regulated health insurance, and if you are an employee then this is the insurance you qualify for, and your employer and you share the costs. Employees earning less than 64,350 EUR per year (gross) are usually obliged to take out public health insurance. If your income exceeds this amount, you can still join a public insurance fund but on a voluntary basis.

If you join the GKV you can choose to register with any of the 110 Krankenkassen, which are non-profit associations administering the government health scheme. I am not going to list all 110, I just know some of the bigger named ones are AOK, TK, DAK, SBK, Barmer; they all have to follow the government regulations and laws so all will be pretty similar. Just check which voluntary supplemental programs are offered.

The largest and most popular Krankenkasse in Germany is TK. They have been awarded as the best health insurance fund in Germany for 15 years in a row; also they provide excellent customer service in English, which is rare in Germany! You can sign up for TK here (It's free!)

From my research, I read that most German residents are members of the public health plans, and the 110 different Krankenkassen all charge the same basic rate of 14.6% plus a possible median supplemental rate from the health insurance fund (E.g. TK has a contribution rate of 15.5%, which consists of the general contribution rate of 14.6% and the fund’s supplemental rate of 0.9%).

The PKV (Private Krankenversicherung), or private-regulated health insurance, generally covers a wider choice of medical and dental treatment. The private sector offers all sorts of plans for all sorts of budgets and you must do your research to find the one that works for you. To be honest, this is where a good health insurance broker will be quite helpful- there are so many rules regarding which insurance is acceptable for the Ausländerbehörde (Immigration authority) and the freelance visa that I can’t (and won’t) cover it all here.

Be aware that if you take out private health insurance, you can only switch back to public health insurance in 2 cases:

If you go from being self-employed to becoming an employee and your income is below the threshold,
If you become unemployed.

Also, you must be under 55 years old. If you are older, it is usually not possible for low-income earners or unemployed people to switch back to public health insurance.

Suffice it to say, it is imperative that you find and choose a good health insurance that meets the government requirements for the freelance visa; I have heard of many people being delayed/denied their visa until they returned with acceptable insurance.

I spoke with a local insurance broker who directed me to plans that would be accepted for the freelance visa within my budget and I chose one; it was accepted for the freelance visa.

This is the basic information regarding the two different systems for health insurance within Germany and who qualifies for them; now I will share the information I have regarding what insurance is accepted by the Ausländerbehörde for freelancers.

Remember, the public insurance is mostly for employees whereas freelancers and self-employed must usually get German private insurance. The only exception here is for professional working artists, who can join KSK (Künstlersozialkasse), and through that program get into the public insurance system.

There are many popular insurance companies available online, but some of them do not fulfill the requirements demanded by German law. Whatever health insurance you chose, make sure it includes long-term nursing/care insurance (in German: Pflegepflichtversicherung) because German authorities tend to demand this during your residence permit extension application. If you need health insurance from your arrival in Germany to the day before your residence permit extension, take out expat health insurance, which will cover you during that period. You can then switch easily to private health insurance if you need to extend your permit at the Ausländerbehörde.

Also, make sure you choose a plan for “workers” not “tourists”; you will receive a certificate of coverage with these plans to take with you to the visa appointment. If you are unsure whether the insurance policy meets or not the German statutory requirements for German health insurance, ask the insurer to confirm it in writing; if they are willing to confirm that their insurance fully complies with the German Social Security Code: Book 5 Sect. 257(2)(a), then their insurance plans are valid for living and working in Germany.

From personal experience, I used a certified insurance company who helped me to set up a valid German health insurance policy; this was accepted by the LABO at my visa appointment with no issues. Again, meet with an insurance expert- this is free for you and they have experience helping expats.

Whatever long-term health insurance you chose, make sure it includes long-term nursing/care insurance. Also, make sure you choose a plan for “workers” not “tourists”.

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Remember none of what I have shared here is legal advice or anything: it is solely a summary of the two types of insurance here in Germany and what most freelancers end up getting for their visas. If you need more details about the German health insurance system, you can also read this article.

Good luck!

Driver's License Information for US Expats in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 15:30:00 +0000

Getting a German Driver's License

Converting a US driver's license to a German one

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Driving is an important thing for many people; I remember the excitement I felt when I turned 16 and could start driver’s education classes! The thrill that came from getting your license and knowing you had the freedom to hop in a car and take off in any direction was a powerful one.

When I moved abroad I didn’t think much about the entire license aspect of living in a foreign country; I also didn’t consider what I would do when my American license needed to be renewed and I wasn’t living or driving in the states anymore. In the Middle East, my American license granted me a license for the country I was a resident in without me needing to take any tests; I popped into the Department of Vehicles, got my license, went and purchased a used car and I was good to go for my four years there.

When I moved to Berlin though, things changed for a number of reasons:

While I was abroad my Washington state license expired- I applied for and received a one-year’s extension on it, but never did travel home within that year to get a new one,
I moved to Berlin with only a valid Middle Eastern driver’s license and these countries aren’t on the reciprocity list for a German license.

But before I jump into that deep end let me share the laws/rules regarding driver’s licenses for US expats in Germany. The laws regarding licenses are as follows: an American tourist can rent and drive a car in Germany using their American license for the length of their vacation. But, if you are staying in Germany for 6 months or longer you are required to get a German driver’s license.

There are 27 US states (plus Puerto Rico) that have full reciprocity with Germany for driver’s licenses: this means that they can walk into their local German Führerscheinstelle with their US license and some other documents and get a German license without any tests at all.

These US states with full driver's license reciprocity are:

[GERMANY – No test required]

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

Colorado

Delaware

Idaho

Illinois

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

New Mexico

Ohio

Oklahoma

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

South Dakota

Texas

Utah

Virginia

West Virginia

Washington (state)

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Puerto Rico

These above are the lucky 27 states who don’t have to take any tests at all to get a German license.

There is another group of semi-lucky US expats who have to take the written test but not the road test (be warned the German driver’s license written test is far more difficult than typical US license tests).

These 10 US states (and Washington DC) with Partial Driver’s License Reciprocity are:

[GERMANY – Only written test required – no road test]

Connecticut

Florida

Indiana

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

North Carolina

Oregon

Tennessee

District of Columbia

In order to be compliant with German law you must get your German driver’s license within six months of residence in Germany. Also be aware that if you wait to get the German license and three years pass, you will have to start from scratch and take practical lessons (20-40 hours worth) and the written test- the reciprocity won’t apply after the three years.

Expats that are staying within Germany for less than a year and can prove this (with a work contract stating the end date, or a return flight to the U.S. before a year) can get an exception and be allowed to drive in Germany with their US license without getting a German one. But you must get this exception from the local German DMV (Führerscheinstelle).

Applying for the German license even with reciprocity still requires some work and documentation; the following information will apply to anyone who is getting a German license, not just those from the USA or those with the reciprocity option. There are two options to the process of getting your German license: you can use an official Fahrschule (driving school) if you have any tests at all to take (written or road or both), or you can do it yourself.

If you don’t have any tests to take, then you don’t need a Fahrschule but a conversion of your foreign driver's license (Umschreibung). You just go to a local Bürgeramt (appointment required) and submit your application (remember the entire “no English spoken in any State office” rule- you might want to bring along a translator).

What to bring with you:

Passport,
One passport sized photo,
Your valid driver’s license from your home country (You will usually need an official translation with certification*),
Recent vision test (not always required),
Proof of completion of the first-aid course (required by German law),
Your Anmeldung (Proof of registration - You can fill in the form in English for free here),
A fee of approximately 40 EUR cash (if no tests are needed).

* The certification needs to be carried out by a court-sworn translator who is eligible to legally certify documents in Germany. I can recommend this company: they can provide you with a certified translation of your driver's license including classification, postal delivery at an affordable price.

You turn all this in and you’ll get your German license in the mail in 3-6 weeks.

The information I am sharing is what I have learned through research, not with personal experience. I decided I don’t want to get my license here because I don’t plan on doing any driving- I don’t own a car here and don’t plan to because the mass transit system here in Berlin is so amazing. Yes it can be slow and yes it can be interesting at times on the trains themselves, but this is the best public transport I’ve ever experienced and I love using it, plus in my opinion, it is far cheaper to use public transport than buy a car, pay insurance and parking etc.

For more information, you can visit the websites of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and the Berlin Official Portal.

Good luck!

How to get a Freelance Tax Number in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Applying for a Steuernummer

Last Update: November 2021

Your German Bank Account in English

Getting my Freelancer Tax Number

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Once you have your freelance visa in hand, the next step in the process is to go to the appropriate Finanzamt (Tax Office) to fill out the paperwork required to obtain your "freelancer" tax number as well as a VAT number.

Paying taxes in Germany is compulsory for all residents, and you are unable to invoice for freelance work without the so-called Steuenummer. This Steuernummer is different to the tax ID you received in the mail within a week of registering; this registration tax ID, or Steuer-ID, is very important when you apply for the Tax number at the Finanzamt office, but they aren’t the same thing so don’t become confused with the two. Here is more info about the Steuer-ID.

There are a few steps to take to get the Steuernummer and I will list them here, then I will share my experiences at the Finanzamt this past week.

First, you need to go to the following website and enter your postal code to find the tax office specific to your address. Even though I live in the Alt-Moabit area in Berlin, my tax office is the Mitte one located at Neue Jakobstrasse; just plug in your postal code and your office will pop up.

You don’t need an appointment at the Finanzamt, but when you arrive you do take a number and have to wait your turn. On Friday at 10.15 am there were three other people in the office besides myself and the woman who assisted me with the visa, Johanna. We were finished by 11 am and I was home by 12 (god love the public transport here in Berlin but it isn’t always the fastest).

Second, once you know which Finanzamt office to go to, you need to bring along a few important pieces of documentation: your passport with the freelance visa, the letter you received after registering with the tax ID on it, your Anmeldung (proof of registration) and your rental contract (I didn’t have this with me and so I need to bring the completed packet of papers back to the Finanzamt or drop it in the post); you’ll also need an application form but you get that form in German at the Finanzamt.

This application form is called the “Fragebogen zur Steuerlichen Erfassung” or the Tax Number Registration Form. Here is the original German online form to fill out in order to become self-employed. Once opened, that link will be valid for only 45 minutes, so make sure to save it and print it before this time elapses.

Fragebogen zur Steuerlichen Erfassung

Johanna informed me that, for whatever reason, the Mitte Finanzamt makes things a little more difficult than the other tax offices do and requires a second application form to be filled in-not an application but a question/answer form specifically detailing what your job is and if it is truly a freelance job and that you aren’t being taken advantage of by local companies (this is my understanding of it, just know that at the Mitte tax office there is a second form to fill out along with the application form).

Third, once you have this application (and second form if you are at the Mitte office), be aware it is completely in German and (there is no English translation on this form), you fill it out in the waiting room and sign it. Be prepared to answer whether or not you want a VAT number; Johanna did tell me that she’s learned that marking the box asking for a VAT number is the best way to do it rather than declining it now and then needing to request one later-she said it is a very difficult process to try to get a VAT number later (this is her job and she is fluent in German and I trust her completely but it is up to you when you are filling out the application).

Once you’ve filled it out and have made photocopies of your documents (there is a copier in the office for public use and costs 10 cents a copy), you wait for your number to be called. You enter the office and hand over all forms and documents; the tax office worker reviews it all for mistakes and asks questions (remember this is an official State office, so the only spoken language is German-no English). If all is good, you hand it all over and will receive the Steuernummer in the mail within 2-3 weeks; if you need more paperwork/documents, the office worker will write down what you need and you can either return the paperwork in person or send it by post.

I decided to hire someone to assist with this step because it is a crucial one and I didn’t want to make any mistakes or have any issues, plus, the application and the meeting with the office person is only in German and I am not fluent.

On Friday she met me at the office and we went inside; she asked for the forms to fill out and we spent fifteen minutes filling them out- it is an 8-page document all in German and you need your passport info, your residence visa info and the tax ID (Steuer-ID) you received after registering.

Once we filled out all the documents, we got a new number and waited a few minutes before being called into an office; we handed over all paperwork and all is perfect with it, except that I didn’t bring along my rental contract information. So I left the building with the packet of paperwork and need to make a copy of my rental contract and drop it all off at the tax office tomorrow; I was told that within a few weeks I will get my Steuernummer in the mail and can invoice for my freelance work so I receive payment.

This step in the process was far less stressful than getting the visa, but it’s still difficult for non-German speakers who aren’t familiar with the German tax system.

Highly Recommended:

An easier and quicker solution would be to use the services of this company. If you do not understand German, you can fill in for FREE the freelancer application form (Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung) online and in English. Once you are ready, they will take care of submitting it directly to the Finanzamt through the official ELSTER interface.

My Experience with the Ausländerbehörde

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Tue, 29 May 2018 14:00:00 +0000

My Experience at the German Foreigners Office (LABO) in Berlin

Getting my Residence Permit for Freelancing Purposes

[Enthält Werbelinks]

The day of the residence permit appointment at the LABO office is definitely stressful, even with a visa specialist at your side, all documents in hand and a set appointment time and number. Without these things, it is even more stressful! I am going to relate what I experienced at my appointment last week in Berlin in the hopes of alleviating some of the unknowns, and thus, lowering the stress of your appointment day.

When you made the Ausländerbehörde appointment online you received a confirmation email with essential info; this is an example of what the email looks like:

---

Sehr geehrte/r Frau oder Herr xxx,

hiermit bestätigen wir Ihnen Ihren gebuchten Termin am 17.05.2018 um 16:00 Uhr.

Ort: Ausländerbehörde Berlin, Standort Friedrich-Krause-Ufer, Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin

Sachgebiet: Sachgebiet E 2 +++ Haus C, 2. Etage, Warteräume E 2.1 - E 2.4

Dienstleistung: Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Freiberufler und Selbständige - Erteilung (§ 21)

Wartenummer / Vorgangsnummer: 50122

Alle weiteren Informationen entnehmen Sie bitte der Anlage. Bitte drucken Sie sich diese aus und bringen Sie alle darin genannten Unterlagen, Formulare und Gebühren mit.

Sollten Sie den Termin nicht wahrnehmen können, sagen Sie ihn bitte ab: https://formular.berlin.de/jfs/findform?shortname=OTVBerlin&formtecid=4&areashortname=LABO

Mit freundlichem Gruß

Ihre Ausländerbehörde Berlin

---

This email confirmation above contains all the important details you need:

Date and time: 17.05.2018 um 16:00 Uhr
Address of the LABO your appointment is at: Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24
House and floor: Haus C, Etage 2
Your specific appointment number (vorgangsnummer): 50122

This information is essential, but also extremely helpful, because when you arrive at the LABO, you will see a lot of individual buildings with different entrances, some with guards in front with long lines of people waiting to enter. That line of people, and where the guards are stationed at the door, is for those who didn’t make online appointments. Without a booked appointment, these people come at midnight or 1 am to spend the night waiting so they can get a number from the guards; this number allows them either to get inside the building in order to draw a waiting number from a ticket machine or to return at a later time that day with an appointment (last-minute openings, cancellations, etc). I’ve never needed to go through that building in the three different times I’ve been at the LABO, so your best bet seems to be making an online appointment and skipping that insanity.

Foto: BLZ/Markus Wächter
www.berliner-zeitung.de/1114242

When you arrive and enter the gates, there is a building to the left and three to the right. Follow the covered sidewalk to the entrance of the building listed on your confirmation email; all of my appointments have been in Haus C, this is the freelance visa section for Americans (see below).

Source: https://goo.gl/6SLr7M

My visa specialist that I hired for this appointment met up with me outside the building a few minutes before the appointment. Know your appointment number (Example from above 50122) because once you have a seat in the waiting area, multiple appointment numbers are flashing across the TV screens pretty quickly and you need to be paying attention so that you don’t miss yours, and so that you note what door/room your appointment has been assigned to. You will have all your documents and the application filled out, and don’t forget your passport and photos; have these in order and know where they are so that you can hand them over quickly when asked for them.

Once your number is called and you enter the room for the meeting, everything goes very quickly and it’s all in German, so be prepared to be overwhelmed.

The room contains two desks and two appointments are happening simultaneously; you sit down at the table and (in my experience) no niceties are exchanged-they just jump right into the meeting. The LABO worker asks for the application, the registration paper (see image below), and the passport photos and then it’s a blur of your translator/specialist asking for specific pieces of paper and documents. For more details, check out the Berlin Website for all documents required.

In my meeting last week a big bump in the road came up when the woman asked for the registration paper- I handed over the one I have from my Bürgeramt appointment last October; she looked it up in the computer and informed my translator that I don’t have a valid registration! I was surprised and dismayed because I had the form in my hand, signed and stamped! It turns out that, back in January when I was told I had two weeks to leave the country, the LABO informed the Burgeramt that I had been told to leave and I was de-registered from my address! No one in January told me this would happen, and even the LABO worker had to contact the team leader to learn the specifics because she didn’t understand it either; essentially my registration isn’t valid and I need to redo it.

Anmeldebestätigung (Proof of Registration)

Thankfully, my visa specialist immediately hopped on her smartphone and booked me the earliest appointment she could find online at the Bürgeramt. The fact that we got an appointment within three weeks AND that I had my rental contract and signed form from the landlord that I’ve moved in (in German: Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) appeased the woman and she accepted these things so that I didn’t need to be delayed anymore with the residence permit.

The visa specialist had enough foresight and experience to tell me to bring along my degree/diploma but we were both very surprised when I was asked for letters of recommendation and a CV because I had three letters of intent to hire PLUS a contract with a local start-up for a job.

I was again saved by a smartphone- I was able to pull them up via my email account and forward the documents to the LABO worker since I didn’t have hard copies in hand. The woman took all of these documents (application, passport, photos, all financial docs, all letters of intent, my diploma, my CV and my job contract) and sent us out of the room to go wait in the lobby.

While we waited I emailed the woman my TEFL certificate, my letters of recommendation, my CV and the booked appointment confirmation from the Bürgeramt system; maybe 20 minutes later my number flashed back up on the TV screen and we went back to the room. She handed me all the paperwork and my passport with the residence permit pasted inside; my translator/specialist read through it to make sure all was correct.

Important: the job title indicated on your residence permit is the only type of work you’re legally allowed to take on!

She said it looked good and the LABO worker then handed us this card that is the size of an ATM debit card and we left the office; when you leave the office you head over to Haus B and go to the 1st floor, where the payment machines are located.

Now, this is where problems can crop up because many of us freelancers have opened bank accounts with N26 and we have a debit card from that bank that works everywhere around Berlin without an issue-but it isn’t an actual EC card and the payment machines at the LABO will only accept an EC card. You can check this article about which bank account would suit you better.

Also, cash is not accepted by the machine, so without an EC card you are essentially scr***d; I can’t offer many solutions to this except to say that my solution was to transfer the cost of the residence permit (56 euros for a two-year visa) to my visa specialist’s account and she used her EC card to pay the fee. Potentially there is a cashier line for payment somewhere in that building but I didn’t see one and we didn’t search for it because I had already told her I didn’t have cash on me and there are no ATMs in the LABO or the surrounding area so paying by cash wasn’t an option. I only saw these two automatic payment machines where you stand in line, put the card that you got from the LABO worker into the machine and then you pay using your EC card.

Once you’ve paid the fee you are done at the LABO. You have your freelance residence permit in hand and you are set for either one year or two years, meaning that you don’t need to bother with this building for a long while, thank god.

Image: LABO - The entrance area of the Berlin Immigration Office was redesigned by 15 pupils from the 7th year of the Beethoven-Gymnasium in Berlin-Lankwitz.

Of course, this isn’t the end of the process. Once you have your residence permit you are good to be here residing in Germany and working BUT, as a freelancer you have to invoice clients for your jobs, and in order to invoice you need a tax number (Steuernummer). I will cover this process in the next blog post, from how to find the form online and fill it out, where to go and what to do to get your tax number for invoicing purposes.

How to (not) get a visa for Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Thu, 17 May 2018 19:33:00 +0000

Getting (or Not) a German Visa

A Series of (Un)fortunate Events *

Last week I mentioned I would share my personal experience as I applied for the freelance visa here in Germany (read it here); I am doing so in order to share what can and does happen with visa applications.

The point of my sharing this story isn’t to scare people off but to get them to do their research when hiring a visa specialist. Make certain they are fully qualified and highly recommended from many different sources because so much can go wrong when it comes to visas and there is nothing to joke about when the immigration officer decides you’ve done something wrong-they will not hesitate to send the police to your door to escort you to the airport and out of the country with minimal notice.

Disclaimer: This Guide is not a general recommendation or an advice. Everyone’s experience and situation is different.

For legal reasons, the author and myGermanExpert aren't mentioning the name of the visa assistance company (P******.de) or the website recommending it (S*****.me).

[Enthält Werbelinks]

When I first learned that Germany offered a freelance visa and that Americans qualify for it, I started doing my research. I read through different blogs detailing what people did to get their visas and I made notes on the process, since I planned on doing this all by myself and knew that many had successfully done so with no assistance. But, once I was here in Berlin and learned that English isn’t spoken at the LABO immigration office by law, and with only having a beginner level in German, I decided that hiring a specialist would be the best move.

There were a few blogs I found that were better than most, detailing the many different steps needed to get your new life off the ground here in Berlin; one of these blogs included a “highly recommended visa assistance company” with the convenience of emailing through the blog. I used the form embedded in the blog and waited to be contacted; a few days later I received an email and learned that this woman has been working with visa assistance for years and would be happy to meet me to discuss things in depth.

At the first meeting, I was impressed by the office and the woman seemed quite confident, plus she was German and has been working in this field for years (according to her). I decided to pay the 400 Euro fee and hired her on the spot without doing more research or looking for other visa specialists; I informed her of the date my tourist visa ended and she assured me she would make all the appointments and “be on top of things.” She also informed me that I could cancel the LABO appointment I had made for later in August because she likes to “have the visa appointment at the very end of the tourist visa,” but she didn’t fully explain why and sadly, I didn’t ask for clarity on the subject. I left her office feeling confident that I would soon have my visa and I started emailing out my resume for jobs so that I could get things started early so I could start work immediately after receiving it.

I didn’t hear from her during the remainder of August and in September I emailed asking what the status was and she didn’t reply; I waited ten days and then emailed a second time. I emailed her daily throughout September and never received a reply- at this point, it was too late to find someone new (I thought) and I didn’t believe I could get my 200 Euro deposit back if I terminated the contract so I felt like I was stuck with this incompetent “specialist”; finally, in October I sent an email to her supervisor and amazingly received an email from her the next day where she assured me she had it all under control and all the paperwork I gave her was perfect and needed no further work/changes.

All of October continued in the same way- my emails being ignored until I contacted her supervisor, which would be followed by an email from this woman; also there were a few times where she would assure me that I would hear from her the next day and then, when I didn’t, I would email asking why I hadn’t heard from her yet, only to receive that automatic “out of the office on vacation” email notification. The lack of professionalism from her was really starting to wear on me and worry me because I no longer had any confidence in her skills.

At the end of October, I was informed that we had an appointment in January and all was in order with nothing more needed from me. When the date got closer she emailed to verify where we would meet the day of the visa appointment and that was it.

On the day of the appointment in January, I headed to the LABO office with all documents and passport in hand, confident I qualified for the freelance work and would be successful in obtaining it. I met with the “specialist” outside the office and we headed in, where she sat and reviewed my paperwork one last time; as we were sitting there waiting for my number to be called she made the comment, “well I am a little concerned that they might have some questions about some things but let’s hope we have a nice person making the decision.” What the heck was that supposed to mean? When I asked her to clarify she just waved it away and told me not to worry, also that it would all be said in German and she would explain things to me as we went along.

We headed into the office when my number was called and I sat there as everything was said in German and didn’t have an idea what was happening; when I handed over my passport showing my entrance date on the tourist visa stamp everything changed. They started rapidly speaking in German and another worker was called over; I sat there growing more and more worried, especially as I heard my “specialist” say, “but it was my fault.”

Finally, the LABO worker said to me in English, “you do qualify for the freelance visa BUT you overstayed your tourist visa by four months and you need to leave the country two weeks from today.”

I was shocked! I said, “Wait, she (pointing at the specialist) made this appointment and she swears she made it before my tourist visa expired.” The LABO worker informed me that no, that wasn’t true, the “specialist” hadn’t made the appointment in the correct window of time and didn’t book the appointment until five days after my tourist visa ended. I was speechless. This was my life this idiot woman had just screwed up because she “wasn’t on top of things,” and I couldn’t understand how this had happened, especially since I had been emailing her constantly, reminding her, requesting updates and trying to get 100% assurance she was “on top of things.”

The LABO gave me a letter in German that I had to show to the customs desk as I was leaving the country two weeks from that day (see image below); they kept my passport until I could return to show proof of my flight reservation out of Germany on February 1, 2018. They said, “Sorry but you made this mistake and there is nothing we can do because this rule has been broken, so you must leave the country in two weeks time and you can only return on a tourist visa after you spend 90 days outside of the Schengen Zone or you can return under a different visa that you apply for and obtain through a German embassy in America.”

This was the letter (from the LABO)
I had to turn in to the customs agent as I left the country.

I was assured this wasn’t my fault and I wasn’t in trouble, plus there were no long term effects from this, even though there very well could have been. In fact, this is exactly what the LABO worker said to me- had this been my fault I would have been given 72 hours to leave the country and police would have escorted me to the airport and remained with me until I boarded the plane.

They handed all of the documents minus my passport back to me and we were shown out the door. I was still speechless at this moment because I was trying to process everything. I had two weeks to leave my life in Berlin-two weeks to find someone to sublet my apartment, to house sit my dogs and apartment while I was in another country for potentially three months. And during all of this, the only thing the visa “specialist” said was, “I should have been more on top of it.” REALLY?! That’s all you have to say to me? The next thing she said was, “Well since this is all my fault I guess the least I can do is try to get my company to cover the costs of your flights.” That was it. That was the extent of her apology and assistance; she said goodbye outside the LABO and that she would “of course help me in any way she could.” I was so angry but still processing all of this information and trying not to panic as I started working out my plans.

One week later, after I purchased my flights, the “specialist” and I returned to the LABO office in order to pick up my passport and show proof of my leaving plans. The impression we’d both been given the previous week was that all we needed to do was show back up in this woman’s office with proof of flight and she would hand over my passport. Nothing is ever that simple at the LABO office. We arrived and since we hadn’t made an appointment that meant we had to stand in this insanely long line in House C (thank god I always travel with a book to read, it is all I can say).

After about 25 minutes of standing in line, the visa specialist went to the woman’s office from the week before to ask if we truly needed to wait in this long line; she was disappointed to learn that yes, we did need to stand and wait. An hour later we made it to the window and the “specialist” explained everything, showed my reservations and got a number; we then went back to the waiting room where we waited another 40 minutes for my number to be called. When we went to the new office and showed proof of my flights out, the new LABO worker needed everything from the previous week to be fully explained to him and what had caused the mistake in the first place; then when he was “caught up” as he put it, he then looked at my flights and became angry that I had booked round trip tickets back to Berlin!

She spent approximately another 10 minutes explaining that was because I fully intended to return when I was legally able to and. if needed, would change the dates based on what happened at the embassy in Boston. Another 30 minutes of dealing with the LABO worker passed until he was finally satisfied with all of it and gave me my passport back.

Thankfully, I managed to find a wonderful, reliable house and animal sitter who was flexible enough to be able to stay for either one month or, potentially, the entire 3 months if I wasn’t successful in obtaining a visa through the German embassy in America. I also am lucky to have family who lives in England, so I had somewhere to fly to and stay that was outside the Schengen Zone; I also am lucky to have dear friends who live in Boston, Massachusetts, who were more than happy to have me stay with them for three weeks while I worked on applying for the job seeker visa so that I could return to Berlin before three months’ time.

When I was flying out of Tegel airport, customs took a bit longer to navigate due to the expired tourist visa in my passport and the letter from the LABO that I handed over which explained, in German, what had transpired and how none of it was my fault.

Had I not had that letter I could have been subject to a fine of 100 Euro for each day that I had overstayed my tourist visa (I had overstayed by a total of 4 months remember so that would have been a monumental fine), and the potential to be banned from the Schengen Zone/Germany for up to ten years! Overstaying visas is no joking matter, in any way, and believe me, this was an incredibly scary situation that could have been far worse than what I actually experienced. The customs agents were kind, they were not rude or aggressive with me and there were no further issues/problems, but it was the first time I’ve ever had to deal with anything like this and I truly hope to never experience it again.

In Boston, because of my education, I successfully obtained a six-month job seeker visa, which meant that I was able to return to Berlin after only one month. I have hired a reputable and highly recommended visa specialist, one who I thoroughly vetted and received many positive recommendations for her work.

My LABO appointment is next week and all my paperwork is in order (according to my new specialist she’s amazed that the previous woman never worked with me on mistakes with my documents- obvious mistakes that make her truly question how this first woman is in business!). I’m much more positive and confident this time around and believe things will work out.

[* Reference: The title is inspired from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events // Image source: www.imdb.com]

Freelance Visa for Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Mon, 07 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

How to get a Freelance Visa for Germany

Last Updated: November 2021

Your Guide to Getting a German Freelance Visa*

[Enthält Werbelinken]

* It's actually a residence permit for the purpose of self-employment, but everyone calls it the freelance visa!

*** Disclaimer: This Guide is not legal advice. Everyone’s experience and situation is different. I will share my personal experience obtaining a freelance visa in Berlin as an American. ***

Citizens from the USA (excl. green card holders), Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand, Venezuela and Colombia (see the full list here) are automatically granted a 3-month tourist visa immediately upon landing in Germany. You go through customs as you exit the plane and get a stamp in your passport that allows you to be in Germany for 3 months. You do not need to apply for a visa prior to entry.

I decided to move to Berlin on a whim, and also, because of something my Berlin-based tattooist said as I sat in her chair for ten hours getting inked in winter 2016. Berlin is an amazing city, gritty, international, with a complex history that sinks its teeth in visitors and never lets go. I loved it from the minute I wandered around the neighborhood where my hotel was based; I loved the art, the weather, how real it felt…I loved all of it and I decided that four days wasn’t going to be long enough to explore.

As I was getting a tattoo the artist said that she was in Berlin (and Germany) because they have freelance visas for people with skills or for artists.

I was intrigued and decided to do some further research to determine if I qualify for this type of visa, and, if I could, move to Berlin in the future. That future came far more quickly than I’d imagined or planned for, but I decided that even if it was a few years earlier than I’d planned, I was going to move to Berlin and take a leap of faith.

I’m going to share the facts about the freelance visa for Germany in today’s article, and next week I will share my personal experience obtaining this visa.

Check here to see if you need to apply for an entry visa for Germany from abroad.

The rules of the Schengen Zone as they apply to American passport holders (and to nationals of those countries for which the EU has abolished the visa requirement) are as follows: US citizens are allowed to be in the Schengen Area for 90 days within a six month period (180 days); these days are not consecutive and once you hit that 90-day mark, your tourist visa expires. You have to leave the Schengen Area for 3 months for that tourist visa to essentially “reset” and then you can return for another 90-day period.

If you are just traveling around, planning to leave the Schengen Zone for 90 days every 3 months is easily dealt with, but if you, like me, want to live in Germany for longer than 3 months you have to apply for a residence visa.

Everything you need to know about the Schengen Area: read here the brochure provided by the European Commission.

The German residence visas available to US citizens (and to nationals of those countries for which the EU has abolished the visa requirement) include the freelance work visa, the freelance artist visa, and the job seeker visa; there are others but these are the only ones I will cover in these articles because these are the ones I’ve researched and applied for and have personal first-hand knowledge.

The EU has withdrawn the visa requirement for visits of up to three months in a six-month period for citizens of certain states. See here if you need to apply for an entry visa for Germany from abroad.

The freelance residence visa allows you to live and work within Germany for a period of 1-3 years (some freelancers get approved for only one-year visas while others are approved for up to 3 years-it depends on your job, your skills and education, your savings, etc).

The required steps once you land in Germany using the 90-day tourist visa are as follows:

Get a flat or a room that allows you to register for your Anmeldung (see this blog post).
Do your Anmeldung to get your registration certificate and your tax ID (see this blog post).
Open a German bank account (see this blog post). I highly recommend N26 for freelancers working in Germany.
Get proper, German health insurance (this is a really tough and important detail that includes so many variables and issues that I won’t cover the information in this blog-all I will say is finding a reputable insurance broker, I can recommend this independent insurance company that works with expats and freelancers).
Register as a freelancer/ self-employed to get tax and VAT numbers. You can do this process online, for free and in English using this website.
Make an appointment at the LABO (Auslanderbehorde- foreigner’s office) before your 90-day tourist visa is up.
Gather all documents (fleshed out below).

Ok, so some further info re: Step 4. Once you are in Germany on a tourist visa, go online and book an appointment at the LABO; the earliest available date could potentially be 4-8 weeks out. As long as you schedule the appointment (book the appointment) within your tourist visa, even if the appointment isn’t until 2-5 weeks (or longer) after your tourist visa expires, you are granted an “extension” of the tourist visa-because you are actively working on a residence visa to stay.

It’s a weird grey area, but basically, book the appointment online within your 90 days as a tourist and you are legally allowed to remain past your tourist visa end date.

The dreaded documentation: this is the heart of German bureaucracy (paperwork and ticking boxes) so this needs to be SPOT ON, with no deviations and all in order.

The required documentation that you MUST bring with you to the LABO appointment is as follows:

Proof of the main residence in Berlin (certificate of registration + rental contract + landlord's confirmation letter).
Proof of Health Insurance (your insurer will include proof of insurance when you sign up).
2-3 “Letters of Intent” from potential, local, future clients. These are hugely important and not listed on the LABO website. These are letters from local German companies that state they are interested in hiring you based on your skills for working here in Berlin. These are not contracts and are not obligatory for the businesses in any way- these just state that, based on your skills and education, you have potential interest from local companies.
Bank statements: I’ve been told that the magic number the LABO wants to see in your savings is 8,000 euro; this is mainly to prove that you have enough reserves/savings to maintain your living situation during lean times.
The application form: this is called the Antrag auf Erteilung eines Aufenthaltstitels. You will find this form on the LABO website in many languages; fill it out online, print it off and bring it with you to the appointment.
Profit and Loss paperwork filled out. You will also find these templates on the LABO website.
Finance Plan: This is a sheet that states how much money you have. Find it here.
Cover Letter stating why you want to be in Germany, what your skills and education are, and your professional background.
Copy of CV/Resume in German: details about all relevant clients you have worked with and projects you have worked on.
Diplomas and/or certificates.
A valid passport
Appointment confirmation.
[If applicable] Professionnal permit(s).

These are the basic facts of the Freelance Residence visa and the required documentation.

A few additional facts:

On the day of the appointment arrive early and be prepared to wait, bring 110-120 euros in cash with you for the visa application fees, bring 2 passport photos and make certain that you aren’t smiling in them- the Germans are quite strict about this fact, and bring with you a German speaker. You can hire translators and other visa specialists to accompany you to the appointment because you need them-unless you speak fluent German.

Remember the law in Germany is that no language other than German will be spoken by the workers of the LABO because they are “speaking” for the State and the language of the State is German-they most likely do know and speak English but the law doesn’t allow them to conduct State business in any language other than German.

If you’ve got all the required documents, and all are filled out correctly, you most likely will be issued your freelance visa that same day.

If you would like to know how to get a 'freelancing' tax number (in German: Steuernummer), check out this article.

Read this article to know how you can easily do your taxes as a freelancer in Germany.

Good luck!

Guide to Getting Involved as an Expat in Düsseldorf

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Fri, 04 May 2018 08:30:00 +0000

Your New Life as an Expat in Düsseldorf

Helpful resource to get you out there making some new friends

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Getting to know your new life as an expat and finding ways to get involved isn’t always the easiest of tasks. As expats, we often arrive with a long list of things to do in order to get settled into our new city, including registering with the local Bürgerbüro (registration office), taking out health insurance, opening a bank account, finding a neighborhood to live in and swapping out your foreign license for a German one. While checking off this list of things to do may take time, most of these tasks don’t pose too much of a challenge. Getting involved and finding friends in your new city on the other hand, takes much more work.

As an expat, it’s up to us to make that first step into unknown territory to find new friends. If you’ve already found a job or know a couple locals, it may be easier for you to connect, but for many expats, getting involved can be a real struggle.

With that being said, I hope that this guide to getting involved as an expat in Düsseldorf will be a helpful resource to get you out there making some new friends!

Join the Online Communities in Düsseldorf

Whether you are looking for English or German communities online, there are a number of different groups you can join and start interacting in. Often times you will notice that many individuals within these groups plan their own fun nights out, sport meetups, BBQ’s and book clubs. Here are a few online communities you can join:

Düsseldorf Expat Meetups (where you can join events or even create your own)
Expat-preneurs Düsseldorf (where you can meet international and inspiring entrepreneurs)
Girl Gone International (a group of ladies who meet up for monthly events around town)
Düsseldorfer Toastmasters (a group where you can rid your fear of public speaking and meet new friends)
Couchsurfing Düsseldorf (a group where you can meet not just international locals, but people from all over the world)

Join in on Organized Meetups

The great thing about online communities is that many of them are active in creating monthly meetups or events offline as well. All of the communities listed above host either monthly regular events, or a number of mini-events throughout the month. If you want to keep updated regularly on upcoming events in German and English (and many other languages as well), meetup.com is a great resource!

Here are a few meetup.com communities that might interest you:

The Düsseldorf Expat Meetup Group

Düsseldorf Party Meetup

The Düsseldorf Boardgamers Meetup Group

Düsseldorf International Football Club

Sprachenstammtisch Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf Yoga Meetup

The Multinational-Intercultural Meetup Group Düsseldorf

Join a Sports Club

What better way to get involved and stay active than by joining a sports club in the city? There are a number of different sports clubs and a surprisingly few who speak English as well.

Here are a few in particular who speak quite a bit of English:

The Düsseldorf Curling Club

The Düsseldorf Dragons Rugby Club

The Düsseldorf Bulldozer Football Club

We’ve also put together an entire guide to sports teams in Düsseldorf on our Life in Düsseldorf web page if you’re interested in checking out another sport around town.

Join in on the Celebrations

No matter what kind of group or community you’re looking for, joining in on the local celebrations is a great way to meet new friends from all over the world. My tip to finding out what local celebrations are taking place, is to use Facebook’s event search function and narrow it down to the location you’re hoping to find some events in.

Here are a few of my favorite annual events:

Düsseldorf Karneval (in February)

Düsseldorf Japantag (in May)

Düsseldorf Rheinkirmes (in July)

Düsseldorf Craft Beer Festival (in July)

Düsseldorfer Büdchentag (in August)

Düsseldorf Christmas Markets (in December)

Hopefully, with a little bit of inspiration and a slight push you can get out there and start getting involved with local activities and events. Have fun!

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Article written by Jenna Davis, Founder of Life in Düsseldorf

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Mobile Phone Plans in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (myGermanExpert) — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 07:30:00 +0000

Mobile Phone Contracts in Germany

My search for a good mobile phone plan

[Enthält Werbelinks]

Moving to a new country can be exciting and make you feel quite adventurous, but then, you remember that you have to figure out phone plans in the new country and the excitement disappears.

I have been outside the USA for five years now, but I remember how horrible AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon were for phone plans-locking people into long term contracts with high costs; I regularly spent $75 a month for my mobile phone contract in America.

When I moved to the Middle East getting a post-paid mobile phone contract required a Power of Attorney from my employer, notarized copies of my passport, and signing over my first born child (slight exaggeration but not by much). That was to get it- to leave and cancel the contract required far more work and huge costs; same as my American mobile phone to be honest.

Here in Germany it is a little different- you can still get long term mobile phone contracts, but there are lots of great, cheap options for prepaid, month-to-month phone plans and I am going to share what I learned on my search for a good plan.

Here in Berlin the main mobile phone providers for long term post paid contracts are Vodafone, and O2; the options for pre-paid SIMs and plans are Lidl Mobile, Aldi Talk (there are others but I only researched these two, so these are the ones I’ll cover in this article.

Also, a tip for those coming from America- be sure to have your phone “unlocked” before coming to Germany, so that you can get a German SIM to use in your phone.

Vodafone offers a few different mobile phone plans:

Red-Tarife: 24.99 a month
Young-Tarife (if under age 28): 16.99/month
Easy-Tarife: 14.99/month
Prepaid-Tarife: varies based on what you choose for GB and minutes

Here is the link for the Vodafone information.

If you need a Free SIM card including a prepaid rate, the options below might suit your needs:

All advantages on this page.

All products and tariff details at: vodafone.de/freikarten/

O2 offers both prepaid and post paid/contract plans:

O2 Free XL: 25 GB: 49.99/month
O2 Free L: 20 GB: 39.99/month
O2 Free M: 10 GB: 29.99/month
O2 Free S: 1 GB: 19.99/month

Here is the link for the O2 information.

The prepaid options are more varied and I really am very happy with the prepaid SIM and plan I use monthly. With these options, you pay for the SIM card (9.99 or 12.99 most often) once and then a monthly fee for the plan itself.

Aldi Talk: different plans with a 12.99 one-time fee for the SIM.

Package 300: 7.99/month: 1.5 GB and 300 minutes
Package 600: 12.99/month: 3 GB and 600 minutes
All Net Flat: 19.99/month: unlimited minutes and 5 GB

Here is the link for Aldi Talk plans.

Lidl Connect: a one-time fee of 9.99 for the SIM and different monthly plans:

Smart XS: 500 MB and 100 minutes: 4.99/month
Smart S: 1.5 GB and 300 minutes: 7.99/month*
Smart L: 3 GB and 600 minutes: 12.99/month
All Net Flat: 5 GB and flat rate of .09 cents a minute

Here is the link for the Lidl Connect.

I chose to buy the Lidl Connect Smart S and I’ve never had an issue. I find the top up monthly is very easy using the web site, which means no monthly trips to my local Lidl (there isn’t one close to me).

Now the area where people tend to have the most issues with the SIM is when the verification of your passport needs to happen.

When you first install the SIM, and set up the connection, you have to install an app, WebIdent, and get your passport “verified”. This is due to a new law that started in July of 2017 in order to cut down on illegal use of prepaid SIMs; this has caused a lot of frustration for people of different nationalities- a friend of mine from NZ wasn’t able to ever get a SIM to work because they said they wouldn’t verify (or maybe couldn’t) her New Zealand passport.

How does WebID work?

This verification process took me a wait of 2 hours on a Thursday morning, but once I had a person from the app looking at my passport and verifying it, it was finished within 15 minutes. I’m including the Reddit post I found online with a discussion regarding this issue.

Regardless, I found Lidl to be the cheapest and I really like them, plus I love the lack of a contract.

Some carriers will let you verify in-store. The SIM activation & ID verification can sometimes be done by a manager in-store.

Good luck with the decision-making!

Tres C is an American who’s lived and worked all over the world and who has traveled extensively. She moved to Berlin in July 2017 with her dogs; she’s excited to share her hard earned knowledge about relocating to Berlin through her writing on this blog.