Moving to Germany: the complete guide

What is it like to live in Germany?

Why do people move to Germany? Well, where do we begin? There are so many very good reasons. Germany has a very stable economy and offers its residents a good quality of life. It boasts clean, safe cities with lots of green spaces, as well as a lower cost of living than in the UK.

If you work there, you can expect to be treated very fairly, as it’s a country that takes its workers’ rights very seriously. It has slightly fewer working hours than in the UK (for example) and offers generous parental leave. You’re also entitled to a minimum of 30 days’ paid leave a year. And, should you be laid off, your statutory redundancy pay is one month for every year of service.

Being right in the centre of Europe, it’s a great starting point to explore the rest of the continent, especially thanks to some of the best transport links in the world. There’s super-efficient public transportation not only in major cities, but even in rural areas. For longer journeys, the ICE high-speed train travels at 330 km/h, and motorists can really put their foot down on the autobahn – a motorway largely without speed limits!

If you’re moving with children or want to study yourself - it’s good to know that the standard of education is excellent in Germany. There are many highly commended international schools, where they teach in English and German. The standard German schools are also very good, but most do not teach in English. Germany is also home to many world-class universities, and fees are much, much cheaper than the UK.

What are the requirements to move to Germany?

There are many ways to immigrate to Germany, and each way has some specific requirements. But in general to be eligible to move to Germany, you must fulfil the following criteria:

• Prove financial stability -  you will need to prove that you can finance yourself in Germany. Even if you’ll be working in Germany, you must have the initial funds to cover your expenses until you get your first salary.

• Have health insurance - you won’t be able to immigrate to Germany without it. And it’s recommended that you get German health insurance since you can’t be sure whether German authorities will accept foreign health insurance.

• Have a basic proficiency in German - The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages has three levels of language proficiency, A, B and C. Each one has two parts. Language proficiency is divided into A1/A2 or basic, B1/B2 or proficient in the language, and C1/C2 or advanced language skills. To immigrate to Germany, you will need to enter the exams and pass them up to either A1 or B1. If you want to get a permanent residence, you will need a higher proficiency of C1 or C2 level.

• Get a German Visa - A Schengen visa is required if you intend to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 180 day period for business, visitor or tourist purposes. But entry clearance requirements depend on your citizenship. Citizens of many countries do not need a visa to visit Germany for stays of up to 90 days. Please check our country list if you are not sure whether you need a visa: country list. If you need to stay longer, you’ll require another type of visa, depending on your situation. Please find a list of visas below:

• Business Visa

• Visas to Study in Germany

• Job Seeker Visa

• Working (Employment) Visa

• Guest Scientist Visa

• Training/Internship Visa

• Family Reunion Visa to Join a Relative or Partner

Move to Germany from the UK

After Brexit, the residency rights of UK citizens in Germany have changed and now if you wish to move to Germany from the UK you must abide by the immigration rules.

You can enter without a visa or residence permit and stay for up to 90 days. However,  if you want to work there you must apply for a residence permit. In some cases you may be required to apply for an employment visa.

Since Brexit it has certainly become more difficult to immigrate to Germany, but if you meet certain conditions, as a UK citizen, you can make the move.

Where to live in Germany?

In the Mercer Quality of Life Survey 2018, an annual survey covering 231 cities worldwide, seven German cities were ranked in the world’s top 30 for quality of living – and three of those (Munich, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt) were in the top 10.

German cities scored even higher in terms of infrastructure – with four in the top 10 places. Here’s a little something about five of them.

Berlin

Berlin is a very green city, with parks, forests, lakes, and rivers covering an amazing third of the city. Its areas are varied, each with their own distinct atmosphere. Charlottenburg is an upmarket, more sedate area in the west of the city with beautiful 19th-century townhouses -  there are students here, too. Kreuzberg, traditionally a major centre for Turkish and alternative residents, is a fashionable, multicultural area.

Traditional working class Wedding is up and coming, while Prenzlauer Berg has already arrived – a gentrified area that still attracts artists and students. Expensive Wilmersdorf, with its beautiful 19th-century buildings, borders Berlin’s most prestigious area: Grunewald.

Frankfurt

Germany’s financial capital, Frankfurt is a city of skyscrapers not unlike Manhattan. Most people who work here chose to commute in from the suburbs rather than live right in the centre - mainly due to cost and availability.

There are new-builds in Riedberg, the West and East Harbour, Rebstockpark and Friedberger Warte, while there are older mansions in leafy Westend, Holzhausen Quarter, Poets’ Quarter (Dichterviertel), and the Diplomatenvierte.

There are wonderful restaurants and bars in Sachsenhausen and parts of Nordend. Many executive families live in towns in the Vordertaunus, a wooded area less than an hour northwest of Frankfurt. Frankfurt is ranked 7th in the world for quality of life, and joint 2nd with Munich for infrastructure.

Hamburg

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany with 1.8 million inhabitants. Its metropolitan area is home to 5.1 million people. It’s also one of Germany’s 16 states of the federation and is ranked 19th best for quality of life and 9th for the high quality of the city’s infrastructure.

Although it’s a huge city, people have more living space than all the other major cities in the world. There are many green open spaces, rivers and canals crossed by over 2,000 bridges (more than Venice).

Munich

Munich, capital of Bavaria, may be ranked very high in the Mercer Quality of Life Survey – 3rd in quality of life and joint 2nd for infrastructure – but it is expensive. In fact, it’s the most expensive city in Germany and the 49th most expensive city in Europe, according to Numbeo’s cost of living index.

Schwabing is an area close to the universities and popular with students and young people. It segues into the Maxvorstadt with its trendy shops and cafes. Isarvorstadt is alive with lots of nightclubs. And Haidhausen, on the right bank of the river Isar, is popular with professionals.

Lehel and Bogenhausen are both extremely expensive: the former consists mainly of apartments and the latter has many grand villas.

Stuttgart

Stuttgart is a lovely city set out across a number of hills, valleys and parks. Some of its most desirable homes are on the steep hillside and have stunning views.

Accommodation in the centre is limited, but Stuttgart-West is an attractive area not far from the city centre with shops, markets, cafes, theatres and parks all within easy walking distance. Stuttgart-Ost and Stuttgart-Süd are also very central. Killesberg and Degerloch are fairly exclusive areas. Sindelfingen, Böblingen or Vaihingen are all further out but you’ll have more chance of finding accommodation with a garden. Stuttgart is ranked 28th place in the world for quality of life.

The cost of living in Germany

While Germany is well-known for its high standard of living, efficient transport, excellent and great quality education system, you won’t pay extortionate prices to live there. The cost of living in major German cities is often significantly less than in other major European cities such as Paris, London, Rome, Brussels and Zurich.

Of course, it will depend on your lifestyle and the city or area you live in.  But according to Numbeo:

• A family of four estimated monthly costs are 2,435.58£ (2,835.01€) without rent

• A single person estimated monthly costs are 709.09£ (825.38€) without rent

• The cost of living in Germany is, on average, 0.11% lower than in the UK

• Rent in Germany is, on average, 16.42% lower than in the UK

Looking at Berlin specifically, it’s estimated to be:

• 45% cheaper than New York

• 33% cheaper than London

• 26% cheaper than Singapore

• 22% cheaper than Paris.

Finding a job in Germany

If you’re thinking of moving to Germany, you may well already have a job to go to. But, if you still need to find one - the good news is that, there are enormous opportunities.

Germany has the largest economy in Europe and the fifth-largest in the world, so there are plenty of jobs in Germany for foreigners with specialist skills, although casual work is also fairly easy to come by. It’s also possible to find English-speaking jobs in Germany, although in most cases a small amount of German will be required.

With low levels of unemployment, Germany isn’t as affected by skills shortages as some other parts of Europe and there are no nationwide skills shortages. However, skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and health occupations are needed, particularly in southern and eastern Germany.

Best sites to find a job in Germany

Expatica jobs. For expat-focused and English-speaking jobs in Germany, check out Expatica jobs.

• EURES. If you’re from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you can look for a job in Germany through the EURES (European Employment Services) website. EURES is a job portal network that’s part of the European Commission and aims to aid free movement within the EEA.

Public German job sites

The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA), the largest provider of labour market services in Germany, has a network of over 700 agencies and offices around the country. Its International Placement Service (ZAV) has information about work opportunities, including casual work.

Find their job listings here or check the Agency’spage for skilled workers in shortage occupation jobs.

Job websites in Germany

General

• Monster

• JobStairs

• Jobooh – jobs in startups

• Kimeta

• Kununu

• MeineStellenboersen

English-speaking jobs in Germany

• Craigslist – casual and out-of-the-ordinary jobs, including some English-speaking jobs in Germany

• English jobs

• The Local

• Toplanguage jobs– English-speaking jobs in Germany (and other languages)

Specialist

• Academics  – academic and research jobs

• Jobware – management and specialist

• Staufenbiel – internships and graduate jobs

• Stepstone – includes internships and graduate positions

Recruitment agencies in Germany

Look in the German Yellow Pages (Gelbe Seiten) under Arbeitsvermittlung for agencies.

Opening a bank account in Germany

It’s not an absolute necessity to open an account with a German bank when you move to Germany. But you do need some sort of account to send and receive payments. You’ll need one that can make regular payments such as for utility bills or German insurance payments.

You’ll also have to prove that you have an account that’s operative in Germany to take out a German mortgage.  But this could be an international bank account (either with a bank based in Germany or one set up to carry out financial transactions for German-based customers), or a German mobile bank.

The healthcare system in Germany

The German public health care system is based on the principle of solidarity Everyone insured by a public health insurer receives the same medical care regardless of their financial status. This is achieved through an income-based common fund which everyone contributes to.

All nationals and temporary residents in Germany have to pay for health insurance every month and its cost comes down to two main factors:

• Your income and employment status.

• Whether you’re paying for Public, or Private health insurance. In most cases, you don’t really have the option of choosing: public health insurance is the mandatory option for the majority of people.

Cost of public health insurance for employees

If you’re insured with a public health insurance company, you have to pay 14.6% to 15.6% of your salary in contributions per month (you pay half, your employer pays half). The minimum you have to pay is €180, whereas the maximum is around €400. Even if your salary is higher than €59,000, you will not pay more than the maximum amount.

The cost of private health insurance

If you’re employed, your employer has to cover half of your health insurance contributions, even if you have private health insurance. The prices of private health insurance plans depend on:

• The amount of coverage you want

• Your age (the older you are, the more you pay)

• Whether you have any pre-existing problems or health issues (you pay more if you do).

The education system in Germany

The German education system consists of pre-school, primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Full-time schooling is compulsory at primary and secondary levels  for all children aged six to 15. However, German education generally lasts until the age of 18.

Most German schools are state-run and free to attend. Parents can also opt for one of the many fee-paying private or international schools. Germany ranks high globally in terms of education. According to the 2018 OECD/PISA survey of educational standards among 15-year-olds, it ranks 16th in mathematics and reading and 12th in science. The PISA report also found that German students generally enjoy good well-being. However, there are large inequalities between the highest and lowest performing students which reflect economic inequalities in the country.

We’ll be there for you, when you’re there

Once you’ve settled in the country and have started working, you will, of course, never forget home. If you need to send money back to family and friends, we’ll be there for you with an excellent low cost, online money transfer service. WorldRemit allows you to send fast, secure transfers.

And, if you need any more information on the different aspects of living abroad. You can also refer to our blog.

Moving to Germany: FAQs

What is the minimum salary in Germany?

Since June 2022 the national minimum wage in Germany remained fixed at  €1,744 per month , that is €20,928 per year, taking into account 12 monthly payments per year.

Is it cheaper to live in Germany or the USA?

The average cost of living in Germany ($1325) is 37% less expensive than in the US ($2112). Germany ranked 30th vs 6th for the United States in the list of the most expensive countries in the world.*

Can I move to Germany without a job?

If you are a non-EU national, you can’t live in Germany longer than 90 days, unless you’re working or studying. However, if you meet the requirements, you can apply for a job-seeker visa which allows you to stay in Germany for up to six months as you look for employment.

* https://livingcost.org/cost/germany/united-states