Moving to Germany | Wandering Soup

Below is a quick nutshell view for those that don't want to watch the Vlog:

Land- Yes! As an expat or a citizen you can own land in Germany. Germany surprisingly has a low home ownership base and most rent. For you this could mean owning a property here and renting it out if you decide not to say, essentially residual income.

Business Ownership - The short answer is yes you can, the long answer is that there are steps that start with a residence permit and go from there if you are a U.S. citizen. You will need assistance as this will involve more than submitting a few documents online.

Citizenship - Most of the countries we've looked at so far have laws that grant citizenship based on time, 5, 7 or even 10 years. Germany adds that and much more.

That being said there are three ways to gain citizenship in Germany:

• Naturalization: you’ll have to fulfill certain requirements set by the German government to qualify, such as living in the country for a certain amount of time. This varies depending on the grounds you’re seeking citizenship.

• By right of blood: if your parents are German.

• By right of soil: if you are born in Germany.

Naturalization will be the go to for most and below are the requirements:

• Living in Germany on a residence permit for at least 8 years

• Living in Germany on a residence permit for at least 7 years, and attended an integration course

• Being able to speak and write in German to a good standard (equivalent to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

• Being financially able to support yourself and your family without any help from the state

• Not having a criminal record

• Passing a citizenship test (more on this below)

• Renouncing any previous citizenship.

Once you meet the requirements above you can apply and pay the required fees.

Medical - Health care is free in Germany to all citizens and legal residents but you are still required to have health insurance. Essentially the government covers treatments and services, such as immunizations, prescriptions, and dental checks. Your insurance covers all the rest. It works out in the sense that you will more than likely "go to the doc" for basic maintenance which keeps the other costs down if major illnesses are caught early. As an expat you will be required to have health insurance, add it to your expenses.

Education - Germany is interesting in regards to school and I'm talking kids not adults. If you are planning on this being your home then you can enroll your kids in the local schools which will be taught in German. More than likely you will have to enroll you kids in either a bilingual school or private international school. The bilingual schools are free but registration fills up quickly, the international schools will be pricey so add that potential cost to your budget.

On a side note: Most children only attend school in the morning.

Cost of Living - As with a lot of countries it's really relative to you and your comfort level. Will you be living and working as a digital nomad or possibly owning a business or a worker of a local business? Salaries will vary and standards will differ. You can live on a budget of $1000 a month or $10000 a month. It's really up to you.

LGBTQI Friendly- Same sex marriage became legal in 2007 and on paper Germany is gay friendly but recent attacks say otherwise. Be mindful, similar to the U.S.

NEW FEATURE!!

Black and Abroad - Let's be honest this is Germany. Inherently there are going to be systemic issues that are still visibly present and Black skin is one of the first things that people see. There are currently ongoing debates on whether Blacks born in Germany are German, which indicates ongoing issues of xenophobia and nationality. Will you have issues, possibly. Do your research, weigh the pros and cons.

Hopefully the above helps you! Where shall we look at next?

Kat

*All information for "Moving to Germany" may change, please remember do your research*

#WanderingSoup #MovingtoGermany #MovingAbroad