Your action plan: moving to Germany for non-EU citizens

Updated from original Medium article by Tia Hardy Robinson

Not only is Germany the land of beer, bratwurst and (usually) excellent football, it’s also the land of universal healthcare, paid parental leave, tuition-free universities — and it’s Europe’s economic powerhouse as well, with an unemployment rate of well under 5%.

If you’re dreaming of moving to Germany from outside the EU but unsure how to do it, here’s your game plan.

I’m an American who moved to Berlin with no German, no job and no work permit — just some savings, a good education and determination. In the last 12 years I’ve learned German, been through several dream jobs, started my own company, and gone through many kinds of work permits up to permanent residency. I finally became a German citizen in 2017. And if I can do it, you can too.

1. Do a reality check.

The first, maybe biggest, hurdle is that Germany only wants you if you are a certain type of person — for example, a worker with a university degree and skills the German economy needs, or a German language or university student. You’re also going to need savings, as it’ll take some time after moving to get a residency permit, find an apartment and get settled in. Optimism, patience, grit and the love of a good challenge will not hurt.

And an important disclaimer: you won’t have access to some parts of Germany’s fabulous social system without hard work and time. You can’t just move to Germany and get on unemployment, health care is quite expensive, and if you’re working you can expect to pay a ton of taxes. But, if you contribute into the social system for several years, you’ll be able to reap the full socialist rewards. And yes, non-EU citizens also have tuition-free access to university education (but don’t forget about living expenses!)

2. Do your research and create an action plan

Time to do some serious research — the first step is to determine how you’re going to stay in Germany.

If you want to work, will you try to get a full-time job as an employee of a company, or will you work freelance or self-employed? (Note: these links are for Berlin — for other cities google ‘Ausländerbehörde or Ausländeramt + city’) Is the job you currently do in demand in Germany? If so, and you get a highly-paid enough full-time employment offer, you may even qualify for a blue card work permit. If not, which other marketable skills could you use to find work? For some professions (nurse/doctor, etc.) you’ll need to learn fluent German and pass difficult licensing exams or have your degree officially recognized in order to do your job in Germany, while for others (banking, insurance, etc.) you may need fluent German because it’s still a very traditional industry with mainly German-speaking clients.

The Catch-22 of work permits is that in order to get any type of work permit in Germany you’ll have to show there’s a company willing to hire you (or potential clients wanting to use your freelance/self-employed services) before you get the permit. But many companies won’t want to talk to you without a work permit.

It’s also usually not possible for non-EU citizens to get a work permit for any type of casual work such as restaurant/café/bar, cleaning, moving, babysitting, etc. (at least in your first years) because companies must use EU workers with preference when hiring, and it’s hard to make the claim that casual work should be given to a non-EU citizen (i.e. you).

The best advice for this daunting situation is to come here in person to look for a job, where you can use your networking skills, charm and persistence to help you — it’s next to impossible to find a job in Germany when you’re still in the US (unless of course you are a computer programmer or management hotshot). But you can adjust your resume/CV, create a list of all the places you want to apply, and compile all your possible networking ideas so that you can hit the ground running as soon as you arrive in Germany.

One super cool option is the 6-month residency permit for qualified workers to live in Germany and look for a job. This is for university graduates only, and you can’t work while on this permit (you can only look for/apply for work), but it means you can buy yourself quite some time to find something that will get you a work permit.

Want to be a student? Excellent — students in Germany get lots of perks like cheaper health insurance and bank accounts, reduced rates for public transportation, etc. German language students can stay in Germany for up to 1 year when enrolled in an intensive language program of 18 hours of German classes per week (downside: you can’t work on this permit). University students can work a bit on the side but you need to be accepted into a university program before coming (and you need fluent German for many programs).

Of course, these are just the most likely routes non-EU citizens can take to residency in Germany — dig around a bit and see if any other options match you. Once you know what you want to do here, you can put together a concrete to-do list to make your move a reality.

Most non-EU nationals will need to apply for a long-term (also called a national or Type D) visa through the German embassy in your home country before moving to Germany. Citizens of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Canada and the US can move to Germany on their 90-day tourist time and then apply for a work or student permit from Germany.

In addition to applying for a visa or work permit, you should include on your checklist: registering your address as a resident of Germany (see point 6), finding a job or registering for school, opening a bank account, getting health insurance, getting a German sim card, finding an apartment and figuring out taxes.

3. Start saving money

You are going to need savings — how much depends on your lifestyle and what you want to be doing in Germany. If you plan to work, it can take months to find a job and get a work permit, so you’ll need savings to live off of. It took me about 6 months to find work, get a work permit, and get my first paycheck. And if you’re a language or university student, you’ll need roughly 9000 Euros set aside as proof you can afford to live here for a year.

You can calculate your potential average monthly expenses by looking on a cost of living site like Numbeo. (Scroll down and click on a city for details of rental costs, etc. for that city.) Also note that when you first move here you’ll likely need 2–3 months’ rent as a deposit on your apartment.

4. Start learning German

Of course you can live and work in Berlin without German but you will be stuck in the expat bubble and unable to solve a lot of your own everyday problems if you don’t speak the language. In other cities, speaking German can be even more crucial. It takes years to learn a language fluently, no matter what some people claim on the interwebs. Start now with an app like Duolingo, Babbel or Busuu— you’ll be surprised how far a few hundred words and phrases can get you once you arrive.

5. Plan a date to leave.

It’s best to start planning 6–12 months before you want to move abroad, and time of year can matter. Many people (i.e. HR people) are away on vacation in July, August and December, so arriving then to apply for jobs may not be a great move. We’ve generally heard that January-May and September-October are the best months for getting hired. If you are a university student, you need time to apply and be accepted into a program, and you’ll want to arrive at least a few weeks before the start of a semester.

6. Find a short-term place to stay

Book a short-term, furnished flat for the first 1–2 months (or longer) as a home base: it's usually very difficult to rent a long-term unfurnished flat while you're still abroad, as you won't have all the necessary paperwork (SCHUFA or credit check, proof of German income, etc.). It can take a lot of time and money to find a good apartment in Germany, so help ease the pressure on yourself by ensuring you have a comfortable place lined up now. There are many furnished flats websites out there, and booking for a month or longer often gets you a discounted price.

Definitely make sure before booking that you will be able to officially register your address at this location (called ‘Anmeldung’), because that is the very important first bureaucratic step you’ll have to complete.

7. Pack up and move!

Give away your stuff and head to Germany! Don’t forget to bring: your original university degrees (yes, the originals) and transcripts, any certificates for computer, language, etc. courses, letters of reference from any past jobs you’ve worked and your birth and marriage certificates.

8. Work through your checklist — register your address, find a job, etc.

Holy shit! You are in Germany! Day 1: Have a beer and a bratwurst, and take a deep breath. You made it! Day 2: Time to start working through that checklist you made.

9. Make friends/support network

Having people and places where you can ask your questions and get advice is essential to help you make it through the toughest times. Networking is also an excellent way to find out about companies that are hiring, hear about a newly-available apartment, and meet potential business partners, roommate, best friends and spouses. For a start, try expat groups on facebook, Meet up events, or a group like Internations.

Try to interact with non-expats as much as you can — volunteering is a great way to meet some Germans, practice the language, and make ties to your local community. Give Something Back to Berlin is a great local group — for other cities try searching ‘Ehrenamt + city.’

10. Stick around and make long-term plans

You may find that your first months are a 'honeymoon phase' OR you may feel totally frustrated with the language or culture — try to stick it out at for at least 6 months before you decide ‘I hate this, I’m leaving!’ or I’m NEVER going home.’ If you are feeling like giving up, set a deadline for yourself — ‘I’m going to give it one more month and I’ll decide on day X.’

Once you’ve decided you do want to stay, it’s time to think long-term — taxes, pension planning, etc. One reason why this matters — you’ll generally be eligible for permanent residency (‘Niederlassungserlaubnis’) after 5 years of work permits in Germany, but only if you have also paid into the pension system for 60 months (or have equivalent private pension savings).

One last tip — keep insanely organized. It’s Germany. You need to keep all your important paperwork (bank statements, tax documents, your company’s invoices, etc.) for 10 years. It’s best to just save every shred of paper that could possibly be important, as you never know when someone will ask for proof of something from 5 years ago. Write down deadlines carefully and set yourself a reminder for a month or two beforehand — for example, you’ll want to start collecting paperwork and schedule an appointment for your residency permit renewal several months before the expiration date is up.

Finally, don’t worry. You will mess up — maybe a lot — but Germans are usually forgiving if it was an honest mistake and you attempt to fix the problem asap. Remember — there are hundreds of thousands of non-EU citizens living in Germany. If they figured it out, you can too!

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Need help moving to Germany? Expath exists to help you figure it all out. Founded by 2 Americans, we can help you make a realistic and concrete game plan of exactly what you need to do to get here. Contact us at info@expath.de.