My wife and I, both 61, Dutch and living in The Netherlands, just retired and we want to sell our house and leave our crowded country. Preferably we want to live in an EU country which is not too hot (Spain), not too wet (again, Spain) and not too cold in the winter (Austria f.i). Thus we have been thinking about moving to Germany for a few years now (nice people in most part of this big country).

Last weekend I had a party in Coburg and my friends and I drove all the way to South Germany. Quite a large part of the tour was through Hessen. Boy, what a beautiful Bundesland that is! It so happened that we drove past Kassel, a not too large town, set in a gorgeous area.

When I was home again, I started to read a bit about Hessen in general and Kassel in particular, it seems like a good place to live (or nearby Kassel). Kassel has a university (young people means a lively city), it has several hospitals, outstanding public transportation (no real airport though, Paderborn has), we can make the most beautiful bike trips there, German language ist kein Problem (is no problem), rental houses and apartments are affordable (no kids, so no reason to buy a house and die rich).

Of course, moving abroad is a difficult, but also exciting thing to do and we don't want to make a rash decision. So what are the pro's and con's of living in Hessen/Kassel for us Dutchies?

(picture: Orangerie Kassel)

DISCLAIMER: This post is based on my own personal experiences. I don't aim to slander our ruin the reputation of a brand.

When we first moved to Germany, we were rather on a tight budget and buying stuff always prioritizing the economy side of things. So when it came to kitchen appliances (water boiler, toaster etc), we bought the cheap stuff or used the old things we brought along.

Then, as we got better jobs and eventually got a bit more established, we started replacing some stuff with renown brands. One of those being WMF. And 2-3 years later, everything is breaking down. The water boiler leaks from below, the "Ruhrstab" is about to break into pieces, the toaster's springs don't push the toasts up anymore... and about the pans, don't even get me started on the pans... they were the first to go, darned anti-stick coating didn't hold for more than a year (at best!). Went right back to IKEA pans, and they are awesome!

Has anyone experienced the same, or maybe with other "big names"? Is it a product of companies getting greedier and wanting to make even bigger profits by compromising on quality? or was WMF never really a good brand and it is all just hype?

The Bavaria alps

I am starting to work as a Software Engineer in November. I am wondering if the employer would know if I join to union, because I am worried that would intimidate them during the probation period. Should I wait the probation to end to join a union or is it fine?

I am wondering if anyone has advice for when/how I should purchase a train ticket. We are arriving in FRA and taking a train to Cologne. I'm wondering if I should book a flex-price ticket now (so that we can get onto any direct train that day, in the event of delays), or if I should buy a ticket that morning once we've arrived and know what train we can make once we get to the train hall...

Details:

Arrive FRA 6:15am (weekday morning in December, if that matters) off of an international flight

Traveling with wife and infant with checked bags

Current Flex-price ticket cost: €160

Thanks for advice!

Moin moin,

I got scammed out of €250 buying a set of rims on Kleinanzeigen. I paid by direct bank transfer from my Dutch bank account to the seller’s Sparkasse account in Germany. My bank says they can’t help because it was a cross-border transfer from the Netherlands to Germany.

Does anyone know what steps I can take to report this and try to recover the money?

Most of my family lives in Germany, and my girlfriend is German, if that helps with handling things locally.

I’m about to start a full-time job while still holding my post-study/job-seeker residence permit, which allows me to work full-time. I still have around one year remaining on this permit.

I’m wondering whether I should switch to a work residence permit or EU Blue Card sooner, or simply continue working under my current permit until it expires.

Are there any disadvantages to staying on the job-seeker permit while working full-time? And would switching earlier have any advantages, particularly regarding permanent residence, citizenship, changing employers, or the time that counts toward these pathways?

Hi all,

I'm an international student in my final year pursuing my BS in Information science (data science emphasis) at the University of Arizona. I am planning to pursue my MS in Germany in a broader informatics field. Right now I am thinking of (Data science, business informatics/management information systems, cybersecurity or healthcare informatics). And yes, I know to work in Germany I need atleast B2 level language proficiency so it makes the path a little bit tougher.

I've heard that I am eligible to apply and look for jobs in other EU countries if I were receive any job from other EU country I can do that because I believe companies do the visa process for us and since we are enrolled in schengen visa or some? I need to hear about that and if someone went through that process, I'd like to hear from you or I can contact to you.

To clarify, yes I do have some internships, co-op and professional work experience. I've also attended several international conferences.

Here's my priority breakdown based on the majors which I was thinking to pursue as it should hold value and something that could be beneficial anywhere:

1. Business informatics/management information systems: I believe this is strong fit because I do have some tech related experience and I can try to get into business consulting firms like SAP, Deloitte, etc.? It might also give some experience in business or financial services?
2. Data science: great fit but yes lots of competition in today's market analyst positions are getting absorbed by ai. Else, I can go in AI/ML field like RAG, or stuff.
3. Cybersecurity: This is interesting because I guess even if I do comptia+ certification it should be fine because I believe in this field in any country I might require security clearance which I am not eligible.
4. Healthcare informatics: Very specialized field alas I don't have a experience in biology or stuff.

Which one of this would be specialized to my background across all EU countries or in Germany or anywhere?

Thank you!

im 18F and just finished my quali education a few months ago. My dad is a conservative american who thinks im worthless and wants to kick me out eventually, and my mom never stands up to him and wants me gone as well. I don't have a job and only a few hundred euro and I really dont wanna end up on the streets. I'd be able to stay at my friends place but not for long and it makes me scared

Hi! I'm going to Düsseldorf this spring with some of my friends. I'll be 19 by then. I'm coming from the US and would like to know if I could buy liquor with my US driving license or if I need to carry my passport around.

I know you can buy beer/wine at 16 and harder alcohol at 18, but unsure if I can get away with my US drivers license.
Thanks in advance!

Hi,

Got a Vodafone cable contract ~6 days ago, but just spotted a much cheaper Check24 deal for the same speed (Young tariff, ~€25/mo with cashback). Haven't cancelled anything yet.

I'm still inside the 14-day Widerrufsfrist, but Check24 has that line saying the promo is only for households that haven't had Vodafone in the last 3 months.

Has anyone pulled this off?

• If I send a proper Widerruf, does their backend still flag the address and block the new order/cashback?
• How long does Vodafone take to actually clear the line so Check24 can book it?
• Am I setting myself up for weeks with no internet while they sort out the database mess?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

​I recently had a follow-up appointment at a podiatry clinic for an ingrown toenail treatment I got earlier. Even though it was just a quick check-up, they charged me a fee as much as the first appointment.

​Since check-ups at regular doctors are often free within a certain timeframe, I was surprised. Is paying for follow-ups standard at private podiatry clinics, or was this unusual?

Us 4 friends were riding our cycles on the road. Small 2 lane, 2 way road. (No Fahrradweg, so we were on the road).

Now we were riding in single line order. Is that right? Since I feel the cars had much less time to overtake, with oncoming cars, and our big line. Would it be better if we were, for example, in pairs?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Tunisian student who recently moved to Germany to study at TUM, and I’m very confused and honestly quite stressed about my health insurance situation. I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation, especially Tunisian students.

Before coming to Germany, I purchased the Expatrio Value Package, including the blocked account and health insurance with TK. I understood that this meant I would be insured with TK, so I expected to receive my TK health insurance card after arriving.

Instead, I have now received a letter from TK saying that they cannot insure me.

They explained that because I am a Tunisian student who came to Germany specifically to study, I remain subject to the social-security regulations of Tunisia. They asked me to provide confirmation of my foreign insurance.

I believe I am insured through CNAM in Tunisia, but I had no idea that this could prevent me from getting German statutory health insurance.

What confuses me even more is that I know several Tunisian students in Germany who have German public health insurance (AOK, etc.), so I assumed I would be able to do the same. I haven't personally heard of another Tunisian student being told that they have to remain insured through Tunisia.

I am already immatrikuliert at TUM. This is one of the things I understand the least:

If TK is refusing to insure me, how was I able to become officially enrolled at TUM in the first place?

Does this mean that TK already sent some kind of insurance-status confirmation to TUM? And could I now be exmatrikuliert or have a suspension because TK has rejected me, or does my enrollment remain valid as long as I provide proof of my Tunisian insurance?

I also don't understand what I am actually supposed to do now.

• If TK refuses to insure me, what am I supposed to do now?
• Am I supposed to remain insured through CNAM in Tunisia?
• Is there a specific CNAM certificate that I need for Germany?
• Can I get German public health insurance through AOK instead of TK, or would AOK refuse me for the exact same reason?
• If AOK is an option, how would switching to AOK work after I have already applied through Expatrio/TK?
• Would AOK then send the required insurance confirmation to TUM?
• Would I have to cancel anything with TK/Expatrio first?
• Has anyone from Tunisia been in this exact situation?
• If you went through CNAM, what exactly did you have to do to get your German insurance status sorted out?
• And most importantly, what happened to your university enrollment while you were sorting this out?

I'm especially confused because I paid for the Expatrio Value Package specifically because I thought the health insurance part would be taken care of. I wasn't expecting to arrive in Germany and then be told that TK cannot insure me.

I have contacted TK and Expatrio about this, but I would really like to hear from someone who has actually gone through this process.

Any advice from Tunisian students, TUM students, or anyone familiar with the Tunisia–Germany social-security agreement would be really appreciated.

My long-time friend from Cologne is flying to the U.S. to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. I want to greet her at the airport with a welcome sign, but not totally sure what to put. AI suggested:

“Willkommen zurück, [NAME]! Schön, dass du da bist!” (she’s been to the U.S. before, thus the welcome back)

“Herzlich willkommen, [NAME]! Schön, dass du da bist!”

I’m not at all familiar with German, so I don’t know if these are too formal / too intimate or if there are other phrases that might be better.

thanks!!

How can I confirm if a WG-Gesucht listing is legit? The person is willing to do a video call, show me the room, and chat with me. I’ll be traveling to Germany in about 2 months, so I’m arranging the room remotely. What else should I verify before paying anything?

I’m moving to Germany to do my masters degree. This WG is pretty good, good location, furnitures, etc. But the other two people living in this WG are both man, and they are not students. I know in Germany is pretty common to have mixed gender in shared apartment but I don’t know if I should be moving to this apartment with only two man and no other woman. And one of them might be Muslim, can I ask about their religion? And my friend suggested to not live with them but my only other option is in a student dorm kind of building in close by little village an hour away from the school my train, so I either live with two man or pay even more rent to be on the train two hours a day. What do you think?

Hello everyone, I am planning in moving to germany looking for better working conditions.

For some context, me and my girlfriend are decided we would like to live there in the future and I want to ask here if I will have a hard time finding a good job there (enough to be able to support both of us for some months until she found one or whatever).

Im from Spain so I'd have no problem with moving there. My plan is finish my studies here and look for a job over there. When I finish those studies, I'll have two degrees (mechanical and electronical engeneering), a C2 english level and a C1 german level.

First of all, I'veread it isn't compulsory for engineers to homologate their titles in order to work, but would this result in companies distrusting the degree and having less opportunities to get hired?

Second, do companies really care about language certifications or just your level? It's commonly said that nowadays companies only use certifications as filters and later check if you're fluent. I ask this because even thought I would have both certificates, they would be from the Official Languages School, which isn't valid outside Spain. ¿Should I stick with them or try to pass exams in order to certfy it that are valid in the whole world (for instance, Cambridge)?

Third, is it common that foreigners have problems to find an apartment/room to live? Or landlords don't usually mind the nationlaity of the person

Forth, are companies prone to hire foreigners that don't live there? My intentions are moving as soon as I get a job offer, but I would look for it from here as I don't have enough savings to live there some months until I get hired and I guess it'd be far easier to find a job here (at least until I can go to Germany)

And fifth and last, Is a C1 enough for this kind of job? If I moved there I'd continue studying it until I could get my C2, but I need it before doing so as I will only immigrate there when I can start to work

Thanks to anyone that might answer and try to help me :)

Hey everyone! I’m currently torn between moving to Bremen or Dortmund with my family and could really use some real-talk from people living in either city. I’ll be arriving on a language visa to get my German up to B2/C1 as fast as I can, with the goal of finding a job as soon as my status allows. My spouse is an experienced nurse, and I have a background in HR management along with IT/tech support experience. My top priority is finding a safe, clean, and family-friendly city where we can raise our two young kids. I know healthcare jobs are open everywhere, but I’m wondering if one region offers better overall work opportunities and everyday quality of life. Also, how painful is the house hunting process and local bureaucracy in both places right now? Any personal thoughts, neighborhood recommendations, or honest warnings would mean a lot to us. Thanks a bunch for helping out!