HOW TO MOVE TO GERMANY - STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE // Ramstein, Germany

Moving to a new country is a daunting process. Now that we have done it, we want to help YOU with any questions you have about moving to Germany! We are starting by explaining the process it took to move here, work here, and live here legally!

Ramstein, Germany - Sept 2019

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❤️Aubrey was a Speech-Language Pathologist, Donnie was graphic designer, but we both had a dream to travel the world and experience cultures. After three years of being married and dreaming about if something like this great adventure would be possible, we decided to quit the rat race and take on the world. We sold everything we had, quit our jobs, and took off! After 9 months of aimless and nonstop travel, we now get to fulfill our dreams of living abroad as we move to Germany!

[PassportTwo]

Are you trying to move abroad or specifically to Germany?? Please do not hesitate to ask us any questions you have! 😊

[Quotenwagnerianer]

My german correctness is triggered by the dipping frame behind you. ;)

[jasonmenke]

This is some really great information thank you for that but in all honesty if you have the level of education and expertise that you guys have to get pretty much move anywhere. I would like to know more about if you only have a bachelor's and where or how you can move in Germany

[omayrasanchez]

Great video 👍 My husband has gone through the whole immigration process too (he's Canadian, I'm German, we're living in Germany) and I can confirm, and want to emphasize again for everybody else here looking for info on how to do it, *it all starts with a registered address*! It appears "backwards" for people from the USA, but it's really true, everything else depends on having a registered address here. You won't get a tax ID without it, you can't open a bank account without it, you can't get a job without tax ID, and so on... (it also depends on the country you're from, but generally speaking)

A few little corrections /additions :

- the German tax ID number is not the equivalent to the American social security number, but we have a social security number too, additionally to the tax ID, it's two different things. The tax ID is connected to having a registered address, because as a resident of Germany who works in Germany you have to pay taxes in Germany (my husband got his long before he even had a work permit which doesn't make much sense but that's how it was). the social security card (Sozialversicherungsausweis), with number and btw its not an actual card but just a piece of paper, you will get once you're registered in the social security system, which usually (for non EU citizens) depends on having a job.

- not everybody needs a tax ID to open a bank account. There are special requirements for American citizens, but if you're not American you can open a bank account with a registration confirmation (Meldebescheinigung) alone. For Canadians for example that's enough.

- In most cases you need to prove B1 German skills for any kind of long term visa. To get one without German language skills is a rather rare exception, that only applies if you have a formal education in a field thats in general heavily lacking workers in Germany or if you come to do a specific job that nobody here could do (like in Aubreys case it seems, a German can't do the job because the job requires an English native speaker /American native, so that would count for this category of exceptions). Normally you won't get a long stay visa without language skills. Even when you're married to a German national, like in our case, you still need an A1 German certificate, B1 for everything else that's not a special exception case. So that would be the very first step, even before coming here (otherwise the tourist visa time frame wouldn't be enough if you aren't a language genius), to learn German in your home country first, at least up to B1, and then come here.

- Only citizens from certain countries can do their visa applications from within the country, within Germany, ie come here first and then during the 3 months visa free time start the visa applications. For many countries of origin it's the other way around and you have to go through the German embassy in the respective home country and get your visa from there.

Even though I'm a year late, still: Welcome to Germany, I hope by now you've settled in and your big adventure turned out to be as exciting and awesome as you imagined it to be! 🌸 All the best for the future 👍🌻

(Edit: Just spelling, grammar etc. Content unchanged.)

[ankitkumar]

Great video content! Question - How much money should a couple keep in buffer or carry with themselves to settle down in germany after receiving a job offer?

[MagnificentGermanywithDarion]

Great information Folks, job well done. I love your personalities :).

[davisnanette]

I enjoyed your video! I lived and worked in Germany from 1990 to 1997. How wonderful it would have been to have had the internet and YouTube videos like yours before we went! I loved living in Germany and even after all these years I miss it everyday. Sounds like moving there now is a much easier process that what it was when we went. We were sent as expatriates employees of an American company that had a partnership with a German company to build the first digital cellular system in Europe (now Vodafone). The German partnership Attorneys did all, or the majority of, the residence and work visas for us. In fact they even had to co-sign the apartment leases for all the Americans coming over to work on the project. German landlords like American landlords didn't want to rent to people unless you could prove that you had a long-term stable job in Germany, a good credit history, etc. You also had to sign long term leases -- I think the minimum was at least 3-5 years. There was no way back then you could have shown up without a job, work permits, etc. and been able to rent an apartment (other than a vacation rental). Anyway, enjoy every minute of your time there, you will discover over time that it will change who you are as a person --for the better!

[gerdpapenburg]

Be aware of the fact that the route to work in Germany without having applied for a visa in advance is only available to nationals of certain countries: those are Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and the USA. For all others this does not apply. You video might have led to wrong expectations by people of India, Pakistan and other developing countries.

[ghost_of_earth]

This is super helpful and makes the whole process a lot less conveluded. Thank you!

[wolsch]

This rat house joke works only in english. In german Rathaus means just the place You find the local mayor, the deputies and some important offices. The rat in english is in german die Ratte. Der Rat means here the council, the local political assembly and das Rathaus is the place they come together.

[kaylaanne]

This is so helpful and love your positivity!

[ganzsichertobi]

Remember to carry your passport as well as the Aufenthaltstitel if you travel inside the EU! Your Aufenthaltstitel is only valid in conjunction with a valid passport outside of the issuing country.

[charnepearson]

Thank you so much, this video was great help and informative as people also wanting to move to Germany :)

[loeganlvl]

Thank you so much for making this video! I was very lost until I watched both of you explain everything. Really brought my mind at ease!

[samfetter]

I think there are a few videos out there that talked about this topic😏...but yours is the best i've seen so far.👌
Maybe because your process of moving went that smooth. 😁

Most content makers had a lot about german bureaucracy in theirs. Because they had a lot to say about that bureaucracy.😏😄

How has finding a place to stay and live gone so far?

[peterfischer]

There are a few inaccuracies: E. g. when you´re talking about a visa you actually mean a residence permit. Americans and a few other priviledged nations don´t need a visa which is for tourists only and doesn´t give you permission to work. You can apply from abroad if you want to - no need to come to Germany first. You should maybe have mentioned that the process you describe applies only citizens from certain countries. It doesn´t apply to EU citizens (they don´t need a permit) and to citizens of most other countries who cannot apply from within Germany (neither for visa nor residence permits).

[AngelFlores-bqfd]

I'm an American that has moved to Japan where I have lived and worked and the process is very similar so this makes me happy because I'm really feeling like Berlin is my next adventure. I lived in the Netherlands for over a year as well so I can't wait to get back to Europe.

[admerin]

Does anyone have any good job search sites for finding a job before you get there. I know the language pretty well, have spent time there before. I am doing my Masters degree now and would like to consider moving there after.

[markjurgensen]

Hi there great video good information more than i can obtain from our German Consulate in South Africa. My Sister is married to a German Citizen and she has a Blue card, she has been staying and working in Germany for the past 13 years. My daughter who is 15 has been invited by my sister, her Aunty to come and complete her schooling there and to later go to college there. My question is can I apply for a tourist visa for 3 months and in that time we can do all the paper work in Germany while she is there attending school. Many thanks keep up the good work.

[alexanderfisher]

Don’t you only get one week to register once you initially arrive in Germany?

I am American and plan on moving there with the intention to work at the same place as my uncle. It’s been difficult to find information on this since I don’t have a special degree or work experience