In tempi come questi, riceviamo molti post da cittadini o residenti statunitensi che vogliono “trasferirsi in Germania” perché pensano che questo risolverà qualunque problema stiano avendo nel loro paese. Questi post tendono ad essere in qualche modo ripetitivi, spontanei e non ricercati, ecco perché le discussioni sull’immigrazione dagli Stati Uniti verranno per il momento spostate in questo post (modifica: a meno che il tuo post non chiarisca che hai già svolto la ricerca richiesta e ora hai effettivamente bisogno di chiarimenti su qualcosa che non è affrontato nelle risorse fornite qui).
Si prega di leggere attentamente le informazioni riportate di seguito. Sì, il post è lungo. Ma se intendi davvero sradicare la tua vita in un altro continente, leggere questo post sarà più semplice di qualsiasi altro passaggio del processo. Leggi anche i link forniti, in particolare i siti ufficiali.
Innanzitutto e soprattutto: Immigrare in Germania non è così facile come semplicemente decidere di volersi “trasferire” qui. Proprio come le persone non possono semplicemente immigrare negli Stati Uniti (potresti aver notato la presenza di muri e persone che muoiono nel tentativo di farlo illegalmente perché non hanno una via legale), coloro che non sono cittadini dell’UE non possono semplicemente decidere di trasferirsi in Germania.
I cittadini extracomunitari potrebbero aver bisogno di un visto anche per poter entrare nel paese. I cittadini di alcuni paesi, compresi gli Stati Uniti, non ne hanno bisogno. Tuttavia, per restare più di 90 giorni è necessario il permesso di soggiorno. Ciò significa che hanno bisogno di un motivo accettato dalla legge sull’immigrazione come sufficiente per dare loro il permesso di vivere in Germania. “Voglio vivere qui”, “La Germania è più bella del mio Paese” o “Sono americano” non sono ragioni sufficienti.
https://www.make-it-in-germania.com/it/
https://www.reddit.com/r/germania/wiki/paths
Per la maggior parte degli statunitensi, le due strade più praticabili per ottenere un permesso di soggiorno sono un visto di lavoro o un visto per studenti. [Note: while technically a residence permit is needed rather than a visa, "visa" is typically used colloquially to describe this. It will be used that way in the rest of this post.]
Un visto di lavoro richiede un’offerta di lavoro e (tranne rari casi anomali) una qualifica accettata in Germania. Ciò significa un diploma universitario o una qualifica professionale equivalente alla formazione professionale tedesca, che è regolamentata, dura diversi anni e comprende una combinazione di istruzione e formazione pratica. Né i “certificati” né l’esperienza lavorativa o le “competenze” vagamente definite sostituiscono l’istruzione formale. Anche essere di madrelingua inglese e/o cittadino americano non costituisce una qualifica.
A seconda delle circostanze, trovare un lavoro potrebbe essere facile, oppure potrebbe essere difficile o impossibile. Se il tuo lavoro prevede conoscenze, abilità o certificazioni specifiche del luogo, non puoi semplicemente svolgere quel lavoro in un altro Paese. Inoltre, la maggior parte dei lavori in Germania richiede la lingua tedesca. Non appena hai a che fare con clienti, pazienti, norme, leggi, regolamenti, enti pubblici, puoi aspettarti che il lavoro sia in tedesco. Alcuni lavori in aziende che operano a livello internazionale, startup IT e simili sono in inglese. Sono una minoranza e persone provenienti da molti paesi stanno cercando di ottenere questi lavori.
Potresti qualificarti per Carta opportunitàche consente ai cittadini extracomunitari di venire in Germania per cercare lavoro, per un periodo massimo di un anno. Puoi lavorare part-time durante quel periodo di tempo, ma tieni presente che qualsiasi impiego a tempo indeterminato che trovi per restare dopo la scadenza della Opportunity Card dovrà soddisfare i requisiti per un visto di lavoro. https://www.make-it-in-germania.com/en/visa-residence/types/job-search-opportunity-card
Se hai sentito dire che è facile vivere la vita in Germania in inglese perché “tutti parlano correntemente l’inglese”: non è vero. Per cominciare, anche se tutti ricevono lezioni di inglese a scuola, per la maggior parte questo non porta a parlarlo fluentemente. Dall’altro, la vita quotidiana in Germania è in tedesco anche per coloro che parlano correntemente l’inglese. Gran parte dei problemi postati su questo subreddit derivano in ultima analisi dal fatto di non parlare tedesco. https://www.reddit.com/r/germania/wiki/living/knowing-german
Un visto per studenti richiede l’ammissione all’università e la prova di mezzi finanziari per un anno, attualmente ~12.000 eurosolitamente in un account bloccato. Tieni presente che questo è l’importo minimo con cui la legge ritiene che potresti poter esistere. È non un “budget consigliato”. In molte località non sarà sufficiente per coprire il costo della vita. Iniziare richiederà in genere anche denaro aggiuntivo per cose come alloggi temporanei, depositi per alloggi a lungo termine, tutto ciò di cui hai bisogno ma che non potresti portare su un aereo, ecc.
Tieni presente che un diploma di scuola superiore standard statunitense spesso non garantisce l’accesso all’università tedesca e che la stragrande maggioranza dei diplomi di tipo Bachelor e Master sono insegnati in tedesco.
https://www.reddit.com/r/germania/wiki/studying
Se riesci a trovare una strada per l’immigrazione, potrebbe essere disponibile il ricongiungimento familiare – questo vale per il coniuge, i figli minorenni e, in caso di Carta Blu, eventualmente i genitori (ma può essere proibitivo in caso di genitori, a causa dei costi dell’assicurazione sanitaria privata).
Gli altri membri della famiglia non possono unirsi a te tramite il ricongiungimento familiare. Il matrimonio “di diritto comune” non esiste; devi essere sposato. E poiché questo è un “hack” che chi pubblica qui a volte vuole provare: sposare un amico con cui non hai una relazione romantica, solo perché possano immigrare, è una frode in materia di immigrazione.
Poiché alcuni americani pensano che questa dovrebbe essere una strada per loro: no, non otterrai asilo in Germania. Niente di ciò che accade attualmente negli Stati Uniti raggiunge il livello che ti qualificherebbe per l’asilo. Alcuni considererebbero offensivo anche menzionarlo, considerando le circostanze che le persone potrebbero sperimentare in altri paesi che potrebbero comunque non renderle idonee per l’asilo in Germania.
Infine, un grande avvertimento: non dare per scontato che trasferirsi in Germania risolverà magicamente i tuoi problemi. Una serie di questioni che negli Stati Uniti menzionano come motivo per trasferirsi qui esistono anche in Germania, anche se in forma diversa. Ci sono anche problemi in Germania che potrebbero non esistere allo stesso modo negli Stati Uniti.
Non dare per scontato che immigrare in Germania significhi lo stesso stile di vita degli Stati Uniti, solo vagamente più caratteristico, con i pantaloni di pelle (che la maggior parte di noi non indossa) e con l’assistenza sanitaria gratuita (non è gratuita). I lavori ad alto reddito pagano meno che negli Stati Uniti, i tassi di proprietà della casa sono più bassi, gli stili di vita generalmente sono più frugali, anche la politica è polarizzata (modifica, 07-11-2024, beh, questo è diventato molto più drammaticamente ovvio di quanto pensassi, ah), alcuni enti pubblici sono oberati di lavoro, la digitalizzazione è in ritardo, il tuo cibo preferito potrebbe non essere disponibile… se non sai nulla della Germania tranne gli stereotipi, e se non hai mai nemmeno visto il paese, ma ti aspetti che sia una specie di paradiso, l’immigrazione potrebbe non essere consigliabile.
(Si accettano suggerimenti per correzioni/integrazioni.)
Want to move to Germany from the US? Read this first!
byu/thewindinthewillows ingermany
di thewindinthewillows
28 Comments
There should be a part about salaries. Especially how they are 1/3 for software developers even if there are a lot of vacancies rn
Before any of you common folk think about moving here I think we really need to think about and reserve places for America’s unsung heroes: Celebrities. It’s a well known fact that after promising to leave America in case of a Trump victory we really need to see that these special people receive preferential treatment.
Americans realising they need a residence permit lol
If I have the means of purchasing a house in full with no need for a mortgage, would I still need to apply for a freelance visa? Or is residency easier for homeowners? I am self employed with a portfolio and 2+ years of tax returns, so the freelancer visa might be a good route for me and my spouse, but I just wondered if homeownership was an easier way.
Hey all,
Saw this post and wanted to ask here since it seems to get a lot of traffic.
Looking to move over to Europe in about 2 or 3 years hopefully and i’m looking at Germany right now. I’m doing what I can to research but it is a little hard. **I do have a European citizenship already** so I’m not looking into the immigration laws or anything like that – mostly looking into how job searching and rent availability is at the moment. Resources from abroad for doing so are little vague. To summarize below:
I have a Bachelors in Transportation and Logistics (With a Minor in Marketing and some Accounting Technical Degrees). I am already looking into transferring my degree over using ECTS. I have 5 years work in a relevant field (3PL) so far (other odd end jobs as well in IT, and Customer Service).
Obviously I will be looking into Transportation and Logistics work with one of the bigger steamship lines or the ports. I have been told that opening in Logistics is readily available in the job market. Looking to confirm how true that is.
I do intend to be at the B2 level in speaking German by the time I move. I have started a class and am looking to join a local German speaking club to get more acclimated (they meet once a week). Again I have 2-3 years to reach this level so I am optimistic that I will hit that level.
I know rent for flats and studio apartments can be pretty competitive. I am looking to keep it in what I hope is the realistic range (900-1100 Euro). I don;t mind a longer commute if I need to search in a district outside the city centers. Is it true that there is a longer wait time to get into one? Here in the US once your pay stubs and credit is confirmed its really just a matter of paying the deposit and moving in. Most can do that within a week. Do I need to consider AIRBNB while I get my employment situated?
I will have a decent saving built up to support the move and myself for a bit. Will be transferring my current IRA over as well. I have no dependents and very few things to move over. Trying not to to be ignorant of the situation over in Germany, just having some conflicting info is all and am trying to smooth it out and see if this is even feasible.
I appreciate any thoughts.
Edit: Before anyone asks, no I’m not fleeing Trump. My family is retiring in Europe and my father has chosen to go back to Europe. I don’t want to be in the states alone so I’m looking into options.
I’m not looking to move to Germany but I do have a question. My mother was born and raised in Germany until she moved to the US about 30 odd years ago. This means I can apply and get dual citizenship right? And how long does the process for that take?
Germany is becoming more far right then america if its not already there as the afd will win pretty much any upcoming election violence againstm inoretys all across europe is a inevetebilety the germans of today are probanly more galvanized and bugoted then those of weimar germany ..so the idea that americans think germany or the eu will be better is sad no there is no haven of democracy the internet the new printing press has guaranteed the spread of hateful rhetoric…and of course falling global economys …no country is safe from the far right
This is a great overview of what this would look like. I was only looking into it bc I saw DW talking about it this morning. Thanks for writing this up!
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If my wife is Israeli and was granted German citizenship, would I, an American, be allowed to stay as a spouse?
Dont do this. Germany is done. (From a german)
The way things are looking at the moment it might be more attractive to immigrate to the US 😀
I am moving to Germany in 10 days on work visa. Sharing my experience:
* Started applying for jobs in Jun 2024
* Got offer in Aug
* Applied for EU Blue Card (work) visa in Sep. Got it in 10 days
* Moving to Germany in Nov 2024 (i.e. now)
Money stuff:
* My salary in Germany is a quarter of what I am making in the US. I am a software engineer. (US software engineer salary is 120k-500k. German software engineer salary is 60k-115k)
* My taxes in Germany will be 42.5% compared to ~38% in the US (California). This includes federal+state+health insurance+social security. I know in the US we don’t think of health insurance as “tax” but you have to if you want to make a fair comparison
* Whether or not your health insurance costs less in Germany depends on how much you pay in the US and your salary in Germany. In the US, I pay $50/month and I have out-of-pocket max of $3k. In Germany, I will be paying $525/month and have no out-of-pocket max. Healthcare cost in Germany is a percentage of your income.
* My general impression of salary range is this. US has a huge gap between the highest and lowest earners. Germany does not. So, if you’re the top 2% earner in the US moving to Germany, you’ll get a huge cut. If you’re the top 30% earner in the US, then the cut in Germany isn’t as drastic.
* I spent a total of 3 months in Berlin in the last 12 months and I’d say cost of living in Berlin is about 30-40% cheaper than in the US, depending on where in the US. Note the disproportionate reduction in cost of living (40% less) vs. salary (75% less)
For those who are upset with women’s reproductive right and Trump:
* Abortion after 12 weeks is illegal in Germany. There are exceptions etc.
* Abortion before 12 weeks is legal but you have to go get counseling and wait 3 days. Then you can do it. You pay out of pocket. Health insurance doesn’t cover it.
* Birth control is not covered by health insurance. Granted, the pills cost 10-15€/month out of pocket. But, say you want an IUD, it’s not covered and you have to pay yourself.
* On the note of health care, German health insurance covers “necessary” medical stuff. That means, dental and visions are not covered because somehow it’s not medically necessary for you to be able to live and see where you’re walking, or not have a toothache. That’s not necessary according to German government…
* The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is on the rise. This party is anti-immigrant and has neo-nazi in it, among other things. If you think you’re running away from Trump to Germany, you just wait… It’s going to be a drama not dissimilar to the US. So if your reason for moving is Trump, think twice.
Other thoughts:
* It is important to learn German. Yes, you hear English spoken half the time you’re walking on the street in Berlin from expats talking. This is not the case with other cities. Even in Berlin, it’s really difficult to navigate immigration, talk to city clerk at the city hall, nurses at the ER, listen to train/bus cancellation/rerouting, try to join a gym, get a cell phone contract from the store. So go learn it. I only have the very lowest level of skills (A1) and it’s extremely helpful to be able to recognize words. I hope to get better in the next years.
* The stereotype that Germans are efficient is not true. They are rule followers. If the rules are good and make the process efficient, then they’re efficient. But if the rules are stupid and cause obstacles, then they’re not efficient.
EDIT: routine check-ups (every six months), fillings, and teeth cleaning (once per year) is actually covered in Germany. More complex procedures like root canal is ~60% covered. Thanks for pointing this out.
A standard America High School certificate will get you into a German university if you have the German language requirements, you apply through the same central office as everyone else.
You do need to fulfill all requirements for the bachelor or such that you are desiring to enter.
How quick is the approval for the Opportunity Card if you directly qualify as a skilled worker? Are there companies or engineering firms where you can get by working in English? How easy is it to find an engineering job as a foreigner?
My wife has a master’s degree in engineering from an Ivy League university with 10 years of experience and now works for a Fortune 500 company. She has worked in Germany before for a total of 4 months with an American company previously and I stayed there for 2 months as well. We know that we like Germany enough to make a move there for at least the medium-term. We would obviously work to learn German, but would go in without any formal training.
How easy do you think it would be for her to find an engineering job?
I am 22 years old male I have a secondary education and social studies from a credited University from the Northeast. Is this considered a valuable skill in the eyes of the government or am I cooked? I know getting to become a teacher in Germany takes a lot longer and you need a master’s/two subjects but could I work as an assistant? I do want to move to Germany to stay with my girlfriend but I am currently only A1 working towards learning German every day.
I actually have someone I want to marry and live with in Germany about 2 years from now, what would be the best things to do starting now? We’ll both be 18 when I plan to move, I will have around 30000 USD and they will have a small apartment. We plan to live together and both work, but neither of us know the legal ways of everything. They live in Germany, I do not. I live in the United States, and will have A2-B1 German ability by the time I turn 18, which will be after they do. I have experience in the IT field along with wanting to possibly finish my degree in Germany.
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I know it’s hyperbolic to say you’re moving out do the US everytime trump gets elected, but I am considering it as a long term backup plan. I can get German citizenship as soon as my mom does. We are both eligible. I have relatives who I am close to in Bavaria. I’ve visited 4 times.
The main hurdles would be
1)learning German
2)getting a job. I am currently deciding on a new career, may need schooling
Would I be able to stay in Germany if I got a job that did NOT require a degree from an accredited university?
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Have you considered the Chancenkarte / Opportunity Card? It’s a new program and its promise is that you can come quite easily if you are skilled, have some saved money, and speak English. Not even a job is required at first.
Thank you for this. Germany is at the top of our list of places to go. We have been debating it for years and the election was our final straw. This is greatly helpful.
Just out of curiosity:
Many posts handle about studying in Germany, or studied something and now want to move to Germany. What exactly is the problem now since a not so new president is re-elected? I dont think the situation can get much worse then it is now.
I am one such American that does believe life would be a little better outside of my country, though obviously I still have much research to do and definitely multiple languages to brush up on. As an LGBT+ person, I decided to look abroad after I heard the news of the election. Currently speaking there is no way to be granted asylum anywhere in the world and I do agree that asking for asylum is a slap in the face to my people in places where it is far more difficult to live as your authentic self. As far as Germany is concerned though, how is it being any kind of a minority? Most statistic websites rate Germany fairly safe, but im sure there are still groups of people who are opposed to foreigners or anyone who is different from them. Also, in reading about citizenship requirements, Naturalization for people who move to Germany includes acknowledgement of the National Socialist regime and their obvious issues, but is that the case for Germans born there who don’t have to do any denouncement?
I am considering my options as I do want to leave the US but for multiple reasons, I love learning languages and learning about new cultures and I feel like just in general there is a whole wide world to be explored, I just dont know what the right fit is for me, but thats why Im doing my research in advance so I may be prepared for when I do spread my wings and take off.
My mother was German and my father American and I have lived in Munich and worked for the army. I have a cousin who lives in Garmish. I loved living there and would like to go back and live in Munich again. I have a child who would like to go. I am not running from anything. Munich is a beautiful city.
Hello all, I am posting this on a whim to gauge feedback
I am interested in moving to Germany/EU but am unsure how possible this will be for me. I am currently a NOC/network engineer in the U.S. working for one of the big fiber companies. I have a CCNA and am working towards a CCNP. How likely is it to get a job solely off of a CCNP in Germany? Are these certs (or Juniper, Nokia etc certs) widely considered valuable there as they are in the U.S? Also my company has EU presence but not in Germany so that rules a transfer out.
Yes I have some German language, I went to university 1 year in DE with my classes being in German. I passed the B2 language test which while I know isn’t amazing by any means but it did grant me access to the Hochschule where I took my classes. Problem is I never ended up graduating anyway I dropped in my 3rd year during Covid thinking it was just a break and it would all blow over in a few months. Well it didn’t. And I got a remote job immediately so I’ve just been working ever since. Only now with the election has it peaked my interest to finish my degree just to better my chances of getting out.
Anyway — that’s not really the point. Question is how likely am I to score a job in DE with a CCNP + B2 level German? Should I give up on more certs and focus on degree?
I will say that the asylum paragraph is less clear-cut than OP seems to imply.
Germany does grant over 20% of the asylum applications that American citizens put in every year, and it does not consider America a “safe country of origin”. So you will, at the very least, be given the same due process as anyone else applying for asylum from anywhere else.
It is also important to note that each asylum application is reviewd individually, based on the circumstances of the person applying, and can’t be rejected on ground of generic criteria such as “you’re American”. And there are recent developments that might make it more likely for certain groups of the population to receive asylum in Germany, especially if the new administration keeps pushing in the same direction it has in the past.
For example, if your country refuses to give you a medically necessary abortion, threatening your life, that is a human rights violation and grounds for asylum at least as long as it takes to get the procedure done in Germany. If your country also has laws prosecuting people for having an abortion – as the Republicans are currently trying to push – that would be grounds for *permanent* asylum after the procedure. If your country doesn’t provide for medically necessary surgery or tries to revoke your identity rights (frex as a trans person) or prosecutes you for your identity or partner, that is a human rights violation and grounds for asylum.
Basically, if you’re a rich, white, heterosexual cis dude with a wife, three houses, a fat stack of cash and a cushy life in the US, then no, you will not be granted asylum in Germany.
But if you’re a homeless black trans guy who is also pregnant with an ectotopic pregnancy threatening his life but is refused an abortion and also receives threats from neighbours and gets regularly profiled by police, then yes, there is actually a decent chance you might get asylum in Germany.
A pretty good rule of thumb is this: if you could leave *this very instant* with absolutely nothing to your name than the clothes you are currently wearing and your phone and live in an asylum processing facility in Germany, and you would prefer that over continuing your current life in the US, then there is a pretty good chance that you may, in fact, qualify for asylum.