If you decide to immigrate to Germany, there is really good news for you. This country is the second most popular in the world among immigrants. Those constitute slightly more than 10% of the entire population in Germany. Furthermore, there are many developed cities to live in and a variety of job opportunities in Germany as it is the most populous country in the EU and the fourth largest economy in the world. If you are about moving to Germany from the USA, Canada, Italy, France, Australia, or any other world country, there are several important things to consider first. One of them is choosing the right shipping services to safely and economically move personal belongings to Germany. Therefore, Eurosender has prepared detailed guidelines for you to immigrate to Germany easily.
Whether you are relocating from the USA to Germany or leave your home country for resettling in another, you need to learn more about that nation and land. Before your departure, you should also take care of visa, work and residence permit, learn some basics of the local language, and choose reliable services for international removals to Germany.
We acknowledge that relocating from the USA to Germany could be a challenging task in terms of moving house. It is practically impossible to take all your suitcases, furniture, sports equipment, and other necessary items with you because of the bus and airline baggage restrictions. Thus, it would be the right decision to move personal belongings to Germany with Eurosender.
We have also outlined many interesting facts about Germany along with the recommendations concerning the relocation process. Check these tips to get ready for moving to Germany and decide which belongings to take with you and which ones to send via courier.
| Location | Germany is one of the largest European countries. It borders on France, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, Austria, and the Netherlands. It has access to the Baltic Sea and to the North Sea, which provides great opportunities for economic development and international trade. |
| Capital city | Berlin |
| Climate | The climate of Germany is primarily oceanic in the northern and western parts of the country, transforming into the continental climate farther inland. |
| Currency | Germany was among the first countries to adopt the euro currency and enter the eurozone. The euro is the second largest reserve currency in the world. |
| Population | Germany is the most populous country in the European Union, where immigrants constitute more than 10 % of its population. Before World War II, ethnic Germans were predominant in Germany, but now the country is accepting more and more migrants from various countries. The largest ethnic groups are Turks, Poles, Italians, and Russians. However, many more illegal migrants come from the African and the Middle East countries as well. |
| Language | The German language or Deutsch is official in Germany. Even though many people know and speak English across the country, they expect expats to speak German. Thus, we recommend acquiring some basic skills of Deutsch to feel more comfortable and confident upon your relocation to Germany. |
| Timezone | UTC +1 |
| Surprising fact | The first printed book was in German. |
When you arrive in Germany, the first thing you need to grasp is how to behave in society. Have you ever heard anything about Germans? Do you think that they are polite, very scrupulous, rational, and punctual? Yes, you are right. German people will be the first to arrive on time, they work hard, they value details, they are not likely to make unnecessary shopping, and they never forget about their promises. Be prepared that Germans do everything by the book, so once you understand their mindset, you can predict the outcomes of situations easily. They also expect expats to behave the same way as they do and speak German as well, otherwise, you will remain an alien in society.
Given that the number of people moving to Germany is constantly increasing, this country is attractive for migrants and expats. However, both advantages are drawbacks of living in Germany are reported by locals and expatriates.
Advantages
Disadvantages
The average salary in Germany is one of the highest in Europe and in the world. Expats usually spend about one-third of their salary on accommodation and utilities, 10% on food, other 10% on transportation, and approximately 8% on the entertainment and leisure activities. Nevertheless, the cost of living can be really affordable in some cities.
In general, the cost of living is higher in the western region of the country and lower in the eastern part. According to the international Cost of Living index, Dusseldorf is the most expensive city in Germany. The other very expensive cities are Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Bonn, Cologne, Berlin, Karlsruhe, Bremen, and Leipzig.
Before moving to Germany, you need to clearly delineate the purpose and duration of your stay there. Check a list of common visa types expats usually apply for.
There are also certain categories of residence permits for typical expats moving to Germany: temporary, long-term, permanent, and the Blue Card. We will go into detail to differentiate these types of resident permits.
You can get more information about the visa application and residence permit in your local German embassy.
When you travel to Germany as a tourist, it is necessary to get international health insurance which can be purchased in your home country. When relocating from the USA to Germany or moving to Deutschland from any other country, you need to obtain health insurance that is valid specifically in this country. For your information, every resident is obliged to be covered by healthcare insurance in Germany.
If you plan to immigrate to Germany as an expat, your employer should arrange public health insurance or Krankenkasse that will be funded by employer, employee, and taxes. An employee’s public health insurance also covers other family members. As Germany divides the healthcare needs of its citizens and residents by the level of income, some expats would not be able to apply for private health insurance Krankenversicherung. Nevertheless, public health insurance has a range of benefits compared to a private one.
Another specific feature of the German healthcare system is that many types of medicine require a prescription. There are three main types of medical prescriptions in Germany: pink, blue, and green. Consider that the medicines both with and without prescription could be purchased only in Apotheke, a German drug store.
The educational system in Germany is pretty similar to that in many other European countries. Thus, primary and secondary education is obligatory for children who just turned the age of 6. While primary schools are pretty similar across Germany, there are many types of secondary schools in the country ranging from Gymnasium, which is the prevalent type of secondary school, to Hauptschule. The main difference between those types of secondary schooling is that children either prepare for higher education in a certain field of study or get ready for vocation training related to a chosen profession.
If you are moving to Germany with your family, your children are eligible for attending German schools free of charge. There are also many international schools throughout the country where children can study in their native language and gain proficiency in the German language at the same time.
If you are a student, consider that the quality of education is very high and it is free of charge in public higher education institutions Hochschulen. However, Germany has recently adopted new regulations regarding study fees in the universities. Students coming from non-EU countries will have to pay a certain fee to study in German Hochschulen.
Germany has one of the largest economies in the world. Thus, there are many decent job opportunities in this country. The average monthly salary rate is € 1,500 in Germany. Recently, German has initiated its new program to attract skilled labour to the country based on the Blue Card residence permit. At the moment, professionals in IT, engineering, science, and healthcare have the highest chances to get a decent job in Germany.
When you plan to relocate to Germany for employment reasons, you need to apply for a work visa and ask your employer to help you with the necessary documentation. However, consider that you can also apply for a job seeker visa in case you have relevant work experience and a degree in a certain industry.
Germans mostly prefer renting an apartment instead of buying one regardless of their income level and status. The cost of dwelling could be really expensive in Germany, ranging from €180,000 for a small family house in the suburbs of the city to €850,000 for a 5-bedroom family house in urban areas. Meanwhile, the rental cost of a 1-bedroom apartment is between €500 and €1500. The price of apartment rental differs depending on the city of residence in Germany. Thus, the most expensive ones will be in Dusseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin. As most apartments for sale are unfurnished, you can decide to ship your furniture and household appliances with Eurosender.
We have also prepared a list of average costs for the apartment rental in the most popular hotspots among expats.
| a private room | 1-bedroom apartment | |
|---|---|---|
| Dusseldorf | €400 | €950 |
| Frankfurt | €600 | €1200 |
| Dortmund | €350 | €700 |
| Munich | €700 | €1200 |
| Berlin | €600 | €1200 |
| Hamburg | €500 | €950 |
| Leipzig | €350 | €750 |
If you are relocating from the USA to Germany, you can simply use your American driver licence during the first year of your stay there. However, you will obligatorily need to obtain a German driver’s license afterwards. As most US states have partial or full reciprocity with Germany, check whether you need to pass any tests to get a German driver’s license.
It is also very important to consider that Germans prefer driving stick-shift or manual gear shift cars simply because they are much cheaper than those with automatic gearboxes. Regardless of the car type you choose, you will enjoy the superb quality of the roads throughout Germany, especially famous autobahns for high-speed driving beyond the built-up areas.
Before driving in Germany, consider the following rules:
Apart from cars, most German cities are full of bikes which are extremely popular among students, in particular. The road infrastructure is perfectly designed for bicycle owners so they do not need to ride together with cars on the same road. Furthermore, mild winters throughout the country make it comfortable to ride a bicycle all year round. We will gladly help you to ship your bicycle abroad with courier services.
Before settling down in Germany, you need to discover the cost of moving house to Germany, check how long does it take for a parcel to arrive in Germany from your country, estimate how much is shipping from the USA to Germany, discover the cheapest way to move furniture to Germany, etc. With Eurosender, you can choose a safe and cheap way to move personal belongings to Germany.
To discover the average moving costs to Germany, Eurosender offers exclusive shipping services for expats and international students planning to move personal belongings to Germany. By using our platform, you get the best offer in terms of the price-to-performance ratio. Thus, you can enjoy the cheapest way to move furniture to Germany and take advantage of door-to-door shipping which excludes the necessity to take your heavy parcels and pallets to a drop-off point.
We acknowledge that relocation is directly associated with a necessity to move personal belongings to Germany. Before you do that, take the dimensions of your parcel and insert them in the Shipment Size Checker on our website. If your package exceeds standard dimensions or you need to ship multiple parcels, contact our logistics experts for organizing an individual offer and provide lower than average moving costs to Germany.
Italians form one of the largest minority groups in Germany. Currently, more than 500,000 Italians, mainly from southern parts of Italy, live and work in Germany. If you are about moving to Germany from Italy, you need an affordable way to ship your suitcases and move personal belonging to Germany with reliable courier companies. Our services for international removals to Germany are fast and cheap owing to a partnership with reliable logistics partners operating globally.
If you need shipping services to send a parcel, suitcase, household appliances, or sports equipment from France to Germany, Eurosender can offer you competitive prices. The logistics service provider collects and delivers packages of various sizes to a chosen address as fast as possible. Whether you are a one-time shipper or you send parcels regularly, we can help you to minimise the costs for moving to Germany from France.
There is a significant similarity between Canada and Germany – both countries have a large number of immigrants. Thus, moving to Germany from Canada will not be that difficult because local people are tolerant of other nations. To grant you a positive relocation experience, we recommend using international removals to Germany provided by Eurosender. You will receive competitive moving costs, send packages of any size, and wait for a courier to collect your shipment instead of taking your heavy parcels to a local post office.
Australia and Germany are similar countries as both of them attract immigrants from all over the world. Thus, moving to Germany from Australia will not be that difficult because local people are tolerant of other nations. To grant you positive relocation experience, we recommend using international removals to Germany provided by Eurosender. You will get the most affordable cost of moving house to Germany and discover the cheapest way of moving furniture to Germany.
If you need shipping services to send a parcel, suitcase, household appliances, or sports equipment from the UK to Germany, Eurosender can offer you competitive prices. The logistics service provider collects and delivers packages of various sizes to a chosen address as fast as possible. Whether you are a one-time shipper or you send parcels regularly, we can help you to minimise the costs for moving to Germany from the UK.
Discover the cheapest option for moving house from Ireland to Germany, Eurosender will help you to save money while moving to Germany from Ireland.
Disclaimer: The materials provided in this article were collected from other credible resources to be used for general information purposes only. Given that the legislative basis of the country and its economic development have a changing nature, the information provided in the article could be subject to change. Whilst we endeavour to keep the information up-to-date and correct, Eurosender will not be liable for any inappropriate, incomplete, or inaccurate information. Certain links will lead to websites which are not under control of Eurosender. Thus, Eurosender accepts no liability in respect of materials, products or services being not under control of Eurosender.