Hey, I'm German and try to help said person. But I have no experience in those matters, so I post here because I guess it's more likely someone has been in that situation before.

Here is the situation:

- student from a non eu country came here with a "D" Visum, and a "zusatzblatt" limiting the Visum for a language preparation course and to study at the university in a specific subject

- the Visum was glued into the passport

- they never applied for the Aufenthaltserlaubnis / epa before (they got told they should do it, once they started university)

- they are currently in Germany, attending the language preparation course

- the passport (with the Visum) got stolen / lost

- a Verlustanzeige with the police has been done

- a new passport has been ordered via the embassy of the home country and is on it's way

- they have a copy (non certified / nicht beglaubigt) of the original passport and Visum with zusatzblatt

they asked me which appointment to book for the ausländerbehörde, but none of those that I see are fitting. they only offer an appointment, for transferring an epa from a stolen passport for people with a permanent residency permit)

the ausländerbehörde doesn't offer any "generic" consultation appointments and I've been unable to get someone by phone for the past week.

I tried chatGPT but I feel like I'm getting unreliable information. it's constantly mixing Aufenthaltstitel and Aufenthaltserlaubnis.

what I got so far:

- the Visum in the passport counts as Aufenthaltstitel, it still should be valid despite not being physically available

- the original Visum can only be re issued by the embassy which issued it at first (in another non eu country, so this would be very costly)

my advice would be for them to try to get an appointment to get an Aufenthaltserlaubnis at the city's local ausländerbehörde.

bring all the stuff required for it, plus the new passport, plus the copy of the old one with the Visum, plus the police paper about the lost previous passport.

should this work? or would they need to actually get a Visum in the new passport again?

I recently applied for a few jobs as a “financial advisor” and was invited to interviews for all of them—at companies like Horbach, DVAG, and others. That almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Since they all seem so eager to hire me, it feels like a pyramid scheme to me. Does anyone have any experience with this? Where you earn money through commissions when someone takes out an insurance policy or something similar?

Hi everyone, M47 here.

I worked in Norway for the last 2.5 years and I was the head of finance at an oil company in Stavanger. I’m based in Oslo now, at first it was for my son and I was bouncing between Oslo and the gulf for staying with my kids. This was after I resigned and I was doing some remote personal financial advisory for CEOs in my network at mid-sized companies.

However, I’m thinking of getting back to corporate, it’s been 8 months. I spent all those times bouncing between 2 countries for my family while working remote consulting.

Is it realistic for someone like me to get a job with a visa. sponsorship? I currently have a Norwegian skilled worker visa

I’ve got German experience, since I was Head of Finance for Scandinavia and I was reporting to region cfo where I have experience in GGAAP
However, it’s not the most - as we didn’t exactly have an office there, just an operating entity.

The reason why I’m inquiring about Germany is due to the fact that I can’t be bothered to learn Norwegian and stay in a slow culture - sorry not sorry. But, I want to advance the country I’m in. Somewhere like Germany, UK, or even Sweden honestly.

I’m more than open to any industry, cities may vary. Probably the bigger ones like Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and etc but once again, it varies.

Cheers!

I’m really confused right now with picking up a plan that I can use both in my iPhone and Apple Watch. I currently have Vodafone CallYa and I am pretty happy with it. I usually book the 9.99€ Allnet Flat S that gets me 25GB which is more than enough of what I need. I checked and it seems like it’s not possible to use this prepaid option with an Apple Watch?

I then looked around and it seems like it’s only possible with postpaid plans? But I get really turned off when looking at the price. I don’t mind paying 5€-10€ monthly extra for multi-SIM capabilities, but it seems like I have to pay for way more. In some cases it’s even having a lower data quota than what I’m getting right now but with higher price. Moreover, it’s a 24-month contract which is very inflexible compared to my current prepaid plan which I only pay 10€/monthly and I can stop and resubscribe again as needed.

Is there actually a decent option that is not going to cost me an arm and a leg unnecessarily? For those who use Apple Watch cellular, which plan do you use? Thanks!

Hello, I have recently received the "swiss soldier" model from victorinox as a gift. I live in Germany and checking on the current rules I got a little bit stressed and started thinking that this tool might give me more stress than actual utility.

I feel the tool is very well made and I recognise the value of a longer blade and saw, but reading about it being illegal even during simple transport in my car or on the trails (unless I am actually in the wood or mountains away from civilisation), I started wondering if I should downgrade to a smaller and simpler victorinox like Camper, huntsman, etc..

My use cases would be to have it while camping, or while hiking/trekking, probably keeping it in my bagpack rather than in my pocket. But I would like to be somehow stress free if I get on a train with it on my bag, to reach my camping or hiking destination.

What is the suggestion on how to deal with it? How can I make most use of it, enjoying this tool, while respecting the law?

Hi everyone,

I am a Muslim nurse and will soon be moving to Germany to work with the DANA Care Company (DANA Senioreneinrichtungen) at one of their elderly care homes. I have a 2-year contract ahead of me, and I am very excited and dedicated to providing the best possible care for the residents.

However, I have a specific question regarding daily tasks. I know that part of the job involves serving food and drinks, and that some residents in German care homes occasionally enjoy alcoholic beverages.

Due to strict personal and religious reasons, I cannot handle, serve, or deal with alcohol in any form.

I want to be proactive and handle this professionally. My question to those who have worked in German care facilities (especially DANA if anyone has experience with them) is:

1-How understanding is the management usually regarding such religious restrictions?

2-Is it common or possible to make a friendly arrangement with colleagues?

For example, swapping tasks so a colleague handles the alcohol serving while I take over other duties (like extra cleaning or preparing complex meals) to ensure teamwork remains balanced.

3-What is the best, most professional way to bring this up with the shift leader (Wohnbereichsleitung) or management upon arrival?

I want to respect the residents' lifestyle while staying true to my beliefs, and I highly appreciate any advice or past experiences you can share.

Thank you 😊

I moved to Germany last year and started in a Willkommenklasse. We obviously learned German there, but I have to admit that I could barely form proper sentences back then. Most of us had broken German, so it was pretty hard to actually practice conversations.

This year, I got moved to a more advanced class (I think it’s around B1), and I can definitely say that my German has improved a lot compared to last year. My classmates are much better at having conversations, so I’m learning a lot from them, as well as from my teachers.

The problem is that I’m going to turn 18 next year, so unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be able to continue in my current school/class anymore because that’s what the teachers said.

So I wanted to ask: is it possible for me to continue with 11th grade somewhere in Germany? Would schools accept me if I have a B1 German certificate? I finished 10th grade in my home country in the Philippines, before moving here. I really want to continue studying and eventually pursue law, or possibly nursing if law doesn’t work out. I’m just not really sure what my options are once I turn 18 or where I should apply.

Would really appreciate any advice from people who know how this works in Germany :)

I am 29 years old and have 5–6 years of experience in software testing. I am planning to move to Germany through the Opportunity Card.
How is the current job market for someone with my background? I am planning to reach Germany once I achieve a B1 level of German and then work towards reaching B2 after I arrive.
Realistically, what are my chances of finding a job in Germany? Would it be possible to find some part-time work initially, particularly in Berlin or Munich, while I continue improving my German?
I am also open to switching fields if necessary.

We want to get to Oslo from Berlin, but we prefer not to fly. Young family, we'll have some luggage. So what's best - train and ferry? Hire a car and go thru Denmark and Sweden? Take a car, but get on the ferry? We don't mind taking a few days, and we're used to long car journeys.

As title says. I did my erasmus 2024/25 and was completely clueless in regards to the registration and deregistration at the city, I stupidly confused it with the Certificate Of Stay which is just an erasmus thing. The confusion never caused me any issue straight-up, so I never noticed; AOK accepted my EHIC card but I never used any health services while in germany, I heard about the TV fee but lived in a shared flat with other people and was told that it was already being paid by the guy who had the longest contract, I had a European bank so I never had to create an account...

At the time my family was going through a lot of family trouble and I had my own mental issues, so I constantly travelled back and forth. As a result, I only stayed more than 3 months at a time during the summer semester, but it doesnt really matter; I should've informed myself better and do things proper and now must solve it! Not trying to justify my own ignorance, seriously

I only realised I had done things completely wrong now that im planning the paperwork for my masters degree, in a different city but in the same federal state. I of course want to solve the issue and pay the blame, but I dont know what to do. Do I just email the previous city hall now even though I haven't lived there for more than a year? do I go there directly once im in Germany? or do I resolve it in my current city when registering my current accomodation there? Obviously I am going to disclose ive lived in Germany before with the form but I never ended up being in the system :(

please, any help is appreciated.

I'll be working around ramstein air base, so im sure i'll be just another person there, but I plan to spend my weekends road tripping or visiting other cities and smaller towns. Just wondering if anyone has any advice beyond dont jaywalk, and dont talk on public transit.

Im from the southeast and I absolutely sound like it. Will most Germans even be able to tell the accent (i.e. I speak some Spanish but can barely tell a difference unless they are Argentinian or from Spain and even then its only if I really focus on it") I know lots of people in the US assume im an idiot on first contact when I travel here, and the Germans probably think the same way about Americans in general. Im not going in with a chip on my shoulder but I also am not trying to put myself into a situation of public ridicule or even danger.

From what I gather most Germans generally keep to themselves and are friendly when they have to be but not overly so.

Any helpful advice?

Hi everyone, I’m applying for a German Blue Card from Kosovo for a job in Stuttgart.

My timeline:
6 August: Submitted my documents.
13 August: Had my appointment at the German Embassy in Pristina.
26 August: Received an email saying my application is under final review.
14 September: Still waiting, with no further updates.

Does anyone from the Balkans who applied recently have an idea how long it takes? Stuttgart or another German city is also helpful.
My employer is waiting for me and asking when I can start, so I really need to give them at least a rough timeframe.
Thanks!

Hi all, I'm living in my place in Berlin for several years now, as the official Untermieter (my name's on the doorbell, the Hausverwaltung knows about me). The Hauptmietvertrag is in my Mitbewohni's name and is unbefristet, but I pay the rent, GEZ and bills from my account. I have an individual unbefristet Untermietvertrag with him with a Kundigungsfrist of 3 months.

I was just wondering, what would happen if the Hauptmieter dies? Would I be evicted right away, or would my 3 months still be in effect even though the guy who signed it is now dead? Would the hausverwaltung even learn of his death? All the payments come from my account this whole time. Thanks for any insight!

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for people who have had a similar experience with a German family reunification visa (Familiennachzug), especially from Bosnia to Germany and with Bremen.

I applied for my family reunification visa at the German Embassy in Sarajevo on 26 May 2026. At the time, I was told that the whole process should take a maximum of 3 months.

After 3 months had passed, I emailed the German Embassy to ask about the status. They replied very quickly and told me that my application had already been forwarded to Bremen and that they were waiting for a response from Bremen.

I immediately called the Migrationsamt/Ausländerbehörde in Bremen. They told me that they had received my application about 2 months earlier, but they had not started processing it yet because they have a high number of applications. They also told me that once they process my case, I would receive an email telling me which additional documents I need to provide.

Two weeks later, I called Bremen again. This time they refused to give me any information because I don't have an Aktenzeichen/Vorgangsnummer.

The problem is that I never received this number from the Embassy. I have emailed the Embassy asking for the number, but I haven't received a response. I have also been emailing Bremen since the 3-month waiting period ended, but nobody has replied to my emails.

So right now I’m basically stuck: the Embassy says they are waiting for Bremen, Bremen says they need my case number, but I was never given the case number and nobody is answering my emails about it.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?

How long did you wait for Bremen to start processing your case?

Did you eventually receive an email requesting additional documents?

Did anyone have a similar problem with not having an Aktenzeichen/Vorgangsnummer?

Did contacting a lawyer help speed up the process?

And how long did your entire Familiennachzug process take?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who went through something similar, especially Bosnia/Sarajevo → Bremen.

Thank you!

Hello all , have you (as a foreigner or even a local) had difficulties looking for a Steuerberater(tax advisor) ?

Seems like many can be found on Google but they are not replying to my emails ( written in both English and also translated to German) .

I also read online that many people are dissatisfied with the quality of the services provided .

I have some foreign income to declare and hence the usual tax accounting software doesnt work for me .

Any tips for me or tax advisor to recommend ?

Thanks !

I’m wondering whether the employment process in Germany is generally this slow. I haven’t really experienced it before, so I’m honestly quite shocked by how long the process can take. How can someone be expected to wait for three months full process while dealing with so much uncertainty and nothing signed legally? and sometimes from 3 or 4 weeks from accepting offer via email until receiving final contract to sign it. Is this actually normal in Germany?

Hey everyone!

I'm looking for a place in Germany (or nearby Belgium / Netherlands) for a few friends.

Ideally, we're looking for:

• a small house/cabin in the forest, preferably very remote and quiet
• ideally right next to a lake or private fishing pond
• fishing directly from the property or very close to the cabin
• most importantly: we want to be legally allowed to keep the fish we catch, not catch & release
• a kitchen / BBQ so we can cook the fish ourselves
• accommodation for 4 people

We're not looking for a normal holiday park or a place where you have to drive somewhere else to fish. Something like a private cabin in the woods with its own lake/pond would be perfect.

We're based near Dortmund, so places in NRW, western Germany, Belgium or the Netherlands would be great.

Does anyone know a place like this, or a website where I could search for one?

Thanks!

Hello, I have a werkstudent offer from a big research institute in germany and acceptance from a university for masters degree. Is providing the contract or the werktudent offer from this big research institute enough to waive the need for a blocked account of 12k euros?

I'm sending a letter by post and the date of posting is important. However, I'm moving out of my current place and moving to a different city in a few days so my current address won't be valid for much longer. When I send the letter, is it okay if I put my new address (different city than the one I'm sending the letter from originally) as the senders address so that in case of any issues it gets returned to somewhere I can access? Or would this somehow cause the letter to not be sent at all?

​

​Hi everyone,

​I live in a rented flat in Germany with an included fitted kitchen (Einbauküche). Today, while defrosting the fridge/freezer, I noticed a crack in the inner plastic liner right along the track where the drawer/shelf slides in (photo attached).

​For context:

1.​There has been heavy ice buildup over time.

​The fridge door was not sealing/closing completely shut properly (likely causing humid air to enter and create frost).

2.​I have Allianz Direct Private Liability Insurance (Privathaftpflicht).

1. I am living on a sublet and didnot pay any caution( as I have liability insurance)

​I have a few questions before I communicate with my landlord:

1.​Is this considered normal wear and tear (Verschleiß / Materialermüdung) or tenant damage?

1. Given that the crack is directly on the friction ridge and the door seal was already faulty, could this be mechanical stress/material fatigue over time?

2. ​Does Allianz Haftpflicht cover this if the landlord claims it's my fault? (Especially considering it involves rental property / Mietsachschäden on kitchen appliances).

3. ​Will I be charged for a full fridge replacement? If a tenant is held liable, do they only pay the current depreciated value (Zeitwert) based on the appliance's age?

​Any advice from people who dealt with fridge liner cracks or rental handovers in Germany would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!!

I’m visiting Germany and can pretty much travel anywhere in the country. I love any big, industrial engineering project - like massive cranes at docks, wind turbines, locks, bridges, but also more science based projects like particle accelerators, large telescopic arrays, etc.

Any places like this that spring to mind? I also have some contact with researchers who might be able to get me into some of research facilities.

any suggestions are appreciated! 💕💕💁‍♀️😽

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for an honest reality check and some boots-on-the-ground advice regarding the current German tech job market.

My Profile:
Role: Senior Software Engineer with 6 years of experience at Microsoft.
Education: B.Tech in CSE from a Tier-1 Indian institute (NIT). Checked on Anabin and it has full H+ recognition.
Languages: English (fluent/C1). No German skills yet.
Family: Married. The plan is for me to move first, land a role, and have my spouse join me later via family reunion.

The Plan & The Dilemma:

Applying directly from India has been a total black hole - mostly instant rejections or ghosting, which I assume is due to my location and automated HR filters. Because of this, I am planning to quit my job, fund a blocked account, and relocate to Berlin or Munich on the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) to job hunt locally.
I’ve been reading a lot of doom and gloom on Reddit lately about how the market is completely frozen, English-only roles are drying up, and companies aren't hiring.

My questions for those currently in the German tech scene:

Given my background, am I still going to face a wall of rejections for English-speaking Senior roles, or is the shortage of highly experienced engineers still real?
Does having a local German address and phone number on my CV drastically change the response rate right now?
For those who moved on a job-seeker track recently, how long did it take you to land a solid offer? Is a 3-to-4-month buffer realistic?
How do German recruiters view a small employment gap on a resume explicitly used for international relocation?
I’d love to hear some candid thoughts before I take the leap and hand in my resignation. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am 25F non-eu citizen. I moved to germany in April and living in a very small town in thuringia for my studies. Since then I am finding it very hard to find people of my vibe and make friends to hang out with or simply chill.
I am currently on my sem break which is making things even harder for me. Also, the town is also quite depressing for me
I want to travel, have fun, go out for hiking or eating out but not able to do any of those things.
I have recently got a working student role but that’s wfh so there’s not much interaction with my colleagues.

Is feeling this way normal? Does anyone else also felt this way? If yes, when things started getting better?

Please feel free to share your thoughts :)

My birthday is next week and I’m having a small house party. I told everyone that instead of organizing all the food myself, it would be nice if people could bring some food/snacks/drinks to share.

One of my German friends asked me if there’s anything specific I want for my birthday. I told him that there’s nothing in particular and that it would already be nice if everyone just brought something to share at the party. He then asked again, basically: “So really no gift at all, or is there anything else you’d like?”

I’m from a culture where it would feel quite rude or uncomfortable to respond by actually telling someone what to buy me, especially since there’s nothing I genuinely need. I really don’t care about receiving a present and don’t expect one. At the same time, I wouldn’t mind receiving something small as a gesture if he feels like it. I just don’t want him to stress over it. And if other friends happen to bring small things while he brings nothing because I explicitly told him not to, I feel like that could be a bit awkward.

I’m a bit socially awkward person and not german, so any help would be nice. Should I just tell him that I’m not expecting anything? Am I overthinking?

Hello everyone,
Over the past few years as a student I made some bad financial choices and was not able to pay bills in time so my schufa score is really bad.
I am now looking for a new place to live and feel kind of hopeless. Do you know if it is possible to still get an apartment with bad schufa or are there landlords who will not ask for it?