# Moving from USA to Germany with partner



## MaXXXimus

I'm looking to move from USA to Germany with a my partner. We have always wanted to live in Germany for the history and culture and we are from German background. We do not currently speak German but have been learning. Wanting this to happen within 6 months. Does anyone have any experience with this? What are some tips or things I should or should not do? This isn't necessarily for work but just a new start somewhere we have always wanted to live. Thanks for any information or guidance.


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## Nononymous

MaXXXimus said:


> I'm looking to move from USA to Germany with a my partner. We have always wanted to live in Germany for the history and culture and we are from German background. We do not currently speak German but have been learning. Wanting this to happen within 6 months. Does anyone have any experience with this? What are some tips or things I should or should not do? This isn't necessarily for work but just a new start somewhere we have always wanted to live. Thanks for any information or guidance.


Are you and your partner both EU nationals? If not, are you aware of what is required to stay in Germany for more than 90 days? If not, fire up yonder Google and go see what the German government has to say on the subject.


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## Bevdeforges

Assuming both you and your partner are US citizens, you probably should start by looking at the visa information on the German Embassy website. https://www.germany.info/us-en/service/visa

There aren't really any visas on offer for making "a new start" in Germany. Generally you need to be either taking up a job there (with the employer handling the work authorization and initial visa considerations) or have family or other pre-existing connections there.

Be aware, too, that it may or may not be possible to establish residence in Germany with a "partner" unless you are married or have a legal civil union relationship. Means that each of you will have to qualify separately for an appropriate visa.

When I moved to Germany (a LONG time ago), I had a job there - which had taken me a good 18 months to find - and a degree in German, so I could claim to be "fluent" in German (though at the time that was probably a bit of a stretch). Give some serious consideration to why you want to live in Germany and then see what kind of visas are or are not available to you given your circumstances.


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## Überling

MaXXXimus said:


> I'm looking to move from USA to Germany with a my partner. We have always wanted to live in Germany for the history and culture and we are from German background. We do not currently speak German but have been learning. Wanting this to happen within 6 months. Does anyone have any experience with this? What are some tips or things I should or should not do? This isn't necessarily for work but just a new start somewhere we have always wanted to live. Thanks for any information or guidance.


I moved to Germany about six weeks ago with my German wife. She is fluent, naturally, but I have been studying German with Duolingo for a number of years and can at least communicate. You will probably use the family reunification visa, I suspect, since your case is similar to mine.

We thought we were prepared for the move, but it is a lot more complicated than we expected. The first surprise was that they expect a spouse to be able to pass the A1 German language course. It’s a requirement for the residency, and it may be easier to do that through the Goethe Institut while you are still in the US (I had to drive a few hours to get to a test center). It’s also a good idea to arrive in Germany with a couple copies of your marriage license both apostiled and translated. 

One of the first things you need to do is get a home address. You’ll need that to get a bank account, which you will need to get utilities, cell phone service, car, car an liability insurance, etc. (in my case I was fortunate because we were able to move into an empty apartment owned by my wife’s family members, and they lent us a car). Oh, and you have to have health insurance with a suitable provider in Germany. Ideally you want the public insurance, and perhaps augmented with some private insurance, but your choices may be limited to the more expensive private insurance if you don’t have a work history in Germany.

You should also register ASAP with the Ausländerbehörden your intent to become a resident. Ideally, call them while you are still in the US to find out what they’ll want. They will tell you what you need for residency, and they will help you figure things out. Be prepared for some head-scratching bureaucracy. 

Your drivers licenses may or may not be easily exchanged for a German license. Only 26 states in the US have a simple exchange agreement with Germany, and unfortunately for me California is not one of them. There are also several German states that will exchange drivers licenses anyway, but unfortunately for me Rheinland-Pfalz isn’t one of them. That means I have to take the written test and the practical driving test (neither of which is as easy to pass as a US test), along with a first aid course (which is taught only in German) and a vision test. Fortunately, your US drivers license will be sufficient for six months, so you don’t have to prioritize getting a German license. Just don’t procrastinate too much. 

It helps that a lot of Germans can speak some English, but you will be MUCH better off if you have someone who is fluent to help you navigate the bureaucracy. That may mean hiring someone to do this, and there are companies specializing in this, but I was fortunate to have a fluent wife so I can’t tell you what all is involved with them. But you will almost certainly need a tax person familiar with both German and US tax law if you have significant investments in the US. Oh, and speaking of that, if you have a financial management firm, there is a good chance they will not be able to represent you unless you have an official US mailing address.

I think I will stop there because I’m beginning to experience PTSD symptoms. Kidding. But it’s true that the process can seem utterly overwhelming, starting with the sale of your home in the US and many of your belongings, shipping the rest, and making the trip over. However, it’s a step-by-step process that many others have gone through, and you can (probably) do it too. It certainly helps to go into this with open eyes, a good attitude and a willingness to roll with the punches.


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## Nononymous

Überling said:


> I moved to Germany about six weeks ago with my German wife. ... You will probably use the family reunification visa, I suspect, since your case is similar to mine.


The OP doesn't appear to suggest that at all. It sounds like two unmarried people of unknown but presumably non-German nationality.


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## Nononymous

delete


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## Nononymous

To the OP:

You need to tell us what your citizenships are. If you don't have EU/EEA nationality, you can't simply up and move to Germany. You would either need a job offer from an employer willing to sponsor you for a work permit, or be engaged in full-time study with means to support yourself.

That being said, Americans, Canadians and other "privileged" folks do have one small advantage over others: it's not necessary to obtain a visa before arrival, you can deal with everything after arrival. You have 90 days to sort out a place to live and a job and health insurance. If you don't have a clear idea of what you're going to do, and particularly if you don't speak much German, that is probably not going to go well.


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