# Could I live in Germany with my Korean wife?



## stewy88

Hello everyone! As you gathered from the title, we are hoping to relocate to Germany pretty soon. Of course, asking whether we can live there or not is a broad question and I’ll give you a little bit of background with regards to our current situation. Thank you in advance!

*Our Story
*
-	I am 23 and British; my wife is 21 and South Korean.
-	We met when I was teaching English in Korea, via the Couch Surfing website to be exact!
-	Times were tough and for personal reasons I don’t really want to delve into, we decided to up and leave together.
-	My wife’s family have never really supported her through her entire life and true to form have chosen to disown her.
-	We left for Malaysia and together, managed to hitchhike from Kula Lumpur to Bangkok. 
-	We soon tired and money became tight. Stuck in the Bangkok floods we made the move back to the UK and have been back for a couple of months now.
-	My wife received a 6-month tourist entry pass. At that time she wasn’t my wife, we only recently got married here in the UK. During this time we have been living with my Mum and times have been tough, both financially and emotionally for all parties involved!

*Our Situation Today
*
Things are not looking up and having exhausted so many options, it seems like we are back at square one again. Let me give you an overview of our options…

-	Even though we are married, this doesn’t give my wife any immediate visa extension of chance of residency. She must first return to Korea, apply for a visa and return back here. This runs in to the thousands and at the moment is out of the question.
-	She only has 6 months here and has to leave by the end of April. She cannot do any border runs of sorts because she is only entitled to enter the UK again after 6 months have elapsed.
-	You might say: why not go to Europe and then return to the UK? Well she is only entitled to 3 months in Europe under the Schengen visa rules.
-	I can’t really return to Korea seeing as I ran out on my contract. I can but it is difficult. In addition, we are both aware that life in Korea would put such a strain on our relationship just like before. Her friends would be poisonous and it would drive us apart.
-	ASIA: We could go to Asia and she could in some fashion be attached to my work visa. The upside to this is that the Korean community and demand for Korean is greater out there. The downside is that flights are costly and we would be so far from home and without funds if things were to go pear shaped again.
-	EUROPE: EU Treaty rights dictate that she can live with me in an EEA country provided I could prove self-sufficiency or find work. That being said, the cost of living is high in Europe and I’m not entirely sure about our chances of finding a job.

*Our Credentials
*
So what do we have to offer? Well I have a 4-year degree in English and American Literature. I have work experience in the UK, Italy and South Korea (English teaching). I also have an online TEFL certificate. 

My wife on the other hand does not have a degree. Her talents lie in 3D Graphics and she has a high proficiency in the related software. We understand that a good portfolio is the most important thing, however her portfolio is in Korea and her mother being typically cruel as ever, decided to destroy it…other than that she speaks Korean to a native level and her English, whilst being good, is by no means fluent.

*Back to the Question
*
That takes me back to my initial question. In this case, could we live in Germany? I suppose I need some advice on the following…

1. If we were in Germany, could we find work? Could I find English teaching work or work in which I could use my language skills as an asset? Could my wife find work from within the Korean community or maybe within a Korean company or maybe even 3D graphics related?

2. If I found a job or she found a job, would it be easy to remain in Germany after our 3 months? By this I mean would it be easy to attain work permits for myself and gain residency for my wife?

I am of the belief that if we are strong enough we can stand on our own two feet and survive anywhere. On the other hand I want to build a future for the both of us that lets us live a happy and normal life for a change! 

I realize this is long winded and I thank you again for taking the time to read it. Any advice is warmly welcomed and the both of us very much appreciate it.

Cheers,

Stewart.


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## James3214

Phewww!....took a bit of a time to read but my answers will be a lot shorter..

You could definitely find work teaching English and as a Brit you don't need a work permit. Try contacting some of the language schools and it might be better to stay away from the bigger cities where it is more expensive to live.
There is a large Korean community in Germany but I am not too sure about your wife's job prospects, but as you say, she does has a right to stay with you if you can prove you can support her.

Looking at your background and what you have gone through, I think you chances of surviving in Germany are a lot better than most!


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## stewy88

Thanks for the advice James, really appreciate it and your words of support! 

We've been through hell and back recently and I'm the first to admit that we are as much to blame for this as anybody else. We can't live in the past though and I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I reckon that if we have survived recent times, we can pretty much survive anything! 

I don't know how things will pan out in Germany but like you say, I think we still have a pretty good chance of making it, I certainly know we're strong enough! I have a couple of interviews lined up in Frankfurt for freelance teaching actually. The only trouble is that they require me to have a place of residence before they will consider me, nothing that couldn't be sorted out though.

So let's just see how it goes I suppose. 

Cheers,

Stew.


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## vronchen

Have you considered moving to Berlin instead of Frankfurt? Berlin is a lot cheaper!

Also, could your wife go to university in Germany? It's cheap, you don't really pay tuition. And afterwards her chances of getting a job are much better. There are even options to study entirely in English if the German language is an issue.


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## ALKB

I agree that Berlin is much cheaper than Frankfurt.

There are lots of English language schools in Berlin that frequently look for native speakers. (For one I could give you a contact - my husband used to work there, but I don't know whether they are looking for teachers right now.) All in all, I think your chances are quite good. You also don't need a work permit as a EEA national. You don't have to, but it could be advantageous to get a 'Freizuegigkeitsbescheinigung' from the Auslaenderbehoerde for you. It's just a paper stating that you live in Germany exercising treaty rights. As far as I heard, it's a fairly quick over-the-counter affair.

I don't know about the job prospects for your wife, but I think she should be eligible for an 'Eingliederungskurs', a German language and culture intensive course for new immigrants. I recently also saw that the Berlin authorities offer a programme that combines a language course with work experience in Berlin companies. That could also help to gain experience and get some contacts and references.


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