# Moving from the UK to Germany



## gary_the_scot

Hey i'm planning a move to Germany from the UK to join my girlfriend who is out there studying at the moment. I've looked on a few sites and they all seem to tell me different things. Does anybody know what kind of permits i'm going to need to stay here for around 8 months? I was planning on finding a bar job or something similar and i'll be living with her through the appartment she rents. Any help and advice would be appreciated


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## James3214

No permit at all. As an UK/EU citizen you can move and work freely in the EU countries. EU citizens don't need any permits. You only need to register at the local 'Bürgeramt' or town hall to get your registration document (Anmeldebestätigung) using your girlfriends address. You will need this before you can do much as like get medical insurance (krankenversicherung, etc). and also a job. If you are living in one of the main cities you could try some of the Irish/English pubs or if competent enough teach English.
Good luck. Where are you heading too?


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## gary_the_scot

Thanks, that helps a lot. Do i need to have a job lined up before i register? Also will my name have to be on my girlfriends lease? I'm goin to be living in erfurt and it has 2 irish pubs i found so far but i think they may be ran by germans. I'm over here for a weeks holiday just now though so trying to look around an get the lay of the land. My german is minimal so i know finding a job isn't going to be a walk in the park


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## James3214

No, you don't need to have a job to register. I am not sure about the lease, you will have to ask your girlfriend to check. You are probably right in saying its not going to be easy getting a job there, and I also suspect that English is not widely spoken, but it might be worth going to the local 'Arbeitsamt' and find out what they have. After all, you are probably not the first one to go along there and not speak the language. I hope you find something.


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## gary_the_scot

Thanks a lot, i was getting confused with some sites not making it clear. Me too or it's going to be a long winter! lol


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## gary_the_scot

Oh one last thing, i noticed on some sites the mention on proving u can financially support yourself on registration, is that just for people who are applying as non workers? Would that still apply to me as a job seeker?


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## James3214

Gary, I am not sure. The problem is that it varies from town to town. Some places only require your new address, passport and a couple of photos and others want a whole lot more. 
You have to register one week within moving into your new address. Just go down to your town hall or 'bürgeramt' take your passport and a couple of photos and they will tell you if anything else is needed. Go late as possible and not on a Monday for a more prompt service.

And come on here and tell everyone else about your experience of course!


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## ottilie

Hi, my husband and l live in Thüringen (Jena area) for 8 years already. We come from the Netherlands. My husband is Geschäftsführer, but l do not work as to get a job is not that easy.
Try to get information at the "Ausländer Behörde" in Erfurt.
As a EU member you can live and work in Germany indeed, but it takes a bit more to get really settled. For example, they would like to know about your medical insurance and your income as they don't want you to benifit from their social security as long as you do not work here.
To get a job without speaking German will not be easy, especially not in this part of Germany. Most people do not speak English very well. I hope this would help you a bit.


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## nobi

As a EU member you can work in Germany without the Arbeitserlaubnis. But make sure you have a health insurance for the time you have no job.


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## gary_the_scot

ok and do i need a certificate of health?


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## ottilie

gary_the_scot said:


> ok and do i need a certificate of health?


Hi Gary,
If you mean prove that you have an illness? No.
We registered 8 yrs ago at the Ausländer Behörde because my husband started working in October 2003.
It's all amicably and friendly and with the
"Bescheid" they gave us we could register at the Bürgeramt in the town we bought our house.
If you are not immediately looking for a job and a house, just come to Erfurt and stay with your girlfriend and play it by ear. As an EU citizen you can stay here as long as you like. 
Make sure you can show a valid health insurance from the UK. 
Good luck!


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## James3214

I would go along with what Ottilie says about registering. If you are only go to be here 8 months it might be better to save registering until you find a job. It could save a lot of hassle sorting out your taxes in both the UK and Germany. Just come and stay with your girlfriend and check all the options out first.


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## ottilie

ottilie said:


> Hi Gary,
> If you mean prove that you have an illness? No.
> We registered 8 yrs ago at the Ausländer Behörde because my husband started working in October 2003.
> It's all amicably and friendly and with the
> "Bescheid" they gave us we could register at the Bürgeramt in the town we bought our house.
> If you are not immediately looking for a job and a house, just come to Erfurt and stay with your girlfriend and play it by ear. As an EU citizen you can stay here as long as you like.
> Make sure you can show a valid health insurance from the UK.
> Good luck!


Worse case scenario, l am always willing to help you if l can. Send me an email and we can sort something out. Erfurt is not that far from where we live.
I would recommend a stay here and look around before you decide to stay and work in east Germany. 
As for English and Irish pubs in our region, 
(Erfurt is the capital city of Thüringen) most are run by Germans speaking little English.
A great one is in Frankfurt.
Cheers!


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## gairloch

There is a requirement to register within 7-days, while I seriously don’t think they will check your arrival, you’ll have to fib on the form when you do register. Still, if something goes wrong it could complicate matters by being unregistered.


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## ottilie

gairloch said:


> There is a requirement to register within 7-days, while I seriously don’t think they will check your arrival, you’ll have to fib on the form when you do register. Still, if something goes wrong it could complicate matters by being unregistered.


If you like l can always telephone the Auslanderbehörde and ask in general for the latest regulations.


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## James3214

Gary/Ottilie, Can you help out on this thread?
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/ge.../92933-international-community-thuringen.html


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## ottilie

James3214 said:


> Gary/Ottilie, Can you help out on this thread?
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/germany-expat-forum-expats-living-germany/92933-international-community-thuringen.html


I have looked at the link. Yes, l might be able to work out something.
At this moment my husband and l are busy with things round the house, but we work something out by the end of this week.


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## gary_the_scot

ottilie said:


> If you like l can always telephone the Auslanderbehörde and ask in general for the latest regulations.


Yeah that would be great. I have my health insurance sorted and im now over here with my girlfriend (Arrived sunday). I also have the possibility of a job offer but its not guaranteed within the next week. I don't need a major wage and i'm only here to support my girlfriend until the end of her studies so i've just been looking at the local irish bar and possibly hotels.
I'm a bit worried i won't have everything to register though, i can live here as a job seeker right? Also like i said i have my health insurance but in terms of proving where i stay do i have to go on my girlfriend lease? 
Thanks for all the help on this thread


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## Guest

gary_the_scot said:


> Yeah that would be great. I have my health insurance sorted and im now over here with my girlfriend (Arrived sunday). I also have the possibility of a job offer but its not guaranteed within the next week. I don't need a major wage and i'm only here to support my girlfriend until the end of her studies so i've just been looking at the local irish bar and possibly hotels.
> I'm a bit worried i won't have everything to register though, i can live here as a job seeker right? Also like i said i have my health insurance but in terms of proving where i stay do i have to go on my girlfriend lease?
> Thanks for all the help on this thread


I did a similar move last year from London to Braunschweig (near Hannover). Recently moved to Belgium but here are my thoughts:

You won't be able to do anything remotely official without an Anmeldebestaetigung. Be prepared to need to show this document everywhere: from opening a bank account to even getting a sim card from the big providers. There are, of course, workarounds. For example, you could get a Sim card from Schlecker instead of O2 or Vodafone - They don't ask to see the registration certificate and you can just buy it at the till. If you're only going to be there for a few months I guess you wouldn't even need a bank account. Depends on how patient you are though. I just used my Baclays account for the first 4 months or so in Germany until I got sick of not being able to pay for anything since you need a German card to pay in most places outside of huge shops like Galeria Kaufhof. You'll also be hit by conversion fees all the time which are a pain...

These are just practical issues though. From a legal viewpoint, I think that you technically can wait 90 days until after you arrive to register if you are searching for work, so no issue there. I registered the second day there or something and went with some colleagues. Be prepared for a boring day and to take your number and wait awhile at the registration office. Just from personal experience EU citizens tend to slip in and out quickly once your number has finally been called though. I don't know what you get outside of Niedersachsen, but I got a flimsy piece of paper. Protect this document with your life!

Lastly, You'll also need to get used to carrying your UK passport around at all times since you don't have any ID cards in the UK like Germans and other EU citizens. You get asked to show it all the time in Germany...


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## James3214

DonPomodoro said:


> Lastly, You'll also need to get used to carrying your UK passport around at all times since you don't have any ID cards in the UK like Germans and other EU citizens. You get asked to show it all the time in Germany...


That's good advice and normally a photocopy suffices to save carrying around that awfully large UK passport! I personally find that my UK photo driving licence is the best form of ID to present to those that ask for ID.


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## gary_the_scot

Thanks for the advice, went and bought a sim today over the counter so i'm sorted in that area, thanks for the heads up with the passport aswel, i didn't know that so you saved me a bit of trouble.
In terms of registering, if i go with my health insurance, passport, address and a reason for moving to the country as a job seeker thats all i really need right?


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## Guest

gary_the_scot said:


> Thanks for the advice, went and bought a sim today over the counter so i'm sorted in that area, thanks for the heads up with the passport aswel, i didn't know that so you saved me a bit of trouble.
> In terms of registering, if i go with my health insurance, passport, address and a reason for moving to the country as a job seeker thats all i really need right?


Yeah, that should be enough!


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## James3214

gary_the_scot said:


> Thanks for the advice, went and bought a sim today over the counter so i'm sorted in that area, thanks for the heads up with the passport aswel, i didn't know that so you saved me a bit of trouble.
> In terms of registering, if i go with my health insurance, passport, address and a reason for moving to the country as a job seeker thats all i really need right?


How did you get on Gary? Did you get registered okay? Any advice for those who wish to do the same?


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## gary_the_scot

Well i went and got my anmeldung form which is basically you registering yourself in the country, for this all you need is your passport and proof of address. This form allows me to look for work. Once i find a job with a minimum wage of 400 euros a month i then go with my work contract or letter of intended employment to register for permition to work and citizenship. So all in all so far it has been easy enough.
The job front however is difficult with a lack of german speaking skills. With the majority of tourists in the thuringen being germans, bar and hotel managers need people who know enough of the language to get by.


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## James3214

What about teaching english?


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## James3214

Gary, I am intrigued to know how you got on? What happened in Erfurt? Are you still there? Any advice for others?


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## Jersey_Mark

James, thanks for bringing this thread back up, the info here is really helpful to people like me moving to Germany!

I hope Gary comes back with an update!


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## nobi

In Germany everybody must have a health insurance by law. So just ring up a gesetzliche Krankenkasse (not a private one as you pay a lot more per month when you get older)
and tell them you want to join. They will send you an application form. You have to prove your income level as they need this information to estimate your monthly fees.

The best Krankenkasse in Germany is the Techniker Krankenkasse. 

All Krankenkassen in Germany now have identical monthly fees, so don't worry about this. 
If you have no income, because you are unemployed then you pay the lowest fee, which is around 150,-€ a month.

You don't need any certificate of health or what that is..never heard of this. Just join and prove income or no income and thats it.


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