# Need a Referral for AWESOME Relocation Service or Person



## treyfrancisco (Feb 12, 2021)

Hello! I'm a single American male moving to Berlin this Fall (after I get vaccinated). I am looking to stay long term (at least 1 year, ideally more). Does anyone have a recommendation for a person or service I can hire to help me with that process? The nuance is that I am retired in my 40's (no job, and no goal to freelance, but I do have abundant savings and investments). My German is very beginnerish presently (I am working on that).


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

The short version is, you can't simply retire to Germany, as an American. You can stay for up to 90 days as a tourist, then you need to leave the Schengen zone for another 90 days.

The only realistic grounds for gaining a residence permit that enables you to stay beyond 90 days is work or study. If you wanted to learn German on a near-full-time basis then you could potentially obtain a student visa and stay for the duration of your course.

PS on edit. I was perhaps overly pessimistic. There is a certain amount of flexibility offered towards citizens of favoured countries like the US, Canada, Australia, NZ etc. You can show up with no visa then within 90 days make your case to the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' office) that you have some credible reason to stay for a year - you want to do research before writing a novel or paint watercolours or whatever - and if you can demonstrate abundant means to support yourself, then you might receive a sympathetic hearing and be granted a residence permit (with no permission to work). "Might" is the key word, however. No guarantee.


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## treyfrancisco (Feb 12, 2021)

All good amigo. I am for sure considering the student route. Or the golden visa route (e.g. buy a property in Portugal for 300K Euro). Or since I am a yoga teacher for fun, perhaps I could technically do that, at least on paper. My working days are over, but I do not plan on being a suck to the overall system (I have means to support myself).


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

treyfrancisco said:


> All good amigo. I am for sure considering the student route. Or the golden visa route (e.g. buy a property in Portugal for 300K Euro). Or since I am a yoga teacher for fun, perhaps I could technically do that, at least on paper. My working days are over, but I do not plan on being a suck to the overall system (I have means to support myself).


Golden visa route is certainly an option to pursue.

I'm not sure the Germans are in desperate need of part-time yoga teachers to whom they will grant residence permits, but you never know. 

The main point is, there's no regular status for well-off self-supporting Americans who want to hang out indefinitely. There might be wiggle room, you might be able to negotiate something, or not. You just show up and try to get it sorted within 90 days.


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## MPedreira (Feb 14, 2021)

treyfrancisco said:


> All good amigo. I am for sure considering the student route. Or the golden visa route (e.g. buy a property in Portugal for 300K Euro). Or since I am a yoga teacher for fun, perhaps I could technically do that, at least on paper. My working days are over, but I do not plan on being a suck to the overall system (I have means to support myself).


You can check this: https://www.belionportugal.com/


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## Tellus (Nov 24, 2013)

MPedreira said:


> You can check this: https://www.belionportugal.com/





treyfrancisco said:


> Hello! I'm a single American male moving to Berlin this Fall (after I get vaccinated). I am looking to stay long term (at least 1 year, ideally more). Does anyone have a recommendation for a person or service I can hire to help me with that process? The nuance is that I am retired in my 40's (no job, and no goal to freelance, but I do have abundant savings and investments). My German is very beginnerish presently (I am working on that).


could be a decision boost..








Portuguese Golden Visa - new rules finally announced


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www.expatforum.com


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## treyfrancisco (Feb 12, 2021)

Thank you!! Will check it out.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

treyfrancisco said:


> All good amigo. I am for sure considering the student route. Or the golden visa route (e.g. buy a property in Portugal for 300K Euro). Or since I am a yoga teacher for fun, perhaps I could technically do that, at least on paper. My working days are over, but I do not plan on being a suck to the overall system (I have means to support myself).


If employer-sponsored is out, then the only routes left are student or family.

As you are single, I guess you don't have a German/EEA-national significant other willing to get married stashed somewhere; if we are only talking about a year's stay, an intensive language course might do the trick. But that course has to be at least 20 hours a week and that may not mesh well with your idea of early retirement.


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## *Sunshine* (Mar 13, 2016)

treyfrancisco said:


> Hello! I'm a single American male moving to Berlin this Fall (after I get vaccinated).


Why Berlin? Why this fall?

You might be vaccinated by then, however, it is unclear how far the vaccination programme will be in Germany. Most officials in Berlin are either working from home or working on issues related to the pandemic. The city's immigration office which was already overwhelmed before the pandemic is falling even further behind and it is unlikely to be much better by the end of the year. Furthermore, the office's lax enforcement of the criteria required for a permit is now causing some issues and it is unclear whether the lax processing will continue. 

If I were you I'd put off moving plans till next at least May 2022.


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## treyfrancisco (Feb 12, 2021)

ALKB said:


> If employer-sponsored is out, then the only routes left are student or family.
> 
> As you are single, I guess you don't have a German/EEA-national significant other willing to get married stashed somewhere; if we are only talking about a year's stay, an intensive language course might do the trick. But that course has to be at least 20 hours a week and that may not mesh well with your idea of early retirement.


I do love the language, tho. So maybe! Thanks.


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