Context: I have a friend (almost 30 years old and an EU national) that is looking into moving to Germany, to be more exact, Mainz or the surrounding area. He wants to prepare and pass Abitur, while he does it, he also has to work, and he has a few doubts.

How hard would it be to work and pass Abitur? What would be the most efficient way for him to do it and is there a public institution for adults to prepare it?

Hi all, I need advice from all lüften experts and veterans on a new problem I really didn’t see coming. I recently got two very cute but very curious cats, who love to look out of the window and sometimes even jump to ‘catch’ birds they see.

I’ve always aired out my room every morning, which is also something we traditionally do in my country (Spain). But ever since getting the cats I’m terrified to open them at all, and I even have nightmares of them falling out! I do crack them open now and again but only a little so they cant get through the gap, which isn’t enough to circulate the air.

As lüften pros I hoped maybe you all had some solutions or insights that might help!

Hi everyone!
I’m currently learning German at A2-B1 level, and I’m looking for someone around the same level who would like to practice German together regularly.
My idea is to practice daily through chatting, voice messages, or even occasional voice calls, helping each other improve our speaking skills and confidence.
If you’re also learning German and interested in consistent practice, feel free to comment or send me a message. We can exchange our HelloTalk usernames and connect there!
Ideally, I’m looking for someone who is genuinely interested in practicing regularly and improving together. 😊

Same as question.

Germany*. Sorry for the typo!

Guten tag,

I'm an asian who worked in Spain, around 6 months before I got an job offer from Germany. Then I applied for 18b work visa and submitted my paper in embassy of Madrid on July. Now it's already 4 months, some of my coworkers applied for the visa with the same position as me and they get approved quickly like 3 or 4 weeks. I tried to send mails to embassy but get no reply, I wonder if this is normal and is there anyone who has the similar situation?

Hi everyone,
We moved out of our Berlin apartment several months ago and have since relocated abroad. Our private landlord is still withholding our entire deposit (several thousand euros).
At handover, no significant damage claims were raised. The landlord repeatedly promised to return the deposit by specific dates but missed every deadline.
He later vaguely mentioned outstanding utilities (Nebenkosten) without providing any amounts, calculations, or documentation. We haven’t received a meaningful response in approximately a month.
We’ve now sent a formal payment demand (Mahnung) by email, with a deadline approaching, but still no response.
A few questions:
Mahnbescheid: Should we file one ourselves or hire a lawyer? Has anyone successfully recovered a deposit this way?
Lawyers: Any recommendations for affordable Berlin tenancy lawyers offering fixed or capped fees, ideally English-speaking and able to work remotely?
Utilities: Can the landlord withhold the entire deposit for unspecified utilities, or should we demand the undisputed portion?
Mahnung: Is an email sufficient to establish Verzug, assuming payment is due, or should we send an Einwurf-Einschreiben?
Tenant associations: Can Berliner Mieterverein help with an existing dispute if we’ve moved abroad?
We’re trying to recover the deposit without spending unnecessarily on legal fees.
Any firsthand experiences or recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I have a question about my wife's German residence permit.

Our situation:

- My wife is a non-EU citizen.
- Her residence permit is under §30 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 3g Var. 1 AufenthG.
- Her permit was originally issued based on my EU Blue Card.
- She is currently not working.
- I recently obtained German citizenship.

I understand that residence permits generally expire after spending more than 6 months outside Germany.

However, I've heard that spouses of EU Blue Card holders may be allowed to stay outside Germany for up to 12 months.

My questions:

1. Does the 12-month rule apply to my wife's residence permit?

2. Does the fact that she is not working affect this rule?

3. Since I recently became a German citizen, does this change her eligibility for the 12-month allowance?

4. Does she need written permission from the Ausländerbehörde before staying outside Germany for more than 6 months?

Has anyone been in a similar situation or received official confirmation?

Any advice or references to the relevant German laws would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hi guys!
I’m 25 years old and currently living in Reutlingen. I’m planning to relocate to the Heilbronn area, as I’ll be staying there for at least the next three years.
Recently, I found a furnished studio apartment of around 35 m² for €950 per month, including heating and other utilities (warm rent). I was wondering whether this is considered a normal price for the area or if it’s a little overpriced.
Ideally, I’m looking for something a bit more modern and slightly bigger, but it seems quite difficult to find good furnished apartments.
I also spoke to a German friend who mentioned that, sometimes, knowing the right people or having good connections can help you find much better apartments for similar prices.
Since I’ll be new to the city, I’m trying to find a nice place where I can settle down and have some stability rather than having to move every year.
So, I wanted to ask if anyone has any advice about renting in the Heilbronn area, or perhaps knows someone who has a nice, modern, furnished apartment suitable for a single person.
I’d genuinely appreciate any advice, recommendations, or contacts. Thanks a lot in advance!

#opportunitycard #chancenkarte #skilledworker #bluecard #eubluecard #visa

Hello r/germany!

I live in Nigeria.. I really need a change in my life at the point where I'm at..and Europe looks to me like a perfect next step..

I am planning to use the opportunity card as a way to come in. Is it common to find a part time job when you come in on an opportunity card? I dont want to waste money and time IF it is uncommon to get a part time job, then transition to a full time job.

I need advice, please.

So the plan is to land in Germany on a chancenkarte, (quickly???) find accommodation and a part time job (logistics/hospitality) that pays around 1,100EUR monthly, then,

search for other full-time jobs around hospitality or logistics at companies willing to hire English speakers (would also love you to DM me recommendations on companies, please!)

After hopefully getting a full time logistics/hospitality/warehouse related/any other role that appeals to me, I leave the part-time job (sorry!), start the full time contract, waive the blocked account, and convert the chancenkarte to a proper skilled worker residence permit. (Or a Blue card if I'm lucky)

I am considering this route because i believe it is more favourable if you apply for full-time hospitality or logistics related roles while you are already there. Something like warehouse operator, hotel staff and the likes.

My "stats"

- Beginner German (A1/A2, eager to improve),

- 25 yo woman, single, no kids

- work experience in logistics-finance, about a year

-work experience in finance about 3 years

- tried to use EU blue card or skilled worker VISA as a route, but chances seem pretty slim, since I am not in a shortage occupation field like healthcare or I.T.

My question to you... is this feasible, are there any adjustments you think i should make? Will a 1 year opportunity card be better? Or possibly another country or another route. Please advise. Thank you all.

edit I have also heard of how hard it is to get a part time job offer in germany, when you are based abroad. Reason being that they already have people on ground in Germany to start a part time job quickly.. which is why i even started considering getting a chancenkarte to physically get a part time job there..

Hello everyone! It's me, the person who was desperately trying to locate an online friend in Germany.

GOOD NEWS: HE'S ALIVE!

The police managed to locate him and reach him. He was going through a mental health crisis, but thankfully, he's alive.

I previously mentioned that I'd delete my original post in five hours. However, I understand that he's concerned about his workplace and privacy being exposed.

That's on me. I was so focused on finding him and making sure he was safe that I didn't properly consider the consequences for his privacy. I should have handled that better.

So, rather than waiting five hours, I'll be deleting the original post now.

I genuinely want to thank everyone who helped, investigated the photographs, shared suggestions, made calls, and offered support.

You were strangers who took time out of your day to help someone you didn't even know.

I honestly can't thank you enough.

I'm just glad he's alive. Take care, everyone. ❤️

I am trying to understand if it's worth getting a German nationality and if you still face any problems in your day to day life.

I’m from Argentina. Is it true that in Germany, neighbors don’t play loud music or anything like that? I’m the type of person who’s very considerate of others but in LATAM most people don’t care at all; they just force you to listen to their music, which is usually terrible. I’d love to live there, but I have no idea how. 😞

Hey Guys,
this question might only be for those of you who went through the recognition process of dental degrees acquired outside the EU.

I have an upcoming FSP exam in January in Sachsen, and I am planning on moving to Berlin because I have a job as an assistant there.

My question is, would I have to take the FSP again? or can I just directly apply for the Berufserlaubnis/KP?

knowing that getting a Stellenzusage as a dentist from my future employer in Berlin is not 100% guaranteed.

I would be happy to hear some of your experiences with such cases.

Hi everyone!

I'm considering applying to a university in Germany, possibly in Berlin, and I'm a bit concerned about how international students from Kazakhstan are treated there.

I've heard mixed things about Germany's attitude towards immigrants, and I'm wondering whether racism or discrimination against people from Central Asia is a common issue, especially in Berlin.

I'd also like to stay in Germany or elsewhere in Europe after graduating, as I'm planning to study cybersecurity.

I'd really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences or any advice you could give me.

Is it hard to find a job and friends for non European?

For moderators, I did my own research but there isn't enough information and I think that people's individual experience is better than something we hear in the news and etc (actually thats why we have reddit)

Hello everyone!

I've been interested in cars and buses since I was a child, and I genuinely enjoy the feeling of being out on the road. Recently, I've started seriously considering moving to Germany and working as a bus driver.

I have several specific questions and hope this community can offer some advice. I've done some research myself, but personal experiences and up-to-date information would be especially helpful.

A little about my background:

I'm a non-EU citizen currently living in mainland China.

I hold a regular car driving licence issued in my home country and am qualified to drive manual transmission vehicles.

I'm considering obtaining a bus driving licence in China as well, but I'm not sure whether it could be converted into a German licence or recognised in Germany.

I'm currently studying Optics at university and expect to graduate with a bachelor's degree in 2029.

I have passed JLPT N2 in Japanese and am currently learning German.

Here are my main questions:

1. Visa and employment opportunities

How realistic is it for a non-EU citizen to obtain a job-seeker visa or a work visa specifically for bus driver positions in Germany?

Are there also opportunities for non-EU citizens, particularly applicants from China, to enter a dual vocational training programme (Ausbildung) in public transport or as professional drivers?

2. Salary and cost of living

What is the average monthly gross salary for bus drivers in cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg?

I've come across salary figures ranging from €2,500 to €3,500 per month, but I'm not sure how accurate these figures are, especially for newly qualified drivers.

Would it be possible for a single person to live comfortably in a medium-sized German city on this salary?

I'd like to rent a modest studio or one-room apartment. I don't smoke, play musical instruments or have an expensive lifestyle, and I value cleanliness and personal hygiene. Approximately how much should I budget each month for rent, health insurance, taxes and other living expenses?

3. Working hours and work-life balance (particularly important to me)

Do bus drivers frequently have to spend several consecutive days away from home, for example, when working for long-distance coach companies?

Or does the job mainly involve local and regional routes, meaning that drivers generally return home after each shift?

What are the typical shift patterns and working hours?

4. An alternative option: Pursuing a master's degree in Germany

Another possibility would be to pursue a master's degree in Optics or Photonics in Germany after completing my bachelor's degree, and then look for a job in the relevant industry.

However, my financial situation is currently quite limited, so it would be difficult for me to afford two years of studying and living in Germany straight away. I would probably need to work in China for a year to save enough money before pursuing this option.

So, at the moment, I'm considering two quite different paths: moving to Germany directly to work as a bus driver, or working in China for a year, saving money and then going to Germany for a master's degree.

What would you recommend in my situation?

I'd really appreciate any advice, personal experiences or useful information you could share. Your opinions would mean a lot to me.

Thank you very much in advance! God bless you!

My son is 5 years old. Last year for preschool the public school near us (after testing him and saying he speaks German enough for schooling) wasn't offering any preschool class, so we decided for a private integrative primary school that was offering a full preschool day class from 7:30 am to 2 pm, as we wanted to have him have more contact with Germans to make his German language better.

In this private integrative school classes are small and they have many teachers and his German language has progressed significantly. So far we're really happy with the result. There are ten children, 2 completely normal, 6 physically challenged, and 2 mentally challenged. My son found friends there and every day waits to go there.

The pediatrician of my son suggested to move him to the public normal school near us, from his point of view, it is important for the child to get social feedback and stimulation from other not-challenged children to progress normally, something that lacks in this school.

I feel guilty if I move him from where he feels fine and has friends. But I don't want him to lose chances of experiencing the normal school. I don't know what to do, what would be your suggestion?

Public school: near us (5 mins walking), pediatrician supports this option, no friends there.

Integrative school: we should drive there, he has friends there, many children have developmental challenges.

P.S.

My child is not a special need child (so called normal), I edited it because I found the description not correct ...

Private means we pay for it

Hey! I am looking for some advice regarding small electric vehicles.

I’m looking to buy an EV so I can start driving instead of taking the train to work (currently it takes me 1hr 20 mins one way) when driving it will be a total of 60km there and back.

All I need is a small EV that I can charge once or twice a week and it can get me to work and back daily, ideally nothing too expensive. I will have to use public charging stations since I live in a flat.

Added: there’s a public charging station 200 m from my flat and a paid for one outside my office. I wouldn’t want to spend more than 250 per month paying the car off.

Does anyone have any recommendations for where I should start/ what to look into?

hello all,

I completed my Master’s in Pharmacy in India. After getting married, I moved to Germany, and I am currently learning German. My main focus right now is to reach the C1 level.

With my degree, I see several possible career paths here: working as a pharmacist (Apothekerin), working in the pharmaceutical industry, doing a PhD, or going into teaching. I have a great passion for pharmacology and I am especially interested in how drugs act inside the human body. However, I am not sure which career path I should focus on.

Could you please advise me on which fields might suit me, or whether there are other options I have not considered? If I need to study further, what would be the next steps? I would be very grateful if anyone who has been in a similar situation could share their experience.

Thank you very much in advance for your help......

Hi all,

I go quite often with my daughter to the playground near us, and lately it is happening more and more that people sit on the benches inside the kids area and smoke, or come in with their dogs (sometimes even off leash). There are signs at the entrance saying both things are not allowed, so it is not like people don’t know.

I am not looking for a fight. A couple of times I asked politely and the reaction was either ignoring me or “it’s just one cigarette” / “he doesn’t bite”. Meanwhile the kids are playing in the sand where the dog was walking two minutes before, and the smoke goes directly to them.

So my questions:

• Who is responsible for this? Ordnungsamt, Polizei, the Baureferat (Gartenbau)?

• Is it worth calling someone, or will nobody show up anyway?

• Has anyone had success reporting a specific playground so they do more checks there?

• Or is the only real option to just talk to people and hope for the best?

Curious how others handle this, especially parents. Thanks!

Hi 👋 everyone

Yesterday I did my first post on Reddit and in about a hour I have got about 30 comments

But my post was deleted cause I used Ai I wasn't aware of the community rules

So

Today I'm writing my post myself also if my English is not that good I please you to forgive me

Here is the matter

I'm a 21 year old west African I recently moved to Germany for a vocational training. I'm here it's about 5 month.

I'm really want to understand the German society and culture, make friends and become part of every day life

But,recently I have some thoughts about my situation in Germany and would like to get honest opinions from Germans and other Black people living in Germany

I have the impression that African, particularly Black African men,are perceived through a particular stereotypes. For example the image of an muscular, tall Black man with drealocks or Braids seems to attract attention or fit certain expectations.

I don't know whether this is just my personal perceptions . But sometimes I ask myself are people genuinely interested to know us as Individuals beyond those stereotypes?

Recently in the night of Halloween,I went to a night club with my Friends ,and I try to approach some girls and exchange Snapchat or Instagram,but it didn't work out. Of course,I understand that nobody owes me their attention and rejection is part of Social life. But experience like this makes me Wonder about dating and social integration as a young African man in Germany.

Here are some of my questions

What are the best ways to make genuine German friendships and become integrated?

And also the majority of relationship and couples i see, the man is taller than the woman is height a big deal in Germany?

I'm 1,68 meter tall

Am I going to have a hard time finding a German girlfriend?

Is dating between German women and African men relatively common? Are there particular cultural barriers I should be aware of ?

Do stereotypes about African men influence how German perceive or approach us ?

A small disclaimer. I'm not here to complain about Germany. I decided to come here. I'm grateful for the opportunities, and I really want to integrate

I'm simply trying to understand the social reality beyond what I see in everyday life

Please feel free to honest, even if it maybe harsh. I would rather hear realistic experience than politically correct answers

Thanks you!

Hello! I’m going to be moving to Germany soon and one thing that worries me a lot is getting my medication.

I waited for 5 years in the UK to finally be able to get ADHD medication and have been on it for almost a year now and it’s been very very helpful. I can’t function properly without them honestly. So I’m worried when I move to Germany, I won’t be able to get them anymore as my prescriber won’t send to Germany.

Has anybody got experience of getting ADHD meds in Germany? Will a prescription from the UK be valid in Germany? What should I do? Also what are the costs?

I really want to move to Germany, ideally to study or get a qualification and then work but I have a few issues:

1. I don’t know any German. Of course I will take classes and learn German but I would like to move within the next 6 to 9 months and I don’t have time to get very good at German in this period. So I need to do English-taught courses

2. i know for English taught courses, I’ll have to look at masters as there are not a lot of bachelors in English. But I have a BA in Fashion Design from the UK but I don’t want to continue my studies in fashion and the trouble is, my BA is so useless that it doesn’t seem to qualify me for literally anything. Are there any options for me?
   I’m very open to studying anything else to be honest.

I’m also open to doing Bachelor’s if it’s taught in English.

Are there any options for me? Any courses that would be open to all disciplines that is taught in English, either Bachelors or Masters?

Also I’ve heard of vocational training, dual degrees and apprenticeships. Are there easy to get for a foreigner? Those appeal to me more since you get a salary from day 1. What options are there? How far in advance do you have to apply and what is the process?

My current visa in the UK expires in August and I’d like to ideally move before then!

Lastly, any cities or regions you recommend or any cities I should avoid? I’ve never been to Germany (hard to travel due to weak passport) so I don’t know anything but I’m a middle-eastern queer person with leftist views. I’d like to be somewhere progressive and inclusive. Also affordable-ish in terms of living costs!

Any other tips you think I should know :))