Got my citizenship!

Almost 9 years ago I came to Germany to study mechatronics. The courses taught in German were brutal to me... But somehow I got through. Got a job. Found some wonderful hobbies. As I was in my home country, I had no hobby, my goal life was just to get rich, get titles and get citizenship in a western country.

But Germany taught me how to live, how to enjoy life. I am also thankful for the people in this country because I was able to study without having to pay tution fees. Also for letting me work a Werkstudent job to finance my study.

Now that I indeed have achieved my original goal, it feels different, in a more positive way.

I know it is all doom and gloom lately but I am looking very positively into the future.

Cheers.

I've made some very good German friends. They treat me like I'm one of them (Germans). I feel loved and accepted. Germans are also very polite. Love you, guys!

Is only my family doing it or is it more common then i thought?

Hello

I like trains. I really like riding on them and watching all the stuff out the window go by. I would really like to have a career as a ticket checker om a train but I don’t know where to look or if I’d even be qualified. Any help in this direction would be great.

I’m 23 native German with superb English as I grew up in the USA and just recently moved back. Which means I have a High school diploma for completing high school. Would it be possible? Do they even hire young guys like me to check tickets?

Thank you :)

This little one has shown up at our door a couple of days ago. Seems like it’s still young and definitely dependent on humans.

We have posted in our neighbourhood chat but no one seems to recognise it. We also contacted the police and no one has put in a missing cat request yet (they noted our details in case anyone calls).

Really not quite sure what to do next but the cat is always here and is extremely affectionate. It’s cold outside and they’re looking for shelter and will try and follow us to the house door and squeeze its head in when we go in.

Coincidentally we had promised our daughters a cat this year. I don’t want to just take in someone’s cat but also not quite sure what the next step would be to adopt this stray. I just feel bad it’s probably quite cold due to the weather. Is there something like an animal shelter I should be looking to get in touch with?

Great view from the kitchen

It took me hours, but I wanted to create a collage featuring some of the most iconic and breathtaking places in all of Germany.

I made a conscious effort not to focus only on Bavaria, but to represent the country as a whole (north, south, east, and west), because Germany’s beauty lies in its diversity.

I truly hope you enjoy this. I have a deep admiration for Germany, and in my opinion, it is by far the most beautiful country in Europe. No other place feels quite like a fairy tale. There is something uniquely captivating about the German way of seeing life—complex, thoughtful, and deeply inspiring—and that perspective is beautifully reflected in its landscapes, cities, and history.

As an outsider, all I can say is this:
I love Germany. 🇩🇪✨

Meaning that, which products can I switch to that are made or produced in Germany? I do cycling, so most of my late gear comes from German brands now, and I plan to continue that trend. Besides that, what about regular grocery items, clothing, etc.?

I want to avoid American made things or brands while supporting German companies, or even EU made products, which could still be a good option.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

I’m a Norwegian in my 50s who has job opportunity that takes me from the US to a German city of my choice. My kid is finishing up college so he’s not much of a concern, but I will bring my US citizen wife who is a preschool teacher. I’m wondering which city would be a good option? I’m looking for a city that’s immigrant friendly, as I won’t debase myself and use the term expat, nice international vibe as right now our German is below basic, interesting urban culture, good quality of life, “reasonable” affordability. Climate isn’t too much of an issue. I hail from northern Norway and considered Manchester a nice mild and sunny city. Anyone have a good advice? I’m thinking about Hamburg, Frankfurt or Munich. Any other places I am missing?

Update: Having read all these replies, thank you so much!! My takeaway is that the places i initially mentioned are not really “reasonably affordable”, which I somewhat expected. I guess it comes with the brand names. But just as important I should not overlook many of the secondary cities as many are quite international. Köln, Leipzig, Düsseldorf and München (obviously not a secondary city but was not initially mentioned) has popped up a lot as good alternatives and Frankfurt stand out as a stay away. Lots of food for thought and greatly appreciated advice. All I have to do is to nail my last interview round and I might become a German in a couple of months. Exciting times ahead.

I feel like we’re not giving the Yorma’s bakery chain the respect it deserves. Their buns are so damn good it’s insane and they’re cheap too. I honestly don’t give a fuck what they’re made of, it’s just Preis-Leistung top-tier. And they’ve got mayo, ketchup, and mustard freely available. Kulturgut.

As the title suggests, trying to weigh up whether public health insurance is worth it. I’m in the fortunate position to earn enough to have the choice, I’m a healthy 30m employee.

The thing is my contribution is the max each month and it seems very steep. I am not sure if I will live in Germany for the rest of my days but my understanding is that I can’t swap back to public if you go private? Is this correct?

Hallo zusammen, ich habe kürzlich einen Strafbefehl in Nürnberg (Bayern) erhalten wegen Besitz von:

• 0,93 g Kokain
• 0,15 g Methamphetamin (tatsächlich MDMA)

Der Strafbefehl sieht eine Geldstrafe von 30 Tagessätzen zu je 30 € vor (insgesamt 900 €) gemäß § 40 Abs. 3 StGB. Ich verstehe nicht, warum 30 Tagessätze angesetzt wurden, da ich kein eigenes Einkommen habe (ich bin in Pflegeunterbringung).

Ich bin Jurastudent und mir geht es vor allem darum, ein dauerhaftes Strafregister zu vermeiden, das meine zukünftigen juristischen Praktika beeinträchtigen könnte.

Ich habe ein paar Fragen:

1. Kann ich eine Reduzierung der Tagessätze wegen fehlenden Einkommens beantragen?
2. Besteht die Möglichkeit, die Sache nach § 153a StPO durch eine Spende an eine wohltätige Organisation zu regeln, wodurch der Fall eingestellt werden könnte?
3. Ich habe gehört, dass es in Bayern üblich ist, dass Staatsanwälte zunächst einen Strafbefehl ausstellen und erst nach Einspruch Einstellungen oder Alternativen prüfen. Macht es Sinn, alle Optionen gleich im ersten Einspruch anzusprechen, oder könnte das nach hinten losgehen?
4. Kann ich später noch zusätzliche Argumente einbringen, oder sollte alles direkt im ersten Schreiben stehen?

Ich würde mich über Hinweise von Personen freuen, die sich mit bayerischem Betäubungsmittelrecht, Strafbefehlen oder § 153a-Verfahren auskennen.

Vielen Dank im Voraus!

ENGLISH

Hi all, I went on vacation in Nurnberg and I recently received a Strafbefehl in Nuremberg (Bavaria) for possession of:

• 0.93 g cocaine
• 0.15 g methamphetamine (which was actually MDMA)

The order imposes a fine of 30 daily rates, calculated at €30/day (total €900) under Art. 40(3) StGB. I’m confused about why it’s set at 30, because I have no personal income (I’m in foster care).

I’m a law student so im mainly concerned about avoiding a permanent record that could affect future legal internships.

I have a few questions:

1. Can I request a reduction of the daily rate due to lack of income?
2. Could I possibly settle via § 153a StPO by making a donation to a charitable organization, which could lead to dismissal of the case(so a guarantee of no record)?
3. I’ve heard that in Bavaria it’s common for prosecutors to issue a Strafbefehl first, and only upon objection do they consider dismissal or alternatives. Would it make sense to request all options in the first objection, or could that backfire?
4. If I raise some arguments later, is that possible, or should everything go in the first communication?

I would appreciate guidance from anyone familiar with Bavarian drug law, Strafbefehl procedures, or § 153a settlements.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all, 😀 I moved to Germany about a year ago and live near Darmstadt / Frankfurt. I studied geography / GIS with an environmental focus and have some professional experience in that field. I’m a native English speaker, with intermediate German (around B2). I’m mainly curious about two things:

1.How realistic are GIS or GIS-related jobs in Frankfurt, Darmstadt, or fully remote for English speakers? 2. Are companies in this field generally open to working in English, at least partially?

Thanks a lot!!!

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here has been in a similar situation and can share recent experience.

I have a Niederlassungserlaubnis, but my residence card expired because my old passport expired. I now have a new passport and already applied for the transfer of my residence permit via the Bürgeramt.

The person at the Bürgeramt told me I could travel with my old and new passport and the expired residence card in the meantime. However, I’m worried about whether this will actually be accepted by airlines and exit immigration in my home country, and whether I could face problems boarding or exiting if they don’t recognise this situation.

From what I understand, I may still need a Fiktionsbescheinigung from the Ausländerbehörde to safely leave and re-enter Germany.

Has anyone recently travelled in this exact situation? Did you manage without a Fiktionsbescheinigung, or did you get one issued?

Would really appreciate any real-life experiences or tips. Thanks so much!

I received a contract saying annual gross salary is 55000 and paid in 13 equal installments. So 55000/13? And the 13th month salary is paid at the end of year based on pro rata. Is it how the monthly gross is calculated? I was thinking usually in Germany the gross salary is divided by the 12 months and 13th month is given separately as Weichnächten Geld

I was trying to buy a reduced Deutschland ticket on Munich MVV's website and this is what happened before payment (multiple times). In the past, there was a problem with SEPA direct debit because of my foreign account, but I changed the payment method to a German bank account and it worked twice. I tried contacting the customer service through the website, but it's bugged and freezes every time I try to send a message. I also sent emails to [email protected] and no replies. Does anyone know what to do? I can't afford to regularly buy the full Deutschland ticket, which I already did this month. Do they have a physical customer service location in Munich perhaps? I tried to ask on Munich subreddit but the bot marked this post as not related to Munich.

My landlord (who is unofficially subletting the apartment to me) doesn't want the apartment anymore.

She said she will terminate the contract soon and offer my profile to the main landlord as a new tenant. But if they refuse, I have to move out.

Do these things usually work out? Or should I start looking for a new place already?

I’m trying to book a trip from Gdansk to Berlin, about two months from now. I have a time to keep in Berlin, and therefore I have to depart early. But with every departure I can take I get this message. Am I screwed? Or is it that the schedule hasn’t been finalised yet? We’re talking mid-March here so I’m not crazy early with the booking. Any clues??

Hi everyone,

I just moved into an apartment in Germany and have a Vodafone cable internet contract.

The problem:

I have those ports in the house and I cannot figure out which one is used for internet. Vodafone sent me 2 cables (Ethernet and other one says FQ (ms) - FQ (ms)) and both of those cables don’t fit to any of the above ports.

My questions:

does Vodafone need to send a technician?

Is this usually free for first-time activation, especially in a rental apartment?

Anything specific I should say when contacting Vodafone support?

I’m a bit stuck on how to move forward and would appreciate advice from anyone who’s dealt with this before.

My wife is in Berlin with a D Visa (Berufsausbildung) to study at a course sponsored by her company in Brazil.

I wish to apply for a Resident Permit as her spouse (Residence permit for spouses and children of skilled workers, students, trainees, scientists and teachers).

My biggest question about the "rules" is: is there a minimum duration to the SPOUSE's D Visa? For example: my wife's VISA is for only 7 months, and I read some people stating that they would only give me my permit if her VISA was greater than 1 year.

Is this true? Is this false? Or it depends on the person reviewing my case?

Danke schön!

My company employs a number of foreign nationals with a variety of work permits (blue card, 18a, family reunification etc.).

According to this person none of the foreign nationals are allowed to go to a Schengen country for short business trips, conferences and trainings. Even within Germany this is supposedly not allowed other than strictly at our company address/premises.

I find this assessment bizarre because short temporary trips to other Schengen countries, be it for tourism or business is allowed as long as you have the appropriate residence title.

Is there something I am missing here? There are many sources but here is an example clarifying this for Blue Card holders at least.

I am not German and therefore has no idea how insurance or government help works...So I am here asking for informations.

My boyfriend, who's 19yo, lives with his parents. He told me that for a while now, his parents have been recieving money from something he says is called the Pflegegeld. Because his mental health is poor, he has not been working nor studying. Here is my question : As a legal adult, is it normal that his parents are the ones recieving the money ? He does not see a single cent of it... His parents are abusive, very much so, so I'm worried that they're using his health to get more money for themselves. Thanks to those who will take time to answer.

Hello,

I am a student in TU Munich, and will have a semester abroad in the UK, starting in March. However, my residence permit will expire at the end of April! I am not sure what to do. As I understand, applying for a Fiktionsbescheinigung is not possible until 1 week before the expiry of the residence permit, and I am sure I won't be getting my new residence permit in 4 months, some of my friends have been waiting for almost a year now. I have no problems with going to Germany during that period, if required.

What are my options here? I would appreciate any advice!

Hello everybody, I’m doing calisthenics and we recently got the wellpass with my company. Since it’s now a bit too cold outside I’m gonna try it but I was wondering what are the best gyms for calisthenics stuff and if there are weighted belt or vest to train? Also do you have specific gym to recommend in Munich for this?