Welcome to /r/germany, the English-language subreddit about the country of Germany.
Please read this entire post and follow the links, if applicable.
We have prepared FAQs and an extensive Wiki. Please use these resources. If you post questions that are easily answered, our regulars will point you to those resources anyway. Additionally, please use the Reddit search. [Edit: Don't claim you read the Wiki and it does not contain anything about your question when it's clear that you didn't read it. We know what's in the Wiki, and we will continue to point you there.]
This goes particularly if you are asking about studying in Germany. There are multiple Wiki articles covering a lot of information. And yes, that means reading and doing your own research. It's good practice for what a German university will expect you to do.
Short questions can be asked in the comments to this post. Please either leave a comment here or make a new post, not both.
If you ask questions in the subreddit, please provide enough information for people to be able to actually help you. "Can I find a job in Germany?" will not give you useful answers. "I have [qualification], [years of experience], [language skills], want to work as [job description], and am a citizen of [country]" will. If people ask for more information, they're not being mean, but rather trying to find out what you actually need to know.
German-language content can go to /r/de or /r/FragReddit.
Questions about the German language are better suited to /r/German.
Covid-related content should go into this post until further notice.
/r/LegaladviceGerman/ has limited legal advice - but make sure to read their disclaimers.
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I have a travel plan to Germany in march 2026. My Schengen visa validity is just 1 day more than the planned departure (visa is valid until 22nd march and my return flight is on 21st )Will I get into trouble (for example if the flights get cancelled or delayed )
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sign So, the name of this sub is in english and we have the fact that this is an english-language sub in the sub descripton, the sub rules and in the very first sentence of this post you replied to. Is there anything else we could have done to get that across to you, or are you just an idiot?
hallo
I want to start an online business, but I’m not sure how to obtain permission from the Foreign Office. I’ve tried contacting them several times but haven’t received any response. If possible, I would really appreciate guidance on how an international student can start a business in Germany, especially since I currently don’t have a job in Berlin.
Hi everyone. I’m currently in Germany and something a bit confusing happened. I was walking at night with a male friend, and three different cars honked briefly at us while passing by. It wasn’t loud or aggressive, just a short beep. Does it have any specific meaning or is it just random behavior?
Were you walking on a sidewalk, or on the road? If it was the latter, were you walking against the direction of car traffic (as you should)?
We were walking on the sidewalk not on the road, and we weren’t using the bike lane either. There was enough space and we weren’t blocking traffic. That’s why we were confused about the honking
Greetings, DHL dropped off my international package (JP Post Small Packet) at a dhl post office, will they accept card for duty payment?
Yes. Speaking from experience.
why dont you ask the dhl office?
They are closed
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The language of this subreddit is English only! If you want to post in German, go to one of the German language subreddits. Visit r/dach to get an overview of all larger German speaking subreddit.
This sub is exclusively english speaking
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Use a means of transport of your choosing. Or you could possibly also walk. Not recommended.
Depends how close to the border you are, walking would be recommended.
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Start with basic reading comprehension, including the subreddit rules.
Why do Germans like being Tan?
Non-thesis master’s abroad — any issues working in Germany afterward?
Hey everyone, I’m German and did my business undergrad in Germany, but I’m currently in South Korea completing an international business master’s degree. My university offers two options: a thesis track and a non-thesis track.
In Germany you’re normally required to write a master’s thesis to graduate, so I’m unsure how German employers view a non-thesis degree. I don’t plan to go into research or work in the public sector — I want to work in the private sector — so writing a thesis doesn’t really make sense for me academically or career-wise.
However, I’m worried that skipping the thesis might affect how my master’s is recognized by companies in Germany. Could it reduce my chances of getting hired or impact my long-term career?
No chance anyone will care. Assuming youre never going to research
By when would it be appropriate to send an acquaintance a Christmas postcard ? Is now too early? Should it just before Christmas?
Since the post office is usually overwhelmed over the Christmas days, I'd send it a week in advance. Tuesday or Wednesday would be a safe bet.
With how understaffed Deutsche Post is these days, I'd say send it now. It's only two weeks to Christmas, it's fine.
I am international student in Berlin, and I need a part time job ?is there any other applications like zenjob ?
What is a fraternity at a university like in Germany?
bit fashy lol
Use the search function.
Hey! So I'm an Indian student currently in my 12th and I plan to study in Germany for my bachelors. I've done my research but I require some sort of templates for my documents (like LOR from schools, verification docs etc...). I would also like to know about some good universities that are renowned for their strong IT or AI/ML courses, I've seen some but it is always good to be in contact with someone who is actually attending one of these. I'd be grateful if you help me out :)
If you read the post you replied to, you would have seen the link to the wiki. Had you read the wiki you would have found all the wonderful sources for all things studying in Germany.
I suggest you start over and read the post.
No idea why you feel the need to post the same stuff twice from different accounts.
Hey! So I'm an Indian student currently in my 12th and I plan to study in Germany for my bachelors. I've done my research but I require some sort of templates for my documents (like LOR from schools, verification docs etc...). I'd be grateful if you help me out :)
If you read the post you replied to, you would have seen the link to the wiki. Had you read the wiki you would have found all the wonderful sources for all things studying in Germany.
I suggest you start over and read the post.
Hi there, does anyone know the best method/way to post a box of a few hats and a necklace to Canada from Germany? I've had packages sent to USA before and some are still stuck in customs. When I was living in London they make you fill out a customs form on a sticker and pasted on the box. In Berlin at the post office they didn''t do that and I have a feeling they messed up the postage and now my shit is stuck somewhere.
I used DHL btw.
Can any one practice with me in german?
Can you help me more? I just want any one to chat with me daily
No, I am not interested.
Look at the wikis and rules of the subs linked above.
There are also subs for language exchanges.
I mean can u help me more how can i find it ? Iam new at this app
You were able to make an account here and find this sub. You will manage to find the others, you already were given the names
Request: Contact with anyone who has done an engineering masters in Germany after doing an undergrad in the United States
Hi, I'm a student from the US who is looking to do my masters in Germany. I already looked at a university and its entry requirements but I had a few questions in regard to course equivalency that I was unable to get answered by the university and the dean of the program. My questions mostly regard courses that seem similar to what is done in the US but appear to go by different names in Germany and I wanted to clarify if the courses refer to the same thing.
hello, im a pedagogy student and i need some help for an exposition
can anyone tell me an experience with a strict teacher in school on germany? if its a history teacher better, but any subject works. thanks!
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You’re hiding behind a cultural question on social media to avoid talking to him. What are you even doing?
If tou expect anyone to answer any question you might have (don't know, I am not reading that mess), you should stop and think what you want to say before you write.
Also, since it appears to be about dating, do try to remember that people are individuals and Germans aren't a hive. Nobody here knows your man/woman/person.
Sorry, not reading this, but i can tell you that if you approach dating the way you approach this comment, you will not have any success.
This post states explicitly that the comment section is for quick questions.
Hey everyone, I’m an Indian citizen (with Aussie PR) currently freelancing for an Australian company, earning around €3K/month remotely.
I want to move to Berlin to work with my cofounder on our early-stage startup (not earning yet), so I need to keep my freelance income for stability.
I’m stuck between two visa options:
Freelance visa with German clients → Means quitting my AU job and finding German clients before applying.
Self-employment/freelance visa with foreign clients → Keep my Australian contract and pay taxes in Germany.
I’ve seen mixed info about Berlin accepting freelancers who only have foreign clients. Some say it’s fine if income is stable, others say you need at least one German client.
My questions:
Has anyone gotten the freelance visa in Berlin with only foreign clients?
Is €3K/month enough for “financial stability”?
How long does the whole process usually take (appointment + approval)?
Any tips on applying from India vs after arriving?
Would really appreciate any real experiences. Thanks! 🙏
Not exactly a quick question, isn't it?
Read the wiki, use the search function, then make a post with remaining questions.
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Read their wiki before you post
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So, rule number one: Read the posts you reply to.
Rule number two: Check subs for wikis and rules before you post.
Hi everyone, I am staying in Germany for less than 6months for work and I have heard I can get part of the taxes I am paying reimbursed (the ones taken from my salary each months) has anyone succeeded in doing it ? Any advices?
Read the Wiki. You need to do a tax return the following year. Note that you cannot get social insurance contributions (which people often call "taxes") back, except possibly pension contributions several years from now, if you leave the EU permanently.
We are currently visiting Germany and while waiting at Frankfurt airport for our train I came across a bookstore. I was looking at magazines wanting to pick one up to work on language learning on a topic interesting to me and was using google translate camera mode to see if it would be able to translate the words. The guy working there started getting upset saying no photos. I told him i am not taking photos I am translating it so I know what its about. He said not allowed he could call the police. There was no sign saying no pictures anywhere. Is this an actual legal thing I need to be aware of or was he just being grumpy? We are headed to Hamburg in less than an hour.
Well, yeah, businesses selling newspapers and magazines are not interested in people reading the articles without paying for them.
You can theoretically read articles by standing there and reading them right on the spot or by taking pictures/scanning the text and reading them later. In both cases shop keepers will call you out and demant you either buy the thing or leave.
Interesting. In Canada this doesn’t happen at all. I was very interested in finding one to buy but was trying to see if it was a topic of interest so was trying to translate at least a few titles. But I definitely wasn’t going to purchase from a business that was not going to be understanding especially at an airport where they definitely are going to get a mix of people who don’t speak the language. I have several other languages under my belt and find them interesting so maybe I am an anomaly for wanting to try and read something in a language I know very little of. Thank you for answering I will keep this in mind for the rest of my trip.
Are there any Kraftwerk fans here? I'm referring to the Electronic Music group.
If so, and if any of you live in Krefeld, Düsseldorf, or Meetbusch, would you tell me how you enjoy being a resident there?
I am from the US, and would love to visit sometime.
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Read the subreddit rules, and the Wiki.
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Yes. Take ID to prove it.
Hello, I'm studying telecommunications engineering, I'm 20 years old, I have a B2 level. and i have Google IT Support certificate, and a Microsoft Networking Fundamentals certificate. I want to apply for an ausbildug it program specializing in network integration.
You are not the target group for Ausbildung, and there is no lack of local applicants.
Use the search function, this gets asked daily
I am outside the European Union and I do not have a university degree; I am in my first year of university.
Who is the target group?
Use the search function or read the wiki
How
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?
I am in Germany staying with friends, and they brought this delicious deli meat for breakfast that I am trying to find the name of. They call it bauernfruhstuck, but when I search this I only get results for a skillet breakfast. The meat is heavily salted, super thin and almost flaky, a pinkish color. He says it’s best from Bavaria but it can be found all over Germany. Please help me find the name of this delicious meat!
Maybe it's "Frühstücksfleisch". Mostly canned, but Sometimes already sliced.
Bauernschinken look at different pics and see if this is right my mother from Freiburg said it was like a prosciutto.
This looks delicious but unfortunately not what it was. The comment below mentioned mettwurst which seems more similar, as it’s almost minced but still in tact if that makes sense. Very hard to pick up without falling apart. Danke to your mother and to you for helping.
Kochmettwurst?
Not sure if it’s exactly kochmettwurst but it does seem like some form of mettwurst, thank you for this. I will continue exploring down this road.
Hi everyone, I am visiting germany to see a guy I am dating soon. He mentioned he collects watches, could you please suggest a nice watch brand so i can gift him that he can add to his collection?
Don’t. Too high a chance that you will buy the wrong thing.
Do you know anything about watches? What style he collects? Or whether he collects watches of a specific brand, or that have specific features or are from a specific time period? Do you know which ones he has? Also: How much are you prepared to spend?
I don’t know much about german watches!! I can choose which one he will like by design or colour(he showed me his collection over facetime) but i don’t know anything about brands, I was only able to read 1-2! It was fossil, and one watch had written as swiss alpine military! I have emporio armani in my mind that he might like! I am prepared to spend $500! If I know couple of brands I can try talking about it and see his reaction to figure out what he’ll like!
The point of these questions was to show that imo it is not a great idea to gift someone a collectible if you don't know anything about the thing they collect or what they already have. While it is a nice thought, it is practically bound to be disappointing for the gift giver and receiver.
If you are hell-bent on this gift him a chocolate watch and a card about how you want to take him shopping for an addition to his collection when you see in person.
On a personal note, having been in a long distance relationship and having married the guy, 500 euro/dollar gifts on top of travel costs when you visit is a bit over the top when you are "just" dating. It is the kind of money my spouse could easily spend on me back then and what absolutely would have made me feel weird. Are you sure you two are on the same footing in this regard?
We’ve been my best friend for 14 years, he finally confessed his feelings and we are working out the whole long distance situation! I am visiting for his birthday and I still have a month or so to figure out! I understand and probably will do the chocolate watch and card idea. I was just trying to learn more about watches since I already know he loves collecting watches. Thankyou for this, I was afraid I am gonna make the wrong choice too. I would rather have him choose that himself
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Dang, Brexit even killed off access to Google for the UK. Sad.
Google? Tourism sites?
You aren't even stating what you're interested in.
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I have no idea what you mean by that. I communicate with speech, written words, gestures. I do not communicate with music
Hello everyone! My husband and I are planning to buy a brand new car next year. We want to get a 7-seater car or a car with a big trunk/compartment (but not like a Combi car, my husband is a bit tall and big amd he find combi cars uncomfortable to drive with). We have a budget around 35k to 40k€. We already looked for Opel Grandland, Nissan Xtrail and Dacia Bigster but we need some other options. Can you please recommend us some good cars that we can choose from? Thank you!
That doesn't look like a use case for an SUV.
People who want that many seats here would go for something like a VW T6.
FH Aachen MSc Mechatronics Hello, I am looking to connect with people who can guide me on this course or people who are studying Mechatronics Masters in FH Aachen. I am planning to apply for upcoming Summer semester 2026 Any help is greatly appreciated
Hello everyone, I am wondering how decentralized Germany is truly?
I know Frankfurt is the center of finance, Berlin is the capital and like center of culture.
Is Munich the center of engineering given BMW and Siemens, etc?
And what about Cologne or Stuttgart?
Yes, germany is decentralized. Germany as a unit is, comparatively, new in history, and the seperation after ww2 also aided in that. No city has the option to become a total center of power (and everything that comes with that) of the whole country, the way that e.g. Paris or London (afaik) did.
That does not mean that there are individual "center of X" for everything. Berlin is our capital, but not a "center of culture". Frankfurt (Main) is a center of Finance, but if you want to declare Munic the "center of engineering" over BMW and Siemens, Stuttgart with Porsche, Bosch and Mercedes might want a word with you, as would likely a whole buch of other cities or regions.
Decentralized does not mean that cities have divided the "things one can be center of" between themself. It means that due to history, there never was an absolute power center for long enough to cause actual centralization.
Lastly: in what world is that a "quick question"?
Hi I'm currently a student here in the Philippines, and I wanna be an IT student. I was wondering if it is better to finish my college here and study german language after. Or is it better to study german language NOW and go to germany for college.
The first option and make sure that you get a few years of work experience in and learn German to a high level before you (attempt to) move here. If you don't you will be just one more unemployed fresh IT graduate.
Hello everyone! I’m here to ask for advice or help. I am a concert guitarist and I’m looking for a job as a teacher. I have a C1 level, but I can hardly find any job offers! Does anyone have any tips for me? Is it really that difficult?
Hello. Who here knows about the Anerkennungsprozess for Nurses? For documents from the Philippines, do school and PRC documents need to be apostilled? Thank you.
If I buy a deutschlandticket on november 16th, it will only last until december 10th yeah? So 58 euros for like 2 -3 wèeks?
No, you buy it per month. So 58 Euros until November 30th (regardless which day you buy it), and then again 58 for December 1-31st. It is not prorated, and it is a monthly subscription. Only some providers allow you to cancel monthly, so be very careful what you get.
Is mopla one of the providers that let u cancel monthly?
Yes, but you still buy the subscription per calendar month, there's no way around it. So if you want to use it from mid November to mid December, you need to pay two full months regardless.
Every provider lets you cancel monthly. Mopla lets you cancel later than most others, though
Hi everyone! I’m planning to move to Germany from Finland and started to wonder, what should take care of and consider before moving?! Danke schön 🙏🏼
Start by reading the wiki, just like the post you replied to tells you to do.
Hello, it is so annoying that some clinics/doctors bills still have this old format, just mention IBAN, BIC and bank name, didn't mention what is exactly the account holder's name. Now with new regulation the banks verify if recipient name matches with IBAN, i tried clinic name, doctor name....no match. My god.
Most companies are of yet unaware that they can register some additional alternative names with their banks.
Ok
How is the paranormal culture in Germany? Do you guys have ghost hunting tv shows or horror movies about the paranormal?
I hope these answers you convince you to find a less nasty place to live
Idk if it makes it less nasty but as an American I’d like to learn more about Europe. Trying to think of things to ask that would be of interest if I ever traveled
Hi there,
No and we cringe at people who take that shit seriously.
Dude. Not really.
Dude, So do Germans not believe in ghost?
No, most people not only don't believe in them, they would also consider it nonsense or even ridicule it.
Dude, i have a top sectret tip for you: of you are looking for statistics, you can use google to find them
Hello, I am a new student in Germany and I am looking for a single apartment in Kaiserslautern near the RPTU university in a range of 300 - 400 Euros, if it's hard to find one at this range of budget, then can you please tell me where can I find an apartment near Kaiserslautern.
While i am not familiar with the rental market in Kaiserslautern, that budget is one that is afaik suitable for a room in a shared flat, in a city not hit too hard by the housing crisis. It will not get you an apartment in a city
https://www.asta.uni-kl.de/beratung/wohnen/wohnungssuche
https://www.immobilienscout24.de/Suche/de/rheinland-pfalz/kaiserslautern/studentenwohnung-mieten?enteredFrom=result_list
Read the Wiki, linked in the post you replied to.
An apartment for that price would require time travel.
Hello everyone Wanted to ask which EU countries among these countries Denmark, Austria , Norway, Sweden Doesn’t need a good standing certificate from non EU IMGs ? Since i heard this is a mandatory document for Germany I will be thankful if you could answer my question I’ve been searching for months now Thank you in advance
All of them need one.
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This might blow your mind, but we do speak English, especially in large cities.
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...you think people speak English because of your military?
Main character syndrome much?
I mean, no disrespect whatsoever that is why I asked the question. My neighbor moved here from Mexico. Doesn’t speak a word of English. I go out of my way to learn Spanish so I can communicate with him on his terms, not mine. Everyone else in the neighborhood thinks he should learn English. I was just wondering if the German populations felt the same.
Assumed it was because of the military because English is an imperialistic language and is known all over the world. Main Character syndrome would mean that I think that it’s spoken there because I speak it.
That has zero to do with your military presence, and everything to do with the fact that in Germany, learning foreign languages is part of even a basic school education.
We learn foreign languages, yet we still prefer to speak German. A person can know more than one language.
We don't learn English to accommodate the US military, if that is your assumption.
Sorry what? We get tourists all the time, and English is basically the lingua franca of the western world. Oh course I'd prefer talking in German, but if someone doesn't know it, then English is fine.
Also 35.000 soldiers isn't that much in terms of military presence. I have never seen an American Soldier on German soil in my life.
Hi! Hoping to move to Germany. My partner is a German citizen. I am not, im Canadian. Wondering if this program is a scam?
https://www.team-experte.de/stipendienprogramm
The fact that they advertise studying in IU, which is a degree mill, as their chief benefit, is not promising.
Also, I see them calling it a scholarship, but from everything you are describing, they are looking for people to work. Being paid for your work is your legal right, not a "scholarship".
You also appear to need what they call a "national vocational qualification", not sure what precisely they mean by that, as they also appear to offer German vocational training.
You would need to look very carefully at any specific offer they make you, as it might be worse than just taking an actual job or starting vocational training that does not involve them.
That so called "university" is a degree mill without proper accreditation in Germany. So your "scholarship" is really just a discount on the overpriced fee you pay to receive an utterly worthless "diploma".
If they're not an accredited university then I suppose the program stating i would get a social work degree accredited by the state is a lie then?
Not an outright lie since they issue degrees through some "associated partner uni" in Romania I believe, that - being an EU degree - is recognized across all member states of the European Union. However every hiring manager knows about those practices, so they will completely discard it as a valid credential. It does however qualify for a residence permit since on the administrative-legal side, government ministries can't just forgo credentials that have been issued by any EU university, no matter how shitty they are. So it's something foreigners use to scam their way into the EU.
I live and work in the Netherlands for a Dutch company. I'm a mobile service technician, so I often travel around the world to various clients. I need to relocate to Germany and settle there permanently. The location suits the company because we have a lot of clients there. What problems might I encounter on the road? What problems might my company have in achieving this goal? I have a company car registered in the Netherlands. How can I avoid any potential obstacles?
You can start by making a post (not really a quick question, is it?), and include actually legally relevant info, like your citizenship.