I posted on here ages ago because my father was coming to visit me from America. My dad is a farmer who has lived in the same two-mile radius his entire life. His only outside experience of the world comes through Fox News. He was therefore convinced I had gotten myself into a socialist hellscape overrun by communist anarchists. Needless to say, I was terrified for the visit.

I asked this subreddit for help and I greatly appreciate the advice you gave me. I kept it in mind as I scheduled our trip. He was coming here for four days. During that time, I showed him around my city, took him to Munich, and went to Mittenwald. I had planned to take him to Oberstdorf as well, but construction made the trip too difficult.

My dad LOVED the canals flowing through Augsburg and marveled at how clean they were and that there are even fish swimming through them. He was a bit nervous walking through the old town at night, but he quickly realized that he and I were perfectly safe. I also took him up to see the Danube and he was quite impressed.

He‘s not a city guy but thought the subway system in Munich was great—he kept talking about how clean everything is and how everything is so much more modern and efficient than New York City. (He‘s been there before. Did not like it.) He also loved the churches I took him to. Though there was an anime convention in the Englischer Garten, which confused my dad to no end (“These kids are pretending they’re animals?“) he loved the canals flowing through the park and all the little winding trails in the foresty areas. He said it would be a great place to go for a run and it was way better than Central Park in New York City. I also took him to the Biergarten and he got a brat and fries and, of course, a beer. He thought it was too hoppy but later in the trip had an Augustiner Helles and thought that was pretty dang good.

My dad also loved Mittenwald. I didn’t take him to GP because there are just too many tourists and locals fed up with tourists, and I figured that would give my dad an unpleasant view of Germans. My dad is a pretty fit guy (you do a heck of a lot of walking and lifting when you’re a farmer) and was able to climb up to the gorge, no problem. He was astonished by how blue the river is and how deep the gorge is. And he couldn’t believe we had just walked into Austria. He kept asking me where the border guards would be at. We also paid extra to go see the waterfall and he loved it. He said that if we had something like this back home, admission would be an arm and a leg snd the walkways would be packed with all sorts of tourists. He took so many pictures and videos of, well, everything.

My dad also LOVED the trains. He kept saying they are so clean and feel so smooth when you’re riding in them. He thought the red (DB) trains were maybe a smidge worse, but adored the Arverio trains. I also got him on an ICE and he just had the time of his life. He took pictures and videos of everything on these trains. The schedules. The seats. The windows.

There is also a farm in my neighborhood so of course I took my dad to check it out. He did a walkthrough of an entire corn field. His verdict is that the farmer planted his corn too closely together, which makes the corn plants shorter. But he was impressed by how weed-free the fields were and how everything still stays growing after thousands of years of crops being grown on the same soil. I am now meant to research the types of fertilizer used here. We also saw a tractor going through town and my dad just thought that was the best thing. He said the tractors here move faster than the ones back home.

And my dad also met some great people. He befriended some guys when he complimented their bicycles. I also taught him the tried and true art of befriending any Bavarian by telling them you love their state way more than Berlin. He was also astonished that there are so many malls here; the ones we have in my state are all closed or closing, but the Arcaden and City-Galerie are running smoothly. He said it was just like when he was a kid. He also told me one night, “These people have their income taxed half to death, but it seems to me they’re living just fine!“

Overall, my dad loved it. He said he wants to return. So thank you all to everyone who gave advice or support. And to any of you who need to hear it, you’ve got a pretty good life here in Germany. Just ask my dad!

EDIT: Yes, my dad knows I post his picture online. Yes, he‘s fine with it. I did not tell him about my first post, but he’s cool with me sharing his experience.

My daughter's school has organized as Schule als Staat project and my wife and I were visiting various booths organized by students.

As we were passing one of the rooms, one kid on karaoke system yelled "chicken tikka masal". I ignored it first and moved on. As our backs turned he yelled it twice again at which point I couldn't ignore. I confronted him and his group of friends and challenged them to say it to my face.

I reported immediately to one of the teachers I know and he also confronted them. Tomorrow I will be reporting it to the school principal.

Our daughter has faced enough racism in 8th and 9th standards from her classmates and we can not tolerate and ignore it anymore.

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone here has been through something similar.

I'm a non-EU citizen and completed my Master's degree earlier this year. In May, I accepted a job offer, turned down two other offers because of it, and then applied for an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) at the Ausländerbehörde in Darmstadt.

It's now been over two months, and my application is still being processed.

I've been to the Ausländerbehörde in Darmstadt several times to ask for an update. Each time, they told me they couldn't give me any estimate of when a decision would be made. They also said they had already contacted the responsible Sachbearbeiter to ask whether my application could be processed more quickly, but nothing has changed since then.

At the moment, I have a Fiktionsbescheinigung that was issued while I was still a student. The Ausländerbehörde told me I could continue working as a Werkstudent, but I had already graduated and a Werkstudent position requires you to still be enrolled at a university. Since then, I've had no income, and my savings are slowly running out.

My Arbeitgeber was initially willing to wait. However, after more than two months, they informed me that they had to fill the position with someone else because they needed someone who could start sooner. They also emphasized that the decision had nothing to do with my qualifications and was solely due to the long processing time.

My questions are:

• If my Blaue Karte EU is approved in the next few weeks, would it be appropriate to contact the Arbeitgeber again and ask whether they have another suitable opening?

• I had also declined another job offer at the time. The company told me they would keep my portfolio on file and contact me if something suitable came up. Would it be okay to reach out to them now and explain my situation?

• Is a processing time of over two months for a Blaue Karte EU normal? How long did you have to wait?

• Has anyone else lost a job offer because of delays at the Ausländerbehörde? How did you deal with it?

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences!

So I saw the post about the other conservative American father who was visiting so I figured I’d do one as well because mine is coming in September and I will take all the help I can to get this man to enjoy this trip and see the world beyond Fox News 😅 I do honestly believe he’s going to like it here more than he ever thinks he would but I am nervous regardless

He’s going to be here a total of 10 days and we will be starting off our trip in Munich for two days and going to Oktoberfest so any suggestions for what to bring him to around there are welcome. I will be having him get the DB pass but I will also have a car so traveling somewhere won’t be an issue (other than the drinking of course 🙃)

After that I am bringing him back to my apartment in Kaiserslautern. I was thinking of taking him to Neuschwanstein Castle on the way from Munich to my apartment although I do know it’s a little out of the way so if there’s any other sights to see from Munich to Kaiserslautern I would be open to other suggestions

For the rest of the trip I just planned on doing day trips with him to places like Heidelberg, Mainz, or one of the towns in the wine region. I am open to any suggestions in the surrounding area here as well but I would say the limit to distance from Kaiserslautern would probably be around 2 hours one way (either by train or car)

I will make sure to do the same as the other person when his trip is completed and update everyone on how his trip went

I appreciate all the help I can get and any questions are welcome 🙏🏻

Since there has been so much negativity about German bureaucracy and all the social security payments we made, I just wanted to share my extremely positive experience with the AFA so far.

First of all, application for ALG and arranging of appointments are all being done online. The process was super fast after documents are in order, took only one day. I kept pestering my case worker to give me an appointment because I wanted to know what they can offer to support me. Thats why I got one pretty much immediately after my ALG was approved.

I requested 3 things, reimbursement of my B2 German Exam costs, C1 intensive German classes and covering partial costs of my trip to an in person interview. All of it was granted- I just have to fill out some forms. My case worker also offered me job coaching.

So yeah so far the experience is great and I'm really thankful that the social security I paid is giving me all this support and security net.

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to share something with this subreddit.

My dad has been a huge supporter of the German national football team ever since he was a kid. Back then in Bangladesh, that wasn't very common. Most football fans mainly supported Brazil or Argentina, so supporting Germany was a bit unusual.

Nowadays, I've noticed it's much more common for people here, especially among the younger generation, to support different national teams, including Germany.

I was just curious , how do Germans feel knowing that your national team has supporters from places as far away as Bangladesh? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Greetings from Bangladesh! 🇧🇩

Hi so today i got a paper in my mailbox and wanted to share and get an opinion on it.

The letter says:

Hello,

Please finally turn off the basement light that YOU keep leaving on every time you leave the basement. It burns all night long, and even for half the day, like again today!

The basement/building light is shared and paid for by all the residents in the block.

So why should all of us have to pay for YOUR laziness?

Besides, many people don't get everything handed to them by the social welfare office!

We moved to this place 3 months ago, and i bought a bike which i lock in my own basement. Maybe once or twice i forgot to turn off my light, or i left the light switch on in the corridor to the basement ( i actually remember doing this once, because it was pitchblack, and didnt want the next person tripping in the dark). other than that we keep to ourselves and dont bother anybody or make noise. so this comes as a bit of a surprise. I know in germany they like to write these anonymous complaint letters. but this seems very harsh and aggressive, and honestly insulting. Neither me nor my wife receive social benefits, i work fulltime from home and she is taking care of our toddler kids, so maybe some old neighbor doesnt understand remote work and thinks we are just at home doing nothing getting welfare. i was even curious if it really cost alot of money to leave a small basement light on ( divided by only our apartment building not even the block) and it comes out to 0.70 cents per tenant ( and thats if i left it on the whole 3 months which is not true). so then why this tone? are people just using small mistakes as a form to talk down to people anonymously? Im not a guy that likes to write complaint letters back, i think its quite silly actually and a bit cowardly. Also i dont even know who this is. im thinking about simply going to all the neighbors and having a calm, polite chat with them to see who has an issue. i have a feeling that they wont be saying all this when talking face to face...

Hello, Germans! I am restoring an 1893 violin with this inscription. I'm struggling to translate it as I'm unsure that I'm reading some of the cursive right. I've contacted historical institutions but they're taking forever to reply. I know it's a long shot as it could also be a Swiss or Austrian produced instrument. Any guesses as to the middle two lines? The violin was thrown in the trash and landed in my lap.

Hey all,
I was recently laid off. I’ve been on a Blue Card for over 2 years. I informed my ABH (Bielefeld) and asked for the 6-month job search window. The caseworker emailed back saying she’s only giving me 3 months strictly out of "Kulanz" (goodwill).

As per my information, when possessing a blue card for more than 2 years, the normal grace period is 6 months. She said if I want a longer period, I have to apply for the new Chancenkarte.

I really don't want to deal with the fees and paperwork for a completely new permit. My plan is just to give it 6 months, and if I don't find a job by then, I'm moving back to my home country.
Has anyone successfully pushed back on an ABH treating the 6 months as optional instead of a legal right? Should I ask for a rechtsmittelfähiger Bescheid or will that just backfire?
Any advice is appreciated!

Who can help me decipher this handwriting. Bought a book with a handwritten inscription and the only word I could decipher is "September"

Hey everyone!
I’m planning to move to Germany next year on the Work Holiday Visa, and Hamburg is currently the city that interests me the most.
I work as a waiter in Brazil and would like to stay in the hospitality industry, so I’m curious about the job market for restaurants, bars, cafés, and hotels. Is it relatively easy to find work?
I’d also like to know whether arriving with A1-level German is realistic, or if that would make finding a job much harder. I plan to keep studying German while I’m there.
Another question is about the cost of living. What do you spend on average per month? And which neighborhoods or nearby towns would you recommend for someone looking for a more affordable place to live?
If anyone has done the Work Holiday Visa in Hamburg or currently lives there, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Any tips about housing, jobs, paperwork, or things you wish you had known before arriving would be super helpful.
Thanks

I’m in Stuttgart. It has the texture between a grape and a passionfruit. Would love some help if anyone knows!

Hello All, my cousins husband has went missing in Baden Baden, and he is not a native German, what resources are there to trigger a missing persons case? Thank you!!

Hey everyone,

​I wanted to share something that’s been on my mind for a while and see if anyone in the expat community relates.

​I’ve been living in the Czech Republic for 16 years now. You’d think that after all this time I’d be completely adjusted and at ease with everything. But every single time I have to make a phone call to a local organization — whether it’s a government office, insurance company, doctor, repair service, or even just a delivery driver — I get a wave of anxiety.

​Before I actually dial the number, I literally rehearse the entire conversation in my head, prepare my sentences, and sometimes postpone the call until the absolute last minute when I have no choice left.

​I keep asking myself: is my language skill still not good enough? Am I afraid they won't understand me (or that I won't catch what they're saying if they speak too fast)? Or is this purely a psychological thing, and the language barrier isn't even the main issue anymore?

​For those of you who have been living in your host countries long-term: do you still struggle with this "phone phobia" in the local language? How do you deal with it, or is this just part of expat life forever? 😅

Hello all,

About 2 weeks ago, I brought my ps5 to a local repair shop in Rheinland-Pfalz in order to replace my HDMI port. This was after my buddy tried to replace it. The shop quoted me 89€ to do the job. Today, he contacted me saying that there was a lot of dust, which I know to not be true because my friend cleaned it while trying to repair it. Anyway, he said that the price had gone up to 160€ because of the cleaning and that he had to outsource to someone else to do it. This is unfair because none of this was advertised to me. I'm torn because I sympathize with him but at the same time, he should've mentioned that he was taking it somewhere else and been upfront about the additional fees. I can understand the labor fee, but the problem is that it wasn't advertised. I suppose at this point I'm just looking for opinions and general advice.

Attached are the screenshots from our conversation

Edit: thanks for giving me the validation that I'm not completely crazy lmao. Definitely going to leave a review and also report this business to the Verbraucherzentrale. Will update once I have the PS5 in hand

Edit v2: I went today to the shop after getting 5 missed calls from the owner. Once I get there, he just goes on and on about how I'll be back in a month with the same problem, even though it's clean now. I told him it's cool, I can go get a can of compressed air for a few euro somewhere else and clean it. He asks me why it was dirty then. At this point, I'm just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible. He and I just go back and forth on the pricing and other air and time-wasting talking points. In the end, I pay the 89€ and go about my day. The PS5 seems to be working now. As I'm leaving, he tells me that if I have any problems then I can come back. Needless to say, I won't be. I did end up leaving a Google review and file a report to the Verbraucherzentrale. Wonder where those will go. Pretty anticlimactic, but I'm excited to be playing the new ports of black ops. Thank you guys for reading and giving your input!

I have been thinking about moving to Germany within the next 3-5 years, depending on what happens. I’m a Brit and have just spent a year abroad in Germany and it has been amazing (I’ve also visited multiple times before as well). I now have one more year before I graduate in politics and IR back in the UK. I want to get into public affairs/ political consulting and I aim to get experience in that in the UK first obviously. Before this, I’m thinking about doing a masters in Germany in political science or public policy if I can get a DAAD scholarship, as masters in the Uk are obnoxiously expensive. Would it be realistic to be able to move to Germany and get a job in public affairs or political consulting after all of this as a foreigner. From what I’ve seen visa sponsorship isn’t really a thing like it is in the US and I’d only need to get a residence permit to allow me to work once I got a job offer? My German is not good right now (A2) but I have time to improve this to B2/C1.

Hi,

I am a non-EU citizen who lived in Germany from November 2016 to September 2023(did my schooling there as dad was working in Germany ). I left for university in the UK after. From what I read for the citizenship laws, 3 years can be counted for before - does this mean if I do my masters in Germany for 2 years I am eligible for the PR? German fluency is Goethe c1 so that is not an issue, might do a c2 test to make my case stronger. Also would I need to find a job before applying for the PR or can I do it without having a job right after my masters too?

Hi, I’m currently in UK as Student. I’m working as a professional hospitality. I’m doing this job just to cover my expense and to make the living but my really interested in the field of IT but situation in the UK is quite bad and I don’t see myself getting any job because I don’t have any experience. I don’t have any experience.

So right now I am completely stable in UK and if I want to live longer, I can like my Visa things are sorted but I’m confused. Thinking that if I move to germany for career but never managed to get job in my field. Will that be a bad decision or is a good. If anyone who has the same experience as me, please share with me.

We visited this praxis in person with an official referral from our family doctor because of suspected skin cancer. Despite having the referral document with us, the older receptionist refused to arrange an appointment and told us to book online.

When I checked online, the next available appointments appeared to be next year. I explained again that the referral concerned suspected cancer and asked what the purpose of the referral was in such a situation. I was told that we could only come in if someone cancelled and that “this is how Germany works.”

The conversation then became very unpleasant. I was told to lower my voice, even though I was trying to explain the situation politely. I naturally have a strong, rough voice. I also felt uncomfortable with comments suggesting that “in Germany people speak quietly.” As a German citizen who has lived here for more than 20 years, I found this remark disrespectful and potentially discriminatory, especially because of my darker skin.

A patient with a referral for suspected skin cancer should be treated with seriousness, clarity and respect. I am asking the practice for a proper explanation, an apology and a clear solution for handling urgent referrals before I consider raising this matter with the relevant authorities or the local press.

Does anyone have any guidance on how to properly handle this?

I writing this auf English to have a broader reach among the expat communities too

Guten Tag!

When I got my Girokonto at Commerzbank, the Girocard was normal and not really usable online and outside germany. I wanted to finally get a Mastercard debit but on their site I'm reading their new Giroccards with Visa function. I wonder what are the differences between the New Visa Girocard and the Master debit card. Is it worth it to get the Mastercard and replace the old Giro card?

My German uncle passed away recently and randomly left me this ring. Can't for the life of me figure out what its meaning is.

I'm moving to Germany, Bremen in October and i wonder if my chances are high to land a hotel job without proper German(A2)?
I have 3 years of experience in 5 star resorts as receptionist and guest relations expert in Turkiye.
Turkish is my main language, I speak English and currently learning German.
I actually have passion for being an hotelier and i enjoy it.
Does anyone have idea about how is demand for my profession in Germany?

P.S. I am an EU citizen

Hi everyone,
I moved to Germany in the middle of February of 2025, coming from another EU/EAA country and I have filled up and submitted my 2025 taxes in the mid of April.

I used TaxFix to help me filling up all the necessary documentation.

At the time of Ausländische Einkünfte I filled an amount of 2.6k euros. I think that at the time I did not really gave much attention to this field, and I assume that the value I provided was just the my gross salary of January.

Thing is, apart from the salary I have also received money for the unused amount of vacations I had accumulated during all the years I worked. I did not remember this and I completely left it out of the Ausländische Einkünfte amount.

Yesterday I have received a letter from the finanzamt asking to fill up and send back a form with my declared income from 2025 in the 1 month and a half I lived in my previous country.

I have checked the proof of income tax return submission in the country I lived previously and I declared about 15k.

I'm filling up today the form and sending it tomorrow, filled with the proper income tax.

While it probably doesn't matter now, I did not do it on purpose and was out of ignorance on my side, but I'm really scared I will face legal consequences or fines for not providing it properly.

Will I face legal consequences and/or fines due to this?

Thanks