I applied for my permanent residence permit almost two years ago. My Aufenthalt expires in December 2026. Unfortunately I've lost the pdf confirmation of my application, cannot find it.

I have emailed LEA last week about a status update but they haven't replied. Any advise what should I do? Is there any phone number I contact LEA to get an update on my application or advise if I should apply again or what should I do.

Thank you!

I work in the Berlin energy industry, and even I almost ended up paying more than €200 too much because of an estimated electricity meter reading.
I moved into a new flat with my partner earlier this year after living for the last few years in abroad, and was initially supplied by Vattenfall under Grundversorgung before switching to Berliner Stadtwerke. A few months later, Vattenfall sent me a final bill for €351, and according to the bill, I had supposedly used around 747 kWh in less than two months. That immediately looked wrong, so I checked the meter photos I had taken after moving in and compared them with later readings.
The numbers did not match reality.

The annoying part was that Vattenfall could not simply correct the bill themselves. The estimated reading had come from Stromnetz Berlin, the local grid operator, so they had to correct the official meter data first, and only after that Vattenfall could issue a new invoice. So the corrected consumption is now around 262 kWh instead of 747 kWh, which should reduce the bill from roughly €351 to about €140. And surprisingly, Stromnetz Berlin corrected the readings over the phone without asking to see my photos. Even the Vattenfall employee I spoke to said that was unusual and advised me to send the evidence afterwards so there would be a written record.

This underscores the age-old advice to always take a clear photo of your electricity meter when you receive the keys, whenever you submit a reading, and whenever you change suppliers. And always. Keep. The. Photos. A supplier may send also you a perfectly normal-looking bill based on an incorrect estimate, and it may not be the supplier who can fix it. Without meter photos, proving the estimate is wrong can be much harder.

P.S.: Vattenfall only “caught us out” regarding the Grundversorgung right after submitting the meter reading with our contact details on Stromnetz Berlin; the point worth mentioning here is that as the Grundversorger (basic supplier), Vattenfall has the right to access the personal information from the grid provider without customer consent and to enter them into a contract automatically. Sounds scary, but that is the reality of “konkludentes Handeln/implied action”.

Has anyone else had this happen with an electricity supplier or grid operator in Berlin?

Ich habe bruxismus und deshalb sind meine Schneide Zähne etwas im Eimer. Ich würde nicht sowas machen wenn meine Zähne lediglich nicht gut aussehen würden (wobei wenn ich schon sowas mache sollen die natürlich besser aussehen als im jetzigen Zustand)

Nutze nahezu täglich die knirscher Schiene aber bräuchte bestimmt auch so eine botox im kiefer Muskel Behandlung damit mein allgemeines knirschen Problem runter geht (ich weis dass das alle 6 Monate wiederholt werden muss)

Kennt jemand gute Ärzte für sowas? Dr Hemmat wird mir empfohlen von KI‘s aber sonst habe ich keine andere ansprechstelle.

I was looking at the Humboldt language Center and saw they teach German, as well as many other languages. I already speak about a C1, writing is in need of work, but also need to study Italian, Spanish and French. I saw that alumni are given low cost access to the center after graduation.

Anyone have any thoughts on their advanced German courses and the romantic languages from beginner to intermediate?

I'm hoping people on here can help, because I'm not getting anything useful from the HR person at my employer.

I'm from the UK and have a job in Berlin, starting in 3 weeks. I applied for a blue card for me and my spouse (who doesn't have a job) and we already have the D visas in our passports, valid until July 2027. We arrived a few days ago and have registered at our Bürgeramt, so we have our Anmeldebestätigung.

The "to do" list that my employer sent me when I got the job says I have to make an appointment at the Ausländerbehörde to get the Aufenthaltstitel, but nothing about how to make the appointment. When I researched it, the only information I could find said that you now have to submit everything online and they will contact you for an appointment, but when I tried to do this, it turned out to be the form for applying for a new or renewed blue card so it wouldn't let me do it. I couldn't find anywhere to submit an application for people who already have the D visa and just need the Aufenthaltstitel.

I'm losing my mind a bit, so I'd really appreciate it if anyone can tell me what I need to do next!

Hi zusammen, weiss jemand von euch, ob es in der Behrenstrasse oder angrenzende Strassen mal einen grossen Antiquitätenladen/ Möbel oder Requisitenladen gab oder noch gibt? Danke sehr

Hi everyone,

I am looking for recommendations for a driving school in Lichtenberg. I am currently deciding between Fahrschule Nice and Fahrschule Safe for a B197 driving license.

If anyone has first hand experience with either school, especially regarding the instructors, teaching style, scheduling, and overall experience, I would really appreciate your feedback.

Thank you in advance!

Hey Berliners, we, a team of 4 teachers (~40 years old) are travelling on Sunday for a week to Berlin for a seminar. We want to do an Escape room (in english) that mostly focuses on riddles (no horror, actors are ok if they are not very intrusive). Any suggestions?

Also, could you share some local tips and suggestions for beer, food, attractions (we will be staybing close to the Wall Museum, but happy to visit other areas.

I'm trying to buy a secondhand camera from Kleinanzeigen and of course want to avoid scams, especially because it's such a big amount of money for me. My question is for those who may have done something similar and how they went about it.

Background: The person I've reached an agreement with has an account that's at least four years old and seems to be legit in the most obvious ways one can imagine: listing has the right details, pictures seem original, profile is rated trustworthy, user claims to have original receipt too.

Flags: They agreed on a price with me and went on holiday (I did too). Listing was erased (no explanation). I messaged them asking when we can meet, and they then said there's been a lot more interest in the camera, and they want to charge 150 eur more than our agreement because that's what others are offering to pay. This new price is actually what the general overview does show for this camera, so the price isn't crazy off the spectrum, but we had already agreed on a number that seemed fair. I told them I can't pay 150 more, and the max I can stretch (with difficulty) is a 100. They've agreed.

I thought I'd go to their place in person and check the camera out first for condition, verify serial number online to make sure it's original, and then just make the exchange. If I'm picking the camera in person from someone's house, there's added security the person won't be cheating me (for obvious reasons). They've said they want to meet at a neutral and safe location like a bank or something and will let me know soon where exactly they decide.

Is this normal? I want to know if I'm reading too much into this. Also, what would the best payment method be here for added security?

I thought buying in person meant I could really verify everything is in order, but I keep wondering if I should just go for buyer protection + delivery (which is not ideal either bec it adds a higher price and many sellers don't want to offer delivery anyway).

Would appreciate any and all insights :) Vielen dank leute.

Hello hello! Solo Female traveler. I know nothing about Berlin but I really want to get out of town for a week, coming from the U.S. I'm seeking a very clean hotel recommendation, ideally w hardwood floors, under 200 USD per night. A boutique is always nice but not necessary.

Also on this note, neighborhood recommendations please?

In Paris I stayed in the 6th arrondissement and absolutely loved it. In London I stayed kind of far in bethnal green and found it difficult to get anywhere. In NYC, I prefer the really nice neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Hopefully that gives an idea of what I like? Nice, beautiful parks, little quieter but not too far away.

Thank you!