Hi!

Im planning to move to Germany next year (maybe just initially for 6 months but hopefully permanently) and was hoping someone could point me in the direction of a guide/faq that may exist regarding what I need to do etc in order to make sure I move successfully.

Is there any thing specifically I need to do? or inform the government of ?!

Also Im hoping someone can give me a good idea of the best way to go about getting a job whilst there.. do I start part time and then find something more permanent or really try to find that permanent position now before I get over there?

Initially I dont need to worry about accomodation as I have someone I can stay with to start off. In particular im looking to move to Regensburg (or in and around Munich) and am hoping someone knows of a good place to start looking for jobs there.

Ive got myself a real challenge here as my German is basic and was hoping that I could find a job that is English friendly and maybe based in IT (as I have around 7 years experience in the industry). Ive found a few websites of local companies but am having trouble working out if it would be the right job for me.


Any help would be much appreciated and invaluable to me as I try to start up abroad

thanks in advance!

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Not being from the UK, I'm not really the one to advise you on any government requirements there. I have been around the forums here long enough to know that you need to get the appropriate E form to transfer your UK health insurance to the German system during your transition period. And there is another form to file to notify the UK tax people that you will be resident outside the country - which will have an effect on your tax filing. Someone should pop in here soon to give you the details on both of those.

Looking for a job in Germany is something, however, that I have experience in. One thing to consider is that the Germans seem to have (and expect) a 3 year qualifying training (or formal apprenticeship) for almost any type of work you can think of. You say you have 7 years experience in IT - but do you have any certificates or formal training? That will usually be a potential employer's first concern.

You might want to take a look here: EUROPA - EURES - the European Job Mobility Portal for information about job hunting in Germany and the general work climate there. Finding a job with a local company without having the language is going to be a challenge. You may want to focus on UK or US based companies with offices or branches in Germany - where your English will be a plus, and you may be able to get help with German classes.
Cheers,
Bev

I'm from UK so I can probably help with your relocation.
As an EU national, there is no formality for moving to Germany initially. You are allowed to go there for 3 months to look for work, and if you are on JSA, you can get it paid in Germany (ask Job Centre for details). After three months and you haven't found a job, you are supposed to leave and then re-enter, but in reality nobody bothers. Once you've found a job and decide to settle, there is quite a lot of red tape to get through, such as sickness insurance (Krankenkasse), tax office (Finanzamt), registration (Einwohnermeldeamt) and so on. You are no longer obliged to get a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) - your British passport suffices. Before you leave UK, get your EHIC so that you are covered for emergency medical care. It ceases to be valid once you become a German resident, but then you will start contributing to local health insurance scheme. There is a different form to get (E106) if you intend to stay in Germany long-term but without working. It can give you cover up to 2 years. Issuance depends on your NI record.

Most of the information you need can found on the internet for instance
google the britishgerman association and you will find a website that has very comprehensive information for anyone wishing to move from the UK to Germany.
I am sure many people here find google very useful

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