4 roots to put down in Germany before the wind comes blowing.
- Sumbo Pinheiro
- 53 minutes ago
- 6 min read
OR (Do these 4 things if you want to live in Germany long-term.)
Ok, that heading is a bit dramatic, but I wish someone had told me this as soon as I landed in Germany with my two suitcases and (insert ridiculously low amount of euros) in my pockets.
I’ve lived in Germany for 12 years, and 8 of those were spent studying, being in survival mode, trying not to get fired, standing in the longest line at the (insert name of random Amt here), questioning my life choices between tears, and building a life for myself.
Over the years, my wants and needs have evolved, as yours will too. But what nobody told me was that I had to get all my shit together in a bag before it escapes and tries to hit the fan.
Because here’s what I quickly realised as an Ausländer in this magical land:
Nobody is coming to save you
You’re responsible for your own happiness and peace of mind
So, in the spirit of taking care of myself (since nobody is coming to save me), here are 4 things I learned and think you should start working on, so that life in Germany can be a little more Bonita (or Schön). Bonus points if you plan to stay for a sehr lang time, and maybe become a citizen one day.
So, grab your Franzbrötchen, Pretzel, oder Kaffee, and los geht’s!
Start working toward your B1 language certificate.
Aside from making your life easier in Germany, having the B1 makes official things smoother, like applying for certain jobs, handling any and all visa issues (permanent residency, switching to freelancing, becoming a citizen, or getting the Blue Card), doing an Ausbildung (B2 is usually the minimum but some programmes let you start with B1), dealing with any government agency (anyone been to the Ausländerbehorde lately?), and more.
I had an unnecessarily hard time getting my B1, because I always put it on my ‘To-do-sometime-later’ list, which was definitely not a good idea.
Over the years, I picked up German from colleagues, friends, occasional lessons in the office, Duolingo, The Simpsons and Die Discounter. I only got serious about learning and getting my B1 certificate when I knew that I wanted to be a freelancer. This meant applying for government grants and proving that I had a chance at succeeding. So, I needed the B1 certificate like yesterday.
Don’t be like me and wait so long to do it. If you’re employed, ask your employer if they can sponsor your classes and GET TO IT!
Get an Arbeitsrechtsschutz (aka, an employment legal insurance).
If you have a job right now, get a lawyer’s insurance, especially if you’re in an industry that is notorious for being unstable (cough, cough…marketing and advertising… I’m looking at you).
With the constant layoffs, excessive AI talks, and companies always “restructuring”, your name might be added to a list one day, and next thing you know, you’re dusting off your resume and doom-scrolling LinkedIn for your next job. Having this insurance protects you from your employer’s shenanigans, post-termination announcement. Because here’s the truth: not all employers act in good faith, especially at a time when you’re most vulnerable and emotional.
In my case, I was lucky to start this insurance a year before I was laid off, and it saved my butt!
For approximately 15EUR a month, I was able to afford a rather aggressive lawyer, who got me a nice severance fee and a few perks that are currently helping me start as a freelancer. Trust me, she fought to get me the best deal, even when I kept trying to shoot myself in the foot by wanting to be nice to my ex-employer.
When the 3000EUR bill came, I only had to pay about 150EUR, and the insurance handled the rest.
Can you imagine having to pay that when you’re still emotional about having to figure out the next steps on your own?
Oh, and fun fact: did you know that the Arbeitsamt may ask for proof that you didn’t willingly accept the termination and that you fought for your job? If they think otherwise, you may not immediately get your Arbeitslosengeld. Well, that’s a story for another day.
Take the Einbürgerungstest if you plan to stay in Germany for a long time or even become a citizen.
This was one of those things that I randomly heard in passing at work. Apparently, doing this can speed up your permanent residency application and make it easier to apply for German citizenship.
You have to answer about 33 questions out of 310. It’s about the history, culture and politics of Germany. Luckily, there is an app to help you prepare for the written exam. As an extra-nervous test-taker who trembles at the sight of an exam paper, this was a relatively easy exam to write because preparing with the app really helped me! (Android App here, iOS App here). You can also take a course if you want, but the app is always better.
The only problem was actually getting an exam date. Depending on your state, it can take up to four months to get an appointment for the exam, because once new dates are released, they’re usually snapped up and sold out faster than Taylor Swift tickets. On the plus side, this should be enough time to prepare for the exam.
Start saving and investing.
I always knew that I needed to build some kind of financial foundation for myself, but I never knew the when and how, until I found myself in a position where my expenses were very low and I had a bit more disposable income.
Knowing my emotionally-driven “treat yo-self” spending habits, I ran to the bank and asked how I could save all the extra money I suddenly had. Naturally, they sold me some weird funds, insurance, and investment options. My creative brain didn’t understand everything, but it made sense at the time. The investments and insurances turned out to be a nice base to build on until my financially-savvy partner came into my life and showed me that I was paying 5-10% in management fees. Meaning that most of the profit from my investments was literally going to management fees.
So, I opened accounts with Trade Republic and Scalable Capital (both are apps) and put my money there instead. Plus, no management fees! It’s not a perfect system, but I love seeing the little money I have grow, and I’m more flexible with how much I save (in case of months where things get a little tight). And I also love the fact that I can pick out stocks and ETFs that interest me and build wealth around them (I wouldn’t touch crypto with a million-foot pole, because I’m a boomer millennial).
You can bet that I harass all my friends and tell them to open an account and start saving as little as possible. Like I always tell them:
“If you can afford Happy Hour Fridays or Brunch Sundays, you can afford to put a little away every month”.
Start with 50 euros every month and see how things go. And you don’t need both apps. Pick either one and start. A lot of these platforms also act like banks, so you can get benefits like 2-3% interest on your cash balance, cash back for spending, or round-ups that go into your selected investments.
There are other options like Trading 212, but your bank probably has an option for you to create a savings plan with ETFs, stocks, bonds, crypto, etc., and at a risk level that is comfortable to you (watch out for those management fees, though). BUT (and this is a big fat BUT)…Never invest more than you’re willing to lose.
And because you’ve read this far, here is a bonus…
If you don’t have your driver’s license, start looking for schools now.
Coming from Nigeria, my driver’s license was invalid in Germany, meaning that I had to redo my driver’s license from scratch. And let me tell you: IT IS NOT CHEAP!!! Thankfully, the German cabinet is working on reforms to cut the cost of getting a driver’s license, so try to keep an eye on this. Even though I don’t drive around a lot, I’m glad I have the license so that I can rent a bigger vehicle for transporting huge things (like from Ikea), use a car when the HVV is on strike, or switch sides with my partner when we have a long drive outside the city.
If you’re planning to move to the suburbs, it’s probably best to start thinking of getting your driver’s license soon. Also, aside from the mental stress, the whole process usually takes longer than you think.
Depending on who you ask, there are a lot of other things you should get started on if you plan to live in Germany long-term, but it also depends on what your goals are. If you plan to stay here for only a year or two, why are you torturing yourself by reading all of these words??? Go out and do something fun!
But if you’re like me and are building a new home away from home, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Start with getting your B1!
About the author
Sumbo Pinheiro.
Freelance Senior Copywriter: