Compared to the US it's quite far left, but that's more as a consequence of the US's most left-wing major party being solidly center-right by most european standards
#archived-culture-study-visa
humble bough
The party in power atm is probably also center-right on a global scale ig? but I think the general tenor of the political climate is going to depend on where you are in Germany
like, Berlin is pretty left, but I don't think Berlin represents all of Germany in that regard
how popular each party is differs depending where you are, but I'd agree that it's slightly conservative (insofar as the CDU/CSU are generally considered conservative political parties)
tight kelp
The party in power atm is probably also center-right on a global scale ig?
@humble bough yes. They're christian conservatives, but moderates.
as far as parties in general, there is representation on every part of the scale, from far left to far right and left-leaning moderates to right-leaning ones
humble bough
yeah, though ofc all parties aren't equally popular, there's a good spectrum available
tight kelp
yeah how well each part of the scale is represented is arguable :P
but at east there are openly socialist and communist parties, compared to parts of the earth where they would get labelled as the root of all evil and used as excuses to shit on specific policies by association
tall magnet
Yea, do not refer to switzerland as SW, its CH
stiff laurel
Yeah, they specifically chose CH since it comes from Latin "confoederatio helvetica" and thus is more neutral.
tall magnet
^
sand crescent
Hey, could anyone talk to me about how to start new life in germany from scratch? step by step?
solemn bay
@sand crescent Are you talking about things like legal processes, or like integrating into the culture?
Either way, you need to provide more info in order for people to be able to help you because otherwise they won't know where to start.
sand crescent
about everything basically, from the start, im in uk now, and i want to move to germany, where should i start and what should i do... but i need to talk to a person not to text..
solemn bay
Are you a student? Are you planning to study there? Or are you looking for work?
fair talon
Well, there's several ways to move there: Get a job there, study there, get a company transfer to there, or marry someone there.
Pick one lol
sand crescent
For work, and self studies on my own
could we go to voice? i would explain you the situation
fair talon
Nah, I'm busy. But if you want a good "generic" how to guide, the /r/Germany reddit has a good Wiki on almost all of the general matters with getting a job/working in Germany: https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/working
Might be helpful
solemn bay
I can't and I don't know about these kind of things anyway. You may have to wait until tomorrow, as many people in Germany will be asleep now.
I recommend starting by researching online and getting some ideas of what your options are. That makes it easier for the people here to help when you talk to them.
fair talon
Mhm. FAQs like that and researching the stuff Base is saying are good for getting enough information to at least know what to ask
solemn bay
Start by reading about visa and residency options for workers.
sand crescent
thank you guys ill start right away
solemn bay
Learning how to get into the country and how to stay there is usually the most important first question, and the rest of your research can be based around that.
solemn bay
You don't need to know anyone.
fair talon
Most immigrants don't π
solemn bay
But you do need some connection point. It can be uni, it can be work.
It depends on the person, and their circumstances.
warped atlas
I donβt @sand crescent and I started everything from scratch as well and studied here
humble bough
I moved to Germany for studies as well without knowing anyone here or even having been to Germany, and now I have great friends here
idk what the legal situation for moving here from the UK is like anymore though so I can't give much help there
tight kelp
i too moved here without knowing any local. I made friends too though as it happens, most of them aren't german :D
i can say nothing on the immigration issues so i'll cover the other stuff: when you get here you need to get registered, look into health insurance and get a german bank account. There will be a whole bunch of bureaucracy to deal with initially.
this server has helped me a lot
dry arch
I didnβt even need a German bank account when studying abroad. I have a feeling itβs probably because it was an American program and not a transfer.
Iβm kinda wondering now, how do you transfer your money from an American bank to a new German bank account
Sounds complicated and icky
fringe summit
I didnt get as far as putting money into an account, but the plan was an international bank transfer
Exchange rates hurt
warped atlas
well, I still have no friends despite living here for 4 years now π’
I have acquaintances, work friends, and DnD friends
but no friends
@dry arch I'd go the usual Transferwise or Revolut route
exchange rate is cheaper
hallow oyster
@warped atlas that's more than I have π€£
I have hubby and two cats, and 4 acquaintances, which are basically my hubby's acquaintances
Oh and I greet 5 neighbours π€£ we talk because of packages can be delivered to anyone
Other 10 neighbours I think I have no clue about π
3.5 years here
But, I don't work, study nor leave appartement much. So I see my doctor more often than those acquaintances.
Cats are great btw π
hallow oyster
@sand crescent unfortunately what you ask for can't be answered in half an hour /hour talk.
It took me intensive weeks of reading then in next months several hours of reading when I had exact questions I need answer for
And even now, I couldn't repeat my findings in a short amount of time, it just huge amount of information.
I think the best is to start with official site for immigration. Then write questions here which rely on experience and not facts.
Because we might not know what you have to do legally and you should trust only official sites. Online people are for getting ideas what to double check on official sites.
@warped atlas get both, that's awesome
Since we got two cats, our life is full with laugh. They either do something or just look funny, or lie funny, and we don't have to turn on youtube to get a little daily kick of cuteness.
I mean, interaction with another person needs inspiration to get you to smile/laugh, with cats it just comes several times a day.
Ok, you need to get active cats and not the one who oversleep whole day. π
Maybe you even find out someone through talking about cats, who knows π
warped atlas
yeah well, I need to firstly actually go out and meet people to actually get that wife, @hallow oyster
which would require me to regularly meet people
and since I still live in a village now, Stuttgart is just to friggin annoying to reach for socializing
hallow oyster
@warped atlas you can always use okcupid and talk about cats, who knows lol
warped atlas
been on that since god knows when
but I'm not white, and I'm not tall
so OLD is rather low effectiveness on me
hallow oyster
@sand crescent
These two are great start
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/living-in-germany/discover-germany/immigration/
https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/downloads/EN/publikationen/Willkommen_in_Deutschland_en.html
warped atlas
not that I do not have successes. I had but only two meet ups on OKC since 2 years
I use other apps, but as always, no answers, even when there's a match
dry ravine
If you guys are wondering what's a good option to transfer money initially, fintiba is a decent option
tame forum
Expatrio too
humble bough
I usually use transferwise for transfers myself but they're usually the other way -- I have a German stipend so I never needed to make any large transfers from my US account to my German one
opening the account was a headache lol
but that was my own fault for going with sparkasse in the middle of potsdam
fair talon
I just gave up with traditional banks and just went with N26 instead π Much simpler
humble bough
yeah I have an N26 account now which I got just for the free debit card
not being able to buy stuff online with my german card was annoying
I still have the sparkasse open though 'cause it's easier to get cash out from there
sometimes
fair talon
But yeah, transferwise was really great with their service. Had some issues with a transfer (needed to cancel one since my American bank was took too long with its transfer and the exchange rate changed), and their customer service was really helpful c: took care of it right away
humble bough
yeah my first transfer got delayed for some reason and while I didn't have to actually resolve anything, they just gave me a credit to cover my next transfer's fees as an apology for it taking too long
fair talon
(And if anyone here decides to go with N26, do be kind enough to ask if anyone has a referral number here :p they give out 15β¬ per person for that)
Yeah, I tried opening a Deutsch Bank account before the N26 one, and it was probably the worst experience with a bank I've had in my life π just absolutely 0 help
But I can withdraw from any DB atm with the N26 card, so cash isnt too big of an issue
humble bough
the N26 free version limits you to three free cash withdrawals a month within germany and then charges you 2β¬ each after
but tbh they work with sparkasse atms and other banks' atms and I only rarely make that many withdrawals a month tbh
weirdly the free account has unlimited free cash withdrawals outside of germany within the eurozone
but yeah I'm very happy with the service I get from N26, I hella recommend it especially for American expats who will have a hard time opening accounts elsewhere in the first place
dry ravine
ah for americans it's expatrio actually
i was told it's cuz fintiba has issues with the visa for americans
fair talon
Yeah, Finitiba (and sadly most of these blocked account services) won't open accounts for anyone with US tax status.
Deutsche Bank and Expatrio were the only ones I found that offered standalone blocked accounts for US students
And well, you've already heard my experience with Deutsche Bank π
Expatrio has been pretty solid though c:
Was quick to set up, and is pretty straightforwars with its interface
tame forum
I have heard beurocratic horror stories. And deutsch bank takes longer than usual for stuff
fair talon
(All of this is my experience, others may have had different experiences)
I found their customer service super unhelpful, everything was behind the longest delays ("oh, we had to post-mail your application to HQ, who then will post-mail back to us in a month or two, then you can come in for the rest. Oh, looks like there was something filled incorrectly, try again and come back in another month and a half")
And then when I actually got the account open, had all sorts of issues with actually moving my money into it. Several transfers rejected due to being an "inactive" account despite every helpline telling me it "looked fine on their end" burned a ~$200 hole in my wallet
Plus, every bank employee I spoke to (at three different offices) had no idea what the process was for a blocked account. Same with any of the helpline folk π
Just a constant wave of bad experiences.
Tried to set up an account for 4 months with them before I gave up and went with Expatrio for blocked, N26 for banking. Got both of those setup within 48 hours.
fair talon
Yeah, like I said, others might have had a different experience, but mine was not pleasant π
But sadly, not many banks want to deal with Americans period cause of our Tax nonsense (The US is the only country that taxes you on money made in other countries, if I recall right. So the banks have to file twice as much paperwork)
dry ravine
some people i know have opened on N26 and they were hacked apparently and they said the bank has no hotline/customer support
humble bough
N26 has generally been reliable for me, and while I've never used their support they do definitely have support chat
fair talon
I've used their support. Took them a day or so to get back, but they answered pretty well π
humble bough
I know they had some big security vulnerabilities exposed by some whitehats a few years ago but iirc those vulnerabilities were disclosed to the company and then closed before any known large-scale stuff happened
dry ravine
lots of guys i see are saying that N26 should be treated like an extra bank accoutn for european travel
im inclined to maybe go for commerzbank
fair talon
Yeah, I saw those reddit threads too lol
fair talon
Commerzbank was on the list of options if N26 didnt work out, not too bad π
?
I use it just like I did my Bank of American debit
Not sure what you mean by Apple pay π
dry ravine
well yeah but they use it as an extra card
as in, it's convenient
but not your main bank
fair talon
Ah. I mean, its free, so you could do that I suppose.
dry ravine
yeah i'd do that tbh
hallow oyster
I have Commerzbank and comdirect. For prepaid credit card so that I can pay around online, because getting second card from my SO would cost.
And with prepaid I cannot be scammed for much if that happens π
But transfer to it is sloooow. Like, several working days.
I don't know usual rates at Commerzbank, since we got some deal where we pay 0 monthly, 0 on transfers and 0 on my SO credit card. They even paid us because he invited me π
However, applying for Commerzbank was in person with work contract (my SO), for mine it didn't matter.
For comdirect I applied after being here for some time, so schufa was clear.
My SO tried DKB when we just came, because it's online, but was rejected since we just came. Anmeldung wasn't good enough for them. I think you need to have bank account in physical bank and then you have some chances with DKB.
Commerzbank was always done in English and with personal advisor.
N26 maybe could serve some purpose but I wouldn't go there. Saw few times devs speaking how clumsy they do things so I don't want to risk π
And deutsche bank, friend with loads of money is with them, and he's frustrated by way they handle things. Forgot reasons, but definitely not to recommend them.
Don't know if he changed them.
However I have no clue what works for blocked accounts for USA citizens, so take my experience just from experience and not advice perspective.
@fair talon nope, many countries do tax you if you haven't removed yourself from tax residency of homecountry (way to do that needs paperwork with homecountry, but it's usually not enough to change residency, you have to explicitly ask for changing tax residency as well)
They might or might not have agreement with some countries against double taxation which can spare you money, but default is 'double taxation' from what I've seen
Question is, if you as an USA citizen can ever remove yourself from tax residents, unless you change citizenship. That I don't know.
fair talon
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_taxation
It'a one of only 3 countries in the world that tax non-resident citizens (a tax based on citizenship instead of residence)
humble bough
Question is, if you as an USA citizen can ever remove yourself from tax residents, unless you change citizenship. That I don't know.
you cannot
though there are certain special forms that can exempt you from certain amounts of tax depending on your income and any tax treaties
but the real reason that it's difficult for US citizens to open bank accounts in other countries is that bank accounts held by US citizens have certain reporting requirements and most banks don't want to deal with that
it has less to do with the taxes themselves and more to do with the banks being forced to give info to the IRS from what I've heard.
timid arrow
On a scale from 1 to 10, how impossible is it to find a flat as a student in Berlin
tropic edge
10 being nearly impossible?
id say a 10
where do you study? where are you looking for apartments? what is your budget like?
btw that ^^ was a joke, i'm sure you'll be able to find something its just a matter of time and effort
timid arrow
I'm thinking about applying to the UdK Berlin for 21/22
so I'm not sure about details like budget yet
tropic edge
i am a street away at TU
timid arrow
was it hard to find a flat
timid arrow
I am right now
tropic edge
currently staying in a studio apartment 26 m2
270 something with mietendeckel 470 without
anymore info and i doxx myself lol
tropic edge
facebook pages are good too if you keep an eye out
wg gesucht too
i've seen this to work with people who have connections, write a facebook post or instagram story and see if someone could link you to something nice
tropic edge
dw about it
fair talon
Facebook groups are nice because you can set them to notify you of new apartments/flats as soon as theyre posted
When it comes to the affordable shit, you gotta be super quick to get in
My flatmate im renting from put his flat up, and I messaged him within 20 minutes of posting.
He told me he took it down after an hour because 50 people had already messaged him (this is Hamburg, but I hear its similar in Berlin)
humble bough
it's definitely similar in Berlin
olive summit
retreat to the country like me π
I actually lived in a small city near Hamburg and even there every listing had several interested parties
fair talon
Nope, cant go back to that lol
Grew up in the countryside. I'll take urban living every day over that π
(But yeah. Some of my classmates had crazy long commutes for class. Even some of the limited student housing my uni had was an hour and 10 min commute from the uni)
wicked geyser
Hello, I'm new here
Is there someone here that's in the IT sector in Germany? Or generally someone I can talk to about living there?
fair talon
Well, a lot of us can answer general questions about living here lol
Feel free to post any of those here
Cant comment on Germany's IT sector though π€·π»ββοΈ
hallow oyster
@olive summit how big is the place you live in? Small town, village?
I went through bunch of places which I call 'urban village'
Like to me, village means cows and chickens, but these are basically just nice houses, small terrains (500-1000 sqm max), and bbq or similar in the garden
I don't know if in German language there's distinction between those two types of communities
I currently have desire for village village where I can raise my chicken and rabbits and tomatoes
And have fast Internet
Am I dreaming too high?
If not, then less than 1h train commute to berlin main station?
This should be thing for fairy I think π
Oh and most important - how do you like it there?
olive summit
The town is the largest in the Kreis or county, only 40k residents. It is surrounded by farmlands. Tbh it was still pretty difficult to find housing since it's a uni town, but no where near as competitive as when I lived near Hamburg.
Ive actually just moved today but I have researched the area before moving and love it so far.
exotic barn
Hallo...i am Rajat
fair talon
Hallo Rajat. Did you have a question?
high lodge
Ohh i didnt this channel exists
So uhm what one must do and how much one must give to move into Germany or Austria?
As for example it tester
humble bough
this depends on a number of factors, including where you're coming from and what you plan on doing there
and, ofc, on which country it is I assume lol
high lodge
@humble bough well coming from Poland and to live there in Austria or Germany (whichever would be easier)
humble bough
Ah, well, since Poland's in the EU things are much easier for you, then
you have freedom of movement and thus can enter Germany or Austria without a visa, and you don't have to apply for a residence permit. You need to register your address upon arrival in Germany, but even German citizens have to do that. Your main requirements to move to Germany are thus the same as those if you moved to a new city within Poland: you need to find a job (or other means of income) and a place to live that you can afford.
I think you might need to prove that you have means to support yourself in Germany as well, but I'm not actually 100% sure -- I'm not an EU citizen, so it's possible that requirement also isn't a thing for y'all
this is all assuming you're a Polish citizen, ofc
deep vessel
EU citizens don't have to prove shit
humble bough
wow damn
deep vessel
in 95% of situations you're treated the same as a citizen of that country
humble bough
damn really wishing I had that now
foggy prism
step 1: convince norway to join the EU, step 2: marry a norwegian
deep vessel
things you will need on top of normal living expenses: to pay for health insurance but depending on your job there may be an arrangement in that. Otherwise generally though a good way to immigrate is to start be undertaking tertiary education in that country. That gives you time to learn the language, and upskills you. Generally moving to a foreign country without any qualifications or notable professional experience can be very difficult in terms of finding a job. The current market conditions would make that even harder.
humble bough
yeah but at least as an EU citizen you can get a job as like a barista or waiter or something else to pay the bills while searching for a more qualification-based position
deep vessel
though the availability of such jobs varies and may not be enough to support your cost of living
humble bough
true
it's just not as limited as non-EU immigration for work
how easy getting a job in Germany is will ofc depend on the qualifications you already have, which languages you speak, what field you're looking into and how in-demand your skillset is
high lodge
Damn
Okay sooo...what are popular sites for searching for a job in German or Austria?
olive summit
since you're polish you must be a skilled plumber and should have no issue finding a job
high lodge
What plumber means?
olive summit
guy who works on pipes
high lodge
Lol...not i am not
Also same to previous question but for searching for places for rent
fair talon
@high lodge Xing.com is the go-to one for German jobs. Basically their version of LinkedIn
Wg-gesucht, immobilienscout24 and Facebook groups are where 99% of rent postings will be made on π
high lodge
okay thx a lot!
hallow oyster
These two are great start for all things immigration and they're official ones
https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/living-in-germany/discover-germany/immigration/
https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/downloads/EN/publikationen/Willkommen_in_Deutschland_en.html
@high lodge
dry ravine
do you guys know any website for searching for internships in particular?
fair talon
Xing + "Intern" π
I dont see German companies using a seperate site just for their internships (besides their own of course)
humble bough
most job-searching websites allow you to separately search for internships anyway
dry ravine
actually worked on xing lmao thanks
fair talon
Yeah, honestly, for working in Germany, I pretty much exclusively use Xing + company websites
fair talon
Question: So it's been 6+ months now, and my landlord still hasn't given me back my deposit or answered the letters I sent asking for it and/or her reasons for not returning it.
What are my options at this point? Never had to get to this stage before π
hidden briar
when did you move out? They can withhold at least a part until the Nebenkostenabrechnung (for the year you moved out) is done
fair talon
I moved out at the end of December. The reason I asked was I thought I remembered reading 6 months was the longest they could hold on to it π
tropic edge
Mieterverein maybe?
hallow oyster
@fair talon yeah, it can take a long time
My building changed owners
With first we got calculations for 2017 in January of 2019
2018 in January 2020
But then new owners send for 2019 recently month, so that's 7 months instead of 13
But yeah, calling and asking mieterverein could give you official answer
I think they'd tell you even if you're not a member
tight kelp
depends on your resilience ;)
overall i'd say no, if you travel by train, not a good idea: travel time is around 1h just to get from hbf to hbf and, crucially, the company that operates railways in kΓΆln is not the same as the one in essen, so unless you get a ticket that allows you to move in the whole of nrw you're probably not going to get a good deal. That said, I think the student tickets do allow it.
If you have a car I have no idea but it's probably easier/faster in this case (but more expensive)
fleet pelican
@exotic barn I'd also say no. One thing to consider is that your time is also worth money. And that would be minimum 2 hours one way, with nothing going wrong, plus you're likely (unless your company is a g) paying for it.
deep vessel
as someone who's done a 2h each way commute before, no, it's not worth it. consider your average 8-5 work week. leave home at 6am, get home and 7pm. If you get up an hour before you leave that puts your wakeup time at 5am. To get 8 hours sleep you'd have to go to bed at 9pm. So get home at 7pm go to bed at 9pm. That gives you 2 hours to cook, clean, shower, etc. You're giving yourself 0 time to unwind.
solemn bay
It really depends on a lot of factors. Like for example, let's say you moved there temporarily (for a few months) while you looked for a closer place. That's very different from living and commuting there for 5 years. And if you have to go every day vs 3 days a week, that's also very different.
tight kelp
not necessarily but commute time is generally below 45min
single people might do more just because they generally have no family to be with and work might be their main thing in life
tame forum
Sounds like a slight roast.
steel mauve
Is there German test that is accepted in all 3 countries?
high lodge
Hello, i got plently of advices here about living in Germany i doubt they differ much from living in Austria, but where should i look in Austria for Job (Cities or Websites) to get a view of it?
scarlet arch
hi everyone i need help
i heard that applying to a german university if you're from outside the EU is essentially a lottery, with no concrete rules, and you might never get to know why you weren't accepted if you don't get accepted
how true is that?
hidden briar
1%. For most courses if you meet the criteria, you're in; if you don't, you're not. There are some popular courses that have a grade cut off. read the FAQ https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/wiki/studying
scarlet arch
thanks a lot!
tame forum
to summarise: medical/lawyer/ some engineering schools have NC. others dont.
humble bough
I wasn't rejected from any universities here so I can't speak to whether they tell you why you're rejected (though, fwiw, they don't usually tell you why you're rejected in the US either), but it certainly isn't a lottery. As said, many degrees they'll just let you in if you meet the requirements. Others have a number of limited spots (this is more often true of master's programs afaik), but that selection process isn't any more of a lottery than elsewhere; I assume they try to pick the most qualified candidates according to whatever criteria they have. I'm not really aware of there being any difference between how EU citizens and non-EU citizens are treated when it comes to admissions
iirc my master's degree has a quota of 50% non-Germans in our study regulations
deep vessel
For what those requirments are for your country look here @scarlet arch
https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/nach-deutschland/voraussetzungen/en/57293-database-on-admission-requirements/
scarlet arch
that just basically tells me whether i need to go to a studienkolleg or not
are motivation letters usually required or just cold hard grades?
hidden briar
grades only, maybe somewhere there is someone that wants a letter
fair talon
Depends. The university will usually say
Ex: University of Hamburg says on its application page :
Applicants are ranked within their group according to the following criteria. The overall grade results from evaluation of both criteria:
- grade achieved in first degree (weighted with 60%)
- written justification for chosen program (weighted with 40%)
for it's Masters degree
scarlet arch
oh apparently tum requires a motivation letter
fair talon
Poke around the site a bit. I remember when I was looking at unis to apply to, I was usually able to find pretty detailed breakdowns of application requirements
fair talon
LMU Munich?
scarlet arch
yeah
fair talon
https://www.uni-muenchen.de/studium/studienangebot/studiengaenge/nach_zulassung/oertlich_bes/index.html
It's in German, but plop the link into Google Translate and it'll translate the page for ya.
^ a list of all the degrees there with local requirements. Otherwise they have another page for national requirements that they default to
olive summit
for my Meldebescheinigung I need a Haushaltsbescheinigung. Can I just fill this out on my own and print it out or do I need it from the agency I rent through?
high lodge
uhm so there is not much info here about Austria stuff?
fair talon
There is if it's asked π
fair talon
Yee, sometimes it takes a few times before you ask when someone's online and can answer lol
scarlet arch
how much more expensive is munich compared to other big german cities?
humble bough
I've heard people say it's a lot more expensive there than Berlin, but I don't have any personal experience with that
humble bough
so as per usual, DHL has not rung my doorbell and I can see from the tracking that my package is available to pick up at my local post office. unlike usual, they didn't leave a card for me though, which is usually what I give to the people at the post office so they can identify the package. Does anybody know what I'm supposed to do in this instance? the DHL website is not helpful
deep vessel
you still go to the post office but bring ID to prove your address
bringing the tracking number will also help
and the sooner you go the better because they send the package back to sender after holding it for a period of time
humble bough
yeah ik I'm mostly just pissed I don't have an easy card to give them
they require my ID whether I bring that or not usually, though I don't have any ID that includes my address
deep vessel
i don't think I had either. my post office was pretty chill though. if the names match and you can give them your address then it's typically all good
high lodge
Well DHL and all those transport companies are awfull tbh
humble bough
whether DHL is awful is kind of irrelevent to "how do I pick up my package from them"
but yeah I'll try writing down the tracking number and hope they give it to me
hallow oyster
Wait until tomorrow.
When they don't even visit you but go to the post, day or two later will the card come, in my experience
deep vessel
I'd counter on waiting depending on when it landed at the post office. They only hold it there for a certain period before returning to sender
deep vessel
similarly i've had cards simply not come full stop
(and thus turned up to the post office the day they were gonna return it to sender. if i came an hour later they would have already sent it back)
hallow oyster
However, id (passport) + copy of anmeldung is what you should have with you all the time anyway
That is, unless you have an id with german address
hallow oyster
It doesn't have to be german id, just to be clear
I have Croatian id with german address, so no need to bring anmeldung copy with me anymore
humble bough
I have never needed a copy of my anmeldung except for when I applied for my visa, and I'm not aware of it being a requirement to carry it with me
reminds me that I need to pick up my german driver's license from that one amt soon
hallow oyster
Yup, in Germany you are obliged to have official ID with you all the time (Personalausweis), or as a foreigner, passport
If you're registered here, so not a tourist, then your anmeldung with it if you don't have the address in ID
And driver's licence isn't official ID here, if I remember correctly
Personalausweis or Passport are
Since carrying passport is tricky, people resort to carrying copy unless they need it for something specific, like opening bank account
I'm surprised that you didn't needed anmeldung to show to someone else
I needed it for bank account, for renting flat and storage space, for telekom contract
Until we got Croatian IDs with german address, now that's fine
But they definitely ask me for that croatian document all around, post office, and everything amt π
deep vessel
the anmeldung would make no sense for renting a flat
tight kelp
an EU driver's licence is a valid ID in all of the EU
deep vessel
as you don't register until you have a fixed address
so needing an anmeldung to rent a flat would be bonkers
hallow oyster
Try to rent one without it and let me know π
Mind you, I speak of traditional long term flats, empty ones
hallow oyster
I mean, you can apply, but when other 30 people have their anmeldung, you just got your chances lower
Oh, and Berlin info
Every viewing application asked for anmeldung copy :/ lol, even CV
deep vessel
might be cause you're in berlin by the sounds of it
hidden briar
You don't have to have you Personalausweis with you (exept for specific circumstances), but you have to be able to prove your identity (If the police asks for ID and you don't have you Personalausweis they can take you to the station to ID you)
@hallow oyster
deep vessel
not a single one where i lived asked for anmeldung or cv but i also wasn't in berlin or a similarly overpopulated city
hallow oyster
@tight kelp nope
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/eu-citizen/index_en.htm
Driving licences, post, bank or tax cards are not accepted as valid travel documents or proof of identity.
deep vessel
that's as a travel document
travel document and proof of identity are different dealios
hallow oyster
Please, read read what I've copied it clearly states 'not valid as a proof of identity'
Third paragraph on the link
deep vessel
lichtbildausweise were accepted where i was
hallow oyster
@hidden briar that's why people carry copy of passport, and not the real one
But of course, it might work for all IDs, granted, I forgot that the option for showing later could work for ID as well
I'm used to carrying one so I swapped mine for the one with german address as soon as I could, it is smaller π
tight kelp
that's still only in the context of crossing borders as far as i can see
dry arch
One time I got pulled over with my friends and since I explained I didnβt have my Personalausweis with me, it was at my friends house, they made an exception and just took my American drivers license.
They were being extra nice I think
hallow oyster
@tight kelp I dig now deeper, and it seems that something with a photo could be used in some countries for some purposes (eg the one which do not care about your nationality), while other countries won't even accept anything else beside ID and passport (croatia being one of those)
Just saying that driver's licence isn't eu wide officially recognised as official identification document eg for business with the country
Oh and in croatia won't go 'I don't have it with me, I'll bring it later' π you'll be fined for not having it with you, as far as I remember
So Germany is more lenient in some rules, believe it or not π
dry arch
What if you donβt have money with you either 
Then they might as well let you go get your passport
tight kelp
then you can't bribe the cops π
humble bough
I'm surprised that you didn't needed anmeldung to show to someone else
I needed it for bank account, for renting flat and storage space, for telekom contract
I did need one to open a bank account, that's true -- that happened before needing my visa so I didn't think of it
didn't need one for my phone contract, just needed the bank account for that, have never needed one for renting a flat (I needed the flats to get the anmeldung!) though I'm getting spots in WGs so that's probably at a different place on a paperwork level
but most importantly, none of these things necessitate carrying my anmeldung around with me. I just have it in a folder somewhere in my room and haven't needed it since I applied for my residence permit
I do need valid ID sometimes and for that I do carry my passport with me
or at least I will until I pick up my driver's license
though, fwiw, I've even had my US driver's license accepted as ID once or twice when I forgot my passport
(though idk if they're technically supposed to do that)
humble bough
update: the post office did mail me a slip today, so everything should proceed as normal
hallow oyster
@dry arch oh, fines aren't usually paid on the spot
Don't ask me how they ensure they know who you are to fine you π
I was never ever asked for my ID from the police on the street, and I have mine from age 14, so I really wouldn't know π
Although they now have and I think it's still valid - if you pay in cash on the spot, it's half the price π
At least for traffic things.
I guess because it was usual bribe price anyway π
@humble bough awesome!
I think sometimes they're just lazy but also it could happen that they couldn't reach you during their shift so they dump packages in the post and send/deliver slip in the next days
When I think about it, it happens quite often to me
Luckily, they never got idea to do that with my cat food/sand order
But they did with some heavy things
One thing they did leave in some dhl shop like 2 s bahn stations + walking away so I guess that one wasn't even in my neighbourhood
Since my closest post is much closer, not to mention dhl shop few buildings away
humble bough
I was gonna be annoyed cause I never got rung up for the amazon packages I was supposed to get yesterday but when I went to check my mail they'd been crammed into the mailbox (along with the slip for the package I need to pick up)
recently I had a package randomly delivered to the packstation on UhlandstraΓe rather than the one right by my house which was weird tho
but at least I got it in the end I guess lol
hallow oyster
@humble bough I think they should remove that line 'we didn't find you at home' from the slip, I always get angry when I see it and was whole day at home π€£
Amazon left some package for the neighbour on Monday I think, neighbour still didn't come for it
By the name I think I haven't meet them yet, so I'm lazy to go up and ring π€£ but maybe I should, since oftentimes amazon in the app doesn't put the neighbour's name
humble bough
to be fair, the original convo was re: me iirc, and I'm not a german
ah fair
the driver's license thing is definitely wrong anyway because I've seen places explicitly say they require a driver's license or passport
hallow oyster
@blissful raft I have the document which is Personalausweis, just Croatian one
And with German address
And we resolved law thing later on
tight kelp
yeah but he said personalausweis
@blissful raft uhm, no π Personalausweis is anything that proves your identity, it doesn't matter what your nationality is. I'd be interested to see proof of the contrary
hallow oyster
And I'm she
@tight kelp I think not
I think it's the specific document for the country
In Germany it's called Personalausweis, in Croatia 'osobna iskaznica' which is just literal translation
Has the same form, just different colors and language
Americans don't have such thing, that's why driver's licence is what's their default identification document
However, only Personalausweis type of document proofs nationality, beside passport
And driver's licence is not by default official identification document in all EU countries
Eg in Croatia isn't, or better said, wasn't, I'm not in the loop anymore
In Croatia you're obliged to have it with you all the time, someone asked what happens if you don't
I think police then has right to bring you to the station to check your identity through the fingerprints (we all have to give ones when making that ID)
But I think they don't enforce it if you're cooperating
Whereas in Germany, what we have confirmed here, you can bring it later
tight kelp
i'm sorry but "the us doesn't have it" or "it has a different name in a different language" isn't enough. If it were specifically the german one it would mean many bureaucratic operations would require a passport from other EU nationals, which is not only factually wrong, but also illegal by EU law, since the EU mandates that all national IDs (in german, Personalausweis) be recognised in all the member states
hallow oyster
Ok, all discussion started with claiming that driver's licence is official form of ID in all EU countries which it isn't
Then, all EU countries accept Personalausweis and same documents from other EU countries as official ID
All countries accept passport
Those all are true
What was disputed is if foreign drivers licence if official ID for Germany
I think it's not, not even German driver's licence
But that doesn't mean it won't be accepted by someone eg post office or maybe even police
But probably you could be returned home if you show up in some Amt with driver's licence alone
However your passport and anmeldung will always be accepted (for a proof of address)
As will foreign Personalausweis with German address
And you are obliged to have them issued but not carry with you, in Germany
I hope now we have all facts here
bronze basin
hello just wanted to add that I have also been informed by police about this;: you need to OWN identification
you aren't required to carry it with you at all times
but you could be asked to provide identification to the authorities and you have to be able to comply with that
so as long as you OWN an ID and could go home and get it and show it at any time you were asked, you're ok
tight kelp
again, that's the same for all EU member states. Poland isn't special
if i went to poland with my italian id they would have to accept it
hallow oyster
Yeah I think ID is obligatory accepted
What depends is if driver's licence is, and that depends on the country
I've read somewhere that also Spain doesn't accept drivers licences as ID like Croatia doesn't
olive summit
on the German trains my US drivers license is accepted as ID, otherwise I need my passport
hallow oyster
However polish ID with non German address will still need anmeldung for the situation where you need to prove the address (some Amt for example)
Polish ID with german address, is almost completely equivalent to german ID
The difference is that you can't use e part of an ID since you don't have it π
But from what I've seen, having foreign ID with german address is rare
I cause some confusion when I show it
@bronze basin thanks! Yeah, I messed up that part earlier
humble bough
Americans don't have such thing, that's why driver's licence is what's their default identification document
The US absolutely does have state IDs by the way; they're given out by the same people who give our driver's licenses and are identical except that they say "state ID" and ofc you aren't allowed to drive with one
hallow oyster
The US absolutely does have state IDs by the way; they're given out by the same people who give our driver's licenses and are identical except that they say "state ID" and ofc you aren't allowed to drive with one
@humble bough
Whoa, really? All states or just some?
Thanks for the enlightenment!
humble bough
idk if all states have them but I hadn't heard of any not having them. When my choir visited the white house they required everyone to have some form of state ID so those who weren't old enough to have driver's licenses and didn't have passports got state ID cards
they're not universally issued or anything, like a driver's license you have to go out of your way to get one
hallow oyster
Ahso
humble bough
since most Americans get their driver's licenses when they're old enough because of US car culture and very few people need a state ID prior to age 16, most people don't get proper state IDs, but they're definitely a thing because we accepted them as ID when I was a cashier (despite not accepting passports for no good reason)
hallow oyster
Yeah, in Croatia you have to have one as of age 18
You have right to get one at age 16
And with your parents signature even from age of 14
And they fingerprint you
Lol, not accepting passports? That's the first one π
humble bough
that was a stupid store policy, it got repealed while I was there thank god because it was dumb as fuck
hallow oyster
Definitely π€£
humble bough
we were right by a university so there were exchange students from other countries and what were they supposed to bring lol
it's SOOOO much easier to fake a driver's license than a passport too
hallow oyster
Lol, yeah, definitely
Btw did you know that you can basically buy passport for bunch of countries, legally? You 'just' have to invest a ton of money in some way, and you can get the passport (not citizenship, just the document)
I don't know what exactly you have to buy, didn't ask for details but know a guy who started collecting them π
I thought before that that only way is through obtaining the citizenship
Btw does someone know, for getting German citizenship, do you have to work for those 7-8 years or just live here for that time?
high lodge
So i am wondering what kind of sites should i look into if i want to move to Austria for example? Just like i got info about German ones (such as Xing for job) i would like to now such things for Austria
bronze basin
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personalausweis @blissful raft auch andere LΓ€nder haben Personalausweise, nich nur Deutschland...
dass es keine MitfΓΌhrpflicht dafΓΌr gibt hatten wir eh schon geklΓ€rt
wieso wo hat das bzrkr behauptet? glaub du bringst was durcheinander
jaeben
und er hat den Fehler auch schon lΓ€ngst eingesehen,
alles gut
a l l e s g u t
kΓΌmmern wir uns wieder darum, welche Portale es gibt fΓΌr die Jobsuche in Γsterreich, wollte Daremomita wissen
high lodge
@bronze basin
warm flume
Hello i need someone to dm me and help me understand some stuff regarding a university's guidelines
please it's sort of urgent
foggy prism
you might actually get an answer if you ask your question
tight kelp
you'd probably still get more answers if you disclosed as much as you could about the topic. Nobody is going to step forward for something so generic because they can never know whether they can help or not
warm flume
well i think i made it clear, i just need someone to help me understand a part of the guidelines, that's all, it's for a uni and it concerns the DSH thingy
tame forum
post the guidelines here how tough is it to understand @warm flume
warm flume
i'd be more comfy in DMs, but okey i'll post it here i guess after i finish smoething
i know it's for easy visibilty but wellll
warm flume
okey so from my understanding, and as a person who has a B1 Zertifikat ( but studied B2, i attempted a B2 exam but failed it, lacked one point only to succeed ey), i'll have to go through an einstufungstest
and since i don't have a C1, i'll have to go through an intensivkurs for like 5 months, is my understanding correct ?
if all of this is true, can you please compare the einstufungstest to a german language level in terms of difficulty please ?
deep vessel
the entry exam is a placement test. it's not sonething you pass but something they use to guage which level class you start in
e.g. if you've studied a lot of b2 but not yet passed it they might put you in a b2.1 class
warm flume
Thanks, that only answers one part of what I need.
hallow oyster
If I understood correctly those documents
you have to take that DSH exam in order to see if you can go to your professional studies or you have to go to german course first
if you reach low score (below 40%) you can't even go to german course, since they say that even your B1 isn't good enough and you should repeat it
so my guess is that you have to successfully pass B1+ in order to qualify for attending the german preparation course
and since you have to give some proofs before attempting the test
I assume test will cover everything from B1 to C1/2, but your score will define what are your options
in theory, you could even directly enroll into your studies skipping the german course if you score really high
so basically if you get dsh-1 as a result, you enroll that german prep course to go up to dsh3, and depending what your score is, you'll be placed in either B2 or C1 course
if you score lower, you can't even do that since they don't offer B1 course whose knowledge you're lacking based on results
http://dsh.de/dsh-beispiele-2
http://dsh.de/dsh-vorbereitungskurse
http://dsh.de/externe-dsh-pruefungen
I think this could answer your questions?
@warm flume
so if you need C1 and you have B1, you'll need to do both B2 and C1 courses to catch up
warm flume
okey, but i'm still confused about one part
considering my case
it's gonna be : einsgstufungstest, if +40% obtained > a 6 months vorbereitungskurs for the DSH ? in which my objective should be DSH2 or more
or is it 14 days ?
also should i compare the einsgstufungstest to a B1 to B2 level ?
in terms of difficulty, thanks btw for your efforts
hallow oyster
I think 14 days is only for preparation for the test itself, like refreshing knowledge, get to know the form
and full course is if you qualify for it with your test score
I think that this test covers all from B1 to C1 or C2 (that part I'm not sure, I guess C1)
then, since your results can be DSH1, DSH2, DSH3 (check the table on dsh.de page)
with DSH1 result you go to german course
with DSH2/3 you enroll the uni directly, I guess, unless your uni needs DSH3? That think I'm not sure
with lower than 40% you can't enroll in german courses with them, since they only offer B2 and C1, and lower than 40% indicated that your B1 isn't good enough and you need to go back to B1
ah, se this
@warm flume
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_SprachprΓΌfung_fΓΌr_den_Hochschulzugang
Proficiency levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR):
DSH 1 (β₯57%): Level B2
DSH 2 (β₯67%): Level C1
DSH 3 (β₯82%): Level C2
so, since you need C1 (DSH 2), if you get that on your test (so >67%) you enroll the uni
if you get 57-67 you enroll C1 german at the uni
if you get 40-57 you enroll B2 german at the uni and I guess C1 after that, since you need C1 (unless they're merged)
if you get less than 40 you can't enroll anything at your uni since the test says that you'd to repeat B1 and they don't offer that
and this then also answers the question - how difficult the test is? very, since it covers everything from B2 to C2
but if you're just aiming to get the entrance to german course, then don't worry and just fill what you know, aiming to get more than 40% on that test
this 40% is internal limit for your uni, as it seems
however, keep in mind that I haven't undergo it or study here so I might misinterpret something, although I think I got it right
hallow oyster
good luck π
tight kelp
you need to capitalise GrΓΌΓen and Ihnen, and you wrote "mein den PDF"
warm flume
ah was out of focus for the last one, thanks!
hallow oyster
@warm flume uf I'm definitely not the right person for correction, that's why I hang around here π€£
my method is to write in german, use deepl.com, see the result
then use that result and put again it to translate to german
compare with mine
improve english or german version depending how confused I am, repeat until I'm satisfied
keep in mind to hunt for du/Sie and conjugations
that's my current proofreading ability π
warm flume
I wish discord offered a personal usage for pinning messages, so that i can pin down messages for myself without bothering the server's pins, thanks!
hallow oyster
π you can create own discord server and copy/paste there π
tight kelp
I wish discord offered a personal usage for pinning messages, so that i can pin down messages for myself without bothering the server's pins, thanks!
you can copy the message's URL and save it somewhere
hallow oyster
@warm flume btw you might want to update your cefr role, it says you're level A π
and you're obviously not anymore π
scarlet arch
hlease pelp:
warm flume
Yeah I thought about updating it last year but i guess it matters not ey, thanks
scarlet arch
if you send the required documents to the university when applying for a studienkolleg, are you guaranteed to be invited to the exam if all the documents are legitimate? or do only the people with the best grades get invited
high lodge
Question for both Austria and German job seeking. How many companies in both countries do offer a relocation help/package if you are foreigner? (Also i still remind my previous question about where should i seek information to move in to Austria. So far i got information for moving to Germany) π
tight kelp
i think it depends mostly on your level of expertise and industry. In the IT industry big companies will often help with relocation if you're desirable talent
hallow oyster
Also, it often says in the ad
tight kelp
they always say it if they do, it's a big "selling point"
high lodge
Okay. Did any of you used such relocation package? Because saying something on a offer is not the same as executing it
hallow oyster
my husband did, but in our case it was only some cash and vouching for wunderflats for us
I guess they help people with visas as well, we didn't need that since we're from EU
I don't know if we could get paid agent for flat searching, I guess not
our agent (we paid ourselves) said that companies do hire her
so it definitely happens
high lodge
What "vouching for wunderflats" means?
hallow oyster
wunderflats is a company that offers furnished apartments
unless company vouches for you I think you need to have big deposit or something, did't check the details
high lodge
Damn
scarlet arch
if you send the required documents to the university when applying for a studienkolleg, are you guaranteed to be invited to the exam if all the documents are legitimate? or do only the people with the best grades get invited
tropic edge
anyone know where one could buy incense sticks that you burn?
im looking for something wouldnt be too expensive
flower smells are pretty nice so that is what i would prefer
are they available in stores in Germany and if so what should i ask for?
hallow oyster
I'd expect to find them in drogerie markt, rosmann (hygiene products, cleaning and stuff), or alnatura, bio laden (various bio stores), but can't confirm.
Btw, good way to figure out how Germans call some thing is to go to amazon.de write english phrase and check results and refine until you get pictures of what you want
https://www.amazon.de/s?k=incense+sticks&__mk_de_DE=Γ MΓ Ε½ΓΓ&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
this says RΓ€ucherstΓ€bchen π
I'd probably just buy them off amazon π€£
boreal seal
Hallo. Ich bin neu hier
scarlet arch
if you send the required documents to the university when applying for a studienkolleg, are you guaranteed to be invited to the exam if all the documents are legitimate? or do only the people with the best grades get invited
fair talon
You'll have to double check with your specific studienkolleg to be sure, but for most, yeah, basically everyone who applies gets to take the exam if their documents are recognized (based on the Anabin databaste).
From Studienkolleg Hamburg:
Zur Teilnahme an der EingangsprΓΌfung ist berechtigt, wer die unter Β§ 5 Absatz 2 genannten Unterlagen fristgerecht eingereicht hat.
"Anyone who has submitted the documents referred to in Section 5 (2) on time is entitled to participate in the incoming inspection."
You'll be able to find if thats the case for your studienkolleg by going to their website and looking for their Zulassungsvoraussetzungen ("Admission requirements")
scarlet arch
You'll be able to find if thats the case for your studienkolleg by going to their website and looking for their Zulassungsvoraussetzungen ("Admission requirements")
@fair talon do i have to look for that on the studienkolleg's website or the university i'm applying through?
fair talon
You would check on the website of your university what Studienkolleg they use, and check that studienkolleg's website π€·π»ββοΈ
scarlet arch
thanks so much man, i've been looking for an answer to that for like the past couple days
gawd damn
high lodge
So as usual, i want to ask where i can get information how to move to Austria? Like sites for info, job searching or acommodations. Like Xing.com is for Germans but will it work in Austria market?
tight kelp
uh, what? π
foggy prism
to lucas, who must have completely misinterpreted your question
high lodge
okay
fair talon
But yeah, as far as I'm aware, Austrians use Xing too @high lodge . It's German in language, not neccesarily country (so it is used by German speakers in Austria, Germany and Switzerland)
high lodge
@fair talon thank you. Thats at least something. But do you have some sites for accommodation ?
high lodge
no offense taken
sonic oak
Does anyone know if Germany is receiving visa applications for language courses during covid?
amber perch
im curious about the GEZ tax
do people tell their banks to automatically pay it every month?
tight kelp
what's the GEZ tax π
deep vessel
rundfunkbeitrag
you can choose on what schedule you pay it
you sign a sepa mandate to pay yearly, quarterly, monthly, etc
deep vessel
you can pay it manually or automatically. it's basically the same as any other regular bill for a utility
deep vessel
it's because it's paid by household not by person
it's exactly like a utility bill or council rates
amber perch
ok
dry ravine
@sonic oak the only student visas that germany will give out anymore require a letter from the uni/HS statign they must come and cant do online
deep vessel
i think anyone looking to study right now might want to look at postponing it anyway. online study can have a lot of downsides. things like language courses that require a lot of spoken interaction can be especially hindered by that. a good time to pick up a casual job and earn some more spending money in prep for moving abroad
sonic oak
I mean yes, but I'm hoping to study January of 2021, not right now. Hopefully by then things are better...
@dry ravine thanks
exotic barn
Okay so I've been studying the process for obtaining a german citizenship, I'm just going to post what I already know and if someone wants to give me some pointers please do
I'd need 305 Euros for the test/application/certificate, I can apply for these after 6 years of living in germany (with special integration measures,) I would need a level b1 language certificate, and I must revoke my U.S. citizenship before I can claim a german citizenship
Also I was born in germany, and have a german birth certificate, but I do not have citizenship, nor did my parents apply for it/for me
tight kelp
i don't know the details but it's not impossible to keep your us citizenship. I know at least one person who did it
(not without legal tribulations)
humble bough
I've heard mixed stories of keeping US citizenship as well -- I have friends who say you can waive the requirement to get rid of it if it would be too expensive, and there was an older guy in my local Democrats Abroad chapter who said that you can just tell them you'll get rid of it but then never do it (I wouldn't necessarily recommend this, I've just been told it's theoretically possible)
deep vessel
I doubt the telling them you'll get rid of it but not following through thing as many countries ask for the certificate that prooves your renunciation of citizenship.
but i think US can/could specifically ask to have the requirement waived because the US raised the fee to renounce citizenship to a few thousand dollars.
but keeping US citizenship has a bunch of tax disadvantages so unless you plan to visit the US a lot or move back one day it's probably not worth keeping
dry arch
wait what
why do you have to pay to renounce citizenship, that's actually really stupid 
the more you know
humble bough
the US is one of the most expensive countries in that regard afaik
deep vessel
administration costs is the go to answer
but also political motivations. e.g. discouraging emmigration
oh yeah the US is a bit of an outlier in it costing thousands. most are a few hundred at most
humble bough
the US fee is $2,350 lol yeah
deep vessel
the US however has a huge motivation to discourage renunciation because they still tax non-resident citizens
humble bough
that's true, though unless you make a LOT of money, you can probably waive any federal tax obligation as a US citizen living in Germany
from a combination of the normal amount that you can waive as someone who is living abroad permanently and tax treaties with Germany
deep vessel
you do however still have to file your US tax if you're a us citizen living permanently abroad which can be a huge pain in the ass
humble bough
oh yeah you do still have to file every year and that's a pain
deep vessel
no clue. but at the very least if you ever visit / return to the US they can lock you up at the airport
humble bough
The US's foreign earned income exclusion is $100,000 so unless you're making WAY more money than you're probably making, it's probably not worth ignoring filing your taxes lol
deep vessel
fun fact it's a bit of an issue (albeit relatively rare) that people who grew up abroad don't know they're US citizens visiting the US one day and being met with the IRS for a massive tax bill they didn't know they were incurring because they didn't know they were US citizens
humble bough
ugh figures that's a thing
there's only like one other country whose taxation of citizens abroad is as hostile as the US and other countries openly express their disapproval
dry arch
It might be stupid af but it doesn't discourage me whatsoever from wanting to emigrate
humble bough
but the US always gets to be the exception because it's so big and powerful π
deep vessel
yeah. meanwhile i was only out of the country for half of the tax year and i no longer qualified as a tax resident in my home country
humble bough
I mean, depending on your income you might be able to get them to waive the requirement to get rid of your US citizenship, but if you don't do that, yeah you probably have to pay around that much
dry arch
Speaking of taxes right now I am literally calculating how many miles I have driven rn because I can decrease my tax payment by doing that (cuz I deliver food to make money) and I forgot to start calculating it on time but I am doing the best I can I just hate taxes they are actually annoying
humble bough
I'm still waiting on my german tax refund, it's a p big chunk of change for me so I hope I get it soon
fuck I still haven't sent in my state/city tax returns in the US
whoops
dry arch
ikr @exotic barn
please preach more
like it actually shouldn't need 15 different steps
The IRS can suck my left nut
humble bough
based on the fact that I still haven't gotten my stimulus check, I don't trust the IRS to get it right π
dry arch
Wait so why were you born in Germany then
tight kelp
fun fact it's a bit of an issue (albeit relatively rare) that people who grew up abroad don't know they're US citizens visiting the US one day and being met with the IRS for a massive tax bill they didn't know they were incurring because they didn't know they were US citizens
omfg
it's like being born into a cult or something
high lodge
@exotic barn you say us has complicated taxes? Wait until you see polish tax systrm xd
Ohh man xd
cloud anchor
Can anyone help me
I'm not sure if by laws they were allowed to take my ID card at german airport and not give it back
I come from Croatia but I live in Germany and i travel often, 2 weeks ago when i traveled to Croatia, they took my ID because its invalid as they said
They refused to say why it is invalid and I didnt get to see it again
cloud anchor
I honestly dont know
Thanks god I had passport as well so they let me on the flight
But that was weird as hell
civic galleon
It was
cloud anchor
I just came back to Germany so I'm gonna go a bit more into this
civic galleon
Ok
cloud anchor
Cuz tbh I dunno if they are even allowed to do that
civic galleon
Depends
cloud anchor
Cuz its Croatian ID (document) some ppl told me that Germany has no right to take Croatian document idk now
Will have to find out I guess
cloud anchor
I dont know
He then said he can give me a paper that says my ID is at the airport if anyone asks
And when I asked how long would that take (because I had to get to my plane) he said he doesnt know
So uninformative and uncaring
civic galleon
Ye
But why did he do that
Show him this next time
I donβt live in Germany so I am just assuming right now
Iβm in England
olive summit
exactly what ID was it
civic galleon
Wanna know a fact about England
cloud anchor
Ye this is the first time something like this has happened to me
olive summit
or was it just a document
cloud anchor
ID card
olive summit
hmm that's very strange then
was it the original copy or just a photo of it or something
hallow oyster
Did it expire?
That would be the only reason I can think of for announcing it invalid
Don't know if that would be enough to withhold it, maybe yes
Oh and another one would be if you married or something and changed your name, but then you would not have any valid travelling documents so you wouldn't be allowed to board anyway
I also have Croatian ID, no problem whatsoever
Unfortunately, not having that document that it was taken, I'm not sure what process follows with Croatia to get a new one, probably report 'lost' and whatnot first
And afaik, you can't get ID in consulate only passport, so you'll definitely need to go Croatia to sort that out
@cloud anchor
civic galleon
Thatβs a lot to read
hallow oyster
@civic galleon then don't read
civic galleon
I wonβt
cloud anchor
@hallow oyster I dont know if it expired, I mean it's possible but I doubt because I moved here a year ago and I made my ID around same time as my sister which has time till 2023
Tbh I find it weird he refused to tell me why, he didnt even let me see the ID again so I can at least make sure it has expired by looking at the date
Not married and didnt change name either btw
And damn that rlly sucks if I cant get my ID here since I just returned from there and having to go back again and everything.... damn
But I really appreciate ur help
hallow oyster
@cloud anchor I think the policy could be that if invalid it is basically you tried to scam him and I believe they don't treat that nicely :(
I mean from human perspective it is weird, but imagine if it was real scam, would it make sense to explain how they recognise it's a scam to scammer so he can improve? π
I know that you can do passport here in embassy but it is insanely expensive and long wait. Like, more expensive than if you go to Croatia and ask for fastest procedure.
Also ID on fast are done in a week and I think you can do them even faster. Forgot the prices. Insane for ID but you pay for convenience, I think was something like 50 eur compared to regular 10 or something.
I asked for fast not fastest, wasn't too much, applied first day, went on vacation, pick up when I was finished π
Also, if you have/want permanent residence here in Germany, you can apply for 'promjena prebivaliΕ‘ta' and not just report 'boraviΕ‘te', bring the anmeldung to your German address and ask to be issued ID with german address
Very very handy :)
And very funny to stay in that row surrounded with bunch of people doing the same and clerks saying 'oh, another one' π€£
Feel free to pm me for details if needed :) but it should be online on mup.hr or somewhere
humble bough
yeah tbh I think the only way what they're doing makes sense would be if they think the ID is fake -- but also it's BS that they don't tell you that more explicitly or allow you to dispute it in some way
cloud anchor
So what should I do now then? I have to go back to Croatia for ID? Or can i get German ID?
Appreciate ur help
hallow oyster
@cloud anchor you have to go to Croatia for ID afaik (you can check with embassy in case they changed service from 3 years ago)
But what you can do is to report your german address (if it's long term one) to Croatian police as your 'prebivaliΕ‘te' and get Croatian ID with german address on it :D
cloud anchor
Oh okay ill do some research, i appreciate ur help deeply, thx :)
scarlet arch
is an average grade of 1.8 in the german grading system gonna be enough to get into studienkolleg?
deep vessel
it depends on the kolleg
this is from the one at my uni
Candidates who in their school certificates do not achieve at least an average of 70% (of the country-specific minimum and maximum score) unfortunately cannot receive an invitation to the admission exam.
and then you have to pass an admission exam
scarlet arch
this is from the one at my uni
and then you have to pass an admission exam
@deep vessel oh shite
and that's the average of all school grades innit
daamn
deep vessel
and your diploma has to qualify you for entrance into uni in that course in your home country
scarlet arch
and your diploma has to qualify you for entrance into uni in that course in your home country
@deep vessel it does
not really sure if they want the results of my country's higher education entrance qualification exam (ΠΠΠ) or just the grade report, because i wrote DAAD and they are insisting that only the grade report is required
deep vessel
daad is a solid source to trust
fair talon
Question: Anyone know a good list of generic tips for new students in Germany?
Im going to be co-leading a City Tour for new students at my uni, and I want to sound like I know what I'm doing π
olive summit
probably the website daad
humble bough
honestly the most useful tips I got when I was a new student were about our program specifically, so idk anything that's help AND suitably generic
hallow oyster
@fair talon if you're touring them around the city, I think useful would be to point out places with cheap decent food to grab a bite, and maybe some pharmacy and so, around the uni area
fair talon
Welp, just going to wing it
Unrelated question: As a non-EU student who just started a part time job, is there anything I need to do Papierkram wise? I know there's paperwork you have to do when you move and whatnot, is there anything like that when I start a new part-time job?
humble bough
afaik all the paperwork you need to do you should be doing with your employer as part of signing your contract and such
maybe this is different for me since I was working for my uni, but at least in my experience your employer is involved in any such paperwork so there's nothing that you should be filling out completely independently of them (except, like, maybe your tax return next year if you feel like doing that)
fair talon
Yeah, figured the tax refund was on me
Just was making sure there wasnt any government stuff to do on my end
humble bough
at least for me, all that was handled with my work paperwork pre-signing the contract, but since I worked for the uni and thus indirectly for the state, it might've been because of that?
ig ask your work's HR (or whoever else you're filling out all the internal paperwork with)
just to be safe
fair talon
Yeh, will do. Figured id check for anything obvious here first ππ»
warped atlas
@fair talon everything should already be done by the employer side (idk about minijobs tho) and frankly from your side, as long as you already gave your RV Nummer, Steuer ID, Steuerklasse, KV Nummer, youβre done.
And yeah the tax returns all on you.
fair talon
ππ»
And I believe we just passed the tax return deadline for this year, right?
hallow oyster
Check what's with your health insurance, eg if they still cover you
It could depend on exact type of part time job, don't know exactly
Also tax class, don't know if there's some change
I think tax return for those who must so them is until end of the year if they use tax advisor but maybe in any case
That around may is i think for voluntary one
But also, you can do your taxes for last 3 years
I use advisor who even sends reminders in November, so I don't know exact time frames
pale stream
hello is there anyone here who could answer a few questions for me? Someone that migrated to Germany as a student/ or work
dry arch
I lived there for 2 semesters (8 months) not sure if thatβs what you mean @pale stream
warped atlas
ππ»
And I believe we just passed the tax return deadline for this year, right?
@fair talon I think so, yes. But no matter, you can do it next year.
hello is there anyone here who could answer a few questions for me? Someone that migrated to Germany as a student/ or work
@pale stream easiest if you just put in your questions here already.
fair talon
Well, I just meant that I started earning money after that deadline, so it would be applied towards next year's. But good to know π
pale stream
Just would like to know how fair it is for me to find a job in germany as a person who still is learning the language, Also if I tend to do my Masters in Germany, would it be easier for me to find a job?
dry arch
If you have a Visa you Are technically guaranteed 180 half days of work. Iβm not sure where language skills play into that though.
Well, thatβs a student Visa anyway.
If itβs a work visa thatβs different obviously. But Iβm not sure what thatβs like in comparison.
deep vessel
guaranteed is not the best way to put it. i.e. you're not guaranteed a job. You're limited to how many hours a week you can work on a student visa. you need to work full time on a work visa so i doubt they'd let you study on a work visa. if you're an eu citizen visas don t matter and you can do what you want.
how easy it is to find a job also depends on where you live/study. if you need a visa you need your living costs already saved up anyway (~10k euro per year at the moment) so any work you do would just be for fun money.
dry arch
I didnβt ever say itβs guaranteed youβll get a job. I said youβre guaranteed a certain amount of work days by the visa, not by your employer.
deep vessel
guaranteed means you will get that 180 days of work regardless of how it happens
tight kelp
he meant that you have that many days to work, and you have them no matter what
whether you do get a job or not or how many work days you get out of that (within the visa's limits) is another matter entirely
dry arch
guaranteed means you will get that 180 days of work regardless of how it happens
No it doesnβt
It means youβre guaranteed them, if and only if you even decide to get a job in the first place.
earnest stone
bronze basin
whatever you prefer
tight kelp
from what i've seen though, painters are really expensive here
if you want simple stuff and your walls are already decent (i.e. they don't need any preparation before painting) it's probably cheaper to do it yourself. It's what i've done
dry arch
Actually funny you should ask. When I lived with my host family, my host mom was painting her own house on the inside, because mold had started growing inside of the bathroom and was spreading, so once they got rid of it (the people she hired to get rid of the mold) she just repainted it herself.
But itβs also not like she couldnβt have hired someone to do it for her.
warped atlas
It means youβre guaranteed them, if and only if you even decide to get a job in the first place.
@dry arch This sounds a bit like a misunderstanding, unless Iβm mistaken as well.
The 120 days of full dayβs work or 240 days of half dayβs work yearly is whatβs stated in the Student visa, meaning, when you work, you are allowed to work within one year for as long as that.
The word βguaranteedβ would mean something different.
dry arch
Maybe I got the numbers wrong but the way I used the word βguaranteedβ wasnβt wrong. You are guaranteed that many days as a maximum amount of possible work days, but you arenβt guaranteed to actually work that many days, depending on your employer.
Itβs more of a statement of how much your employer is allowed to give you, yes, but the number you could argue is both allowed/guaranteed, in the sense that I just explained it.
I guess this is why people write terms of service in such detail
So easy to misinterpret what is said
exotic barn
what are levels like c1, b2, etc in german?
and how do i get them for college admissions?
solemn bay
faq cefr
rose craneBOT
solemn bay
You have to pay to do an official test. There are various tests you can do but you have to make sure you do one that your tertiary institution accepts.
If in doubt, best thing to do is check your school's website or call/email them about it.
And by "your school" I mean the school you're planning to apply to.
exotic barn
damn ETH Zurich requires C1
i thought C would be beginners
im not even at A1 according to the table ;-;
warped atlas
C1 is academic level of understanding where you can write thesis and stuff. @exotic barn
I guess this is why people write terms of service in such detail
@dry arch pretty much π¦
solemn bay
You need to be able to understand the content in German after all.
Can't really do that if you are only A1.
solemn bay
Depends on your degree/uni.
But for undergrad, most unis teach in German.
If it's master's or phd then English is a bit more common (depends on study area, etc.).
mortal escarp
Hey guys, I just happened to move to Austria for language learning and later assimilation purposes. While I am so far with my own roaming package, I can't rely on that long so since I am planning to stay here for years, I was thinking about getting an actual Austrian sim.
I saw they have 3 mayor net providers, Magenta, A1 and Drei
It's quite hard to compare them on the first look, but from what I have seen A1 and Magenta has the best coverage
However I am looking for a prepaid plan that has at least 10 GB data monthly, data rollover would be a benefit and I also plan to use it for calls sometimes, but not frequently
Is there any prepaid customer of any of the three ISPs? If so, which package do you use?
high lodge
From the columns i am close to A2 so it is nice
exotic barn
Just some random info
The current European legislation regarding SIM cards allows you to use a package from a EU country in other countries of the EU without roaming costs if I'm not mistaken.
If you reside the most in Austria then the provider might catch up on this and fine you for unfair use if you're using a plan from another EU country.
There is an exception for border workers however if you regularly cross it.
I don't know the specifics of the Austrian providers but but the trend definitely seems to be more towards the majority of the cost based more on data. Calling and texting is not as intense for the network infrastructure anymore so I assume the prices for those bundles would be cheaper.
mortal escarp
@exotic barn I know these and I am perfectly fine with my roaming data yet I also know if I keep using that I will generate huge bills in their side so they will fine me. As I stated I plan to stay in Austria for a longer time that's exactly why I would like to get a sim card here
But I got Magenta, if anyone's interested it costs 15 euros a month for 15 GB data + 1500 mins of call/piece of sms
exotic barn
I see your problem, hmmm. Unfortunately I'm not from around Austria. I wish I could do more, but I hope you'll find a great deal.
Your plan with Magenta definitely seems cheaper than what they offer around here in Belgium though, plans are generally expensive here since we basically only have two big companies to choose fromπ
.
static lark
@mortal escarp kinda late I guess but spusu has good offers
mortal escarp
Hmm indeed they have amazing pricing. But according to the internet its a drei resell, so I am a bit sceptical about its coverage
steel mauve
Guys who passed exams, do they count every single word for Schreiben? Or articles, prepostions etc are excluded from count?
deep vessel
at least for goethe as far as I know there aren't really word count requirements. just a general length. e.g. if you write half a page in a c1 exam you're obviously gonna get a pretty bad score because they're looking for complexity in expression of thoughts and opinions which you simply can't adequately show in only half a page of writing
things to keep in mind - how many pieces of paper they give you to write on and how much time you have.
it's generally good to aim close to filling as much of the space they give you in the given time period.
for my b2 one i wrote about 2 of those thick margin large space exam lined papers worth
@steel mauve page 14 (via the pdf pages not the printed numbers) has an exmple of that here https://www.goethe.de/lrn/pro/gc1/C1_PrueferTraining_08.pdf
I imagine so . they don't list what they have set out for something like that here https://www.goethe.de/pro/relaunch/prf/en/Informationen_Spezif_Bedarf_04.pdf but it does say "For all types of physical impairment that are not listed here, we aim to find individual solutions." which means that if you get in contact with them something can be arranged e.g. they might for example allow you to dictate to a scribe
high lodge
Because of this whole pan situation i am not able to get any exam this year, will it be a great problem if i try to move to the Austria/Germany? Like i may have actual skill on B1 (or at least very close to it) but sadly will not have any certificate for that
deep vessel
it depends on what you intend to do in germany, and also the important question: are you an EU citizen?
nvm i checked and you're polish so visas aren't an issue. it really depends then. you'll definitely need a cert if you plan to go to uni or other tertiary education. for work i don't really think so
high lodge
@deep vessel for work so if it is not a real problem then uff a stone dropped from my hearth
deep vessel
though something to keep in mind is that your speaking abilities at A2 and B1 might be a lot less than you'd might expect when it comes to keeping up with conversations
humble bough
you'll definitely need a cert if you plan to go to uni or other tertiary education
(unless it's in english obvs)
deep vessel
then you'd need an english cert
steel mauve
@deep vessel Danke, das PDF fand ich sehr hilfreich. Ich versuche jetzt zu schreiben nΓ€he zu den PrΓΌfunganforderungen
high lodge
@deep vessel well getting B1 is like very tight thing for the time window i had chosen. Like i have 2 months to have more than A2 Level (so close to B1) so that in November i will start searching a job and ofc continue with B1 study/retention
steel mauve
You're allowed to begin with any exam, even for advanced level
fleet pelican
england?
exotic gorge
Ich habe einen Bioladen in Heidelberg besucht und dort gibt es verpackungsfreie Produkte wie NΓΌsse und auch SΓΌΓigkeiten. Vielleicht ist es wahrscheinlicher in Bioladen, verpackungsfreie Produkten zu finden.
wide mountain
can someone who is familiar with the school system please dm me, ty :)
tame forum
Ask ur question here
fleet pelican
^
copper geyser
Hey a genuine question - i have a chair i need to transport across the city (aachen)
Its a normal office chair with roller wheels and stuff. Would it be bad if i tried to take this in public transport? Bus/train
humble bough
tbh wouldn't be the craziest thing I've seen on public transport but aachen is probably chiller than here lol
copper geyser
I want to know if its against the rules xd
humble bough
that I don't know
my instinct is that it would get treated like a bike but my instincts probably aren't the best guidance
tight kelp
while moving last year we did everything with the ubahn (would not recommend, lol), including transporting stuff like drying racks for clothes and stuff. I've never heard of a rule against it and we weren't aggroed by the staff or anything
humble bough
oh god that sounds miserable to do
tight kelp
well it wasn't any better than it sounds let me tell ya
the drying rack trip? That one was the last one, and by last one i mean that it was literally the last train of the day night and we aaaalmost missed it
deep vessel
a single office chair shouldn't be too much of a problem. especially if they're trains / trams with a lot of standing / bike space. buses may be a bit harder
copper geyser
Thanks everyone
olive summit
I've actually done that before the bus driver didnt mind because it wasnt during peak hours
this was in a small town in Niedersachsen
amber perch
when one is moving furniture and other stuff when changing apartments
do they use buses and trains
or do they normally hire companies to use trucks to move them instead
tight kelp
i wouldn't hire a company unless there were a lot of stuff to move and disassempling/reassembling that i couldn't do myself
amber perch
ok thanks
tight kelp
otherwise you can rent a van or even just use some friends' cars
upper sable
Hello, I was researching about the german higher education system and I have a doubt: When applying to a bachelor's degree, do I really need to go to a Studienkolleg if my german is C1/C2 and my background studies are pretty good, but yet not recognized as enough to join? Is there any way to make the path shorter? I am an Italian citizen and I have studied in Argentina. Thank you very much in advance.
deep vessel
you only need to go to a studienkolleg if you don't have a recognised certificate to prove your german knowledge, and don't fulfil the course admission requirements. e.g. didn't take the required subjects in secondary school or your high school diploma doesn't qualify you to study a similar course in your home country. You can check some of that stuff here:
https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/nach-deutschland/voraussetzungen/en/57293-database-on-admission-requirements/?id=102017&ebene=2
use the country you got your high school diploma in as your country of origin as that's of most relevance here
hidden briar
Your education needs to be equivalent to a german Abitur, that's pretty binary
upper sable
I checked the database and it says that I should take a preparatory course.
deep vessel
then you'll need to go to a studenkolleg. no way around it
fleet pelican
@tight kelp dude same, my whole fucking bed and table π
tight kelp
expat life
@upper sable have you looked into Anerkennung? It's a process by which you can get external education certificates recognised
meaning they check what they equate to in terms of german qualifications
if they recognise your studies as enough to access university, that and proof of your language proficiency should be enough
upper sable
@tight kelp Good to know, I will investigate about Anerkennung. Thank you.
deep vessel
That's typically for tertiary education though. E.g. Trade qualifications and bachelor degrees @tight kelp I can't think of any case where that would be required or relevant for recognition of secondary education which is already covered by the daad database i linked
from: https://www.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/de/faq.php from the ministry of education and research
Voraussetzungen fΓΌr ein Anerkennungsverfahren sind:
Sie wollen in Deutschland arbeiten.
Sie haben in Ihrem Herkunftsland eine staatliche oder staatlich anerkannte Berufsqualifikation erworben.
Sie kΓΆnnen Ihre Berufsqualifikation mit einem Abschlusszeugnis nachweisen.
and
Eine Berufsqualifikation ist z. B. ein Berufsabschluss, ein Fortbildungsabschluss, eine Approbation oder Berufserlaubnis oder eine Erlaubnis zum FΓΌhren der Berufsbezeichnung.
so @upper sable i don't think anerkennung applies in your situation unless you already have a qualification for a particular trade e.g. electrician or plumber, or a qualification for a regulated profession such as doctor or dentist
upper sable
@deep vessel Oh, I see. Thank you very much for the research, I really appreciate it.
tight kelp
@deep vessel there are many systems (amongst which the italian one) that qualify you for a profession without having to go through uni-level education
deep vessel
yes which the daad site accounts for. it lists all the graduation certificate options for that country in its checklist, both secondary and tertiary
generally it tells you if you just need to get your qualification recognised, if it's not at all equivalent, or if you can apply directly no problem
tight kelp
alright then, i concede
steel mauve
Was bringt Freiwilliges Jahr ?
Ein ganzes Jahr unbezahlt wird teuer insbesondere in der Schweiz, weil man die Miete und den Lebensmitteln sowieso zahlen muss
quiet idol
Wenn ich mich auf eine WG bei wg-gesucht.de bewerbe, sollte ich schon sofort auch die Schufa-Auskunft hinschicken oder erst wenn ich angefordert werde?
hidden briar
wΓΌrde sagen nur auf Anfrage
tropic edge
ja safe, aber es gehΓΆrt natΓΌrlich dazu das am Anfang zu sagen.
molten hearth
I am negative tested, but I also signed a form in le plane that Iβll stay in quarantine for 10 days. Am I free or not? 
That form was for the ones who arenβt tested?
high lodge
now question is. if you are not a citizen of Germany or Austria, you do not have our own apartment, do they give you now a temp flat for quarantine?
or you need to somehow get one
deep vessel
@molten hearth @exotic barn "bei negativen Testergebnis kann die QuarantΓ€ne beendet werden"
if you have a cert from your docter and a negative test then you're free to go
hallow oyster
Usually people go somewhere whrn they travel, not that they just land on airport without clue where they're going to stay, no?
deep vessel
that screenie also states that you've gotta take care of your own place to stay
molten hearth
Yeah called the rona hotline and they said I just need to keep the result incase they check me @deep vessel
deep vessel
To translate the whole passage:
The prerequisites for that are that a negative covid test and a medical health certificate are verified, and the testing wasn't held more than 72 hours ago. If the testing while abroad isn't possible, entry can still be allowed and a covid test must be conducted in austria within 48 hours. Until negative test results are received then you have to go into a self-monitored (home) quarantine where you need an accommodation confirmation. The costs of the test and necessary accommodation in all cases must be paid yourself. By receipt of a negative test result, can the quarantine be ended.
high lodge
In other words, we dont care if you can make our economy stronger (talking about fresh workforce that comes from other countries), you came, you must take care of yourself and no help from us. And this state will never end.
deep vessel
i have no idea what relevance that has to quarantine regulations and is starting to sound awfully close to rule 4
clever echo
can you recommend some good colleges in a not very expensive city and I want to study Bachelors in Computer science but my only concern is that their is maths in that course/program, Do you know any course where I can study programming and also there's no mathematics or mathematics is a option?
can you recommend some good colleges in a not very expensive city and I want to study Bachelors in Computer science but my only concern is that their is maths in that course/program, Do you know any course where I can study programming and also there's no mathematics or mathematics is a option?
@clever echo Any help would be appreciated, Thank You!
hallow oyster
I'm not sure if you can get good, Bachelor computer science plus programming and without math
That just does not compute IMO
If I understood your desire correctly
What you might find are some courses and maybe bootcamps, but those are only programming stuff, not computer science, like maybe frontend dev, and not bachelor degrees
And even that is probably easier to understand with some mathematical background
Maybe there are some non university degrees that are 3 year programs and bachelor or other title, but I'm sure they won't be Bsc at the end and not computer science
In case no one chips in with the information
@clever echo
dry arch
cry
I can't study here ig
I literally said I was American, all that they even had to say was the very first one since it automatically disqualifies me
deep vessel
but does that specifically disqualify though? like is your US diploma recognised in hamburg as equivalent to the abi?
dry arch
in parentheses it says "Abitur oder vollstΓ€ndige Fachhochschulreife" and the last one isn't really that specific at all
hidden briar
usually a US high school degree isn't equivalent to Abitur (unless you took a very specific set of courses). You can make up for it with some Studienkolleg courses.
dry arch
that could be interpreted in many ways
yeah exactly, I knew it was not equal to it
@hidden briar what are those
is it at college
My end goal is to actually completely transfer to a German university
So is that something I would need to do for pretty much any German uni
Also I am really trying to have at least a few of my courses taught in German
deep vessel
a studienkolleg is a part of the uni where you do a univeristy prep/entry course. tbey also usually offer daf classes too for the unj
deep vessel
possibly? honestly it would be best to just email them
dry arch
yeah I just did
clever echo
I'm not sure if you can get good, Bachelor computer science plus programming and without math
That just does not compute IMOIf I understood your desire correctly
What you might find are some courses and maybe bootcamps, but those are only programming stuff, not computer science, like maybe frontend dev, and not bachelor degrees
And even that is probably easier to understand with some mathematical background
Maybe there are some non university degrees that are 3 year programs and bachelor or other title, but I'm sure they won't be Bsc at the end and not computer science
In case no one chips in with the information
@clever echo
@hallow oyster Thank You man!
fleet pelican
@molten hearth good luck man this shit sucke
molten hearth
Thanks Heck! 
high lodge
Wie wichtig ist ein Goethe-Test Pro?
umbral cliff
Alright so this is kind of an unrelated question but still very much appropriate: what is the process like moving to Europe as an American? Does anyone have experience with this and what the process may be like?
winged quiver
@dry arch Iβm currently in your same boat? What problem have you encountered? That your degree is Invalid? Have you taken some AP classes or have an associates
molten hearth
Wie wichtig ist ein Goethe-Test Pro?
@high lodge for what?
tight kelp
neither. It's a preposition, you need a noun
but to answer your question, it isn't important at all. No certification is required for living :P
except maybe a birth certificate but they're not gonna revoke your existence if they find you without one
dry arch
@winged quiver I havenβt encountered a problem. Iβm just trying to transfer universities. I donβt have any degree yet. I have only completed my first 2 years.
humble bough
@umbral cliff there are definitely people here who have done this (myself included) but it's gonna depend a lot on where you move and under what circumstances -- moving for school and moving to be self-employed and moving to work at a company and moving as part of the military are all gonna have some pretty big differences
umbral cliff
Iβm not sure exactly where I would be moving to, but Iβm working on a bachelors in bioengineering (I already have my associates). Iβm just curious about studying abroad first to see if Iβll even like living in Europe for my masters
So likely moving for school and/or moving to work..but I donβt know German well enough right now to get around. Hopefully by the time I go Iβll know it more conversationally
Preferably at a company that has branches In Europe..but what was your journey like?
dry arch
Yeah like I studied abroad for 8 months but I never actually transferred universities. Iβm still trying to figure that out right now.
humble bough
I'm currently doing a master's here lol, I enrolled in an English-language master's because my German is Not Great
I also moved here without having been to Germany beforehand which I wouldn't necessarily recommend but it worked out for me lol
if you come here for a master's, definitely apply for the DAAD master's stipend because it's quite generous and I got the impression from the meetings that not many US Americans apply
I guess I can answer some more specific questions about moving and living here but just talking generally about the whole experience is a little hard lol
dry arch
Even for my study abroad the process was insanely complicated, itβs not like I can sum it up into a small paragraph @humble bough
Itβs a ton of online paperwork first of all
Itβs a lot of emails back and forth
humble bough
in my experience there's less emailing beforehand and more on-paper paperwork once you arrive, but that's probably a difference between studying abroad and immigrating
dry arch
As for me I am hoping my courses will all be in German by the time I transfer
humble bough
I enrolled in a German university directly, which is definitely different on the paperwork end than studying abroad in Germany through a university in the US
dry arch
The thing about studying abroad is that universities are partnered in that process
So the online stuff I do is what my home university told me to do
Did, rather
humble bough
yeah see the thing about studying abroad is that you have to pay tuition at your US university lol
dry arch
Yeah, right
humble bough
and not being able to afford that was the reason I came here for my master's in the first place lol
humble bough
I mean, I have a stipend that currently covers that, which I likely would not have in the US
and additionally, I would still need to eat and pay rent in the US lol
dry arch
I just stay at my moms house because it would just cost me more to do that
humble bough
I had 110% of my tuition covered for undergrad and I'm still deep in student debt from loans taken out to afford food and rent lol
I mean "not wanting to live with my parents" played a role for sure lol
dry arch
I donβt want to pay rent if I donβt have to π€·ββοΈ
Oh thatβs what Iβm literally avoiding
Taking out a loan
I donβt wanna deal with that
olive summit
I went from studying abroad to fully transferring to a German uni, took a lot of steps
dry arch
Oh I have a question for you @olive summit
If you donβt have a German Abitur then what Are you supposed to do
fiery edge
Can someone tell me whether i'd be able to put in a cable here and connect it to my laptop for a more stable internet connection?
And if yes, what kind of cable?
This is in Germany
olive summit
@dry arch most unis process international applicants through uni-assist, they check if you meet the minimum requirements for whatever program/school you've applied to then send it to the uni
I already completed 2 years of american uni in addition to graduating high school and that was enough
@fiery edge my router goes there I believe an ethernet cable should go directly into your router if you want a better connection
fiery edge
What kinda cable do I need to connect the router there?
olive summit
one in the wall? no idea tbh since the Vodafone guy set it up for us
involved dismantling of the outlet doe
dry arch
I did one year of college at an American Uni and one full year at a German Uni, and have a Highschool diploma. Iβm not sure if the having done a year abroad makes much of a difference but yeah @olive summit
Because technically I was still paying American tuition at the German Uni
olive summit
Also the process to transfer uni credits can be difficult
dry arch
Yeah thatβs what I was worried about
I have heard maybe only some of them get transferred
olive summit
You need to contact the department head of your program and send the syllabi of the courses you completed ( also a translation if needed)
then you can apply for a higher semester
dry arch
The syllabi
olive summit
That's how it works at my uni at least
dry arch
What if I donβt have those
olive summit
idk best to ask the uni, they basically need a detailed course description to see if it can cover a required course
dry arch
I think I have most of them from the German Uni like in my backpack still but Iβd have to go on a hunt to find the ones from my American Uni
olive summit
a syllabus fulfills that best
yeah I'm in that process rn, emailing old professors and classmates help
olive summit
most of my old teachers barely change it year by year anyway so they could email me the current one
dry arch
Yeah actually it should be that hard
I can just look at my report card and then email my old professors for them
fiery edge
thank u
exotic gorge
The router would connect with a coaxial cable, and then a computer could connect with WiFi or an ethernet cable.
olive summit
ya that π
exotic barn
Welche Unterlagen braucht man fΓΌr eine Bewerbung fΓΌr einen einfachen Minijob als Aushilfe? Sind da auch Lebenslauf, Motivationsdings usw. erforderlich?
potent vine
@exotic barn Lebenslauf, Motivationsschreiben bedingt ein kleine "Biopgrahie"
Was du machst, wieso du dich da bewirbst, nichts wildes.
lilac orchid
dafuq how loud is ZimmerlautstΓ€rke
bronze basin
it means a sound audible only while you are inside the room it is originiating in. Should no longer be able to hear the sound anymore if you leave the room of the sound's origin.
this term is used in the context that if your neighbors can hear your sounds form outside your living quarters, then you need to decrease the volume of the sounds so they cn't anymore.
dry arch
Like if you hear a party from outside you could say βBoah das ist gar nicht ZimmerlautstΓ€rkeβ? @bronze basin
bronze basin
yes. As long asit's before 10 pm, that is fine.
dry arch
wait what
so if it's after 10pm it doesn't work?
You would think that it's the opposite
deep vessel
no if it's before 10pm you can be as reasonably loud as you want. after 10pm it's shhh time
dry arch
So that people can like sleep
Lmao but you could still say it to yourself before 10pm
Like without complaining
deep vessel
depends on your neighbours and how good the building insulation is. i have a feeling older people would be more sticklers for it. my neighbours were pretty chill. especially since our washing machine rattled really loudly when it was run because it was an old piece of crap and we never got complaints about that
lilac orchid
yeah they are rather old, ill just keep quiet for today, give them their free/quiet day of the week i guess
bronze basin
Volume of sound really isnt subjective at all. It is objectively measurable. If you or a microphone or anything capable of picking up audio waves is outside your living quarters and can hear a sound origina from inside, it is too loud for designated quiet times.
lilac orchid
ye
scenic agate
Ich brauche hilf an Ausbildung suchen. berlin
Wenn jemend aus Berlin ist, bitte shick mir ein nachricht , Ich brauche hilf
golden prism
I was looking at software engineer jobs in Austria (Graz) but most of them listed both german and english as a requirement, is that the most common overall in Austria / Germany for that type of job too?
(and yes I know job listings are wish lists from companies, pretty much everything is negotiable in one way or another)
vague heath
is anyone here studying at ETH zurich ?
foggy prism
yes
foggy prism
go ahead, youβre gonna have to send me a friend req. Iβll reply later Iβm gonna do sth now
hallow oyster
@golden prism I'd say it depends on the company and location, and position and the site you're looking at
I'm currently looking for data engineer or similar in Berlin
Looking at linkedin and glassdoor so far
Some jobs are advertised only in German , no mentioning English
Some are German ads but they ask also for English, so mix
Some are English ads and ask for German as well, or say it's plus point
Some are English ads and explicitly say that English is official company language
So, I've seen all those combinations so far
Data analysts more often ask for German, or agencies, because clients vary
And I think one thing you can't negotiate is the official company language, it wouldn't make any sense that you come in German only team and successfully negotiated that you'll speak English, how would you communicate? :)
golden prism
No of course not, the intention would be to learn German, but the requirement to know it "perfectly" beforehand I assume can be discussed. Example; we hired a person at our org which is a Swedish talking one (all internal documents, systems etc are in Swedish) and hen only knew basic Swedish but have since picked it up a lot. Then again, a DBA role might not need to know as much of the language as someone that talkes with customers / project managers / clients ^^
Was just curious what was more common
hallow oyster
@golden prism I also saw some ask for at least B1 (one or two), while some explicitly asked for at least C1 (one)
So I'd say, if they put in the ad exact specification for language, that's not negotiable
If they say that they want some German, than that could be
golden prism
Fair
Guess I would need to learn it more then I was planning on before applying to jobs if I end up there, for now I can work remotly for my current job, just would need to travel back a few weeks every 6 months.
hallow oyster
I even look at internship positions in German in case I see something technically easy to use it for learning tech German on the spot
π€£
But that would definitely need some convincing
I haven't find proper ad yet, so, no need for negotiation skills so far π
B1/B2 should be doable for non customer positions I think
exotic barn
Hello guys.
I will complete my undergraduate study in computer engineering and I am planning to do master in data science or data engineering in german language. Currently, I am taking A1 level.
I would like to ask what are the requirements to get accepted like GPA and other stuff ? And what could I do to increase my chances?
you definitely need Level C1 german at most universities
I hope this helps @exotic barn
fringe summit
Many places have masters in englisch so the language requirements for german are less (enough to get around and do life things) or non existent
(I actually struggled finding a compsci related masters in german)
But the language is an important part of living in a country, so donβt underestimate the worth of having good language skills before going
exotic barn
^
dry arch
^
Also locals tend to really appreciate it when you are really trying to learn their language
humble bough
honestly data science is probably one of the degrees that is least likely to be offered in German, if my own uni is any indication
glad current
I've moved here 2 nearly 3 months ago to learn German at a migration centre thing (JMD)
I'm so confused about healthcare because I dont have a job right now since I dont speak good enough German yet since I'm learning so idk how to get health insurance over here
bronze basin
the state insurance is called AOK
glad current
I'm from the UK if that changes anything
bronze basin
you can look at their website or call their english speaking hotline
glad current
Ty, do you have a guess for how much it is?
Also I'm 19 but apparently I'm not classed as a student for any train tickets from the place I study at
bronze basin
about 100 a month i guess i dont know though, cause im on a family plan
glad current
Since apparently it's not official or so
bronze basin
to be classified as a student you need to be immatriculated at a university, has nothing to do with age
glad current
Even though they give you a certificate to say you can speak etc b1 German to show to unis jobs etc
Ahh
Ouch I already pay 150 for train and 195 for course a month π
Would I be entitled to ALG2 or similar to cover the costs before I'm able to get a job since I'm from the EU or?
I have someone in the school looking for 450 jobs for me which I can pair up with my classes in the mean time but bc Corona theres less and most are full German speaking (high level)
bronze basin
I don't know. I could only suggest working something where you don't need to speak much, like in a kitchen
glad current
Yeah I've emailed 2 places about their job advertised close to my school but no reply :( (kitchen job thing)
tight kelp
you can land some jobs with minimal german knowledge which would give you access to insurance. For example work at amazon logistic centres (would not recommend, but it pays well), as mailman, rubbish collection etc.
if you have no strict need for an insurance, it's also an option to hold off until you do. It's of course risky in case you get hurt or anything, but although on paper it's compulsory, i've been without it for a long while before i could find a job, and my husband who took longer to find his first job here went without one for even longer. I'm not aware of any penalty for not getting one asap, and we didn't have to pay any extra fee when we did get one, but of course feel free to do more research if you're considering this option.
glad current
Yeah it's just that I'm on birthcontrol and idk if my mother can send me my refill in the post from the UK and I only have a few days left >.>
She already sent it off but idk if it will be stopped anywhere or binned if I'm not allowed it since she didnt get tracking on it xd
Thanks a lot though for the info :D at least I'm not alone in this for now
glad current
Messaged the AOK live chat and they're telling me its 200β¬ a month :')
tight kelp
p sure i used to pay less than that with TK
glad current
Yeah its cause it would be voluntary since ik not a student and insured by the NHS in the uk
Like from when you're born you're insured with UK healthcare n pay nothing
So all this is confusing to me
In the UK u only pay for private health care (rly rich people)
N I say u dont pay it but most adult waves have like min 14Β£ taken off it which goes to all benefits or something like to people without jobs, healthcare, lots of other things
olive summit
my girlfriend is still covered by her Dutch insurance while living in Germany, might wanna check if thats the case with UK insurance
glad current
Yeah just I had my mum send me my pills in the post and they're still not here so I'm rly scared I have 2 left
And I've not finished the full cycle (4 months) to finish early if I need to stop taking them
And yeah should i email the NHS or my doctors in the UK to ask about that?
olive summit
probably, I contacted my german provider for that info
glad current
I cant really find anything to email the NHS on since it's just an endless list of links to other things lmao
olive summit
also I had a quick question: I received my electronic Aufenhaltstitel in the mail but am still pretty confused what to do with it, anyone have experience with this?
bronze basin
weird, but if y9u are already insured by NHK , is a german health insurance even neccessary?
olive summit
some countries have an agreement with Germany (like the Netherlands) where you'll still be covered if you're living there
but if you work in Germany you'd still have to get German insurance
tropic edge
but he doesnt work yet, so probably first check whether the UK insurance works in Germany
and besides if push comes to shove
you could get a travel insurance until things get settled
these go for around 36 euros a month for the first 13 months or something, albeit for language students
this should be sufficient if you dont have major issues healthwise but it is best to read their policy thoroughly
Mawista is the company I had my travel insurance with
glad current
Would that cover the costs of birth control because that's the only problem I have is that I have 2 left and idk if my mum can send me them via the post
Well the prescription not the cost
Luke doc consultation or is it just for emergencies or preexisting conditions
Just scared to be taken off the pill since I get insane cramps and later be put on a different one since the hormones literally play with your mind and you lose it (had to change from one to another because of this)
tight kelp
easiest non-committing option is to contact the NHS and your doctor in the UK
to see if your costs can be covered by your existing insurance
sullen robin
@glad current have you heard of EHIC? It might apply to your situation https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/moving-abroad/studying-abroad/
glad current
ya i have my ehic card
but i dont class as a student over here and i havent applied for the student ehic only the standard one
since the student one is only for a shorter time i think
'as long as you intend to return to the UK at the end of the placement.' i dont intend to return back to the uk as i wanna go onto uni or internship etc here and get a job to live and work here in the long run
which in theory is easier to do now as i have my brexit rights as a resident than if i move after brexit i wouldnt have the right to live here without a permit for work or study when right now i dont need one
sullen robin
I guess you could go to a doctor and pay out of pocket for the pills? When I moved to Germany, I didn't have health insurance initially and had to get an abcess removed which didn't cost that much. I dunno how much the doctor consulation would cost, 'cause the lady gave it to us for free, but I doubt it would be that much. It depends on your financial situation if you can afford that risk, of course
Also, if you get health insurance later on, the provider may pay you back for any costs you had to pay from the date you moved to Germany. That was the case for me with my provider (TK)
glad current
yeah ive read it would cost around 50 to 100 for consultation and pills cost in germany anyway out of pocket :( back in the uk anything to prevent kids was free lol
u could go to doctors and get free rubbers or iuds anything
exotic barn
so it doesn't work with it?
exotic barn
you should try
glad current
since i dont think its a 'necessity'
exotic barn
well if you are running out if pill it can be a necessity
glad current
and tru e but wouldnt there be fees on a consultation or something
exotic barn
won't hurt to ask
glad current
true but where? where i live theres like one small doctors lol
i think its family doctors not a female type one
exotic barn
I don't think you would have to go to hospital to see gynecologist
glad current
huh i meant where would i go for an appointment? the family doctors or ?
gynecologist* got deleted after my or lol
warped atlas
So guys and gals, Iβm looking going to move back to Stuttgart in a couple of months, and am looking through the usual suspects, wg-gesucht and immoscout.
I also think itβd be a good idea to look through the newspapers as well, and try to find the apartment there.
The thing is, I am not located in Stuttgart yet, and have no access to the physical newspapers. Any of you found such ads on the online version?
I found a possible one through Stuttgarter Zeitung, anything else?
deep vessel
I've got no clue for newspapers, but facebook groups are also worth popping your head into. There's usually a handful of different ones per city
sullen robin
@glad current the Hausarzt will recommend you one, that's how it generally works. You can maybe go directly to some gynaecologists if you call them
glad current
How much I reckon it would be for the consultation
sullen robin
about 30β¬-40β¬ maybe
not much more
if they are just talking to you about it and do nothing medical
glad current
Just idont have health insurance here do would I even be able to go
I only hand a UK ehic card but I cant use it I think since it's for temporary stay
sullen robin
yes, I had no health unsirance and I was able to go
sullen robin
do you plan on getting health insurance?
glad current
Yeah when I'm able to get a job
Since it would be 200 a month out of pocket
And I don't have that
sullen robin
then you will probably get your money back
tight kelp
then you will probably get your money back
@sullen robin meaning they refund your previous expenses once you get insurance?
sullen robin
yeah, my provider paid me back when I had to have surgery without insurance
tight kelp
interesting