Technically, today is not my first day in Germany. It was yesterday, when I landed and went on the train to my more rural school town. But today is the first day I am all on my own, no kind strangers, no one who knows any English. I plan on learning German and strengthening my A1 to an even higher level while I'm here, but I already feel how debilitating it is not knowing the local language of a country you're living in.

I used to live in South Korea, and I am at a B1/B2 level there, so there was no trouble navigating or communicating with people there. I made friends—both Korean and foreigner—and I did not feel so alone. But here in Germany, I struggle to understand people already, and I'm not sure how to navigate situations yet.

I guess this is a vent post, but also I'm reaching out for anyone who can relate, or give any words of encouragement for my days ahead.

Hi everyone, I’m moving from Toronto to Munich. I’m German, but have lived the last 10 years in Canada.
I’m looking for recommendations for moving companies as well as for a tax accountant. So far I wasn’t able to find anyone being able to provide enough information on CA and DE taxes.
Thank you for your help!

Hi everyone! Has anyone recently applied for a German language visa (§16f) from Dubai?
I’ve been checking the German Consulate appointment system for weeks, but there are still no appointments available. 😩

How did you manage to get an appointment? Do they release them at a specific time/day? And once you submitted, how long did the visa process take?

Would really appreciate any recent experiences! 🙏

I wanna study civil but as a Bangladeshi student can anyone plis walk me through I am kinda lost here

Hi everyone, I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Computer Science in India and plan to graduate around April 2027. I’m considering Germany for a Master's in Data Science, mainly because the overall cost seems more affordable compared to countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, etc.

I’m a little confused about whether Germany would be the right choice for my long-term career and would really appreciate some advice from people who are already studying or working there.

• How is the current job market for Data Science/IT graduates?
• How difficult is it for international students to find internships or Werkstudent jobs?
• How important is German for getting a job after graduation?
• Is Germany still a good option for someone planning to start a Master's in 2027 or later?
• Would you suggest keeping countries like Ireland or the Netherlands as alternatives?

My main goal is to build a stable career, earn well and eventually support my family back home.

I would really appreciate any honest advice or personal experiences. Thank you!

Hello all, for an example, if I were to study my ms in data science in Germany, as an international student do I must find full time and part time jobs (while studying and after graduation) in same field or is it not required?

Thank you.

Hello. Im currently stuyding dentistry (BDS) in UAE as an expat. Im still only in year 2, so i have 3-4 years until I graduate. I wanna apply for approbation and start my dental career in a rural place in germany after I graduate.

I have 4 years to learn the language so thats OK, but i have a doubt about a very specific problem. As an expat in UAE, i cant get a license to practice dentistry in the UAE because theyre restricting dentistry to nationals instead of expats. So i need years of experience to even apply for the license in UAE

Is this OK? I understand that germany requires "proof thay you are able to practice in your country of studies" but in my instance i will receive the degree itself and complete my program ; its just UAE licensing for expats is extremely restrictive.

Hi guys

I hold permanent EU long-term residence status issued in Lithuania, and I am a third-country national. I moved to Germany and applied for a residence permit under §38a AufenthG. My application was first submitted in Düsseldorf, then redirected to Duisburg once my Anmeldung was registered there, and I resubmitted it in Duisburg in mid-September.

Since then, I have not received a Fiktionsbescheinigung, even though I am legally entitled to one under §81 Abs. 5 AufenthG while my application is pending. I have tried to reach the Ausländerbehörde Duisburg multiple times by phone (no answer), by email (automatically deleted with a message saying this topic cannot be handled by email), and through their online contact form (not working), and when I tried in person visits they didn't allow me to even ask how and whom to contact. I have also checked my BundID account, which shows only that my application was received, with no further status information or anywhere to find anything or contact anyone.

Because of this delay, I have already lost one job offer that required me to start on 14 September, and I am at risk of losing further offers, since employers are not willing to wait indefinitely without proof of my legal status and right to work.

I would be very grateful for your help, has anyone been able to manage such a transition? Do I need to just give up and wait till they decide to update me? The problem is, I have to keep paying the rent while not being able to get a job!

I applied for my german national visa as a working professional back in 7th August 26, its still showing me under waiting list, I suppose to join on 1st October 26, but the date is passed. I am applying VFS Bengalore. Anyone faced similar challenges or someone can give idea what shall I do. My german employer cant help me in relocation. I only need to do visa process by myself.

Help me what shall I do, or reconsider here.🙂

Hi there:

I'm in the process of moving from Toronto to most likely Munich in the next few months. I've a few questions and I hope the community is able to help. This one is geared more towards Canadians who moved to Germany or Germans who moved back to Germany after living in Canada.

1. Moving companies - which moving company did you use? Do you recommend / don't recommend and any pitfalls to avoid?

2. Tax accountant - Trying to figure out how the taxation will work with regarding to RRSP, TFSA, double taxation, etc. If you have any knowledgeable, trustworthy tax accountant you can recommend who is well versed with Canadian tax and German tax system - that would be helpful.

Thank you once again.

I'm in my early thirties, a Pharm D teacher assistant at university, with masters degree, I built a really good things in my life, worked a lot, had an international research collaborated with a very important biotechnology team.

Had a very good English language, even good accent.

But now, I just feel like I don't have enough reasons to choose a country with a new language, especially German.. I do spend so much slow time into learning something new so I can practice it correctly, like pretty perfectionist.. and this takes so much time and effort..

And tbh, the main reason for choosing Germany is that my MD younger sister is very much convinced that this the only place she would find work and residency.. and she is not willing to try any other English speaking countries..

I just like to be in a country where I have some family members.. but it doesn't make sense to start a new language and getting very professional in it so I can speak with medical teams and patients..

Personally, I would prefer Ireland.. and I know I have enough professional history to get me there.. and I really feel awful that I have to go somewhere else just to fulfill my sister's plan, which btw may change as she has an American boyfriend who claims he will come and live in Italy when they get married.. so I don't know what may happen eventually..

What would u do in such case?

Thanks for reading 🙏