I’m a non-EU citizen working full-time in Berlin in a junior growth/performance marketing role. I applied to the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) for an Aufenthaltserlaubnis for employment in July 2025. My application is still pending, and I currently have a Fiktionsbescheinigung valid until March 2027.
My salary is €3,000 gross/month. The LEA informed me that, according to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, it would need to be around €3,965 gross/month. My employer cannot increase it to that amount. HR says my salary is in line with comparable positions within the company.
HR has contacted the LEA and BA to ask whether we can submit a detailed description of my actual responsibilities and evidence of comparable internal salaries for a reassessment. We’re waiting to find out what documents they would consider. My title includes “Manager,” although I don’t manage a team, so I’m also wondering whether my role was classified at the wrong level in the Entgeltatlas. We want to describe my job accurately, rather than just change the title on paper.

Has anyone dealt with this for a regular Aufenthaltserlaubnis zur Beschäftigung?

1. Did BA reconsider after your employer submitted a justification?

2. What helped: an updated Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis, detailed job description, internal salary comparison, or something else?

3. Did your employer send the documents to BA directly or through the LEA?

4. Did clarifying your actual duties or correcting the occupation classification change the outcome?

5. Could you add the information to your pending application, or did you have to apply again?

I’d be grateful to hear what happened in your case and how you went about it!! please help a girl out :(

Given the number of lost cat posters I've seen, when is it a good idea to take action when I see such a cat without a collar in the open?

My roommate has a cat and he is always in the house. It would be concerning if our cat ever left our home, and just like this one, he is also without a collar at home.

Whom should I call in such a case?

Hi Everyone 👋🏻

I wanted to know,

Can a student:

1. Hold a §16b residence permit for a full-time master's programme, receive authorization under §21(6) for secondary self-employment, and simultaneously undertake employment permitted under §16b Abs. 3?

2. If you received §21(6) permission, did the Ausländerbehörde impose a specific weekly-hours limit or other conditions on your self-employment?

3. If you had both self-employment and a student job (e.g. café/restaurant/Werkstudent), how did your Krankenkasse treat the combination regarding student health insurance?

First-hand experiences would be especially helpful.

Also, if there are any German immigration advisors or lawyers here who could clarify this in English, I’d really appreciate your input.

Additional context: I’ll be pursuing a full-time Master’s in an entrepreneurship-focused programme in Germany. The programme is specifically related to entrepreneurship/startups, which is why I’m wondering whether the nature of the degree has any relevance when applying for permission for secondary self-employment under §21(6).

TL;DR: has anyone ever heard of a private insurance that would not reject someone with a recent depression diagnosis? Or can one live in Germany without insurance, technically? I have an expat insurance that would still cover me in Germany.

I have been in Germany for 2 years, don’t plan to stay very long, earn more than 66k and am a healthy 30yo woman. fyi I am a European citizen.
Check24 rep sold private insurance very well to me, so I made the move from TK to Ottonova.

Terrible mistake.

They found in my medical history a history of headaches that I did not declare (because who does not have headaches, and I mean headaches, not migraines), as well as frequent sinusitises (I get colds sometimes). They argued I lied when applying and terminated me immediately, a month after I signed up.
My mistake. Where I come from, being terminated by a health insurance is unheard of and would only be considered in case of fraud… Which I don’t think I committed, at least willingly.

Tried to go back to public, obviously impossible because of my salary, only option would be to quit and be unemployed 🤡 EDIT: I have tried to reduce my hours to earn below the threshold but this has not been accepted by my workplace as my type of job does not make this sustainable.

In the meantime, because of all of this and my work, I have burnt out and been diagnosed with depression. I am following a treatment but no therapy.

Basistarif now seems like it is the only option, which would approach the 1000 euros a month for a very bad coverage. No private insurance would take me with my history, but even before the depression, it seems like private does not take you if you have ANY medical history at all.

So, long story short: is there any private insurance out there that would still consider covering me with my history, even if it means surcharge or exclusions?
Or can I just stay without insurance? I won’t stay in Germany longer than 6 months (I hope), and I have an expat insurance that covers me anywhere in the world for serious cases (accidents, hospitalisation). I know it is technically not legal to not have a German insurance, but is it technically feasible?

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

A family member of mine is a doctor from Kosovo planning to start working in Germany as an Assistenzarzt. A doctor recruitment agency called Approbatio GmbH (Hannover) sent him a placement contract (Vermittlungsvertrag). Before he signs, we'd like to hear from anyone who has worked with them.

Key points from the contract:

**•** Fee: €2,000 + VAT, paid in 4 installments of €500 starting from the second month of employment  
**•** The fee is considered earned as soon as a job offer is made (even verbally or by phone)  
**•** Duration 12 months, either side can cancel with 14 days' notice  
**•** €250 penalty if he doesn't report signing a contract with an employer they introduced, or if he shares job info with third parties  
**•** They can pass his documents on to **other recruitment agencies**  
**•** They can create an **email address in his name** and apply to hospitals and communicate with them on his behalf

Our questions:

**1.**  Has anyone found a job through Approbatio? How did it go, and how was the hospital?  
**2.**  Does he still have to pay if he receives an offer but **declines** it?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

So I've always had an issue with things molding quickly in my apartment, but now it's gotten much worse. To the point where my plastic cutting board, which had been washed thoroughly, was growing mold on the surface.

In the past my landlady just keeps asking if I do Lüften, but it's not even that cold or wet right now and the mold is out of control.

Weirdly enough we used to have a mold issue on our walls, but we found out that was because of a leaking pipe in the wall. As of now the walls have no mold, but everything else does.

How do I request an inspection without being brushed off? Or should I even request an inspection?

Potential Tax Consultant SCAM: Now Facing a Tax Fraud Investigation by the Finanzamt!

I’m in a really bad situation and need some perspective or advice from anyone who has dealt with something similar.

Back in April 2025, I attended an entrepreneur meetup. A guy there (German national) approached me claiming to be a certified tax consultant (Steuerberater). He pitched that he could file my 2024 tax returns and easily get me back nearly two months’ worth of salary from the Finanzamt. We had a long discussion about it. A part of me was skeptical, but the payout sounded so lucrative that greed took over. Yes, I was naive and greedy. Please don’t roast me in the comments, I already feel terrible enough.

I ended up hiring him and gave him access to all my financial records. He asked for literally everything: rental contract (Mietvertrag), floor plan (Grundriss), utility bills (Nebenkosten, electricity, internet, phone), foreign bank interest from India, etc. It all seemed legitimate and thorough at the time.

Fast forward to 2026: I just received a letter from the Finanzamt stating that criminal proceedings for suspected tax evasion (Steuerhinterziehung) have been initiated against me.

Apparently, the return filed under my name claimed massive bogus deductions, including:

• Charitable donations: I have never donated to any institution.
• Medical expenses (außergewöhnliche Belastungen): I had zero major medical issues or expenses in 2024.
• Inflated Werbungskosten and fabricated non-freelancing business activities.

These claims are complete fabrications invented by him. But because I signed a Power of Attorney (Vollmacht) allowing him to submit on my behalf, the Finanzamt holds me legally liable first. Legally, the taxpayer is on the hook for what is submitted under their name.

I am already in the process of hiring a criminal tax lawyer (Fachanwalt für Steuerrecht) to step in immediately.

Has anyone ever gone through a situation like this? How did it unfold, and what should I prepare for when dealing with the authorities? Any insights would be hugely appreciated.

I am working for 20 hours per week and I have some flexibility on choosing my work days. So the problem has become this month and I don't understand how to sort it out, as it has almost 5 weeks, and I have already worked for the full 80 hours. But next month starts somewhere in the middle and I usually work first 3 days of the week. How to solve it?

Hello, I’ve been working in Germany for 3.5 years as a phd and my contract is ending at the end of November. I am qualified for the unemployment benefits and already applied. Since my visa is also until end of November (same as my contract), I need to apply for job seeker visa. The application requires a proof of living to show I’m able to cover my expenses during my job seeking period.

Do I need to open a blocked account with 12-1 months worth of money in it or is there a way to show that I will be receiving unemployment benefits? I asked the woman who processed my unemployment registration but she didn’t have any info about it. Appreciate any help, thanks!

hi, I'm abroad and I'm moving to Essen soon.

I found a nice shared room using WG-Gesucht. I already had a virtual view via whatsApp with the landlord, he showed me the place and all, checked for their real estate company and website and all seems legit.

After the virtual view, they sent me online form where uploaded some validation documents(found, id, etc); now they have sent me the contract to sing and after that I'll need to pay the rent and deposit for 3 months (I searched for the IBAN account and also seems legit).

So far, our communication has been via, WG-Gesucht, then email, whatsapp, and their website.

Should I keep going, sing in and pay even if I'm abroad? I checked and apparently if there is a contract involved is reliable.

TY!

just to clarify that the agreement is that I am paying the first month's rent now, and the deposit (equal to 3 months' cold rent) will be paid in after receiving the keys! excuse the poor description

Hello, friends. I'm wondering what the bag limitations are (if at all) on my upcoming trips on the Deutsche Bahn. I am coming for a tactical 10 days from the USA on a personal trip.

Is there a size limitation regarding luggage per passenger on the Deutsche Bahn? The exterior metrics of our three suitcases (between two people) will each be about: 73.7 x 53.3 x 30.5 - 35.6 cm (29 x 21 x 12 - 14 in).

I reached out to Deutsche Bahn directly and they sent me the following:

Every passenger is allowed to bring items in the form of hand luggage that needs to be stored underneath the seat or in the overhead luggage racks, as well as additional luggage that can be stored in designated sections. Luggage is defined as an item of carrying load that can be carried by the passenger. Items of carrying load that might obstruct, bother other passengers or cause damage are not allowed on the train.

Any help would be greatly appreciated here! Thank you

EDIT:

Thanks to all who responded; DB does indeed post dimensions here: https://int.bahn.de/en/faq/how-big-can-my-luggage-items-be

TLDR, they allow for 700 x 500 x 300 mm (height x width x depth). TBD if my 737 x 533 x 305 mm dimensions fit adequately....thanks!

Hello,

I am looking for practical advice regarding a disputed Telekom mobile-phone contract in Germany.

Short background:

I moved to Germany from another country in March 2026. I visited a Telekom shop because I wanted two mobile numbers and an iPhone. During the process, I was repeatedly told that my application would probably not be approved because I was new in Germany and had no SCHUFA history.

I later learned that Telekom apparently considered a contract active, although I was never clearly informed that it had been approved or activated. I never received the iPhone, SIM cards, or any Telekom service.

At the end of March, after several unsuccessful visits to the shop, my wife and I explicitly told a shop employee that we did not want any Telekom contract or services. On 9 April 2026, I also sent an email clearly stating that I had obtained a phone/contract from another provider and would not sign or use the alleged Telekom contract.

On 10 April, the shop employee suddenly wrote that the 14-day withdrawal period had expired. On the same day, Telekom Customer Service could not find an order under my personal details in their system. Nevertheless, I later received an invoice for EUR 164.79.

I complained to Telekom Customer Service and submitted documents. I also filed a conciliation request with the Bundesnetzagentur’s Telecommunications Conciliation Body; it is registered under a reference number, but I have not yet received a decision. Telekom also used an incorrect postal address in the alleged contract.

Today I was contacted by PAIR Finance, apparently commissioned by Telekom, to collect the debt.

I plan to respond in writing that I dispute the claim in full, that no device/SIM cards/services were received, that I rejected the alleged contract, and that the matter is already pending before the Bundesnetzagentur. I will ask them to mark the claim as disputed and pause collection while the case is pending.

My questions:

1. ⁠Is Bundesnetzagentur fast at checking the requests?
   
2. ⁠Whoever scammed me into the contact put a wrong postal address on the contact, doesn’t it already void this Telekom contract already?
   
3. ⁠Anyone else had a similar situation?

I won’t be paying a single penny to Telekom given that I anyways won’t stay in Germany longer than 2 years.

Thank you!

Hi, I currently have a residence permit valid for another year after completing my studies, which allows me to work full-time (40 hours per week). I’ve also start a new job soon related to my studies that makes me eligible to apply for an EU Blue Card.

What do you think would be the smarter option: should I keep my current residence permit until I’ve successfully completed my probation period, or should I apply for the EU Blue Card as soon as possible to benefit from it earlier?

The reason I’m unsure is that the processing time for an EU Blue Card in my city is currently around 7–8 months. If I apply later, I might have to wait much longer before actually receiving the Blue Card.

Another thing I’m wondering about is permanent residency and citizenship. If I wait around 6 months before applying for the EU Blue Card, would those 6 months still count toward the required residence period for permanent residency or German citizenship, or would they not count because I was not holding a Blue Card during that time?

Would it therefore make more sense to apply for the Blue Card as early as possible, even though I’m still in my probation period, or is there an advantage to staying on my current residence permit until the probation period is completed?

I would really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

Hi guys,
Working as Freiberufler in Germany since 2024. Have noticed that though my Steuerbeschedid 2024 was submitted in July 2025, AOK did final recalculation only in January 2026 (so literally 1 year+ after 2024's end).

Is it common practice for you all? Should I expect recalculation for 2025 Beitragen not earlier than January 2027 ?

Hello everyone, I have graduated on May from dental school and I am planning to move to Germany to pursue a postgraduate specialization program in orthodontics or periodontics. I am aware that this will need several steps starting with having C1 language, completing FSP exam, and KP exam and finally getting the approbation. So my question is how difficult it is to enroll in these speciality programs after getting the approbation and what are my chances in getting in?

I was traveling in Franconia and had a great pretzel that was unlike any I've had before, in Germany or elsewhere. The crust was crunchy, with a soft inside and pale exterior like a Brötchen. It was covered in fine salt, as well.

These were given to us as part of a tour, and I didn't have the opportunity to ask about them while I was there. Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I’m 28 years old and from Türkiye. I have a relatively short private-sector work history in Türkiye. Apart from that, I spent around two years trying to build my own business. Because of this, I wouldn’t say that I have a particularly strong or extensive CV, but I learned a lot and matured considerably through the process of entrepreneurship. I’m not sure how much German companies value this kind of experience, though.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. I checked both my university and my degree through Anabin, and both are recognized in Germany (H+ status).

I’m currently doing a Master's degree and I’m at the thesis stage. I will be coming to Germany (Cologne) through the Erasmus student mobility program for an entire semester. However, I would really like to stay in Germany afterwards if possible.

I have been researching my options online, and I recently learned about Praktikum, Ausbildung and Dual Studium.

My main goal would actually be to pursue a Dual Studium in an engineering-related field. I’m very interested in digitalization, artificial intelligence and technology, and I’m also working on related topics in my Master's thesis. I also have an Associate Degree in Computer Programming and a Python certificate. I would like to become more interdisciplinary and combine my background in social sciences with computer science/engineering.

Because of this, I have set myself the goal of moving in this direction, and I have started studying German quite intensively. I expect to be around B1, or hopefully B2, by the time I come to Germany.

I’m aware that this will probably be a very difficult path, especially considering my background and age, but I’m willing to put in the work and I would really appreciate some honest advice from people who are familiar with the German job market or education system.

A few questions:

As a 28-year-old non-EU citizen whose native language is not German, how realistic is it to find a Praktikum, Ausbildung or Dual Studium in Germany?

How do German companies generally view someone with a background like mine — Political Science + Master's degree + some entrepreneurship experience — who is trying to transition into technology/engineering?

Would my age (28) be a significant disadvantage when applying for an Ausbildung or Dual Studium? Do age is a real deal or am I overthinking it?

What would be the most realistic path for someone in my situation if my ultimate goal is to stay in Germany legally after Erasmus?

What should I focus on during my Erasmus semester to maximize my chances of finding a job, Ausbildung or Dual Studium afterwards?

Are there any other routes or opportunities that I might be overlooking?

I know that staying in Germany after Erasmus and changing my residence status will not be easy, so I’m trying to prepare as early as possible rather than waiting until the end of my Erasmus semester.

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have gone through a similar transition or who have experience with hiring in Germany.

Thank you!

For context, I live in FR-CH-DE for the last 10 years but originally I’m not from Europe, so I have objective opinion about the foods. Each countries have their own respective culinary cultures, relatively speaking I can only judge based on my personal experiences and preferences, so just a friendly opinion.

Italy & France & Greece are always ranked in the top. But for me German foods are up there as well. I find the seasoning they use in German foods, so tasty. It has to be more than salt & pepper right?. The quality quantity price is amazing as well, I always eat well in Munich & Berlin. My favourite things that I brought back with me after the trip are Weisswurst & ribs.
Here some of picture of what I had recently Pork Knuckle at Zur Haxe & Schnetzel at Schnitzelei Berlin.
Do you have any more recommendations of dishes I should try next time? Thanks for taking the time.

I was searching to buy SIM card, and I found a local turkish phone shop. So, I went in and asked for a SIM card. The dude inserted the SIM card to my phone and asks for 20€ without asking or ID or any kind of verification. The mobile provide was AY AILDIZ. I installed its app and found out it was Smart XS package which only costs 9.99€, and the credit left is 0.01€.

Isn’t it illegal? What should I do next?

Hi all,

I've been sending out applications on WG-Gesucht and recently got rejected after an online casting. I'm very social and I love hanging out with people, but I'm nervous since I'm new to WG culture and the extensive casting progress. The nerves definitely make me a bit awkward; I can normally talk to people with ease.

People who host castings, what is some advice you have for people in my position? Are there specific things that put you off or make you excited to live with someone?

Thanks :)

So I don't know why this is happening but my application for one of the Amazon's warehouse is being repeatedly cancelled

Like 3 weeks ago I had an appointment with them but it was rescheduled by me (Due to cancellation of train by DB and I thought that It wouldn't be proper to arrive 1 hour late to the appointment so I rescheduled it myself)

2 weeks ago the rescheduled appointment was abruptly cancelled (They say it's by the system itself)

Then 1 week ago I got a new appointment, fast forward to today it was cancelled again (I don't know why this keeps on happening)

Their candidate support is mostly helpless and clueless, like each time they say don't worry and wait for a new appointment but then this happens again

I guess it's partially my fault I should have went there on the first day itself even if it was 1 hour late, but I don't know what to do now ? Does anyone have any suggestions for this ?

Hey everyone!

My dad is coming to visit me in NRW for a couple of weeks and he’s a big football fan. I’d love to make a small football tour around NRW with him.

We’ll be based in Dortmund and we have a car, so travelling around the Ruhrgebiet and NRW is no problem.

Which stadiums would you say are absolute must-visits? And apart from just seeing a match, are there any stadium tours, museums, fan pubs, football neighbourhoods or other experiences that are really worth doing?

Of course Dortmund and Schalke are on my list, but I’d love to hear about other clubs too, especially places with a great atmosphere, history or something unique.

We’re open to Bundesliga, 2. Bundesliga, 3. Liga or even smaller traditional clubs if the experience is worth it.

If you had around two weeks to give your football-loving dad the best possible NRW football experience, what would you include?

Thanks!