First snow of winter 2022 crosses Germany

Many people in Germany may have woken up this morning to a sprinkle of white on the tree branches outside. It’s time to fish out your winter jacket and woolly hat, as temperatures... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

All mobile phones in Germany to receive alerts on Warning Day on December 8

No cause for panic: On December 8, 2022, Germany will have another official warning (Warntag). From sirens to emergency alert text messages, here’s what you can expect on the day... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

The Anmeldung: 16 tips on getting an address registered in Germany

The Anmeldung (registration appointment) is the process of registering your residential address with the local citizen’s office (Bürgeramt). In Germany, everyone who is staying in... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Court rules Berlin’s 2021 local elections must be rerun within 90 days

Following a series of organisational blunders during Berlin’s 2021 local elections, the city’s constitutional court has ordered an official revote for February 2023. Berlin court... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Dresden picked for Lonely Planet's top global destinations in 2023

The state of Saxony might not be high up the list of tourist destinations in Germany, but popular travel guide Lonely Planet is encouraging people to think again: its state... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German winter gas supplies now at 100 percent capacity

As temperatures drop and winter hits Germany it has been announced that the country’s gas storage facilities have now reached full capacity.  German gas storage at full capacity... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Germany lowers voting age to 16 for future EU elections

The German Bundestag has approved a motion to lower the legal voting age to 16 for elections to the European Parliament, on the basis that the younger generation is particularly... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Germany to introduce 200-euro cinema and concert pass for 18-year-olds

The German government has announced it will follow in France’s footsteps by introducing a 200-euro culture pass for 18-year-olds to use at cinemas, museums and concert halls ... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German government nationalises Russian gas giant subsidiary

On Monday the German government announced that it would nationalise SEFE, the daughter company of billion-dollar Russian energy corporation Gazprom. Germany nationalises Russian... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Bürgergeld citizens’ income reform rejected by the German Bundesrat

The German government's planned overhaul of the controversial Hartz IV social benefits system has been halted as the reform fails to pass a Bundesrat-level vote. Bürgergeld... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German property prices sink for the first time in 12 years

According to estimations by the Association of German Bond Banks (VDP), the cost of buying a house in Germany has sunk for the first time since 2010. Meanwhile, rents continue to... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

5 things freelancers and self-employed expats need to know about their taxes

Germany is famous for its bureaucracy. And - guess what - the burden for freelancers is even bigger. But don’t panic! Melchior Neumann from the freelance tax app Kontist lays down... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Deutsche Bahn services cut by Swiss rail due to repeated delays

Deutsche Bahn ICE train services between German cities and the Swiss alpine city of Chur will be cut from December 11, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has announced. Deutsche Bahn’s ... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Berlin’s 17-million-euro seesaw unity memorial to be unveiled in 2023

After years of planning and unmet deadlines, Berlin’s new moving unity memorial is expected to be unveiled next year. Berlin unity memorial to open in 2023 A new freedom and... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Majority of Germans condemn the protest methods of climate activists

After a series of protests against sluggish government climate policy, a survey has found that a large majority of Germans are unsympathetic to activists’ tactics. Majority of... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German words expats should know: Assi

Question: what word can you use to describe something that’s a bit crummy, low-quality, annoying, lazy, bad - or even a person who embodies some or all of these things? Answer:... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Which German states are the happiest in 2022?

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, an energy crisis and high inflation rates, Germans are pretty happy in 2022! Germans happier in... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

KFC app suggests customers mark Kristallnacht anniversary with cheesy fried chicken

US fast food chain KFC has apologised after its German app suggested customers should commemorate the Kristallnacht anti-Semitic pogrom by ordering food. KFC app alert tells... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Health Minister Lauterbach says Germany must reduce overnight hospital stays

Germany's health minister, Karl Lauterbach, wants to reduce non-urgent hospital stays in an attempt to relieve overworked doctors and medical staff. Lauterbach calls for fewer... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German government announces biggest child benefits rise in history

From next year, parents in Germany will receive higher child benefit payments, the federal government has announced. The FDP has called it the biggest child benefits hike in... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Majority of Germans want to boycott Qatar World Cup, survey finds

Amid a series of fan protests and revelations of homophobic comments made by Qatar’s World Cup ambassador, an online survey has revealed that the majority of Germans support a... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Hamburg’s HVV to raise public transport prices come 2023

Tickets for public transport in Hamburg will increase in price by an average of 3,2 percent come the new year. Rates for children and senior citizens will stay the same. Hamburg... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

This day in history: Why is November 9 such a significant date in Germany?

November 9 is a significant date in German history - witness to so many momentous occasions that it has become known as the country’s “Day of Fate” (Schicksalstag). From the... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Get your tax questions answered by the English-speaking experts at GeTEx

No matter whether you’re a self-employed worker with a business tax question, or a regular employee wanting advice on your annual return, it can still be difficult to find tax... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

8-year-old German girl freed after being kept inside for seven years

A young girl in the northern German town of Attendorn has been freed by police after allegedly being kept inside by her maternal family for the majority of her life. German girl... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

DB to offer 1 million extra ICE tickets for just 17,90 euros each way

Deutsche Bahn has launched a week-long sale, offering discounted tickets for less than 20 euros each way. But you've got to move quickly, as the offer is limited to 1 million... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Munich authorities fine landlord for charging too little rent

A landlord in Munich has been fined thousands by local tax authorities after charging his tenants rent that was deemed to be "too low". Munich landlord fined for charging below... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German pensions to rise in 2023 with contribution hikes on the horizon

As usual, pensions in Germany are set to go up next summer, according to a new report seen by Bild am Sonntag. As Germany struggles to retain the sustainability of its pension... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German football fans protest Qatar World Cup at Bundesliga’s last matches

German football fans have been using the last matches of the Bundesliga to protest conditions of the fast-approaching Qatar World Cup. Bundesliga football fans protest Qatar... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

How learning German will help you integrate more quickly

Integrating in Germany doesn’t happen overnight, but learning the local language sure helps speed up the process. Christopher Robinson from Alpadia Language Schools explains how... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Germany's 49-euro ticket coming 2023: What you need to know

It’s official: early next year Germany will welcome a follow-up to the 9-euro ticket. The nationwide monthly ticket - dubbed the “Deutschlandticket” - will offer unlimited travel... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Stolpersteine: A history of Germany's stumbling stones of remembrance

Stolpersteine have been in Germany since 1992. We take a deeper look into the origins of the stumbling stone Holocaust memorial project that has spread across every corner of... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

German woman calls police after finding spider in car

There are many reasons why you might want to get in touch with the police in Germany - perhaps to report a burglary, make a noise complaint, or something more serious - but for... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

Berlin city employee charged with stealing 175.000 euros of disability benefits

An employee at Berlin’s Tempelhof-Schöneberg district office has been charged with embezzling 175.000 euros of disability support money for benefit recipients.  State employee... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 2 years ago

How you could pay less if your internet is too slow in Germany

Under new legislation, consumers in Germany will soon be entitled to reduce their bills if internet speeds are substantially below their contract minimum. | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 3 years ago

German carmaker VW goes meat-free in canteen

German carmaker VW has announced that meat dishes will be removed from another of its staff canteens, to provide vegetarian and vegan employees with more ch... | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 3 years ago

German government plans stricter controls for dog owners and breeders

The government wants to impose stricter controls on dog owners and breeders in Germany, by enshrining in law a dog's right to exercise and stimulation. | Continue reading


@iamexpat.de | 4 years ago