Here are some links about living and working in Germany that I have personally found useful:
Work Visa & Residency Permit
My own working needs required a visa to work as a freelance English trainer. Most of this information is related to that.
- US Embassy’s webpage about how to obtain a residence & work permit
- German Embassy in the USA info on where and how to apply
- Information from Berlitz about getting visas and such. However,
If you are an American, Canadian or other non-EU citizen, you need to have a permit to reside, and ultimately work in Germany. You can enter Germany with a three-month tourist visa and receive a restricted residency permit. At that time you can apply for a position and, if accepted, begin the process of obtaining permission to work as a freelance instructor. In most cases the visa applications are approved. The fee for obtaining a visa with permission to work as a free-lance instructor is about $40.
Although you may begin working once you have received your residence permit, you will need to go to the tax office (Finanzamt) in your city to get a tax number. By German law, a tax number is required in order to compensate free-lance employees.
- This how-to page talks about residing and working in Germany, and lists the important steps you have to take to register, apply for the visa, etc. This site has a lot of useful information about various practical and cultural aspects of living in Germany.
- This page talks about teaching English in Berlin (& tips on getting the work visa).
- The German Way – getting a resident permit.
- Criminal Records Checks in case you need to present a “certificate of good conduct” (I didn’t)
- How to apply for the self-employment visa in Germany
Life & Culture
- The German Way
- How-To Germany
- US Citizen Services in Germany
- Hamburg English Pages – specific information about Hamburg
- Am-Cham Germany – info on getting a driver’s license
Teaching English
- List of English Language Schools in Germany
- Hamburg English Language Teaching Association (HELTA)
- Article at “The German Way Expat Blog” about teaching English in German-speaking Europe
- Kristi Fuoco’s take on Teaching English in Germany
