Phishing scams seem to be all the rage these days – don’t fall for this one as your holiday packages start to arrive! Beware of text messages from the “Zollamt” or any other links from unknown senders…
I had just ordered gifts for friends from Amazon, very excited, and therefore vulnerable to deception…
We were almost crying with laughter when we saw this gem on the auslanderhacks Instagram page: could technology from the 1980s really be the answer to all our first-world third-country problems? Read on to find more about #FaxHack.
What is an A1 Bescheinigung? Why might I need it? How do I get it? If you are living and working not just in Germany, but also other EU and EFTA countries, you will eventually be asked to get an A1 Bescheinigung. It’s so that both (or all!) EU/EFTA countries in which you work can figure out where you’re covered when it comes to social security.
Like many things German-bureaucracy related, experiences vary depending on your caseworker, the wind, and the position of the moon divided by your appointment date. Just kidding. Sort of… I’m sharing my timeline and experience to give you a ballpark idea of what to expect.
Are you a member of a religion that is subject to church tax in Germany? Considering leaving the church? You’ll need to go through a process called Kirchenaustritt.
Once you’ve been in Germany for a few years, the restrictions imposed on your work permit might melt away with the magic words “Erwerbstätigkeit gestattet” or “Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt”. But these words can be misleading and have been known to put freelancers in a tight spot. We explain the confusing caveats of “free access to the job market”.
This article is dedicated to immigrants and expats seeking help for burnout symptoms in Germany. It’s a topic that is close to my heart. The more clients I help who have faced this issue, the more I realise how important it is to get this information out there.
It’s taken me years, but I’ve finally unlocked the secrets to winning over German bureaucrats, and I’m here to share six of them with you.
Saving energy is a big topic of discussion right now in Germany with the prices of gas and electricity going up by the day. Here are some of our energy-saving tips to lower your bills in the coming months and help the planet, too. This is also a space to share your own tips and tricks for saving energy – just leave a comment below with any ideas you have…and let’s all get through this together!
As much as we love sending and receiving care packages, there’s nothing less “merry” than opening a package in front of the Zollamt worker containing those cute undies your mom just had to include with her homemade cookies (true story). Or having a Zollamt worker sniff the armpits of your items of clothing (also a true story). Pretty funny in retrospect – but the trip to the public office and sitting in the waiting room was annoying. Even worse is when you have to pay a tax to receive your package – whether it was a gift or you ordered it yourself. Luckily, there are ways to avoid this trip and give you more time for baking cookies and watching your favorite holiday films.
Here’s everything you or your loved ones need to know about the Zollamt and how to avoid your package ending up there.
The Federal Constitutional Court declared the Berlin rent cap “unconstitutional” this morning at 9:30 a.m.… Read more
Welcome to Berlin! Now that you’re here, you’ll need a place to hang your hat. It’s easier said than done.
