Moving Back to Germany as an American: What to do?
Heyo!
Name's David, and here's my specific situation:
I am a German citizen by birth (born in Germany to a German mother), but have spent most of my life (from childhood to now in my 30s) in the USA.
My wife and I are currently planning on moving to Germany within two years, getting checklists written down and checked-off as we figure out all the things we have to do.
But I've been unsure what being a Germany Citizen makes me eligiable for (or possible excluded from) in regards to moving to Germany, and hoping to get some advice on what resources I can look at, as a lot of websites and guides are focused on helping with immigration.
Thank you for any advice you can give!
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Reply (1)
Hey @ramthundar , Moving to Germany as a German citizen, even if you've spent most of your life outside the country, gives you certain advantages over non-citizens. As a German citizen, you have the right to live and work in Germany without needing a visa or residence permit. However, there may still be administrative steps you need to take when you move, such as registering your place of residence (Einwohnermeldeamt) and taking out health insurance: https://handbookgermany.de/en/health-insurance#faq_1390 Be aware that if you take out private insurance once, you will not be able to switch to statutory health insurance.
We have gathered a lot of information about immigration to Germany on our website https://handbookgermany.de/en It is a website for people from the so-called „third countries“, but you can find useful information also for you there. For example, how to find an apartment: https://handbookgermany.de/en/search-a-flat or how to open a bank account: https://handbookgermany.de/en/bank-account and how to get a driver's license: https://handbookgermany.de/en/driving-licence.
Here is a useful link to learn German online: https://handbookgermany.de/en/learning-german#faq_907
Here you find general information about moving to Germany: https://hallogermany.com/blog/first-steps-germany If you have any further questions after reading the links, please let me know. Best Barbara