r/MovingtoGermany

Hey everyone 😊

I’ve been doing quite a bit of research into the Approbation process in Germany for doctors who qualified outside the EU, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have actually gone through it because sometimes first-hand experience tells you the little things the official checklists don’t!

I’m particularly interested in experiences from Uganda 🇺🇬** or elsewhere in East Afric**a, but honestly, if you qualified outside the EU and went through the process in Germany, please feel free to share your experience too!
Aside from the German language requirements (B2/Fachsprachprüfung), what documents did you actually need when applying for Approbation?

I’ve come across things like the medical degree, transcript, detailed university curriculum/syllabus, theoretical and clinical hours, clinical rotation records, internship documents, medical registration, Certificate of Good Standing and work-experience letters but I’m curious to know what the authorities actually asked you for.
Also, which Bundesland did you apply in, and how was the process there?

Most importantly: is there any document you wish you had obtained from your university, hospital or medical council before leaving your home country?

I’m trying to avoid the dreaded “Oh, you need this one random document from five years ago” situation once already in Germany.
Any experiences, tips or even things to avoid would be really appreciated. And if you’d rather not share publicly, my DMs are open too
Thank you!💕

I’m an Asian and currently living in Germany with my German boyfriend. We had a major argument last night, and I ended up telling him I’m seriously considering breaking up.

There are two main issues.

The first is his family.

When I first arrived in Germany, his mother made me feel extremely uncomfortable about not speaking German yet. She spoke German around me even though I couldn’t understand anything, made comments that felt mocking about my lack of German, and I felt like I had to repeatedly prove to her that I was actually trying to learn.

On my very first day here, we went to a restaurant and I struggled to order in German. The server became visibly annoyed with me, and his mother just sat there without helping.

His father is less intense, but he also constantly pushes me to do everything in German.

Recently, my boyfriend himself commented that he had realized his mother seems prejudiced against Middle Eastern men. I responded that I wasn’t surprised, because from the beginning I had already felt that she had some xenophobic/racist attitudes based on how she treated me.

Instead of understanding what I meant, my boyfriend became defensive and said something like, “No, she’s fine with women. We weren’t talking about you.”

That frustrated me because my point wasn’t that she specifically hates me. My point was that her behavior toward me had already made me notice a pattern.

These early experiences affected me more than I expected. For a long time I became anxious about going outside alone, doing errands in German, meeting his friends, or spending time with his family because I felt like I would constantly be judged.

The second issue is my boyfriend himself.

He has been unemployed for around two years. He is German, has a bachelor’s degree in a field with decent career options, speaks the language, and is good with numbers.

Meanwhile, I’m a foreigner here, my degree isn’t directly related to what I’m doing, my German is still a work in progress, and I’ve still managed to find part-time work and get interviews while continuing to study German and apply for other jobs.

What bothers me isn’t simply that he doesn’t currently have a job. It’s that I don’t see much urgency from him.

He often sleeps around 11 hours, goes to bed very late, wakes up in the afternoon, smokes, and generally seems comfortable with his current situation because he receives unemployment benefits and also makes some money from crypto.

He says he has been trying very hard to find work, but from my perspective his daily behavior doesn’t match that.

One example really upset me. He accused me of never sending him a CV template I had made for him. I was sure I had sent it. We checked our messages, and it turned out I had sent it — he simply never opened it.

That made me realize I’m starting to feel like I’m responsible for pushing his life forward.

I work, clean the house, study German, prepare for interviews, and keep looking for better work. I don’t expect him to have the exact same personality or productivity level as me, but I need to feel that my partner is actively building a future with me.

My biggest fear is financial security.

If his unemployment benefits stop and his crypto income becomes unreliable, my part-time income cannot support both of us. I’m scared that if I build my long-term life around this relationship, I could eventually end up financially trapped or even without stable housing.

At the same time, he does love me and has been incredibly generous toward me. He takes care of me in many ways and has even helped my family financially in the past, including paying off a debt for my father.

That’s why I feel guilty.

But I’m starting to think that love and generosity might not be enough if I don’t feel safe about our future, and if being with him also means permanently dealing with a family environment where I don’t feel accepted.

Last night I told him I wanted to break up.

Am I being unreasonable or too demanding? Or are these legitimate compatibility issues to end a long-term relationship over?

Excuse my bad English human generated text: I meet a lot of students from different sports of the world in Germany but mostly Asia, cause I work in the international office at my uni . and it's so sad to see soooo many internationals (bachelor and Master) who are working as a food delivery or cleaning dishes or the so called legally below the minimum wage slavery Jobs, instead of a respected Werkstudent or an internship or a Junior Job, cause the Job market for entry levels is basically dead and the German candidate will always be the better choice to the company mainly cause of the language and culture barriers. I know in some countries especially in India they STILL sell the dream of coming to Germany for a Job visa (it called chance card -6 months visa to find a job) or as a student visa and our politicians spread the lie that Germany is super nice for migrants we have a lot fachkräftemangel and a welcoming culture. Which is both BS. There are over 20k unemployed ITlers and each year the freshly grads are stacking over them, plus there is no sign that the economy is getting better cause of Ukraine war. The Iran war, the avengers Infinity war, and the Chinese cheap Ferraris and E Roller, the extremely high cost of energy. So Finding a Job or even an apartment in medium or large cities is suuuuch a big hustle . Even for the native Germans! It's a big Trap 🪤

Hello,
I am currently looking for job opportunities in Germany and europe. But what i am seeing on social media these days is not something related to safe and sound.
Can anyone help me understand the situation in Germany about illegal migration.?
Is it really that bad or is it just social media.?

I’m aware of the 6-month residence rule, where we generally apply through the jurisdiction where we’ve lived for the past 6 months. However, I’m looking for clarification regarding my situation.
I completed my bachelor’s in Bengaluru in 2026 and have now returned to my hometown in MP, which comes under the Mumbai jurisdiction.
If you’re in a similar situation:
Did you apply for your German student visa through Bengaluru or Mumbai VFS?
Had you already moved back home when applying?
Did VFS ask for any residence/jurisdiction proof?
Where did you ultimately lodge your visa application?
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone with a similar experience. Thanks!

As an American wanting to become a citizen of Germany hopefully, I'm not sure exactly where to start. I have started learning german myself for about a month now. I want to be able to go to a university for a degree in cybersecurity while also simultaneously learning german, and being able to work. I know I'll probably need around more than 10 grand to put this plan into motion, but I just need help into figuring out how since im American and dumb. Could someone please just give me the steps I need to take in order to put this plan into motion within the next 2-3 years?

Hi Leute! 👋
I’m a UX/UI / Product Designer from India with 5+ years of experience, currently working in IT, and I’m planning to move to Germany.
I’m considering 3 possible routes:
1️⃣ Chancenkarte 🇩🇪
Move to Germany first and search for jobs locally.
2️⃣ Apply from India 💼
Secure a job offer first and then move with the work visa.
3️⃣ Master’s in Germany 🎓
Study for 1–2 years, build a local network, and then enter the job market.
For those who have already moved to Germany:
Which route would you recommend for someone with 5+ years of experience?
Is it realistic to get UX/Product Design jobs while applying from India?
Does having a Chancenkarte significantly improve job prospects?
Is a Master’s worth it when you already have relevant work experience?
How important is German language proficiency?
Would love to hear your real experiences and what you would do differently if you were starting again. 🇩🇪
Thanks!

Guys i am so much stressed and confused right now., please guide me. I am 28 right now and i want to go to Germany for work for a long time. Till now i was just studying., i have multiple degrees BSc, B.Pharm, D.Pharm, MBA(business anyltics) and i am a pharmacist in india., and im from a middle class family, when moved to metrocity for job most of the companies rejected me due to age factor and no experience despite i have done master some of them offering me just 17k per month. And i cant afford 17k at this age. That demotivates me. I decided to wait for sometime and learn german to go to Germany for ausbildung. Cause i can’t afford to go for education visa or opportunity card due to block account.

I contacted most of the consultancies for ausbildung program., non of them is giving surety that employers will select me. What should i do ?

Visa help

Hi everyone.

I've received an admit for my Master's this winter semester.

Any ideas on when visa slots will open for the Delhi Centre?

Been trying relentlessly since 3 days now, but still no success.

Edit: what's the processing time like?

Another edit: called vfs as well, no update on availability of slots :(

Hi guys, I could not find the answer so far so here is my post:

I will be flying from the US to Frankfurt airport in a few months, bringing my dog with me in the hold. We then want to continue our journey to Cyprus (the EU part, not the occupied part), as we are moving there. I am German and have family in Germany and we want to spend a few weeks with them. In the meantime, I plan on getting the EU pet passport in Germany, as I am still a German resident.

1. Will the pet be revaccinated for the pet passport? We are getting her shot in the US about two months before the flight, so it should still be valid for 10 months after.

2. When we get the EU pet passport, do we need to wait 21 days for it to be valid? Or will it be valid right away, given we are coming from the US with our health certificate and all? If so, I would only stay for 2 weeks and book the second leg of the trip rather sooner than later.

3. Someone told me I could have the USDA health certificate signed off by customs and I would be allowed to travel by plane throughout EU for about 4 months? Is this true? Or will German airlines to Cyprus only accept the EU pet passport?

4. Lastly, if anyone can recommend a good vet around FRA airport or close to Trier, Germany, who can do the EU pet passport, I would be grateful.

Thanks for the answers!

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I am going to start preparing german for ausbuilding and after that move to Germany but alone it will be difficult so I need some good friends who's goal is same as mine

I really wanna move out from here… I studied Germany get b2 level it took me a lot of energy and time/ money.. but things didn’t work out as planned (I have been called up for military service..) This has made me lose my mind, but I ignored it, and now I’m looking for an Ausbildung contract, but I can’t seem to find anything. There’s so much pressure, so many ppl applying. I don’t have enough money to buy a contract. I’m starting to lose my sense of direction. I hate every minute I spend here, and I’m overwhelmed by a feeling of shame…

Assalamualaikum!

I’ve recently been admitted to Bahria University for BS Computer Science, but my goal is to move to Germany after completing my first year. I'm still waiting for NUST's merit lists to see if I get admission there on which case I'll ditch this plan entirely, but I'd like to have some information before hand.

From what I understand, Pakistani students generally have two routes: either complete a foundation/Studienkolleg route in Germany, or complete one year (two semesters) at a recognised university in Pakistan and then apply to a German university using that academic record.

My main target is the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has gone through a similar route, especially regarding:

• Is the one-year university in Pakistan to Germany route still valid?

- What GPA should I realistically target during my first year at Bahria?

- Does TUM consider extracurriculars, projects or a portfolio, or is admission mainly academic?

- What German/English language requirements should I prepare for?

- What are the current tuition fees and other major costs at TUM?

- How does the German student visa and appointment process work from Pakistan?

-Does TUM even offer Computer science? If not then I still have options to pursue Electrical engineering or computer engineering? Will those make it easier for me to get admitted?

- Most importantly, what should I focus on during this entire first year to maximise my chances of getting into TUM?

If anyone has personally transferred/applied to TUM or another German university after studying one year in Pakistan, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and the process you followed.

Hi everyone!

I’m an international student moving to Germany soon and I wanted to ask students who are already there for some advice about what we should do after landing.

I’m mainly confused about the initial process, so it would be really helpful if someone could share their experience.

A few things I wanted to know:

🏠 How did you find accommodation and what should we be careful about while renting a room?

📝 How does the Anmeldung work and how do we register ourselves after arriving?

🏦 Which bank would you recommend for students? I’m looking for something with low or no monthly fees and a good mobile banking app.

📱 Which SIM card or mobile network is affordable and reliable for students?

🩺 Is there anything we need to do regarding health insurance or other important registrations after arriving?

📋 Are there any other important things that we should take care of during our first few days or first week in Germany?

If you’re already studying or living in Germany, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your experience and any tips you wish you had known before moving.

Even a simple first week checklist for a new international student would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance! 🙌🇩🇪

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It’s Frankfurt (Oder) which is on the Polish border not the Bigger Frankfurt am Main

Hi everyone,

I'm an Indian student admitted to Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da) for the B.A. Motion Pictures programme at the Media Campus Dieburg.

I recently received my German national student visa. However, I noticed that my Zusatzblatt says:

“Besuch des Studienkollegs gem. § 16b AufenthG in Darmstadt.”

The problem is that I do not actually need Studienkolleg.

Before applying for the visa, I completed the required aptitude/entrance examination for the Motion Pictures programme, and h_da confirmed that I was admitted directly to the Bachelor's programme.

I contacted h_da again after receiving my visa, and they confirmed in writing:

>

I then asked h_da what I should do about the discrepancy between my visa and my actual admission. They asked whether I had received confirmation from the Motion Pictures Department that I passed the aptitude test.

I confirmed that I had and that I had submitted the result during my visa application.

My main question is:
If I travel to Germany with the visa as it currently stands, could I have problems at the German border because the Zusatzblatt mentions Studienkolleg?

Or would it be possible to enter Germany and have the purpose/details corrected by the Ausländerbehörde after arrival?

Has anyone experienced something similar ,especially a situation where the visa had an incorrect/old Studienkolleg condition but the university had directly admitted them to the degree?

I'm planning to travel to Germany in September, so I'm trying to get this clarified before booking everything.

Thanks!

hello beautiful people, i am a mechatronics engineer and i want to do my masters in germany and i am planning to look for a job right after i graduate to be able to stay there. will i be able to make it or is there still discrimination in europe countries? i am not really passing so i am wondering if germany is a good choice just because also the state universities do not require fee.