Live in Germany-Guide for Pakistanis

Before going anywhere, even to the next city, you need to do some homework and ask yourself some basic things and if you have all the right answers in your favor, you travel.

Some of these questions can be:

• Where should I travel?
• What will I be living?
• Where will I eat?
• On what I will be travelling in?
• Will someone accompany me?
• Should I go by myself or by any travelling agency?
• How much money do I have to spend?

You would probably be guessing that if I give the answer of the last question right in your favor, the other questions are a piece of cake. I probably thought it in that way as well. But everything is not a piece of cake and that’s what I am going to tell you in this article. If you are planning to go to Germany for higher studies or for job, what are the most important things you should do before reaching there.

NOTE: I’m hoping that you already have dealt with all the things related to visa and admission or job related stuff.

Let’s begin!

CONVERSION OF CURRENCY

Before going to any other country, make sure that you have converted your money to their currency and have at least 1000 – 2000 euros with you, for safe side.

ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT

As soon as you arrive at the destination airport, kindly remember that you carry some amount of money so that you can pay for the taxi, at least 20 to 30 cents. If you have not converted your currency into Euros, then go to the bank at the airport. As far as I have come to know, it will not always be a good deal for exchanging money at the airport but what else can we do.

Now coming towards travelling, you have two options to get a ride either you choose bus or a taxi. If you have clothing consisting of more than one bag, a laptop bag and a college bag, it won’t be good if you take a bus and I can totally understand your point. But if you want to save some money and prefer going from the bus then there is a transportation service company called BVG (in Berlin) over there which handles the transportation through buses. Either there will be a machine from where you can buy the bus tickets or there will be guys from this company who can guide you properly. Also, you can take the taxi if you like and have the money.

ACCOMMODATION

As far as I have come to know, finding accommodation in Germany especially in Berlin is harder than getting admission in any of the universities. The prices are not only high but also it is difficult to find.

You can use an app called AirBnB for this purpose which will allow you to rent a house, a hostel or a hotel to live in but the rates can range from 300 to 800 Euros. So, your first priority should be getting a place to live in and for that you should be having enough money.

Once you have reached your house. The first thing you need to do is to pick up the keys. If you are coming on week days, you can go to the office from where you have rented your house. You may be asked to fill some forms to get the key but if you are coming on weekends, make sure to inform them before even taking your flight that you will be coming on this date and time.

Remember key collection is very important.

After that some of the common things are making friends because it will always going to help you. As everyone here use mails, putting your name on the mailing box is another thing. One more thing, a student representative is there in every locality to guide you. Seek his/ her help.

UNIVERSITY

For your first day at university, you have to wake up early and try to reach university first instead of being late on the very first day. The visit to university will obviously cost you, so use the money which you have brought from your home country.

Always remember to carry cash whenever you are travelling.

Now go to the university admin office, fill out your enrollment form and submit your all original documents.

Collect your semester ticket from there as well. Semester ticket is more like an ID card. It will not only be your ID card for university but also will be your travelling pass and it will help you save money.

Lastly, the most important thing in your university which will be worth doing is making friends. Always make friends, try to know other people, it will help you adjust in a new environment.

REGISTERING YOURSELF UP IN THE CITY

BY LAW YOU WILL BE HAVING SEVEN DAYS FOR REGISTERING YOURSELF FOR CITY REGISTRATION!

You need to be having house contract, your visa and your passport for city registration.

Do you have to register yourself only once?

No, you have to register yourself in each and every city where you are travelling or staying even for a month or two.

THE BANK

The next and most important thing which will make sure that you survive in this country is money. Yes, the money which you deposited earlier in your homeland into a block account.

Once you have done your city registration and signed your home contract. Go to the bank, where you had opened your block account with your assport, block account papers, home contract and city registration form and own your precious belonging.

Remember to take all of the above documents.

The bank will send you the debit card first and after few days its password (not both on the same day) through the mailing address, you provided.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Get your health insurance. Decide what insurance you want to have (according to some studies, go for the public one as most employment agencies prefer public insurance). Get your ID card ready along with city registration form to get yourself the insurance, you will be asked to fill up some forms, fill it up and you are ready to go.

VISA EXTENSION

Go to the foreign office for visa extension. You should remember that you only get the visa for three months only here.

SIM CARD

After you are done with every legal thing, you had to do. Just go to a super market and buy a SIM card.

UTENSILS/ HOUSE HOLD ITEMS

Go check IKEA for this purpose, it’s an app for buying household stuff.

SOME IMPORTANT APPS

As you are in a modern country, you must have some latest and time saving apps which may include the following:

• GOOGLE MAP
• GOOGLE TRANSLATOR
• WiFi FINDER
• TRANSPORT APP (If any)
• EVENTBRITE/ MEET UP (If you want to make some new friends and meet new people.)

GET YOURSELF SETTLED

As you have done everything important as described. It is time for you to just sit and relax.

NOTE: Remember NO HOME ACCOMMODATION leads to NO CITY REGISTRATION which leads to NO BANK ACCOUNT, hence NO MONEY.

CONCLUSION

Just a quick reminder, sign your home contract, then city registration and university enrollment, the bank and the health insurance!

I must tell you that you are an amazing person and quite a brilliant reader to make it this far. I hope you like this article and find it interesting and informative and even if you don’t like it, I will make sure that you like the other ones. Gate for constructive criticism is always open, keep in touch.

STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY, BEST OF LUCK!