Hi everyone,
I recently got selected for a part-time cashier job at a supermarket in Germany. I came to Germany with a Chancenkarte and currently have Dr. Walter insurance.
The hiring manager told me that I need to switch to a public health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) before I can start working. However, when I contacted public health insurance providers, they said they need my employment contract (Arbeitsvertrag) before they can register me.
Now I’m stuck in a loop:
The employer says I need public insurance before I can start.
The insurance company says they need my employment contract first.
Has anyone been in a similar situation with a Chancenkarte? How did you solve it? Is there a way to get public insurance before starting work, or should my employer provide the employment contract first?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm not sure if this is the right place for a personal work situation, but since this is a community with many people living and working in Germany, I'd appreciate some opinions and advice.

I've been with my company for over 4 years. Last year I asked for a raise after 3 years with the company. I got a very small increase, and my manager said we'd revisit it in a year.

After one year, the manager moved to another role, and my new Tech Lead told me that if I met a few specific goals over the next 6 months, we'd review my salary again.

The Tech Lead was later laid off, and now the CTO is my manager. I explained the situation to him, and he asked me to write down everything that had been agreed with my previous manager. I did, without mentioning any salary numbers.

That was about 3 weeks ago.

About 10 days later, I sent a follow-up, but got no response. Since then, he's also ignored a couple of messages about system access that only he could grant.

The only time I got a response was during a daily meeting where he joined specifically to discuss other topics (he normally doesn't attend our dailys). During that meeting, I mentioned that I was blocked because I didn't have access to a platform, and he gave me access immediately.

We've always had a good professional relationship, and I've had no performance issues or conflicts with anyone.

At this point, would you send another follow-up, ask for a 1:1, or start looking for another job?

What would you do?

Received this message a few minutes ago and it obviously looks fake to me. Has anyone received anything alike?

Thanks

It is a well known thing in the US but I am curious to know if Germans are aware of this delicious combo. It is super simple and works well here because the bread is amazing and the produce is fresh.

It's a white bread, could be kaiser or anything else, with Mayo. Then a slice of tomato or two added with salt and pepper

Hi everyone,

I opened and funded a Fintiba blocked account for a German visa application. I am applying for the visa from Kenya

My funds have been reflected in my Fintiba blocked account statement since June 19, and I also submitted the requested source-of-funds documents around that time. It has now been a month, but I still have not received my blocking confirmation.

I also purchased the insurance package through Fintiba, but I have not received the insurance documents either. These documents are needed for my visa process.

I have followed up through Fintiba tickets and email, but I have not received a clear substantive response. I also tried calling their support number, but I could not reach an agent. The timer in my Fintiba account also appears to keep changing/resetting without a clear explanation, which makes the process even more confusing.

At this point, I am seriously considering closing the account and trying to recover my funds, because I am worried about continuing with a provider that is already not communicating properly before I have even arrived in Germany or started receiving payouts. However, I am also concerned that closing the account and getting a refund may also take a long time, based on the experiences I have read and the lack of customer support I am already facing.

I put a lot of work into my visa application, and the only documents still missing are the blocking confirmation and insurance documents from Fintiba. The Embassy will not even review my application without them. I have now been waiting for about a month.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone closed a Fintiba blocked account before submitting a visa application?

2. Did Fintiba require a Sperrfreigabe / release document from the German Embassy even if the visa application had not yet been submitted?

3. How long did it take to receive your money back after requesting closure?

4. Were there major deductions, fees, or exchange-rate losses?

5. Did contacting BaFin or the banking partner help?

6. Has anyone applying from Kenya or through the German Embassy in Nairobi gone through this?

I am not asking for legal advice, just practical experiences from people who have gone through this or know how the process works.

Thank you.

I moved to Germany in February. I currently speak a B1 in German, but I am in an integration course to improve it even more, and I plan on attending language courses to get to at least a C1 level, but that will be some time.

Yesterday I had an interview with a cafe that I am super excited about working at. It is a short walk from both where I live and where I do my integration course.

The interview was completely in German, and although I feel like I could've done better, they did compliment my German skills and invited me to a trial day next week. I will be there for two hours.

I interviewed with two people, one spoke loud and clearly and I could understand everything just fine, but the other one mumbled and spoke very quietly and I had to ask the other for clarification every time. The person who mumbled also had a hard time understanding my German, whereas the other one did not. The one who mumbled is the one who I will be working with for my trial day so I am a bit nervous about that.

I do plan to speak to all of my colleagues in German unless they offer to speak in English. I plan on memorizing the menu items and ingredients in case they want to see my serving skills. I will also touch up on serving language through DW.

I have never been a server before, though, and they know that as well. I do have experience as a barista so I'm not as nervous about my coffee making skills.

What should I expect for my 2 hour trial shift? I cannot find any information about it online other than people saying it's just so companies can get free work - but I don't think that is the case here as it is only 2 hours that I will be there, and it is a super small locally owned coffee shop.

Is there anything else that I should know?

Does anyone here have experience with mock interviews in recruiting?

Hi everyone,

I'm 27(w) years old and currently preparing for several job interviews in German.

I do get invited to interviews, but I often struggle to show my full potential because I get very nervous.

I was wondering if there are any recruiters or HR professionals here who have experience with mock interviews and would be willing to share their insights or help me practice. I'd really appreciate a private message if anyone is interested.

Thank you very much!

Does anything here ever run on time? Today it’s the RE2. Same shit as always. I use this line three times a week, and since it opened, not a single one of my trains has been on time.

Deutsche Bahn clearly doesn’t give a fuck, and I’m beyond fed up with it by now. I’m constantly running because I’m late for important appointments. And yes, I already take an earlier train, but I still regularly end up standing on the platform for ten minutes and coming too late.

The announcements always come far too late as well. When the train is already six minutes late, you idiots don’t need to announce a five-minute delay.

Just now, an ICE came flying through without any announcement, then a FlixTrain, and only afterwards were we told that our train was now ten minutes late because of “damage to the train.” I don’t believe a single thing they say anymore.
And of course, the display inside the train isn’t working either.

Suck my balls, DB. No wonder everyone is so fucking aggressive.

I joined a local choir in Leipzig expecting weekly rehearsals and maybe an occasional performance. At the second meeting I was handed the Satzung, asked to vote for a Kassenprüfer, and watched a twenty-minute debate about which version of the club logo could appear on a flyer. Everyone was friendly, but nobody found any of this unusually formal.

Where I’m from, hobby groups are normally run by one organizer or a business. Here even a casual choir has bylaws, a board, meeting minutes, and an annual assembly. I didnt expect that much structure around something people do after work for fun.

I actually like members having a voice. Is traditional Vereinsleben still common among younger Germans, or are people mostly choosing informal groups now?

I see so many people commenting about this case, but they mostly concentrate on Spahn not practicing what he's preaching.

But what is your opinion on the actual issue? Should the legislation be changed or should surrogate motherhood remain illegal?

EDIT: It would be really interesting if everybody wrote their gender, and country (if not from Germany). I am a German man - for those who didn't look at my username 😉

As most "expats" will know, HousingAnywhere has a huge scam problem. Since it is an English first platform that is primarily used by people moving from other countries, it has been a hotbed for scams and shitty companies (looking at you Habyt)

But at least their rating system used to be fair and transparent which gave a good picture of the landlord. Lo and behold, they have started doing automatic ratings. If you moved in successfully and you didnt answer the survey sent by HousingAnywhere to you on your email, they have put a 5 star rating for that landlord on your behalf.

This is obviously very problematic as it does not paint an accurate picture of real experiences.

Thus my PSA to everyone, when looking at a landlord on HousingAnywhere - check how many of their reviews are autorated and how many are user submitted. And as always, especially stay the fuck away from Habyt and Helen - they will scam their own mothers. Recently they've even gone on a cleanup spree and Trustpilot has removed legitimate user reviews left by real people (such as myself) because of German defamation laws. I even tried to fight it but to no avail. So please be sus of everything. Although this post was not triggered due to Habyt, I still cannot go a single day without making sure other people do not fall prey to them like I did.

This post was made because of another "co-living" company called Mietbase / 089 Apartments / Arivon Service gmbh - as another reviewer in the human reviews posted, it will all be good with them till things go wrong, then it'll be unanswered calls, texts, emails, etc.

Hello everyone,
My name is Roman, I am 20 years old, and some time ago I fled Ukraine to Germany (I now live in Stuttgart). I am writing this post to share my story, hopefully connect with people who had similar experiences, and get some advice on my future here.
Back in Ukraine, my life was extremely dynamic. Like many young guys in Eastern Europe, my career started early – at just 17, I began working on construction sites. I worked hard and parallel to that, I was working on my studies. Regarding my vocational background, I am a certified tractor driver, harvester operator, truck driver, and agricultural machinery mechanic because I absolutely love agriculture. On the tech and IT side, I taught myself electronics repair for phones, laptops, and PCs, and later transitioned into studying computer engineering. My career grew quickly: at 18, I started working as a warehouse worker for agricultural spare parts, and by 19, I became a Facility Manager. In that role, I was managing operations for three regional branches, which came with a company car and a lot of responsibility. Right before I had to leave the country, I was even offered a job as a Regional Sales Manager.
When I arrived in Stuttgart, the contrast was overwhelming. There were no endless fields like back home, everything was completely foreign, and I didn't speak a word of German. I’ve always been a positive person, but the stress of the relocation threw me into a deep depressive episode. Because of the double burden of finishing my diploma project online (my final exam was on June 23rd) while trying to adapt, I fell behind in my language classes. My integration course moved on to A2, while I got stuck at A1.1. I felt completely isolated and useless because none of my practical skills mattered without communication.
A while ago, the pressure became too much to bear, and I fell into dark crisis thoughts (including thoughts of suicide). I felt completely lost. One evening, I just packed my bags, got on a train to Munich at 8 PM, and ended up sleeping on the street. The next morning, I traveled to the Alps because seeing the mountains had always been my dream. I climbed the Jochberg, and there, looking at the view, I cried for the first time in months. In that moment, I decided that I want to live, fight, and build my future here.
I came back to Stuttgart with a clear mind: I promised myself to master the language no matter what. My diploma is now completely finished, so I can finally focus 100% on learning German. Currently, I volunteer at local Repair Cafés, and they’ve even offered me the opportunity to run my own electronics repair workshop there. My ultimate goal is to start an apprenticeship (Ausbildung) as an electrician or radio electronics technician. I am also very interested in agricultural technology, public service, or the security sector.
Has anyone here gone through a similar journey? How did you manage to jump from A1 to a level where you could actually start an Ausbildung? Are there any businesses or farms in the Stuttgart area known for giving people a chance even if their German is still basic?
Thank you so much for reading. I am incredibly grateful for the safety and opportunities Germany has given me, and I genuinely want to give back to society.
(Note: Translated with Gemini)

For context- i moved to new building 2 months ago. It has glasfaser ID connection already so in theory internet shouldn’t take long. But i got contract from 1&1 and they have telekom as provider to lay fiber optic cable(but think is fiber optic cable is not required since its already laid out) .

What telkom does is they would send me link to book appointment but keep cancelling for last 2 months. But at same time if i decide to go with telekom they would turn internet connection on within a day.

1&1 has send me 400GB modem 5G free of cost until they get me internet. But my question is isn’t this classic case of monopoly where telekom is essentially indirectly asking customers to join their network otherwise they wouldn’t let other providers connect.

Im not even sure if i can cancel my 1&1 contract and go to telekom now.

My roommate, who paid the Rundfunkbeitrag, has moved out. In the meantime, my other roommate has registered the apartment under their name. My question is, will I receive a new Aktenzeichen by mail so that I can register under the new Beitragsnummer? Or does this all happen automatically?

Hello. I have a super spraipres ticket. Upon boarding, the app told me my connection has been cancelled. I tried to look for an alternative, but all required a previous reservation. I went to the DB information office at my original stop and the worker said I could take ICE 146, and even printed me the itinerary.

But the itinerary also says a previous reservation is required. Can I/should I board it anyway and explain if there's ticket inspection?

Hello east side neighbours, my partner and I are taking a moped tour through Germany. We’ve Googled a lot about differing traffic rules in the Netherlands and Germany, but there’s one thing we can’t figure out. In the Netherlands, as a moped, you are allowed to enter a street marked with the following sign (but this isn't a very well-known rule). Is this allowed in Germany as well?

Hello,

I applied for a car loan from santander bank though a autohause and all the documents was provided and contacted is signed.. but it been weeks now no response from santander bank and autohaus says I will get a email .. it’s almost the pickup date now. Any one having experience on processing time after approval?

TL;DR: can I buy a portable AC unit in the not hot months in Germany?

So my husband and I have a portable AC unit that is +10 years old. It works ok but over time has become less effective and we think after this summer it will be time to buy a new one. Will it be possible to buy an AC unit after summer when they are usually cheaper?

This may seem like a silly question, but we have not always had luck buying things out of season in Germany (clothing, home goods, pest control, etc). We are Americans where it is normal to buy things in their off season, but in the past when shopping in Germany it is not always the case. One time when asking for ant traps, I was given crazy looks and was told, “You should have bought them in spring time. You can only buy those then when there are ants.” And I told the sales person that I had ants in my kitchen now in the autumn. She shrugged, said she couldn’t help me and walked away; typical German customer service.

Has anyone (German or otherwise) experienced this and can help us with our AC query? Thank you!

I'm travelling to Munich from Canada. I'm a 22 year old male going to visit some old family places and just a general vacation. What should I check out? I will be arriving July19th until July29th. My German is quite rusty as I haven't spoken it much since I was little but regardless I am not too worried about it, I can use a translator when needed. My question to anyone out there is what things would you recommend I check out while I'm in Munich. I'm into everything, history, cars, fitness, etc. I might take a couple day trips to other cities (and neuschwanstein castle) but I will primarily be in Munich and the surrounding area. I'd like to meet lots of people, and experience as much as possible while I'm there. If you have any suggestions that I may not have on my list, restaurants or gathering places, festivals, etc. I would greatly appreciate it. This is my first time to europe. Even if it's basic and touristy, every suggestion would be amazing. I would like to experience and meet people. Thank you for your time and for reading this far.

Hello everyone!

I need some honest advice on German car-buying. I live in the Netherlands and found a great car in Germany, but it's a solid 5-hour drive (about 500 km) away from me.

Honestly, I don't want to spend 10 hours on the highway for nothing if the car turns out to be a total lemon. To minimize the risk, my plan is to double-check everything over the phone and then arrange an independent pre-purchase inspection from a distance before I actually make the trip.

Since I don't know the seller, I want to make absolutely sure there is zero local bias. I want to avoid any "favors" or fake positive checks from a friendly neighborhood garage.
I’m currently weighing three options and would love to hear your thoughts:

DEKRA Gebrauchtwagen-Check: I book an appointment online at a DEKRA station close to the seller (about 7 km away) and ask them to drive the car there.

Mobile Kfz-Gutachter (Independent Inspector): I hire an independent, mobile vehicle inspector to go directly to the seller and check the car on-site.

Independent garage further away: I find a random garage at least 10 to 15 km away from the seller (to guarantee they don't know each other) and have the inspection done there.

My questions for you:
From your experience, what’s the safest and most practical way to handle this when buying from abroad?

Do DEKRA inspectors stay strictly objective, or can they be easily influenced if the seller is standing right next to them?

Is the extra money for a mobile Kfz-Gutachter actually worth it?

Any tips, warnings, or personal stories would be highly appreciated! Thanks! 🙏

My neighbors are moving out of their penthouse soon, and they have a beautiful piano that's worth upwards of €5,000. The place they're moving to can't accommodate it, and they haven't been able to find a buyer.

They asked if I wanted to buy it, and I told them straight up that I don't currently have a job, so I can't afford it. It also means I don't know whether I'll be moving myself. I know I'll be staying until the end of the year, but after that I honestly have no idea.

They then made me another offer: I could keep the piano until they find a buyer, or, if I eventually decide to buy it when I can afford it, they'd be happy to let me pay in installments. If I end up moving before then, they said they'd cover the cost of having it moved—either to the eventual buyer, or into storage.

On paper, it sounds like a win-win for everyone. The thing is, I don't know them very well since I only moved into the building about a year ago, so I'm worried this could turn into a headache later.

Legally speaking, are there any red flags I'm missing? For example, what happens if they can't find a buyer for a long time, or if they later change their mind about paying to move it? Moving a piano is expensive, and I'd be in a difficult position if I ended up being responsible for it.

Would it be unreasonable to ask them for a simple written agreement stating that they remain the owners of the piano and will cover the cost of moving it if I can no longer keep it?

For context, I do play the piano, and I'd genuinely love to have it—even temporarily. I just don't want to make a decision that could come back to bite me.

Hi, Germans.

Is there a reason why so many of you drive unnecessarily in the middle or left lane in the Netherlands, especially on the A12?

Don’t you know you’re supposed to keep to the right whenever possible? The overhead signs indicate that a lane is open whenever there’s no red X above it.

It really stands out that many Germans seem to think the right lane is lava.

It’s mind blowing to me that German tourists would come to hotel in foreign country , spend 3-4k euro and then take back home 6 empty bottles to get what? 1.5€ back

I’ve seen that like 20x this summer.

For clarification they bring full bottles from Gernany and return them empty, not foreign bottles back to DE.

So, what’s stopping them with taking back home all papers trash? Or other plastic garbage for which they won’t get money back? They’re not afraid this plastic won’t be properly recycled ? They’re concerned only about plastic worth 25c each?