Traditional families go to church, followed by dinner with the closest family members, sing some classical songs by the Christmas tree, and are in bed before midnight. However, anywhere you go in Germany, there are always parks and areas for people to lay out a blanket and relax. Thus the last "war" for which active duty is qualifying for Veterans preference . Basic needs such asfood, electricity, internet and clothing are all relatively affordable. But after awhile, it got too quiet and anxiety set in. It is quite common that the previous renter will take the kitchen with them to install it in their new flat. Gas Station - Yes, 2 vehicles per sponsor but usually not a problem to get a third one authorized i.e. Because culture shock threw me for such a loop, I made a YouTube video about it! Won't be eligible to use the military medical and/or dental care services. Life can literally be sunshine and rainbows while stationed in Hawaii since it will almost always be sunny, or there will be a rainbow to accompany . It also helps to meet your neighbors and to make at least one close friend with whom you can commiserate and go through this unique experience together. If you're an 88 you'll get lots of miles, usually at least one four day per month, been here in baumholder two years, been able to travel 16 countries, good place to be. And trust me, a company does not want to deal with this type of lawsuit. Yes (sarc), but driving on the autobahn like a crazy American and ordering "drei weissbier" with the wrong fingers might affect your suitability for German citizenship. I must clarify, though, that not all of the Autobahn (German for highway) has no speed limits, its just some parts of it. For many years, Germany has been a popular destination for expats. You just found out that your next duty station will take you and your family far, far away to foreign places others only dream of visiting. I also assumed that since Germany is a first-world, western country, surely culture shock would not exist! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. However, you have to choose between one citizenship before you turn 23. A distinct advantage of using your VA loan is that you may not have to pay some of the additional fees normally paid at Copyright 2023 Military.com. Most military families simply buy their car once they arrive in country since they know it will be well-suited to local conditions. Homelike is an online booking platform with offers of apartments and co-livings in nine European markets, including Germany and the UK! Become our local expat expert for your area! If your shipments exceed that magic number, you pay out of your pocket for it. We were stationed in Germany for four years back in 2006-2010. However, I was wrong. It was my first duty station and I deployed out of there. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. So Im happy to meet with Germans and appreciate their punctuality. You will find that the cost of living in Germany is much better for most households of any size compared to what you would pay to live somewhere like Boston, New York City, or even Chicago. Your Car? Though Germany is known for its excellent beer and delicious pretzels, the restof the local cuisine can be rather limited. Since Germany has such a large pool of highly educated workers, competition for top positions can be fierce. According to the DAAD, living costs for a student in Germany are, on average, 850 euros a month. Some families ship critical items in advance via the flat-rate boxes offered by the US Postal Service. Or my favorite sneaky little spot The kings arms. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute. https://youtu.be/mqFEQIv4IjA You are not alone in your feelings. Granted, you are almost guaranteed to have a 2-3 week spell (often in July or August) that it can get quite toasty. Please note that this requirement also applies to you if you were born in a US military base in Germany. You may consider your well-worn RV, beloved fishing boat and wine collection essential, but the military may not ship it out of the country for you. By its very nature much of the information in this travel guide is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which theyre relying with the relevant authorities. This becomes more clear when you speak the language. Hawaii's perfect weather. Many expats enjoy living in Germany as its easy to travel to other European countries. 18 Signs That You Have Been Stationed at Fort Campbell During Your Spouses Military Career , The 5 Stages of Watching Your Best Friend Move Away, What You Need to Know About Being Stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, 14 Tips to Help You Survive Basic Training When Your Spouse Joins the Military, What You Should Do When Your Boyfriend Wants to Join the Military, What To Do When Your Spouse Wants To Join The Military. Most of Germany has excellent tap water. Jens mission is to help fellow expats beat bureaucracy and to have a smooth time while they settle into their new life in Germany. Once the weekend comes assuming it doesnt get ruined by some chuckle fuck who decides to shit in the hallways you will probably end up seeing yourself spending time at Nuremberg at any of these fine establishments. And if you combine your vacation days with the official national holidays, you can get even more days off work. Unlike the US, all the prices you see online and in any shop already include the VAT (consumption tax). You will most likely ship all your household possessions overseas in two separate shipments. is usually for 12 or 24 months. Pets, in this case, means dogs or cats. If the dependents stay in the same location, BAH will remain at the same rate. According to the European Cyclists Federation, Germany ranks as the fifth European country in its Barometer, which looks at bicycle usage, cycling safety, and market size, among other cycling statistics. The being in Germany part was perfect. She believes that rigorous organization is key to a smooth OCONUS PCS, so she recently opened an Etsy shop, where milspouses can purchase printable Overseas PCS Binder pages for creating their own organizational binder. Make a list of your dream travel list, and then strategically plan your year according to the training holiday schedule. Before packing your bags and boarding the plane, keep these finer points in mind as you plan your fabulous world tour. If you are looking to study in Germany, I got good news for you: there are no tuition fees in most German universities! Finer Point #3: Less is more when it comes to your household goods shipment. If you compare the 1.500 euros to tuition fees in other countries (cough cough the USA), it seems like a fantastic deal. It allows you to travel, work in, and access a range of services in most European countries. Tbf, the locations popular with the Turkish population have always been well known, and are easily avoided as needed. Germans tend to negotiate for more flexible working hours and often put their families above work. During summer, friends meet at parks and BBQ! Home. Get in touch if you can provide useful info on your city or answer forum questions from new expats. Whether you actually like the answers you hear or not may be another story, however. Living in Stuttgart currently. Some might swap the word direct for bad. up to 12,000 of the roughly 36,000 stationed in Germany will not go . The German government helps its citizens and residents maintain a good quality of life and motivate family life. Depends on what you do, it's fucking cold and you gon Hohenfels. The Customs Office can tell you exactly what can be shipped and what cannot. benefits of being stationed in germanypentecostal church of god northern california district stephen stills speech benefits of being stationed in germany The VAT is Germany's sales tax which is automatically added onto items. Ive met people who have had to wait up to 6 weeks to get an internet connection at home. While having a positive attitude about any PCS is important, its equally important to have realistic expectations. My parents came for my graduation and to help with the last-minute PCS tasks, like overseeing the movers. BRUSSELS The United States and . June 30, 2022; my septum piercing won't flip up; vegan mochi cake recipe USAREUR License: A Complete Guide to US Military Driving in Germany. Its going to be what you make it. There may be exceptions and some host nation restrictions, however. Related Guide: Unemployment Benefits in Germany. In many areas of government, the federal states have great freedom of decision; for example, in education policy. Vet, You're going to need specifics. Fr den Reiter. Very quickly, every single place starts to feel like hell, and without any AC, it can sometimes be really tough to cool down. A big part of it is covered by your employer. Finally, get out and travel, travel, TRAVEL! We wrote a whole guide about Pfand in Germany and a complete Trash Guide to help you understand this better. We didn't have the equipment necessary because we followed the PACKING LIST that DID NOT have certain stuff listed (IOTV as one of them), but nevertheless, we were bitched at and/or smoked for not "thinking outside the box" and "not realizing we are in the Army". SOFA Article X to a Green Card Holder employed by the German Government and concluded that she was NOT entitled to the benefits of . Most important, your military spouse won't receive any additional monies such as Overseas Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) or Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) for living off the installation. Having unrestricted access to Germany through citizenship means that visas or residence permits' requirements do not limit you. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Finer Point # 4: Some things can be shipped; others cannot. Also you'll be getting 4 day weekends every month. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Germany has a big network of public transportation, including buses, trams, trains, and if the place requires it, a ferry (like in Hamburg). When you are being transferred overseas, most branches of the service will assign one to you. Check out our guides on how to move to Germany and the best cities to live in Germany. You can purchase on base or at any off base Esso. An interview with John - an American expat living in Germany, Interview with Katlin - an American expat in Germany, Interview with Marisa - An American living in Germany, Interview with Ana P - an expat from the Philippines living in Germany, Interview with Andrea W - an American living in Germany, Interview with Samantha Ley - An American expat living in Germany. Even with sleeping 10-12 hours a night at first, I couldnt conjure up my normal energy. Germans are famous for their efficiency, reliability, and punctuality. Uncategorized. We are looking for contributors to help make this the ultimate guide for expats. (OCONUS = outside the continental United States) I dont suggest these circumstances, but I did gain a certain sense of accomplishment from completing the move (and school) without anything major going wrong. In Dusseldorf, for example, only one cinema is known for showing movies in their original language. A good sponsor can answers these types of questions for you: - Will my tall bookcases and king-size bed fit in the housing units on base or off? The Finer Points of Moving Overseas, Part I, By Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". GETTING STATIONED IN GERMANY?? Cities are also well serviced by local bus, train and tram systems, so much so, that many expats don't feel the need to own a car. My name is Julie and I have been a military spouse for 17 years! Without the app, it can take them days! You have JBLM Main, which is the Army's main post and where you'll find the MWR, the PX, the Commissary, and more. As the rental prices already include bills and utilities, the service is ideal for students, expats, and remote workers who want to rent out without any additional paperwork. Meaning you're going to need a doctor to say that being exposed to something-documented is causing your illness and tie in the issues you're having to that specific set of documented diseases, illnesses and say in their medical experience what you were experiencing during active duty is what's causing your current issues or something to that effect. Firing people in Germany is not like we see it in the US movies, where one day you arrive at the office, your boss fires you, you pack your things, and walk out of the building with a box filled with your belongings. We are talking HUGE savings here compared to gas on the economy. Here are a few things you should keep in mind while living overseas in Germany. Old processes and bureaucracy that is so German. The same rules for Sunday apply every day after 10 pm. It is a reasonably affordable place to live. Every president in the post-Cold War period has sought to close U.S. military bases overseas, particularly in Europe. As I mentioned in con#1, the sunny and warm days are few compared to the cold and gloomy ones. I spent 3 years in Stuttgart on Panzerkaserne. However, I was on a rotation there. After a weekend of alcohol fueled debauchery you will go back to vilseck for a week of suffering just to repeat the process over again. It is no wonder public transportation is so good and efficient in Europewho wants to pay those gas prices!? I come from Guatemala, a country where criminality is high, and I can say that I feel very safe living in Germany. Embrace that. Just have an open mind, don't be afraid to travel, and make the most of your weekends. January 31, 2019 by Guest Writer 5 Comments. 2. The Pentagon has not provided any public updates or said when the formal policy will be issued. Get on board. Most likely, it is not. It allows us to keep Simple Germany alive and striving. To me, this is a pro, as it forces us to take some time to rest and recharge. But with an OCONUS move, you have all the normal PCS adjustments to make, plus the foreign country aspect. -Is the on-installation youth program alive and well for my teenager? Expectation Management The first thing I did not expect was being so jet-lagged. As my husband likes to preach: expectation management. This is not about being negative or complaining, but simply having a balanced outlook for your transition. The quality of the beer is top-notch, award-winning, and just plain delicious if thats your thing. Kaiserslautern is practically little America, and Grafenwoehr is cold and boring. Give it to your family and friends ASAP and let them know that it is the. They are nice and friendly especially when you are polite and try to speak some Italian (hello, thank you, etc). Almost every contract you sign with a service provider (internet, mobile phone, gym, insurance, etc.) 0. Go see a castle. Even the safest deployments carry risk. By law, German employers need to give a minimum of 20 vacation days to their employees! The packers will mark them as "professional items" and their weight will not be counted against your limit. However, the criminality rate is so low that it does not happen very often. A person with German citizenship can receive a German passport which entitles the holder to: travel without a visa to 177 countries live, work, and study inexpensively in Germany live, work, or study in the UK or other EU or EEA countries, with very few restrictions assistance from an excellent consular service