Svenh

Morning

Need some advice I was born in Germany 1980 my mother and father are german, my original father left my mother when I was born , my mother then met my current father who is British and served in the British army in Germany they married and at the time he never adopted me leaving me with my original birth name we then moved to uk in 1991 been here since , I have a german expired passport in birth name of Hofmann but drivers license and everything here in Hatch, I completed a deed poll years ago taking on the hatch name.

I'm married to a British girl here and have 3 children all with hatch on certificates, children are aged 8,6 and 4

We would like to move to Germany I still have family over there so the move will be eased

Any thoughts anyone

Thanks Sven

Moses2013

Depends what you want and which area?

Svenh

I was born in Hanover family living in buckeburg, spoken English all my life started learning german again I was fluent in my younger years finding it ok so far wife is also learning, I'm guessing from what I've been reading i might have to take in British nationality as children's certificates can't be amended also wedding certificate is in hatch to what do you suggest

Thanks

Moses2013

As long as you're an EU citizen, there are no issues with nationality. What kind of work do you want to do? I certainly wouldn't move without a job and no German these days, especially with kids. Be aware that you won't get any benefits for the first three months (if you're working now) and Kindergeld is only 184€ for first two children and 190€ for third.

Svenh

What about my passport it's in birth name and drivers license is in hatch won't that cause problems my marriage cert is in hatch ?

I'm a qualified electrician done my 2330 few years ago, but been working the last 7 years in the security and fire industry installing intruder, fire, Cctv and access also can work with IT building computers repairs,Networking
So got a few options,

Willing to move leaving a steady job here but not happy with the UK anymore
And I know how much better Germany is towards kinder
And much much more being honest miss Germany sick if the shit here in the UK

cheers for heads up on kindergeld I knew the amounts but didn't know not for first 3 months, will have money behind us when we move also got child number 4 on the way
Will be looking to move this time next year

Really appreciate your help Moses thankyou


Sven

Moses2013

What I understand is that you have a German passport that's expired, so you are actually German and not British? Regarding driving license you will need to transfer it to a German one if you're living there permanently. You'll need a document from the UK that's stamped and it shouldn't be a problem. Although Electricians do seem to be in demand, I wouldn't risk moving with the whole family unless you have a job. Germany isn't always the paradise people imagine and you'll have the same challenges like the UK. You need to calculate your take home salary, as tax deductions can be a lot higher too. Germany can be a great country and there are many opportunities, but work environment can be a lot tougher than the UK.

Svenh

Yeah im german but done a deed poll years ago to take on second fathers name,
Which means my wife's and children's surname is hatch and not Hofmann which is on my expired passport, what I'm worried about is will Germany accept the deed poll.
as for work where do you look for work I could get help from family but would rather try ourselves first.

Moses2013

If you have an expired German passport, I would check with the Embassy in London
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany London - Visa, Passport, ID card and Consular Services

You could search hear for Jobs
JOBBÖRSE - Meine erweiterte Suche nach Stellenangeboten

Ergebnisse Ihrer Jobsuche

Svenh

My nearest office is plymouth and she's away on holiday I'll call the german embassy in the morning, cheers for heads up on JOBBORSE I've registered and created profile with cv and qualifications, correct me if in wrong I take it that employers in Germany look at job seekers profiles aswell as applicants searching,

On a lighter nite where are you Moses what's your back ground

Thankyou Moses

Moses2013

I'm in Ireland now, but have German background (parent) and lived there for 15 years. In Germany it's very important to have a professional cover letter and unfortunately it's not like the UK where a CV is enough. I wouldn't wait for an employer to find your profile. It might be wise to contact the Arbeitsamt (Job center) before you move and ask what chances you have in the current market. Is your German good enough, what salary can you expect etc. Why do you want to leave the UK, if you have a secure job? If you're close to Plymouth you seem to live in a nice part of the UK, have the sea close by. If weather is a factor (is for most Brits:-), Plymouth has a lot more sun than Hannover.

Svenh

There are many factors in why want to move sun isn't it, I'm sure you know why we are wanting to move Germany has so much to offer

Moses2013

It has a lot to offer, but the UK has too. It really depends what you're looking for and not everyone has the life they expect when they move over. Because of the media, so many people are moving over now and then realise that it's not the paradise they imagined. I'm not saying it won't work, but you have a family to feed and need to be careful. Don't move the whole family over, until you have a job and know exactly what your costs are.

Assanah

What qualifications do you have? Do collect all formal papers you have about your education and work experience. Get written references from your employers if possible. Have them translated. Germans love official papers. Think about having your qualifications assessed and recognized (Recognition in Germany - Homepage).

The German economy is really good atm but not in all regions and not for all professions! The South is doing much better than the North. This gives you an idea what professions are sought after Which occupations are in demand - Make it in Germany and here are the unemployment numbers of the Bundesländer http://de.statista.com/statistik/dat...undeslaendern/.

Do you have some money in the bank account to get by without any income for xx months?

Germany is an awesome country. Beautiful, diverse, fantastic cities, good outdoor life, great art and culture, easy travel to other countries, kids can be kids longer, lots of good reasons to move there….but it will be no fun without a decent income. Make sure that your exceptions of Germany are realistic ones. As Moses said no country is paradise. So be sure to move for the right reasons (what pulls you towards Germany? I don't recommend to move purely because you don't like the UK anymore….what is bothering you so much about the UK? Maybe a move within the UK might be right? Make sure that the problems will not be the same in Germany!)

If I were you I would research the job market throughly. For some professions there are specialist search engines. One famous general job search engine is stepstone.de Also, I think your youngest child will be fine but what about the older ones. Do they speak German? They will have to go to school in Germany. There are a few international ones but if you think about sending them to a public school they need to be able to speak German. Kids learn quickly but it still will take some time for them until they are fluent in German. This can be a hard time on them and your family. Work on your German.

Good luck

Moses2013

That's the thing with the economy. It really depends where you are and just because you hear it's great isn't always true. The unemployment figures are often wrong, as many and I'm saying many are just doing courses and not counted. It happens in the UK too, but it's not as bad. Many salaries have also dropped over the years and it's no surprise that businesses are worried about the minimum wage introduction. Nearly 20% of all workers in Germany earn less than €8,50 the hour, so either prices will go up next year, or you'll have more unemployed. As Assanah mentioned, don't leave the UK just because you're sick of it. Just like the UK, every region is different in Germany and you need to do what's best for your kids and wife. There are plenty of things to do and see in Germany, but it's all about location.

calman014

The German economy may look good on paper or on the news, but if you are in Germany looking for a job it's a pretty lousy experience, and if you are unemployed and in Germany even worse. If you don't speak a reasonable amount of German you can forget it completely. If you are serious you would be best to come over yourself for a few months before committing to bringing family and especially kids. A lot will also depend on what region your are moving to, some are better than others for job prospects.

Just as in UK, Germany "massages" it's unemployment figures using various tricks.
Don't believe the hype and go and see for yourself first, possibly staying with family as a first step to your research, or just go on Holiday there for a while.

I left UK in 1979 to work in Germany because the wages in UK were crap. I went on to stay and work there for 17 years. I didn't speak any German when I went over, I had 2 very young kids ( 2 and 1) and a British wife. This brought all kinds of extra and unexpected burdens with it, but was well worth it in the end.

Do your research well in advance. Personally I would not advise it looking at the makeup of your family and the ages of the kids.

Unless you have a skill set or qualifications that are in demand in Germany, don't bother.