Moving to and living in Hamburg as a foreigner

Hello everyone,

I am new to the Toytown chat forum. I have been offered a job in Hamburg. I have searched the forums and found useful information about living in Germany in general. However, I would like some specific information about Hamburg city.

1) What would be the cost of house rental per month? Is Hamburg a very expensive city? I am married with no kids so I don't need a big apartment.

2) Is it true that the underground provides good service throughout the city or does one really need to get a car?

3) What is the social security benefits for a person who is on a work visa and does not have a green card? I am asking this because I think I will have to pay social security when I start working there and it is quite a lot of money.

4) Is a salary of €80,000 enough to live a modest lifestyle and save some money too (I have a wife and no kids)?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Hello IIG, welcome to TT. I'll leave the questions specific to Hamburg to those who live there but in the meantime, I'll go for question 4. "Is €80,000 enough to live on? Short answer is : Yes. You'd be doing very well to live on that amount of money. Save money too? Depends on your lifestyle. However, short answer is Yes. You could probably squeeze in a couple of holidays too on that income. Perhaps you should be asking if it is a fair salary for your experience and qualifications. Are you one of these highly qualified persons who can walk in and collect a Permanent Residency Visa?

If you take the job offer, when will you be arriving in Germany?

I'll try and answer.

1) Rental will depend alot on where you live. I'm paying €800 a month for a 2 room apt in a nice area. If you are looking for a nice area I would recommend looking at Alonta, Eimsbüttel, Eppendorf and Winterhude. http://www.immobilienscout24.de/ is a good place to start. Apts are unfurnished and some have no kitchens. If they do they will say EBK in the description and alot of apartment contracts are done through an agent who normally charge 3 months rent for their service. If you need accommodation sorted before you come over look into subletting an apt for a short time. When I first moved to Hamburg I subletted an apt for 2 months and this gave me time to find a nice apt.

2) Public transport is excellent. If you get an apt. in any of the above areas you won't be more than a 10 min walk from a bus or train. I've 2 train stations within a 5 min walk. So when you are looking for an apt then take this into account.

3) No idea about this.

4) Not sure if the salary is fair, what will your role in IT be? Will your wife be working or will the two of you be living off your salary? 80k would be a good salary for 1 person, should be managable for 2 people but not sure if you'd have much left to save, would depend on your lifestyle.

Normally the company you have signed the contract with has taken care of your visa application.

The company has to pay the social security contributions. This means your net wage will be around 65% of gross as you are married and she is coming with you. Naturally the details will vary depending on your status.

For 1500 euros you will get a good large flat. But also reasonable places in standard areas go for 800.

Most people who start a well paid job usually move onto better things or stay and move with the company, or are the first to go when business drops off. The money is good. Above the average wage. You would be in the top 30% in Germany. If this thought helps you. Food is the cheapest in Europe in relation to wages.

If you need a car? depends on where you find the flat. If your wife cannot drive then go for places with a train station etc as she may feel isolated. There are many Indians in Hamburg and the Indian Consulate has an active social side.

Robert

I'm moving to Hamburg from Chicago this November. Is there anything I should know before I go there? Any advice would be great, my boyfriend and I don't know anyone at all. Are there many Americans here?

Hello all,

I am currently studying in Glasgow(UK), and i have just been offered an interesting job in Hamburg (this will be my first job). I am not sure if I'll take it, so i am looking for any advices about the life in Hamburg, renting, jobs, etc... (so that i can hopefully make the right choice).
A bit more about my situation: I am French, i am 23 and already lived in a few places (France, Caribbean, NZ, Southampton(UK), and now Glasgow), so going to a new place is OK.
I have some more specific questions:
*I had enough trouble learning English, and German is not my cup of tea, so i dont think i ll try to learn it (except of course the basics: thanks, hi,...). There wont be any problems with my job, but will it cause other problems (administration, ...).
*Renting a flat seems to be quite different from both UK and France. My job is to be on Vorsetzen (Rd??), so close to the center. So living in the center might be a good idea (also so i can meet people). Living close to some uni might be cool too. What area would you recommend? I ll prefer a flat than sharing with loads of people, i think i'll be able to afford it, from what i have seen max rent would be ~500euros (am I right here?)
*This will be my first job, so my first step into the complex administrative world of filling papers, contracts. How does it compare to the UK or France?
*What is the equivalent English/German salary? (outside London)

From what i have seen on the web, Hamburg seems to be a very nice cities, with several universities (= students), so it could be nice place to get my first job.

Thanks,
Nicolas

Topics merged by admin

Yes, there are loads of Americans here in Hamburg, and English, Irish, Australian... and so on.

One thing though - an American friend of mine is having trouble because he didn't change his driving license to a German one quickly enough (I think you've got a year but best check yourself) and they want him to retake the test!

Hamburg is in the former British zone of occupation so from a historical viewpoint you are
going to find fewer American citizens than in the former US zone (down South).

That said, there is a US consulate in Hamburg whereas the British one closed recently.
(I only went there twice in 25 years of being here).

You will find Hamburg & indeed Northern Germany has more UK influence than US.

Hi I'm a newbies and recently receive an offer in Hamburg. I'm just wondering w/ the salary of 4000euro/month is it enough to survive in Hamburg? btw, I'm single so far. I have 4yrs of working experience as a materials development engineer, do you think the offer is reasonable? Thanks.

I don't know, what engineers are normally being paid, but I can assure you, that a salary of 3.000 euro is sufficient to live, pay for a house and feed a family of 5 in Hamburg. Hamburg is not Tokyo! It all depends on your lifestyle, though. If you want to drive the newest Mercedes, live alone in a 150 sq.meter flat with views of the Alster or Elbe, want to dine out three times a day (not alone), it might just be not enough money.

Chris

Chris,

Thanks for the advise, btw the salary is before tax, so does that mean is still survivable as i understand german tax seems to be heavy. Actually i'm working in UK now and i'll be moving down to Hamburg soon.

YK

Hi,
Yes, you will be hit for taxes, but I can't tell you how much because singles are taxed at a higher rate than married people, all things being equal. What really will add up are the "social contributions" like pension, health care and unemployment insurance, though they did chop the last one quite substantially recently. Make sure you save ALL your papers from your time in Germany so that you can effectively make a claim for whatever pension you can derive out of what you pay in.

If you opt out of church tax then you would have around 2200-2300 into your pocket per month, depending on health insurance. Not sure if 48,000 is enough to go private, which would cost less. It would be around the very minimum you need to be earning to get private health insurance so you'd have to look that up. But you really need to look into this as there are some disadvantages to going private. Have a look through the forums here, it's been thoroughly discussed already. Have a look here for tax calculations.

It's enough to live comfortably. To give you an idea, I pay 775 per month for an apartment and when I add in all my other bills and weekly food shopping it comes to about 1500 a month. That's before I eat/drink out, buy clothes, etc

Hi all,

I just moved into Hamburg yesterday on a job assignment. I will be staying here for the next 6 months. I have already settled my apartment and staying. However I am finding it increasingly difficult to cope up here and everything seems so alienated to me. I have no prior german knowledge. I would really appreciate some help from you guys with regards to my questions.
1) How do I get the monthly tickets/pass in trains? I found the website to be in german and cant understand anything.
2) Which would be the best place to do some cheap shopping with regards to Clothes, shoes and other apparels?
3) I need to open a bank account and quite confused on which one to choose from, I live in Eiffestraße. Which bank has ATMs closer to Eiffestraße or Anckelmannsplatz? What are the minimum balances to be maintained in general?
4) I need to get some travel adapters for converting my Singapore/UK type appliances to the german ones. Where can i find this?
5) I need to get Internet and phone connection at my apartment. Which service provider do i choose and how long does it take from the time I order to the time i get it installed at home and ready to use?
6) Is there any place in Hamburg where they play badminton or tennis?
7) Last but not the least, I would really like to met some English speaking people here in Hamburg. I feel so left out and lonely. If I can get to meet someone would be of real great help.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my questions.

Topics merged by admin

OK, just as a quick start:

Are you relocating with help from the company you're working for? Can the personnel department help you out with some of these things (like opening bank account, getting phone & internet)?

Other things you have to take care fo yourself, like shopping and making friends. There are shops everywhere. Try Mönckebergstrasse to begin with. This is in central Hamburg.

There is a Tamil temple that may be of interest and where you can maybe build some cultural contacts. It is not far from Eiffestrasse:
Gurdwara Singh Sabha
Stegerwaldring 21,
22119 Hamburg ,Tel: +49-40-6556413

For meeting other English-speaking Expats, take a look in the other Hamburg sub-forums here, like: Events & Meetups

English version of the HVV website

Any of the locations on this website link. Look for HVV Service, it's normally well signed in the main stations, someone in there should speak English and be able to help you.


Lots of places in the centre of Hamburg - H&M, Kult (Europa Passage Shopping Centre) are cheap etc. There is also a large shopping centre called the AEZ in Poppenbüttel, you can get there easily by public transport


Recommend something like the Hamburger Sparkasse Bank if you are only here for six months, lots of banks and ATMs around.


Karstadt (large department store) or Saturn (large electrical near the Hauptbahnhof) in the centre of Hamburg.


You may have to sign for a minimum of 12 months. You should ask someone in your work to help you here.

Deutsche Bank is good. They have on-line banking in English

HVV Website (Local Buses & Trains) is not available in English but... if you want to go further afield by rail, Deutsche Bahn does have English pages.

http://www.bahn.de/p/view/international/en...al_guests.shtml

Thanks a lot for all the information. Really appreciate you taking the time to reply to all my Questions.

Cheers.

Dear All,

I will move to Hamburg soon for i have a new offer in Hamburg. i have some general infromation about living in Hamburg and here comes some specific questions i need you help me. Pls!

1. i got a new job offer in Hamburg, which is totall new to me. if 75K Euro a year is fair to me? i have over 10 years working experience in Internet industry and my current job is director of sales in Microsoft China.
2. what would be the tax rate i need to pay to Gov. and how much i need to pay for social benifit and what can i benifit from what i pay?
3. i am married, with a 1 year son. i need take them with me to Hamburg. how much i need to pay for kid education?
4. how about the living cost like Rent? Do i need a car, if so, how to get the drive license?
5. any other tips?

B/R
Steven

Topics merged by admin

IMHO Thats a pretty good salary.


Since China is supposed to be booming for IT I ask myself why you are wanting to come here!

There is a Chinese consulate in Hamburg - they can also advise you maybe...

You should get the company who have made you the offer to find out all of those things. They can get you a tax and social contributions simulation to give you an idea of what your deductions will be. I am single and around 42-43% of my salary is deducted, however you will have less deductions because you are married. Maybe you should also ask for a relocation agent to be part of your employment package, this agent will find out everything about schooling and arrange/suggest accommodation viewings.

Hamburg has a great transport system so the majority of time you will probably use it to get around, but it's nice to have a car to go further afield, days to the Seaside etc.

Hi,

I have the possibility of work in Hamburg in a few months time - am currently in Australia - and I am wondering what it's like living there?

Where are the best places to live?

How expensive is it?

What are the rents like?

How easy is it to get around?

And what's the best place to take a German language course?

Matt

Topics merged by admin

Have you tried the SEARCH function - I feel we have been down this Strasse many times...


Walk, take bus, U- or S-Bahn. No restrictions on movements. Depends what your expectations are.

1. Some activity outside of work where people don't speak English (or let on that they do).
2. In the arms of a German girlfriend.

I joined a local flying club (still a member 25 years on); the German girlfriend (took several years to find her) & I have our 20th wedding anniversiary this November...

Hey Matt

In my opinion, best places to live are eimsbüttel/eppendorf/hoheluft areas. Close to my office, gym, and even my bike shop

Rents vary of course, it depends on location and many other things. I pay €300 for my room (shared apt with 2 Germans) all incl. (including phone).

Transportation here is excellent (subway, bus). So no worries on that. If you choose for a healthier lifestyle like me, you can get a bike.

VHS / Volkshochschule is where u can learn German with just € 50 / level. Or can also go to Colon or Sprachfix, heard theyre good and not as expensive as Ghoete Instituut for example. Price is around € 250 (for one level, around 10-12wks).

maybe can try look at www.hamburg.de if you wanna know more about the city.

All the best!

I'm thinking of moving to Hamburg and need information on areas where young people live and that have a good community vibe. I've only been to Hamburg once, I stayed near the HBF and walked around town and from what I could see, the residential areas near the city centre seemed quite anonymous. It reminded me a bit of London. Is there a Prenzlauer Berg type area which is young and fun? Thanks in advance.

My husband and I are moving to Hamburg from the US for a couple months for his job. His job is putting us up in an apartment. I've been to Germany many times but never Hamburg. All I've been hearing from my family is about riots thats been going on in Hamburg and all negative stuff. So it's making me a bit nervous. Which leads me into a TON of questions that no one can answer for me except people who are living there now.

-How dog friendly is Hamburg? We are bringing our small 4 pound dog. Is this a good idea???

-How safe is Hamburg? What in the world are these neo-nazi wars i've been hearing about???

-Where should I look for a part time job for myself? I want to do something during the day like nanny or something.

-Is it easy to get around Hamburg? I dont know where exactly we'll be living, but are there train stations everywhere?

-Is Hamburg expensive?

Ok, thats all my main questions right now. I just want to make sure i'm fully pre pared for this HUGE transition in my life. Any answers will help! Thanks Hamburg!!!

Topics merged by admin

Hamburg is just fine and you will enjoy it here(dives caus sniper fire).

Hamburg loves it's dogs but they also love clean sidewalks and parks so cleaning up after the bugger would be nice(steps on mine).

Neo-whatchcallem turn up here once a year to piss of the leftist arses on the first of may so they all get together and have a huge arses against arses fight with the police in riot gear throwing themselves in between(makes good nws pics).

We just had a great picnic on the weekend with other TTfolks:-)

Ok, so dont be there during May 1st. LOL

I am excited though. Now to just find something to do with myself during the day so i dont go stir crazy!

almost everywhere.


depends what you are comparing to.

Expensive as in New York or Paris? I've been to Düsseldorf a couple times. Is it priced about the same?

Probably similar to DUS & a bit less than Munich but that very much depends on what you plan to do...

You'll have difficulty getting any kind of job without German.
US citizens often have a problem understanding that Germans
just do not need English in their normal lives.
So they forget what English they learnt at school.
Hamburg is umpteen percent safer than New Orleans,
San Francisco, NYC, Washington, Kansas City, Atlanta and so on.
(Personal experience).
It's about the same level as Lawrence, Kansas - but probably safer
(No NRA so we don't have rifles and pistols in abundance like the US).
The US style of driving is better, however.
True fear comes on the two lane Autobahns when you see someone approaching you from behind
at 180 mph...

If your husband is being paid in euros it is not that expensive a city. If hes being paid in dollars - good luck!