Getting a Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung

Hi there
Just moved in with my german girlfriend, not got a job yet and just started a language course. I've registered witg the local guys and they have given me a piece of paper with my address on it. This, I have been told is temporary, and I if I have to stay indefinately I will need something friendly sounding called a Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung. The people in Markoberdorf say that to get this I need to provide proof of health insurance which I cannot get unless I have a job. I would love to know if my EHIC is valid up untill the time I have this Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung thingy and also if I legally can simply request one whether I have a job and insurance or not? Anyone who can help? My girlfriend is confused by the process and my german is crap!
Many thanks...
Rob

As far as I am aware, you are only allowed to stay three months without a job or go back unless you have enough money to support yourself without claiming benefits. Either that or you get married.

You do need proof of health insurance to get a Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung. Your EHIC is only for emergency use as a tourist and you could use it during the three months you are here before you have to decide whether you are staying or not. Important thing is to find a job!

I'm glad this was brought up. How much money does a person has to have in an account in order to receive a visa for a longer stay in Germany? If a person has sufficient funds how much longer can he/she stay? Is it 6 months, 1 year or? I know that he/she has to have health insurance during the entire stay in Germany.

I was going to claim there was no such thing since "Freizügig" tends to describe the willingness of young ladies here to strip off on the beached etc when it gets warm.

However WIKIPEDIA is your friend & in fact there is such a thing as a Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung.

I've been here 25+ years & I dont have one. I have a tatty old Aufenthaltsgenehmigung so maybe they havnt caught up with me yet.

You don't actually need one. You can request one if you so wish.

Does this mean that if I don't get a Freiz... within 3 months then I have to leave the country? I thought that me being from the UK I could literally saty here for as long as I want? But if I do leave the country i trust that means that I can go back to the UK for a week then return and start again? Its all a bit confusing.
Rob

If you're from the UK then you're an EU citizen and can stay for as long as you want!!!

and you also don't need anything like a visa or permit to work, you can just go and get a job like a German would.

Thanks, thats what I thought.Think I need this Freizy thing however to get half price on the course I am doing at the moment, which is an immigrants course.

ok, well that's a different matter but has nothing to do with your status in the country...I'm assuming you wouldn't be entitled to the same benefit in terms of the course as you are not an asylum seeker/immigrant as such, but don't quote me on that!

No I am as I am in effect an immigrant and intent on staying here for good. I just need this document to say I am a resident. I think I can consider myself a tourist until I have it so my EHIC will still be valid - I think. There seems to be a lot of uncertainty around whether I must leave if I don't have one and if I don't have a job. My girlfriend translates the letter they sent me as such and the poster above and repeated that much.
Rob

you don't have to leave - you just can't claim any unemployment benefits etc. you don't have to leave if you don't have a job, but the health insurance is something that you need to get sorted, I'm not sure what the procedure would be. As a German you would register with the Arbeitsamt (unemployment agency) even if NOT entitled to benefits as they then cover your health insurance, I am also aware of there existing a certain agreement between the UK and Germany (as between almost all EU countries) that you should be able to, via the Arbeitsamt in Germany receive some benefits you would be entitled to in the UK. Go and speak to someone about that. Re resident status, you have that as soon as you register with the Anmeldeamt and have your Anmeldebescheinigung.

if all else fails, alternative is to pay for it yourself until you find a job where you automatically get health insurance through your employer and paid through by your wage...

From Expatica:


http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp...;story_id=26889

Thanks for the replies guys.
The way I read it, Expatica doesn't say that I only have 3 months then must leave. It says I can apply within three months of being here for this Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung. If it means that after 3 months I cannot then even that doesn't make sense as I can simplay go back to britain then re enter.
Anyway. Think I will post confirmation about this when I know it.
Rob

The British Embassy site in Berlin says you 'must' apply for this within three months - section 29 on this pdf document http://www.britischebotschaft.de/en/consul...ing-working.pdf - doesn't say what happens if you don't though. Interesting point that you could simply go back to the UK and then re-enter. But it seems a simple enough process anyway, so why bother?

German Embassy in London has this http://www.london.diplo.de/Vertretung/lond...ion__seite.html
which talks about the residence permit. Is this out of date info?

German Embassy in UK is giving old info. There is no such thing as a residence permit for EU folks anymore and hasn't been since January 2005.

I lost mine two years ago and applied for a Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung but didn't send for it. So I've had nowt for two years now but nobody's said anything. They probably will though when my passport is up for renewal next year.

I don't have one either and am renewing my passport next month, so will post back if so. Doubt it though - there's no question on the form about residency or employment status. I've been in and out of the country numerous times, got a job, registered as a freelancer and put in tax returns without anyone ever mentioning it. As I understand it, that's because this F'besch. is optional in any case - it's simply a piece of paper proving that you don't need a residence permit. I guess it must come in useful in certain cases, but none that I've encountered so far!

Hi, I'm confused too but I think reading this post has cleared things up a bit.

So, if I get a job in Germany... get my Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung and then quit my job, do I still get to keep the Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung?

CONFUSION insues...

Another thing. I am going home for the weekend at the end of May. Will my 3 months begin again when I come back, need they know this sort of information?

You don't need a Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung, but you can request one if you want. It is useful just in case someone somewhere asks "Are you really allowed to live here?".

The piece of paper just shows that you have officially declared that you are conforming to the EU/German laws that say you can live here if you can support yourself and have valid ealth insurance.

It is the compliance with the law (i.e. you can support yourself and have valid health insurance), not the actual piece of paper that matters.
I.e. you move here, live with someone (e.g family member, partner) in their house, have enough money to live on (or family / partner pays your upkeep), and you have valid health insurance (e.g. from your home country through some "living abroad" coverage policy/state coverage scheme, or German insurance) that covers you.

You don't necessarily need a job, though it does make it easier.