Narjiz

  I know this is a ridiculously old post but I thought ّI would share my experience in case someone else needs help. So I am also a non EU trained pharmacist. Here is what I did to get licensed here. From step 1 to 6 took about 2 years and 3 months of hard work.  1. Learn German to the B2 level and pass TELC or GOETHE B2. 2. Find someone who will be willing to let you shadow them in the pharmacy (hospitation) and would be willing to sign a zusage for you (offer of employment). You need this to apply for a beruferlaubnis with the local pruefungsamt.  3. Submit your papers to the pruefungsamt and wait months for a berufserlaubnis (temporary license that allows you to work under supervision).  4. Take a course or study by yourself for the C1 Pharmazie fachsprachpruefung. Apply for the exam and send your certificate to the pruefungsamt.  5. Once you have the berufserlaubnis you can work up to a year. In this time you better study your ass off for the kentnissepruefung (knowledge test). It is an oral test.  6. Pass your kentnissepruefung and you receive an approbation which allows you to work Germany wide.     

The high doses are definitely not to be taken without a diagnosis and under the recommendation of a specialist. They have a specific indication and are generally safe and well tolerated. Again, I only share MY experience. It isn't to be taken as medical advice. Some allergies are simply unavoidable. How do you avoid dust? A lot of people take antihistamines daily and need to do to function. Besides anyone who shows up with an allergy at a pharmacy is typically urged to make an appointment and try an antihistamine for a week while waiting for an appointment. 

Funny you mention this. When I first moved to Frankfurt in mid 2018 I got a full body rash in the summer which remained for a good 4-5 months (till around October). it was so itchy that I could not sleep properly and was literally going crazy. It went away after and came back in February the next year and remained until I went back to my home country. I saw a dermatologist, who didn't give me a decent answer but told me to buy loratadine (an antihistamine) and take 4 times the normal dose. Which helped a lot but made me ridiculously dizzy for the first week. This year I got no reaction but I also took an antihistamine prophylactically. In my case the dermatologist told me to do an allergy test when the allergy settled down... I planned on this month honestly, but covid kind of ruined that. I try to minimise my doctors visits now unless necessary.    What you could do is take pictures. See if you can get an online appointment. There are some offices offering video appointments through for example doclib. If the appointment is far, you could go to a local pharmacy and ask for a small package of an antihistamine and try that for a week (at the normal dose of once daily).   

  I guess I worded my post wrong and made sweeping statements. I am in Frankfurt and that was solely my experience and the experience of some friends here. In my case the teachers at the private school were extremely motivated. And of course it all depends on your own motivation. I had an end goal when I entered language classes and kept this goal in mind all the time. This helped keep me motivated when I at times felt like I wanted to give up because learning a language is hard. Being away from the place you called home is hard. Homesickness is real. The homesickness hit me hard around the 3-4 month mark. 

  I have been here since mid 2018. As for banks, I got N26 since all the information was in English and I was new at the time. Planning on opening with Commerzbank soon since they have no fees as well.    As for language schools I hear VHS is full of unmotivated students (especially the afternoon classes). I went to Tandem (a private language school) and took the morning intensive courses from A1 to C1.2. The class was full of young students wanting to enter University. Given the stress of maintaining their visa status in the country, they were definitely motivated and further encouraged me to improve quicker. I heard even at the private school, the afternoon classes tended to have less motivated students in general (housewives needing B1 for residence permits). So try to avoid if you can! Try to watch videos in the meantime and start with a couple of text books. I am sure you can do A1 and part or all of A2 on your own, especially where your wife is German. My issue was I spoke no German outside school, and it became quickly isolating.    In terms of switching you license, do that asap. I went to the Ordnungsamt with just my passport and old license and asked them what I should do to switch licenses. Switching is called "Umschreibung der ausländischen Fahrerlaubnis". I called it Umtausch since I didn't know the word Umschreibung at the time. As a Canadian, I needed to have a German translation of both sides of my drivers license and an experience letter showing how long I have had my drivers license for, my Canadian drivers license, my Aufenthaltstitel, my passport and a couple of photos. There was a fee, but it was cheap compared to what I was used to paying abroad so I forgot the number. It took about 2 weeks to get it. They made a mistake in the license so I had to wait another 2 weeks on top of it. I honestly didn't mind since I was expecting to wait months. But since the Ordnungsamt deals with Germans and foreigners they seem to be more efficient.    Good luck. Toytown has been amazing here. I learned a lot just from reading old posts. 

The transfer part is concerning. A year is ridiculous. 

After 6 months of been outside Germany, your Niederlassungserlaubnis "expires". To come back you got to start all over again. Now if you stayed 15 yrs in Germany and have guaranteed income you can theoretically remain outside of Germany for a non specified amount of time.    "Wenn Sie also eine deutsche Niederlassungserlaubnis besitzen, seit mehr als 15 Jahren in Deutschland leben und nachweisen können, dass Ihr Lebensunterhalt gesichert ist, können Sie einen Antrag auf eine entsprechende Bescheinigung seitens der Ausländerbehörde oder der Bürgerämter stellen. Danach dürfen Sie sich zeitlich unbegrenzt im Ausland aufhalten, ohne dass ihre deutsche Niederlassungserlaubnis erlischt." T http://guia-frankfurt.net/es/de/verlust-der-niederlassungserlaubnis-durch-aufenthalt-im-ausland/   If you can convince the Ausländerbehörde is another story...

congrats on the weight loss!

Sorry I found nothing out. We decided to remain where we were due to the worsening covid situation. I thought it was illegal to remain stateless?  

I spotted one mosquito today. It is definitely a mosquito. I have been hunting for it for the past two days. It is driving me nuts!!!

I was too chicken to go to a Friseur so after contemplating what to do with my real long hair, I cut my own hair to about my shoulders. Can't say I did an amazing job but it should do the trick until this pandemic is over. It is wavy hair so forgiving to mistakes. 

  I asked someone I know who applied recently in Hessen. They only need the Leben in DL certificate (super easy and only 25 euros) if you have Telc/Goethe B1 (not any school certificate). Then again this person had Telc B2 as well and works in German so that may have played a role. 

Good luck to the OP. Everything depends on the Beamte sitting in front of you and the impression you leave. If you need someone to come with you then your German is not sufficient and could have given a bad impression to the gov worker. Does your job require you to speak in German or is it only English?`Do you have any certificates other than Telc B1 that shows German language skills?    The only change this year is anyone applying has to either have the Leben in DL or the Einbuergerung test certificate. Do that first and go again and attempt with it. Print off the Gesetz that asks for sufficient German and the Leben in DL certificate and try again. I heard some are even requesting B2 now (unofficially) despite the law stating ausreichend Sprachkentnisse (which is typically B1 but hey there is some wiggle room in terms of interpretation). See if you can sign up for an Orientierungskurs. There are quite a few online and in the evenings. You probably do not have to do the language component if you have B1. Should be doable if you have a typical office job and not shift work. 

I want to travel to Canada for a couple months in the new year. I am between too chicken to go and this whole COVID mess is going to last awhile. 

Sounds like a nightmare!