Residents of the European Union (EU) are free to live and work within the union (except New EU member states since May 2004). Citizens of New EU member states have still to apply for a work permit.

Citizens of Australia , Canada , Israel , Japan , New Zealand , South Korea and the US are allowed to stay in Germany for three months, but are required to apply for a residence permit during this time.

Citizens of all other countries are obliged to apply for a visa prior to entering Germany.

Please contact the German Embassy in your country to ensure you have the correct paperwork to enter and live in the country.

There are only two kinds of visas in Germany : the tourist visa and the working visa.

All persons remaining in Germany for longer than three months must have a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) , of which there are now two types. You can apply for one of them at the local Ausländerbehörde .

The rules for what you need to get a residence permit vary somewhat from place to place and according to your status. You'll certainly need a valid passport, proof that you have a place to live and proof that you can support yourself. Other things you may need include proof that you have a critical skill, proof that you are married, proof that you have independent means or a pension, and proof of health insurance.

One person can handle the work on a residence permit for an entire family. Once the permit has been approved an appropriate stamp is placed in the individual's passport.

If you decide that you are going to stay in Germany for a longer period you must have a registration certificate (Meldeschein) . You get it at the Registry Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) that is responsible for your community or your city neighborhood. It's often located at a precinct police station. Registering is a simple matter of going there and filling out a form. They may want to see your passport and lease, so have them with you. There is no charge for this registration.

The majority of expatriates choose to rent their homes. Generally one can say that it makes no sense to buy a home if you are not sure that you will stay in Germany for more than 10 years. Reason for this is, that the side costs (notary costs, taxes, realtor fee) for buying a house are about 10% of the purchase price .

It's important to know German practices and terminology when you set out to find a house or apartment here. If you want two bedrooms with a living room and dining room, you will actually be looking for a four-zimmer (room) home in Germany. Bathrooms, WCs, kitchens and halls aren't included in the number of rooms. Furnished apartments are rare, and will cost a great deal more than an unfurnished place.

Unfurnished apartments here are just that: completely unfurnished. They don't have built-in cabinets, closets or even lighting fixtures. You'll often have to buy everything, perhaps even the proverbial kitchen sink! Stoves, refrigerators, kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, bookshelves, tables, beds, chairs, curtains, curtain rods, lights and everything else are your problem.

It's advisable to employ the services of a lawyer or legal advisor before signing a lease. Even if you speak excellent German, the lease may be too long and too couched in legalese for a layman to comprehend. It might even contain a pitfall like an annual rent increase.

There are several approaches to finding a place to live in Germany. The first and probably quickest is through an Immobilienhändler, a real estate agent. The drawback to this method is the high cost: these firms usually charge between two and three months' rent for the place they find you. Another method of finding a place is through the newspaper or through word of mouth.

See www.howtoGermany.com for more details.

The official language is German.

The currency used in Germany is the Euro.

• Notes (euros): 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500
• Coins (euros): 1 and 2
• Coins (cents): 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50

The best way to exchange money is at a foreign exchange office or at any bank. It is important to carry some cash with you as some places do not accept credit cards. Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) are available at all major banks. When making an ATM withdrawal, pay attention to the bank that owns that particular ATM. A small fee up to 5 Euros is typically charged if you are not withdrawing from a bank within that particular network of your house bank.

Common forms of payment:

•  Cash
•  Debit card (EC card)
•  Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, American Express)

The most common card in Germany is the EC-Card/Maestro-Card, a type of debit card, linked to your current bank account and is accepted at department stores, supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants and many other places all over Germany.
To obtain a credit card you do not need a credit history (as the credit card functions much in the same way as a debit card, with the VISA/Mastercard advantages). However, you may be required to produce proof of income. Credit cards may not allow for extended credit to be kept. Some banks will clear the credit in the middle of the following month the credit was put on and payments were made. But there are different options and banks will happily provide you with all required information.

Expatriates staying in Germany for an extended period will probably need a German bank connection. Setting up an account is a fairly straightforward operation, much the same as at home. All you need are your passport and money for the initial deposit.

If you bring cash, your account is opened immediately. If you are transferring funds from your home bank, it can take a couple of weeks for the amount to be credited to your account.

The German health care system is on par with the majority of modern western nations and as such provides top-notch care, which prevents the need for vaccinations.

If you are planning to spend more than six months in Germany , or have moved here in a job-related capacity, there are some things you need to know about insurance, which is in some cases mandatory.

Germans call health insurance, Krankenversicherung, and it is mandatory. If you found work after arriving here or if your company has transferred you to Germany , it is most likely that health insurance is already included in your job contract. In many cases it is necessary to show proof of health insurance coverage to get a residence permit.

For health insurance, which is tax deductible, you have a choice among several private insurance companies and a national health insurance program. The government subsidizes the latter and employers pay half of the premiums. Your company is responsible for completing the necessary formalities, and once this is done a social insurance card is issued. Every time you apply for benefits or seek reimbursement, you must have this card, with which you can visit general practitioners and specialists without paying any fee.

A pharmacy is called an Apotheke (like the English word apothecary). There is generally a large red letter ?A? in each pharmacy window.

See www.howtoGermany.com for more details.

There are many international schools where English is the main language for learning (from preschool to University level).

Many English-speaking expatriates are educating their children at Germany 's international schools, and an education at such a school has numerous advantages.

There is, of course, instruction in the native language. And, since the student body is usually quite international, they expose the young people to a variety of cultures. They also do a better job than most German schools of introducing the students to computers, and the program of sports and extracurricular activities is more like what they are accustomed to at home.

See www.howtoGermany.com or below for a list of schools. (List not exhaustive).

Shopping is a national pastime in Germany. Every conceivable item for person and household, home and garden is available in bewildering quantity and quality. The mall" is not nearly as well developed as in the States. The good stores are still downtown.

Historically, German businesses have had some of the strictest operating hours in all of Europe . Stores (including grocery stores) are typically open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 8pm , and are all closed on Sunday.

Expats shop at the same stores as Germans. Local corner grocery stores provide a wide variety of goods. These include such stores as HL, Minimal and Tengelmann. In addition, neighborhoods often have discount grocery stores such as Edeka, PennyMarkt and Aldi. In more suburban areas, larger stores have started moving in, including real and Wal-Mart.

Specialization is particularly noticeable in food stores. The Metzgerei (butcher), Backerei (bakery) and Konditorei (pastry shop) are run by masters of their profession.

There are no particular dress codes anymore. Although older Germans dress very conservatively.

Although employing household staff is quite common in Germany , finding such help is another matter altogether. There are no official "Domestic Services" companies or reference networks available. Finding someone is simply a matter of word of mouth or setting out to find someone yourself.

The best way to find household cleaning staff is by way of an advertisement in your local neighborhood newspaper or on the community notice boards at supermarkets. Your ad will have to be in German.

Payment is done at an hourly rate, and depending on which area you live in and can range in price.

If you have a critical skill, are a member of the family of a person with a critical skill or come from another European Union country. The chances are you can seek work in Germany. If you are none of the above, you may have problems.

Because of high unemployment in Germany , it is usually very difficult for the spouse to obtain a work permit. Generally, trailing spouses are not allowed to work in Germany for the first two years after application for a residence permit.

Local weather can be rainy or sunny, but it is typically mild in either direction. Winter rarely produces massive amounts of snow (and the one or two times a year when it does snow can make driving throughout the region treacherous) nor does summer provide too many hot days.

Air conditioning is not prevalent in Germany, so wearing layers is a key for daily life.

It rains quite a bit in the winter as well, so a small umbrella for the briefcase or purse is highly recommended to avoid getting wet in drizzly weather.

It is seldom too cold or too hot. The average temperature is between 0 to 6 degrees Celsius (32 to 43 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter and 13 to 21 degrees Celsius (54 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer.