|
|
| |
|
|
Frankfurt is the financial capital of Germany, situated along the Main river. Hence it is sometimes referred to as Mainhatten. Frankfurt has lots of cultural highlights such as museums and the opera. It also has plenty of great locations to eat. The sprawling city is broken down into sections including Sachsenhausen (loaded with bars and great eateries), Bockenheim, Bornheim and so on. Each has its own little personality. There is plenty of sightseeing to be done in Frankfurt as well.
The weather in Frankfurt is fairly nice during the summer, getting up to the 80's and 90's (20-30°C) with not much rain. The autumns and winters can be dreadful, full of grey dull weather and lots of drizzling rain. Temperatures are moderate and Frankfurt doesn't usually see much snow. |
|
|
|
|
|
There is lots to see and do for families and singles. Many festivals and events go on throughout the year. Frankfurt Messe (festival hall) hosts the IAA (auto show) as well as many other interesting events. Easy commutes from nearby areas as well as from the major cities which are further away.
Frankfurt is also a shopping mecca and you can find shops from most of the upscale designers.
There are a lot of foreign nationals from around the world living in Frankfurt and a majority of the residents speak English. There is very rarely any news of racial/religious/gender prejudices or problems. As with any major city, there are areas to avoid both during the day and night.
Prominent gay/lesbian community. |
|
|
|
|
US citizens in possession of a valid US passport do not need a visa for airport transit, tourist or business trips for stays up to 90 days. If you intend to stay longer than 90 days, you are required to register at the local Standesamt Einwohnermeldeamt (Registration Office) within one week of arrival.
Citizens of the United States of America may apply for their residence permit after entering Germany without a visa. Alternatively they can apply for a residence permit prior to entry at the German Embassy in Washington or at a German Consulate (currently located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York or San Francisco). Inquiries may be made at the German Embassy at
All persons who wish to study at a high school, college or university in Germany are required to obtain a residence permit. Citizens of the United States of America may apply for their residence permit after entering Germany without a visa.
All persons who wish to seek gainful employment in Germany are required to obtain a residence permit in the form of a visa. The residence permit ('Aufenthaltserlaubnis') only allows you to take up gainful employment (employee or self-employment) if the residence permit expressly entitles you to do this.
Once in Germany, the following procedure generally applies for job seekers:
Once you have an offer of employment and have registered your residence. |
| |
| 1. |
Go to the AuslÃnderbehÃrde (Immigration Office).
* Check with your local Einwohnermeldeamt or Rathaus for the exact address and office hours of the AuslÃnderbehÃrde in your city. |
| |
|
| 2. |
They will check whether the general legal prerequisites are fulfilled for issuing an ‘Aufenthaltserlaubnis'. If these are fulfilled,
* The immigration authorities request approval from the 'BundesagenturArbeit' (Federal Employment Agency) for taking up employment in a particular job for which you are applying.
* Approval is only given if the job cannot be filled by a German, EU citizen or other applicants given preferential treatment (e.g. third-country nationals who have been living in Germany for a longer period of time). This is known as the Priority Principle ('Vorrangprinzip'). After a specific period of time has lapsed, it is possible for the U.S. citizen applicant to have the same access to the labor market as German and EU citizens. |
|
| |
Learn further details at |
| |
|
|
|
The rental market in Frankfurt has generally been very competitive and apartments do not usually stay on the market long.
Listings in German can be found at or
From time to time, available apartments can also be found via with English listings. |
|
|
| |
|
Helpers in the house are not all that common but can be found. They are usually from Eastern Europe (Croatia, Poland, etc) and may not speak the best German or English. Word of mouth is the easiest way to find reliable help here. |
|
|
|
|
|
Telephone services can be provided by Deutsche Telekom or a myriad of other suppliers now who lease the phone lines from them. Rates are competitive among all of them. Many elect to just use mobile phone services and no land line phone at all now because it is not required to have one in order for DSL to work.
Internet Access, like phone, comes from many providers (Alice, 1&1, etc) and you should shop around for current deals. Telekom has a network of hotspots that is fairly good inside large cities which you can subscribe to. There are also internet USB sticks now that allow you to use the internet virtually anywhere.
TV & Movies: Premiere (a cable service) offers their featured movies in English. Full subscription includes sports and all sorts of other channels (in German). The movie channels account about 5 stations. Several smaller movie theaters also offer 1 movie per week in English. There is also an English-speaking theater group that performs plays and musicals in English
Local post is great. () Website is available in English and postage can be bought directly online, often with a discount. DHL allows you to send your packages home--expensive but still a flat-rate deal. There are small post office outposts in every town in Germany (usually in some sort of general store in the really small towns) and bigger post offices everywhere else.
|
| |
|
| |
|
Living in a city like Frankfurt you can get around pretty easily speaking only a little German. In smaller towns, English is not so prevalent and most of the older generation do not speak English . English (among other languages) is taught in school so most people under 30 speak English quite well.
There are several language schools in Frankfurt. I attended a 1 week crash course in German at LSI:
and found it to be fantastic. I have also taken classes at the VHS (vocational school like community college in the U.S.) which was also fairly good.
Find German speaking people and just start talking. Even if you're getting it all wrong, until you finally start speaking it, you will never fully learn the language. |
|
|
|
|
Water is just like in the US. Public water systems pump water to your house. Some places also have a well underground where natural springs are prevalent (Bad Vilbel area). Meters are read once a year and you receive a bill at the end of the year.
Gas is not available everywhere. It depends on your location. Heating gas is usually bought once a year and pumped into a tank in the basement. You pay spot prices for the gas on the day you get it. Some companies ask you to pay in cash the first time you order but you can pay via bank transfer after that.
Electricity is often run by RWE, one of the largest electric companies in Germany. Cost varies greatly depending on how large your place is, what sort of appliances you run, etc. Costs may be a bit higher than in the U.S.
|
|
|
|
|
Jobs can be difficult to find but there are sites like monster.de and various others which can help you find a job. Headhunters are everywhere based on your field of work. Many local companies and organizations (US Embassy, European Central Bank, etc) post available positions on their own websites and often have jobs for English-only speakers. There are also several English speaking schools in the area which look for teachers from time to time but you must be qualified.
If you are looking for part time work or a tax free position ( Euro 400 a month) try store windows in your area as they usually post availabilities this way. |
|
|
|
|
The local currency is Euro.
A bank account is fairly easy to set up. You will need your passport and a mailing address, phone number, etc in Germany. Just go in to a local branch of the bank you wish to open an account in and they will assign you a local representative who will personally contact you regarding your account and whom you can call when you need some sort of assistance (loan application, credit extension, etc) |
|
|
|
|
Medical care is comparable if not better to the US. The healthcare system is easier and no one can be refused treatment, whether they have insurance or not. Currently you pay Euro 10 per quarter when you visit doctors and the rest is usually paid by your healthcare. However, individuals are required to personally pay for an increasing number of treatments.Â
Apothocaries (Apotheke) or Pharmacies are usually located close to doctor's offices and you can usually get anything you need from them, including over-the-counter medications. OTC products are not found in most stores like in the US. |
|
|
|
|
Standard schooling. They have a tiered structure here and some kids will only complete the minimum of schooling, others go on to vocational training and others to university. The path they will take appears to be decided early on in the child's learning career so they should take their study seriously.
Many kids ride buses to school, especially the older ones. |
|
|
|
|
Owning a car is basically the same process as in the US. It has to be registered, have current plates, pass inspections, etc.
Driving in Frankfurt is ok. There is a lot of traffic around rush hour (7-9am and 4-6:30pm) Street lights are poorly timed which can cause a lot of headaches.
Driving schools are all over although I have not heard of any offering classes in English. If moving from the US (and perhaps other places) you may only need to take a written test instead of full classes, the written test and a driving test. The test is given in English as well as many other languages. Practice tests can sometimes be obtained from a driving instructor in English and those can be studied. Study the practice tests and their correct answers. The written test is a collection of those practice test questions put together.
Buses, trams, and subways run all over the city. All are well marked and you can buy daily, monthly and yearly tickets at reduced rates when you use them frequently. The tickets are good on all buses, trams and subways within the city. Train connections to other major cities are plentiful. Taxis are also available and taxi stands are also all over the city including a phone in case there is currently no taxi waiting. |
|
|
|
|
In downtown Frankfurt (the Zeil) you can find every product imaginable. H&M, C&A and Kaufhof have popular clothing lines. Douglas is a perfumery and beauty store. High end fashion and jewelry stores are also there. Qype.com can provide recommendations of beauty salons, doctors, etc. |
|
|
|
|
Football (soccer) is the most popular sport but many play tennis, squash, racquetball, indoor rock climbing, etc is also available. Sports clubs of all sorts are available to join. Equipment can be purchased in Sports Arena or other specialty shops. |
|
|
|
|
Pets will need to get an EU passport which keeps records of all shots and vaccinations. There is usually no quarantine period. Vets of all sorts are available.
|
|
|
|
|
No Ordinary Homestead () is a blog about an American expat's experience living near Frankfurt in an 1840's farmhouse |
|
|
|
|
City Description
