Contacts worldwide Are you looking for a competent German mission abroad? You can find their services and contact details in our overview of advisory and contact points. Enter the corresponding country below. Discover your path to Germany. Find contact information and services provided by German institutions in United States of America Ask Me Anything – EU Blue Card

Discover your path to Germany. Find contact information and services provided by German institutions in Great Britain

Housing and registration Finding a new home in Germany. We show you how to successfully find an apartment or a room in Germany. There is a large supply of high-quality rental accommodation in Germany, but demand is also high, especially in the major cities. We give you tips and explain what you should consider before and after moving in. Your first accommodation Until you find a place to live in Germany, you can stay in a furnished holiday flat, hostel, hotel or youth hostel. However, it will not normally be possible to register this address as your place of residence. Please note that you are required to register your place of residence with the relevant authorities within two weeks of your arrival in Germany. (See the “Moving in” section.) What types of accommodation are available? There are many ways to feel at home in Germany. The following options are available to you: Rental flats Long-term accommodation (three months’ notice) Not usually furnished; not always equipped with a kitchen Short lets Temporary accommodation for a fixed period Usually furnished Flatshare Individual and usually flexible rental periods and furnishing arrangements Shared accommodation with flatmates, usually cheaper than living alone Usually a shared kitchen and bathroom; each resident has their own private room Student residences (for students only) Usually furnished, relatively inexpensive A range of different options: individual apartments, single rooms with a shared kitchen and bathrooms, parent-child

Financial support for families In Germany, it is possible for both parents to take parental leave after the birth of their child. You can find further information on the duration and possibilities for financial support here. Parental leave After the birth of a child, mothers and fathers have the right to take a break from work to care for their child and spend time with their family. During this time, the employer may only terminate the employment relationship in exceptional circumstances (e.g. insolvency, shutdown of the business). As an employee, you can request up to three years off work from your employer. During this time, you do not have to work. But if you choose not to work, you will not receive any pay. One way to compensate for this is to apply for parental allowance. You can take parental leave before your child’s third birthday. You can also take some parental leave between your child’s third and eighth birthdays. In other words: you can take parental leave when you and your child really need it. At the end of parental leave, parents have the right to work as much as they did before taking parental leave. If you wish to apply for parental leave, the Parental Allowance Offices can help you. You can find their addresses on the familienportal.de (External link) website. Who is entitled to parental leave? Employees who have a German employment contract – whether full-time, part-time, marginal employment, fixed-term or permanent contract, etc. – are entitled to parental

Language classes It is worthwhile learning the German language before entering Germany. Find German courses in your area. Key facts at a glance German is the most commonly spoken mother tongue in Europe Around 130 million people worldwide speak German as a first or second language German is an official language of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein Initially, you will be able to get by in English in many parts of Germany. However, it is essential to learn German if you plan to stay in the country on a fairly long-term basis. You will quickly find that it is difficult to get by without German, especially at work, when dealing with the authorities, when shopping or in your private life. Learning German is therefore highly recommended. Ideally, you should start learning the language in your home country. You can start learning at the Goethe-Institut (External link) , for example, since the cultural institution of the Federal Republic of Germany is responsible for promoting the German language and culture. To this end, the Goethe-Institut offers German courses at 151 locations in Germany and abroad. To find a Goethe-Institut near you, go to our our overview of advisory and contact points . The Goethe-Institut’s German certificates are officially recognised for many different purposes. How to find quality language schools abroad The Goethe-Institut has compiled quality criteria for language schools abroad (External link) which you can use to identify

Immigration Immigration plays an important role in the German society. Learn more about the immigration flow in Germany. Germany’s population is growing due to immigration Germany is known for being a good place to live and work in and therefore is more attractive for immigrants than ever. Since 1950 there have only been a few years in which more people emigrated from than immigrated to Germany. German reunification in 1990 paved the way for high immigration figures, which peaked in 1992. The positive balance of the following years was due to a favourable economic situation and continuing stability on the labour market. The only downward trend was experienced during the global recession in 2008 and 2009. In both these years net migration was negative for the first time since 1984. Despite a slight decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, Germany remains an attractive country for immigrants: Germany has consistent records of high positive net immigration of foreign nationals, peaking in 2022. So many people are still choosing Germany as their new professional and personal home. Young immigrants in particular come to Germany, which could close the expected gap caused by the low birth rate. In 2023, more than 83.5 million people were living in Germany. Their average age was 44.6. Given the low birth rates, the younger people in Germany cannot, in purely mathematical terms, replace their parents' generation. But immigrants can close this gap, as they are frequently younger than the

Hotline Do you prefer a personal conversation? Please call the "Working and Living in Germany" hotline. Experts will provide you with advice either in German or English. Availability The “Working and Living in Germany” hotline is available via telephone by calling the following number: +49 30 1815 – 1111 The hotline provides advice on the following topics: Job search, work and career Visa and residence Recognition of foreign qualifications , entry and residence Learning German in Germany and abroad You can contact the hotline at the following times (CET): Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm and Friday from 9 am to 12 pm. Please note that the hotline is closed on the following days: 06/01/2026 (Epiphany) 03/04/2026 (Good Friday) 06/04/2026 (Easter Monday) 01/05/2026 (Labor Day) 14/05/2026 (Ascension Day) 25/05/2026 (Whit Monday) 04/06/2026 (Corpus Christi) 24/12/2026 (Christmas Eve) 25/12/2026 (1st Christmas Day) 31/12/2026 (New Year's Eve) Telephone charges Calls from a landline in Germany are subject to the usual charges. Charges for mobile telephone calls may differ. Calls from abroad are subject to the international charges applicable under your plan. Privacy notice The “Working and Living in Germany” is operated by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (External link) (BAMF) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) (External link) . Both the BAMF and the BA attach great importance to protecting the privacy and personal rights of each individual. Please note the following

News Welcome to the news section of Make it in Germany. We keep you up to date! Topics in the spotlight Here you can read current articles from "Make it in Germany" on topics related to skilled worker migration and integration in Germany. You can receive these articles by subscribing to the "Make it in Germany" newsletter! Current information from the partner network Various operators and institutions provide a look at their work or report on current topics. You can also receive all these articles by subscribing to the "Make it in Germany" newsletter. Updates on Make it in Germany Updates in 2026 Newsletter No. 1 / 2026: Tools for recruiting abroad Newsletter No. 2 / 2026: International students – an asset to the German labour market Newsletter No. 3 / 2026: Opportunity Card & International Recruitment in Practice Newsletter No. 4 / 2026: IT staff from abroad Newsletter No. 5 / 2026: Recruiting international trainees from abroad Updates in 2025 January 2025 March 2025 April 2025 June 2025 July 2025 August 2025 September 2025 November 2025 December 2025 Updates in 2024 January 2024 March 2024 April 2024 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 September 2024 October 2024 November 2024 December 2024 Updates in 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 Current facts about “Make it in Germany” Since June 2012, users around the world have been receiving information at “Make it in Germany”. Here you will find current figures from our statistics (last update: September 2026): 108.5 million users

Discover your path to Germany. Find contact information and services provided by German institutions in Sao Tomé and Principe

Contacts worldwide Are you looking for a competent German mission abroad? You can find their services and contact details in our overview of advisory and contact points. Enter the corresponding country below. Discover your path to Germany. Find contact information and services provided by German institutions in Egypt Brochure on labour migration in the nursing sector Are you considering continuing your professional career as a nurse in Germany? “Faire Anwerbung Pflege Deutschland” provides you with a comprehensive overview of the German nursing profession, as well as the recognition and entry process. Download PDF Specialized Programmes for Skilled Professionals from Egypt Ready to make the move? Explore programmes designed to help Egyptian professionals like you to build a career in Germany. Preparation Courses at Goethe-Institut Whether you're looking for information on language courses, or simply want to know what to expect when moving to a new country? The expert advisors of the Goethe-Institut are here to help.