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> Everything you need to know as an American moving to Germany

In the past ten years, 324,000 Americans have packed their bags and made the move to Germany, coming in second place only to Syrians - Germany’s largest group of immigrants outside the EU.

In the majority of Germany’s 16 federal states, Americans form the largest group of foreigners whose native language is English, the latest Destatis figures from December 2016 show.

If you’re keen on moving to areas heavily populated by Americans, it might be useful to note that Bavaria takes the lead as the state with the most people from the US (50,880), followed by North Rhine-Westphalia (39,790), Baden-Württemberg (39,060) and Berlin (36,060).

A strong presence of American nationals exists in the Rhineland-Palatine city of Kaiserslautern and its surrounding area. The Kaiserslautern Military Community, home to around 54,000 people, including military service members, is the largest American armed forces community outside of the US.

Here American culture has been heavily adopted in society; menus in restaurants are often both in English and in German and employees in shops are frequently bilingual.

There are further US military communities in the southwest of the country, such as in Darmstadt, Wiesbaden and Stuttgart.

On the other end of the spectrum, the German states with the fewest number of American residents are Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania, Saxony Anhalt and Saarland. Less than 2,000 people from America live in each of these states.

thelocal.de/20180413/everything-you-need-to-know-as-an-american-moving-to-germany

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Now that you have an idea of where fellow 'Muricans live across the Bundesrepublik, you might be happy to know it’s possible to understand the country geographically in a tongue and cheek sort of way.

Berlin, for instance, can be compared to both New York City and Portland, Oregon. Home to citizens from at least 200 different countries, Berlin is the most multicultural city in Germany. And like Portland, it’s known for its microbreweries and coffeehouses, meaning it exudes a similar hipster vibe as the German capital.

Meanwhile Bavaria, a more conservative and wealthy state located in the south, has a thing or two in common with the American state of Texas.

Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania, the state where the fewest foreigners live (69,000, less than 1,000 of whom are native English speakers), is comparable to Mississippi or Alabama - also states where few foreign-born people live.

The key cultural differences between America and Germany

If you’ve never visited Germany before, it might be useful to have a head's up of the differences, particularly in terms of culture, with your native country and your soon-to-be adopted country.

As you might already have heard, Germans are rather direct and comparatively prefer less small talk. When the American journalists here at The Local go back home on vacation, they say a noticeable difference is not only that people in the US are louder, friendlier and more open, they’re also bolder.

In a similar vein, the challenge of making friends in Germany is something expat surveys have been pointing out for years now. Though each expat will have a different experience, Americans might find it hard to settle due to a perceived unfriendliness among the Teutons.

Germany is moreover far less patriotic than many other countries, including America. Needless to say, a lot of this has to do with its role during the Second World War.

To put it in context, some Germans say they feel embarrassed when Germans wave the national flag during World Cup season - arguably the only time they are socially allowed to be somewhat patriotic. Germany’s just not a flag-waving country.

Teutonic culture further differs from that in the US in its openness to nudity. Here it’s common to go to saunas sans clothing or towels, people casually undress in changing rooms, nude beaches abound, the list goes on.

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5 key miscellaneous differences to make note of

To round off our guide to moving to Germany, here is a random list of points you’ll definitely need to know before you up sticks. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

1. Tipping in restaurants

Contrary to the States where it’s common nowadays to tip servers anywhere from 15 to 20 percent in restaurants, this isn’t really a thing in ‘Schland. You should still tip, though. A general rule of thumb is to round up to a flat figure. This usually ends up working out to around 5 to 10 percent.

We’re warning you now: don’t leave your tip on the table. In the German hospitality industry, tips are sorted when you pay your bill in cash with your server. Adding tips via credit card isn’t common.

2. Have cash on hand

The topic of tipping brings us to another major difference: unlike the US, Germany is still very much a cash society. You’d be wise to have cash on hand with you on a night out; some bars and restaurants in Berlin for instance have signs outside warning customers that they only take cash.

3. Shops are closed on Sundays

Germany has some of the strictest laws for shop opening hours in Europe. Unless you live in a big city or close to a main train station, the majority of stores are closed nationwide on Sundays as Germans continue to observe the day as a Ruhetag (day of rest).

4. You’ll still need to file American taxes

If you’re an American abroad you are not exempt from filing your taxes back home.

5. Exchanging your driving licence for a German one

The state where your American licence is from will determine whether or not you need to complete a driving test if, in future, you’d like to get your hands on a German driving licence.

US citizens from 28 states, including Michigan, Texas and Washington, can exchange their licence for a German one without having to complete any exams.

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Grocery stores typically stock hot dog and hamburger buns, macaroni and cheese as well as popular American cereal brands and varieties. Some big supermarket chains even have sections completely devoted to American food.

US fast food giants like McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and Taco Bell are dotted all across the country. However, you might find it difficult to get authentic Mexican food outside of the metropolises like Berlin.

And contrary to popular belief, it’s rather easy to be a vegetarian here. Even in the most rural German towns, options for vegetarians and even vegans are available.

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bump

How many lessons do you get in a course and how long are said lessons?

Extensive Courses

9 weeks - 2 sessions per week,
3 teaching units (TU) per session,
54 teaching units in total

Levels offered: A 1 to C 1
Advancement: 2 courses for each level

13 weeks - 1 session on Saturdays,
4 teaching units (TU) per Saturday,
54 teaching units in total

Levels offered: A 1 to B 1
Advancement: 2 courses for each level

(1 teaching unit (TU) = 45 minutes)

Max. 16- 18 participants

If i did my math right you'd be paying about $15 per hour which is fairly decent. Do you get a certificate at the end?

I think after the courses you sign up for the test, after passing the test you get a cert. I believe that is how it works.