Germany Job Seeker Visa, A Real time Experience in Requirements, Cost of Living, Life Style Challenges

My Beloved Job Seekers

Let me elaborate you three reasons, "Why should you think about Job Seeking in Germany?" and the real time Experience in the Requirements, Cost of Living, Life Style Challenges  through this value added Blog.

1. Germany is not only a beautiful country, it is also one of the most powerful countries in Europe. With high growth and low unemployment, it is the perfect place to go if you are looking for a job. The country offers free education to its residents and is considered to be a highly safe and attractive living and working environment.

2. Germany is also one of the countries that is seeking highly qualified employees to work in well-paid positions, and encourages all young and skilled people to come visit and look for places to work. So if you have decided that you would like to work there, the first things you need to do is get a Germany job seeker visa.

3. Germany is one of the few countries that offer visas before you have a job offer. The country has emerged as one of the most popular study destinations, boasting of a 91% employment rate right upon graduation (2017), way higher than the European average.

Now Let me share my Real-time Experience in The Visa Requirements, Cost of Living and Life Style Challenges.

What is a job seeker visa?

The job seeker visa for Germany is a Long-Term Residency Permit, which allows you to stay in the country for six months and look for a job. If at the end of the six months you have found a place of employment, you will be given the Germany work visa or a Germany work permit and you will be allowed to work and live there. Please note that having a job seeker visa does not allow you to start working immediately in Germany. It only means that you can visit the country and look for a job during your stay.

• Be eligible to apply

• Compile all the necessary documents

• Fill out an application form and book your visa appointment

In order to obtain a job seeker visa for Germany, 

you need the following:

Am I eligible?

• You must hold a Bachelor’s or a Master’s from either a German University, or a foreign equivalent of the same.

• You must have a minimum of 5 years of work experience in the related field, preferable one which is demanded in Germany’s labor market,

• Before applying, you should also have the minimum required funds for your 6-month long-stay in Germany when looking for a job.

• You should also possess travel or medical insurance for the entirety of your stay in the country.

How much will it cost for Visa?

Visa Fee: Rs 6200 approx. or € 75.

The document checklist:

• Completed filled German job Seeker Visa application form
• Valid Passport
• A copy of passport data page
• 3 passport photos.
• Cover letter
• Update CV
• Academic Qualification documents
• Proof of accommodation.
• Proof of Health Insurance for the stay duration
• Proof of financial resources

Germany Job Seeker Visa Requirements and Application Process

With unemployment being on the decline in Germany and its job market being highly-regarded worldwide, many foreign internationals heads towards Germany to look for a job. Finding a job and becoming a resident of Germany is possible, however, there are certain procedures one must follow initially.

If you are interested in finding work in Germany, you may go to Germany on a job seeker visa. The Germany job seeker visa allows individuals to remain in Germany for a specific period of time and search for employment. But not everyone needs this type of visa to search for employment in Germany. You will find out the details in no time.

Obtaining a job seeker visa to Germany is not easy, you will have to be eligible and fulfil all the requirements and go through the application process with a lot of precision. Now, let’s go through everything you need to know.

• Can I Extend the Germany Job Seeker Visa?
  

  The Germany job seeker visa cannot be extended. This means if you are unable to find work during the time your visa is valid for (six months), you will have to return to your home country.

  If you are able to find work in Germany during the time you spend here on your job-seeking visas, you will not be required to return home and apply for a working visa/residence permit because you can do this in Germany.

• Can I Work with a German Job-Seeker Visa?

• No, you are not allowed to take up employment with a jobseeker visa. Once you have found a job in Germany, you must apply for a residence permit for employment.

What is the processing time?

The processing time of Germany Job Seeker Visa is usually 4 to 6 weeks.

What happens when you get a job?

When a person gets employment in Germany on Job seeker visa, they are required to apply for the employment residence permit. This can be done in 2 ways:

1. Apply for EU Blue Card

To get an EU Blue Card, you need to have an employment offer of 44,800 euros per annum salary or at least 34,944 euros. You can directly apply for the permanent residence permit in 33 months for the EU Blue Card. By proving German language skills, you can get the same in 21 months.

2. Apply for Employment Residence Permit

In this kind of permit, mostly the employer will sponsor you. After 5 years, you can apply for the permanent residence permit.

Along with this, you get your family members by Family Reunion Long Term Visa.

Cost of Living in Germany

What is the Average Cost of Living in Germany in 2022?

Post COVID the Cost of Living is Quitly reduced in Germany Particulary. Following Information will be really useful for the Job Seekers also for Students pursuing careers in Germany post COVID; 

The cost of living in Germany is quite reasonable compared to other European countries. You will need around 500-600 euros a month for 2 Guests in an area called Kreuzberg near Berlin to cover your living expenses in Germany as of 2021.

On average, to cover your living expenses in Germany you will need around 600-700 euros per month (around $680 - $790 US dollars).

The prices for food, accommodation, bills, clothes, and entertainment are basically in line with the EU average. Your monthly rent is your largest expense in Germany. If you are open minded to share rooms like a above option, you can save up to 200 euros a month. 

How Much Does Food Cost in Germany?

If you’re not that good in the kitchen you better start learning how to cook on your own, because eating at German restaurants won’t be a good option if you’re planning to save money. At the moment, a meal for two people at an average restaurant may cost you on average €45.

At a smaller restaurant, the price for a meal may vary between 8 to 14 euros. Followed by any casual dessert or any drink the price will surely climb higher. For example, half a liter of German domestic beer costs around 3.50 euros, as opposed to an imported beer which costs 3 euros.

If you choose to have a cappuccino instead of a beer you’ll have to pay 2.64 euros. A 0.33-liter bottle of water costs 1.77 euros and a soda costs 2.17 euros.

You can give yourself the commodity to eat out from time to time, but there are better options if you are concerned about your finances. Universities have usually their own cafeteria and mensa incorporated within the campus, which offer a variety of good foods at a low cost.

These dining halls use a flexible membership system which allows the student to charge his MensaCard a certain amount of money he possesses and then use that card to get a meal with a cost normally cheaper than 5 euros.

If you take, the courage to learn some basic skills in the kitchen to cook tasty dishes, this is still better for you because you’ll save some additional money for sure. Well, you may not be skilled enough to cook a restaurant-alike meal, but it is totally worthy.  The cost of basic food and drinks in Germany are not that high. Below is the average cost of some of these products:

• White bread (500g) – 1.24 €
• Milk (1 liter) – 0.71 €
• Eggs (12) – 1.64 €
• Rice (1kg, white) – 2.03 €
• Potato (1kg) – 1.06 €
• Onion (1kg) – 1.09 €
• Tomato (1kg) – 2.62 €
• Chicken (1kg) – 7.53 €
• Beef (1kg) –  11.65 €
• Apples (1kg) – 2.22 €
• Banana (1kg) – 1.58 €
• Oranges (1kg) – 2.29 €

Transportation Costs in Germany

As a Job seeker, you’ll be moving around all the time. Hurrying to arrive on time for your Interviews, getting back to your apartment, going to meet a colleague on the other side of the city, going to shop for something, everything can get stressful.

Making the prominent selection of what type of transport to use may not only save you time but money a well.

If for whatever reason you have to take another type of transportation you might appreciate knowing how much it may cost you.

By far the best way of moving from a destination to another one is using a bicycle, especially in over-crowded cities during rush hours. Among other traveling options you have surely the public transport is the cheapest.

Currently, a one-way ticket on the local public transport costs 2.00 € on average. If you’re a regular traveler on the same line, then you can purchase a monthly ticket which costs 70€ on average.

The initial taxi’s cost is averaged at 3.50€, while the kilometer varies between 1.55€ and 2.50€.  If you possess a car you should know that the prize of gasoline ranges from 1.25€ to 1.49€.

• Average Utilities and Bills Cost

  Besides housing rent, you will need to cover monthly bills for heating, electricity, water, and garbage. Unfortunately, the price of electricity in Germany is quite higher despite a slight decrease introduced in 2018.

  Currently, in Germany, you will have to pay 29.42 cents for a kilowatt hour (CT/kWh). Given this and the other amenities’ cost on average for an apartment of 85 m2, the total monthly cost is 215.21 €.

  If you live with roommates, you will, of course, share these expenses. In some cases, these bills are included in your rent, so you don’t have to pay any extras for these utilities.

  Health Insurance Cost in Germany

  One thing you need to be aware of is that in Germany health insurance is mandatory by law regardless of your residence status or your income. You will have to get a health insurance plan from the very first day you enter the country.

  In general, there are two main types of health insurance plans in Germany

  • Public health insurance
  • Private health insurance

  You’re free to choose any of the above plans, depending on what you need to be covered and how much you’re willing to pay for.

  How much can it cost you to be health insured?

  Primarily, the cost of health insurance depends on the type of insurance plan you choose. The public health insurance, which is mandatory for everyone in Germany, charges lower premiums. The rate of payment you have to pay for your public health insurance plan (the GKV) is regulated by the government. Currently, the monthly premium rate for this plan ranges from 70 to 80 euros per month.

  If you want to cover more medical needs you must get a private health insurance plan, which normally comes at a higher price. There are no standard premiums throughout private health insurance providers since there many different packages for different individual needs. You can even agree to have a specific monthly premium before the company starts to cover your health.

  For an exact estimation of how much it will cost you to be health insured in Germany, I will write a new value added article in next few days; Please be a subscriber to get notified that;

  Other Expenses You Need To Consider

  Other than the basic needs already mentioned here, there are some other expenses you have to cover while studying and living in Germany. For example, you may need to get yourself a pair of new shoes or buy some new clothes to adjust to the new season.
  In Germany the quality of clothing is high, but so is the price. A pair of jeans will cost you around 50 and 100 euros, while a pair of shoes (Nike Running shoes for example) will cost you between 60 and 120 euros. For a pair of Business shoes, you will have to pay a higher price ranging between 70 and 150 euros.
  

  Reducing costs of living in Germany: Tips for international students

  Naturally, the factor that will determine the most part of the cost of living in Germany is the location where you will be living in Germany. Although is the location of your university which constrains you from selecting the most suitable location to live, there are certainly affordable living places in a large perimeter around the campus of your university where you can settle in.

  If your university is located in big populated cities like Munich, Hamburg or Frankfurt then, saving money is a harder mission to accomplish than in smaller less populated cities like Karlsruhe and Leipzig. In suburb areas of these cities, you can expect to have lower prices so it’s never a bad idea choosing to live in those places and commute regularly.

  After all, if you cannot lower the housing expenditure at the limit you would prefer, you can search for people with whom you can share the apartment and therefore the total cost of renting it.  Actually, this is what most of the students do.

  Don’t worry, in Germany, you have a bunch of options and surely there will be one that will match with what you can afford. However, mapping all those places to sort them out, which are the cheapest and which not is a kind of rocket-science itself.

  Trying to gather information for each particular city or town to estimate the average cost of living there is time-consuming, nerve-wracking and absolutely fruitless.  This is mainly because the prices of services and items may change at a large scale from place to place within the country.

  For example, the distance between the capital of the state of Bavaria, Munich and the city of Ingolstadt is less than 100 km, but the prices change largely. For example, a meal for two persons in a restaurant in Munich costs 60€, compared to 45€ in a restaurant in the city of Ingolstadt. The rent is also different. In Ingolstadt, you can find a one-bedroom apartment for slightly more than 600€, while the rent for a similar apartment in Munich is over a thousand euros per month.

  Big cities like Munich or Frankfurt are much expensive than cities like Leipzig. For example, a meal in an inexpensive restaurant in Munich costs something between 10 to 15 €. In a similar restaurant situated in the city of Leipzig such a meal will cost you between 7 to 12 €.

  As for the cost of housing rent, the difference gap between these two cities is still larger. The difference gap in the cost of housing in these two cities is still larger.

  Also in Munich, the monthly rent payment for a one-bedroom apartment exceeds a thousand euros (1,094€ on average), while for the same apartment in Leipzig you will pay less than the half of that value (490€ on average). If your university/office is placed in the outside of the city, then you’re lucky enough because in downtown areas housing rent is usually higher.

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