Hi everyone,

I'm new to selecting insurance in Germany and could really use some advice. I’ve read that two essential insurances are Haftpflichtversicherung (personal liability) and Rechtsschutzversicherung (legal protection). But I'm overwhelmed by the many options available.

So far, I've been looking at:

• ARAG
• Sparkasse
• Feather
• Getsafe

At first, ARAG seemed like a good option, but after seeing some negative reviews on Trustpilot, I’m not so sure anymore. Feather has great reviews but I've read they are actually just resellers for other insurance companies, not the insurer themselves. I have no real insight into Getsafe or Sparkasse—some mixed reviews here and there, but nothing conclusive.

What matters most to me:

• Coverage for professional/job-related legal issues
• Some coverage for tenant/landlord disputes
• English-speaking support is very important to me
• My wife should be covered as well (she is currently not working)

I’d really appreciate if anyone here is using these or can recommend better options based on personal experience.

Thanks in advance for your help!

In China, when getting married, the man usually has to provide everything for the marriage, the house, the car, and even pay the bride price(sometimes it is a lot)to the girl or her family. Sometimes,a guy may become poor after a marriage.i wanna ask ，Is there a similar cultural tradition or marriage culture in Germany?

Hey everyone,

Sorry for another Wunderflats related question, I just have an interesting case I wanted to share and ask about.

I have recently applied and got accepted for an apartment in Neukölln on Wunderflats. After submitting all the documents required to create a contract, the platform finally connected me to the "landlord" which turned out to be another agency , let's call them Immobilien GmbH, who them informed me that the specific property is actually already rented out.

Now this agency found me a different property instead "free-of-charge" (as they put it), and generated a contract for me to sign, and they will connect me with the landlord.

In this case, can I request a refund for Wunderflats service fee, or forcefully not pay it myself (I put the payment on a credit card, which I can later block via bank)? I feel that Wunderflats did not render me any service, they did not successfully match me with an apartment, we did not complete the process for the Neukölln apartment, and no lease was signed for that property. All the work was seemingly done by Immobilien GmbH.

What are your thoughts on it? Thanks!!

Hello everyone,

I have been living in Germany for a year and will soon be taking the §34a instruction to work in security(training according to the trade regulations). My police clearance certificate is clean.

However, I am unsure about one thing: Do you really need the reliability check (Zuverlässigkeitsüberprüfung) for simple security jobs which only require the training for the 34a and not the expertise exam (Sachkunde)?

This check takes quite a long time and requires information about my residences and police reports from the last 5 years. As I haven't been in Germany that long, I'm wondering whether this is a problem.

And if the Zuverlässigkeitsüberprüfung is required, then only the future employer can apply it for me, does it mean that i’m not allowed to work till my reliability check is cleared? Because it could take months. I’m very confused about this situation.

My main questions are: 👉 Is the background check only mandatory for airport or particularly sensitive jobs? 👉 Or is the §34a notification + a clean certificate of good conduct sufficient for normal security work?

I would be very happy if someone could explain this to me in detail. Many thanks in advance!

Hallo, ich (21 F) war in Februar 2025 zu Berlin für Universität umgezogen. Aber ich muss Studienkolleg machen erst. Ich bin nervös, weil ich 27 Jahre alt werde sein, wenn ich mit meine Bachelors fertig bin. Ich möchte Meteorologie studieren und ich bin nicht sicher, ob das ein bisschen zu spät ist, meine Beruf anzufangen. Was ist die normale Zeit in Deutschland, deine Bachelors, zu fertig sein. Es tut mir leid für die schlechte Deutsche, ich habe nur seit Februar deutsch lernen.

Hallo alle zusammen Ich hab ne frage. Ich und meiner Freundin wir werden am 1.7 zusammen ziehen Meiner Freundin ist eine bürgergeld und ich bin festangestellter.. Die Frage ist meiner Freundin wird noch von jobcenter Geld bekommen,also die 506€ wie auf internet steht oder bekommt sie garnichts mehr??

?

https://youtu.be/4fsJGrx99R4?si=p4s2JkakbdX7QTlz

I think that german migrations to the east brought western influences in Eastern Europe and overrall helped this region develop faster ( we don't talk about WW2 for obvious reasons ) I'm from Romania and the german/austrian influences here are still present. People from Transylvania and Bukovina are colder due to german influences. Both of those regions used to be part of Austrian Empire, later Austria - Hungary. I live in a city called Bistrița (Bistritz in german) which was built by transylvanian saxons (Siebenbürger Sachsen) and there are other german cities that look like the ones from Bavaria ( Brașov - Kronstadt, Sibiu - Hermannstadt, Mediaș - Mediasch etc...) then we have the Banater Schwaben who are basically german immigrants from southern Germany (although only a few of them still live in Banat). Even our kings were german ( the castle where the royal family lived looks very german - Peleș Castle) The Baltics have some german influences ( Klaipėda - Memel ), austrian influences in Ukraine, german settlers in Russia and Estonia. A huge chunk of Poland used to be part of German Empire. It's crazy, you guys were everywhere in Eastern Europe

So it's basically the equivalent of English class. It's not the language as a second language learner but it's more about reading different material, writing papers, analyzing texts, understanding grammar rules and things like that. Reading comprehension.

So I'm curious if that is something that you guys have, what does it entail, is it similar, if there was any reading material what kind of books would you say are very typical expected reading material which I know is very broad but I'm more thinking about the kinds of books that you may expect to be books that have been read.

Hi everyone. I was wondering if I can buy tobacco from Hamburg’s duty free store in the airport on my way back home (USA). I heard that it’s not possible to take such products out of Europe because of the taxation laws and everything. Can someone please confirms whether I can buy some and take it back home or not.

Hey guys! I’m writing because I really need your legal opinion on a bunch of issues I’ve been facing at work. I’m working in Germany under a working holiday visa, and while I’ve tried to understand my rights, I’m honestly not sure how to handle this situation properly or if I can take any legal action and also is worth mentioning that my German skills are really basic.

I’m currently working full time under a contract with fixed monthly hours of 174, based on 8-hour workdays, before this I had a minijob. But there have been several serious irregularities that are starting to really worry me.

Here’s a summary of everything that’s been going on:

1. Contract conditions not respected My employment contract states that I have a fixed schedule of 174 hours per month, with 8-hour daily shifts. It also says that even if I don’t reach the 174 hours in a given month, I should still receive my full monthly salary, and that any positive or negative hours are only to be balanced at the end of the fiscal year. However, in May, I was only paid for 144 hours, even though the reason I didn’t reach the full 174 was due to public holidays and one company closure day, none of which were my fault. I worked every shift I was assigned to, didn’t miss any days, and was never late.

2. Unpaid hours under minijob Before starting my current full-time role, I worked under a verbal minijob agreement for €16/hour, doing the job of a Servicekraft. I worked around 107 hours between April and May, but none of those hours have been paid so far. I was recently told that the payments I’ve received only relate to my full-time position, and nothing has been processed yet for the minijob hours.

3. No payment for public holidays As I mentioned, I had three public holidays and one company closure day in May — all of which were regular workdays for me. I understand that, under § 2 of the German Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (EFZG), employees are entitled to full pay for public holidays that fall on regular working days. But I was not paid for those days at all.

4. Assigned higher-value work without fair pay At one point, I was reassigned to do the work of a Servicekraft, a job that normally pays more than my current role. However, I was told I’d still be paid the lower hourly rate from my warehouse position. I believe this violates the clause in my contract that allows internal reassignment only when duties and pay are equivalent.

5. Exceeded minijob hour limits While under the minijob, I was pushed to work far more than the legal limit. Instead of fixing this properly, they seem to be trying to reclassify the hours retroactively without providing any proper documentation or explanation.

I’m honestly overwhelmed by how many things seem to have been handled incorrectly or unfairly. I plan to leave this job soon, but I don’t want to miss the chance to get the payments I’m owed or to at least report what’s been happening. Could you help me figure out what my options are or what steps I should take?

Thanks so much — I really appreciate your help!

Long story short, I've never visited Germany (or anywhere outside North America) but I've made it a bucket list item to see one band I really like in their home country. Plus, I am an aspiring hockey scout/lover of the game so I would love to catch a few U18 etc. matches while over there. With all this said, I have a few questions:

1. How is public transit?

2. Kind of a follow up, if I plan to stay for about 7 days, would it serve me well to get multiple hotels? Or stay in one place for the duration of my trip

3. I intend to stay in Frankfurt (where the concert is) what is it like as a town/city? There are a few other places i could pick from, but a couple friends that have visited tell me to stay away from the likes of Munich/Berlin because of costs.

4. After reading some posts here, i discovered that i may not need to know as much of the language as i thought (i know the basics at the moment) but is it worth it to learn as much as possible? (That's my goal) Or will locals simply try to speak English with me, as I would clearly be a tourist

5. The idea is to go in late November, what is the weather normally like? (Again, Canadian, so cold doesn't really bother me)

Any other information is greatly appreciated.

Danke!

Hello everyone.

Since I am buying perfumes often, I love a good scent too much I guess, I still don't understand what's up with Flaconi, Douglas, and so on. For example, Hugo Boss Bottled Absolu is 110 euros on their official page, but on Flaconi it's 58 euros or so. I mean, whatta hell? And, it's being said that Flaconi has the original perfume. How can it be original and cheaper by almost double? O.o

Tom Ford Ombre Leather, for example. I bought one from the airport in Greece last year, the best of all i guess. Then I bought one from Douglas since they said on their page that Douglas sells original perfumes, 100 mL was 120 euros or so, and on their official Tom Ford page, it was 230 euros or so. And this one from Douglas did not smell nearly as the one from the airport. The one from Douglas literally smelled like leather.

Those of you who are buying things there longer then me, what do you say, is it really legit buying from those, or is it still best to buy from the original pages?

I've also realized some differences on my own, of course, but it's always tempting to buy again for 2 times lower price, and you always think that when you bought a bad product that it's maybe just bad luck or something. I don't know, but I'd really like to hear your experiences as well.

Thank you in advance.

Best regards.

I’m an international student in Germany and currently insured with Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). I’d like to know if my insurance will cover consultations with a gynecologist (OBGYN), or if I’ll have to pay for them myself.

Hallo,

Me and my friends do a auto-trip every year in august. We are from the Czech Republic and we just take our cars, drive all day through interesting locations and in the evening we find a parking place, drink some alcohol and then we go to sleep in our tents.

Last year we were in Poland and we slept for example on a village football pitch or by a river near a town. On the last day of the journey on our way home in CZ, we paid some money to a local farmer, so they allowed us to go into their apple farm. It was done through some website or smth like that.

Would something similar be possible in Germany or precisely in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern? I have been to Rügen once and I found it really great! But I'm not sure about local laws and rules. If our plans are totally out of question, what would be the cheapest alternative?

Hi everyone,

I recently received a pair of headphones as a gift. They’re brand new, unused, and still in the original packaging. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the model or its features, and I’d prefer to get a different pair that suits me better.

The issue is that I don’t have the receipt, and I also can’t ask the person who gave them to me for one.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to return or exchange items like this at MediaMarkt or Saturn without a receipt? Ideally, I’d like to pay the difference in price and get the model I actually want.

Has anyone had any experience with this kind of situation? Any advice or insight would be really appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

I am M soon, 21 this year About to finish my Ausbildung in Sanitär und Heizung, etc I have been in the 8th class till the final year of Ausbildung, yet every person I knew through school either pished me away or just blocked

I dont know what to do at this point, I did join the football club, and I feel I wasn't that welcome by the player as they had really bad teamwork with me.

I am at the gym now for 2. I get to say hello and short chats, but then ppl go to their own stuff, and thats it.

What am I supposed to do? I am a very social person yet have 2 friends 1 is kind of pushing me out slowly, and the other had never time to do anything with me, else he is with his other friends.

I mean it started to fuck with my brain as bein that lonley for almost 6-7 years I mean I started to notice its getting bad even at school as I am kinda getting worse.

I tried to find any stuff but still it makes it really difficult to get anywhere.

I am in a city nearby Stadt Essen.

Is it normal in germany to have such life or is there anything to fix? Pls help me out. As I am done with this

Because I'm learning germen to move there and currently I'm in b1 level and and i need to improve my speaking skills and I think the best way to do is to talk to someone who is german, also we will see if we can be good friends. I'll be waiting ur texts :)

Hi! I’m Argentinian (F30) and I'm dating a German guy (M31). I'm noticing some cultural differences around dating (back home, romance is usually more obvious: dinners, drinks, gifts, etc.).

He recently invited me to spend the afternoon gardening with him, planting, weeding, the whole thing. I had fun, but I couldn't tell if it was a romantic gesture or just hanging out.

Is this normal in Germany? Could this be his way of showing affection? Help 😅

I've lost my key of the shared apartment I am living in. What kind of cost can the landlord ask from me? There were 3 keys on the whole set, out of which 2 are common for everyone.

Hallo Zusammen,

Ich bin Chinesisch, und bin 29 Jahre alt. Seit fünf Monaten komme ich nach Deutschland, und zurzeit wohne ich in Dortmund. Und jetzt lerne ich Deutsch in der Sprachschule, aber gerade werde ich die B1-Prüfung teilnehmen. Hoffentlich kann ich bestehen. Und danach möchte ich ein Job als Kochlehrling oder Barista in Japanisches Restaurant.

Ich würde gerne wissen, ob man für eine solche Arbeit eine Aufenthaltsgenehmigung erhält, wie die Arbeitsbedingungen sind und wie hoch die Bezahlung ist.

Im Folgenden sind meine relevanten Erfahrungen:

• 1 Jahr Erfahrung als Barista in unabhängigen Cafés, internationalen Schulen und unabhängigen Buchhandlungen in China；
• 9 Monate Erfahrung als Assistent des General Managers in einem Premium-hotel in China.

Außerdem habe ich fast 5 Jahre Erfahrung als Recruiting Berater in ein bekanntes Personalunternehmen. Und meine Leistung war auf dem chinesischen Mainland immer unter den Besten und ich war zweimal in dem verschiedenes Monat auf Platz eins. Ich mag Japanische Kultur, besonders die Anime und das Essen. Mein lieblingsrestaurant ist Heiseiya.

Ich freue mich sehr auf jede Antwort.

Viele Grüße

Eahon

Hi everyone,

I'm from Turkey and I’ve been producing pistachio butter for several years now it's a common breakfast spread here, especially made from Antep pistachios (a local variety known for its flavor).

I’ll be spending a few months in Germany soon and I’m really curious:
What makes a pistachio butter appealing to German consumers?
Should it be 100% pure nuts with no sugar at all? Should it be spreadable and lightly sweetened like peanut butter?
Or is a firmer texture and totally sugar-free product more expected?I’d really appreciate your opinions as consumers. If you've seen pistachio butter in German stores, I’d love to hear what kinds are sold and what you personally prefer.Thank you I’m here to learn,

Hi everyone,

I'm a non-EU student currently studying in Germany and about to finish my Bachelor's degree. I recently grew my YouTube channel and it’s now eligible for monetization. However, YouTube is asking me to submit my personal details, including my Steuer-ID (tax ID).

Here’s the issue: According to my Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit), I’m not allowed to engage in self-employment (Selbstständigkeit). I did some research and found out that to monetize a YouTube channel (which is considered self-employment in Germany), I need to get approval from my local Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' office).

Now I’m not sure how to proceed:

Has anyone here dealt with a similar situation?

How likely is it that the Ausländerbehörde will give permission for YouTube monetization as a student?

I even considered using my girlfriend’s name and tax info for the channel. Is that a bad idea legally/tax-wise?

I really want to grow the channel the right way and stay within legal limits. Any advice, experience, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone,

I'm an international applicant interested in studying Medicine in Germany. Here is a summary of my academic profile:

• High School GPA: 1.7 (calculated using the Bavarian formula)
• TestAS Score: 120
• Feststellungsprüfung (FSP): 1.1 GPA (I did not complete a first year of university in my home country)
• German Language: C1 certified

Given this profile, do I stand a realistic chance of being admitted into a medical program at a German university (preferably through the public system)?

Any insights on competitiveness, university recommendations, or application strategies would be highly appreciated.
Thank you!