Destination Guide for Germany - USP Relocations (Thailand Moving)

Life in Germany

The culture of Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular. Historically, Germany has been called Das Land der Dichter und Denker (the country of poets and thinkers).

There are a number of public holidays in Germany. The country is particularly known for its Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich, its carnival culture and globally influential Christmas customs known as Weihnachten. The 3^rd of October has been the national day of Germany since 1990, celebrated as the German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). Germany was the world’s second most respected nation among 50 countries in 2013.

Weather

Germany’s climate is moderate and has generally no longer periods of cold or hot weather. Northwestern and coastal Germany have a maritime influenced climate which is characterized by warm summers and mild cloudy winters. Most areas on the country’s North Sea coast have midwinter temperatures about 1.5°C or even higher. Farther inland, the climate is continental, marked by greater seasonal variations in temperature, with warmer summers and colder winters.

Temperature extremes between night and day and summer and winter are considerably less in the north than in the south. During January, the coldest month, the average temperature is about 1.5°C in the north and about -2°C in the south. In July, the warmest month, it is cooler in the north than in the south. The northern coastal region has July temperatures averaging between 16°C and 18°C; at some locations in the south, the average is almost 20°C or even slightly higher.

Cost of Living

Germany is Europe’s economic powerhouse, so it’s no surprise that many expats arrive here to pursue job opportunities in one of the major cities. However, with world class universities, which in most cases offer free tuition, it’s also the perfect place to come as an international student to complete your studies. Finally, with some cities offering pleasingly low costs of living with excellent amenities and infrastructure, retiring in Germany is also an increasingly popular choice for foreigners.

Whether you’re retiring, going to work, temporarily relocating, or moving to Germany for good, it’s helpful to have a picture of what life there will cost as an expat.

General Living Expenses

Living expenses in Germany (excluding rent)	Berlin average cost	Munich average cost
Single person, per month	EUR 733	EUR 799
Single person, per year	EUR 8,796	EUR 9,588
University student, per month	EUR 588	EUR 613
4 person family, per month	EUR 2,497	EUR 2,747
4 person family, per year	EUR 29,964	EUR 32,964

Housing & Rent

Renting in Germany	Average monthly cost (Berlin)	Average monthly cost (Munich)
One bedroom apartment (city centre)	EUR 739	EUR 1,030
One bedroom apartment (outside of city centre)	EUR 548	EUR 790
Three bedroom family home (city centre)	EUR 1,439	EUR 1,950
Three bedroom family home (outside of city centre)	EUR 1,050	EUR 1,456
Internet	EUR 25	EUR 24
Utilities (gas, electric and water for a 85m2 apartment)	EUR 232	EUR 242

For more detailed cost of living in the Germany, please click here or visit:

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International Schools

Here you can find a short list of some top schools in Germany:

accadis International School Bad Homburg

SÜDCAMPUS Bad Homburg,
Am Weidenring 52-54,
61352 Bad Homburg, Hesse,
Germany

www.accadis-isb.com

Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Read more about accadis International School Bad Homburg

International School of Neustadt

Maximilianstr 43,
67433 Neustadt an der Weinstrasse,
Germany

www.is-neustadt.de

Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Read more about International School of Neustadt

Leipzig International School

Könneritzstr. 47,
04229 Leipzig,
Germany

www.lis.school

Co-educational, Day, Nursery, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Read more about Leipzig International School

Aloisiuskolleg

Elisabethstraße 18,
53177 Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia,
Germany

Co-educational, Boarding, Day.

Bavarian International School e.V. - City Campus

Leopoldstrasse 208,
80804 Munich, Bavaria,
Germany

Co-educational, Day.

Bavarian International School e.V. - Haimhausen Campus

Hauptstrasse 1,
85778 Haimhausen, Bavaria,
Germany

Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form.

Customs Regulations for Returning Citizens

Used household goods are duty-free if customer has resided at least one year abroad, if the goods were owned by customer over six months and will not be sold for a minimum of one year.
Goods should be imported within one year of customer taking up residence; if not, reasons needed for delay – maximum limit three years.

Customs Regulations Germany

Required Documentation

Following documents are required for import of household goods and personal effects into the Germany:

Copy of passport (the page showing photo)
Renting contract of a domicile (if possible)
Contract of employment
Customs registration form 0350
A letter from a third party (employer, German embassy) confirming that the shipper has lived and worked more than 12 months in a foreign country.
Certificate of Registration (Anmeldebestaetigung) from the local registration office – not older than 3 months
Goods Inventory
Signed declaration, stating:
- the imported goods are the owner’s personal effects
- the imported goods are not subject to any customs restrictions (e.g. drugs, weapons, etc.)
- no taxable high value good (such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea, guns, etc.) are in the shipment such good must be listed separately and will be taxed.

For more detailed information, please view the full Customs Regulations Guide from FIDI. Please also contact one of our move specialists who are here to help you with importing your house hold goods into Germany from Thailand.

Motor Vehicles

Admitted duty-free if customer has lived abroad for over one year, has owned and used the auto for a minimum of six months and has brought in for personal use and will not be sold for one year. If not, subject to payment of taxes and duties.
Documents required:
Copy of title
Copy of last registration in a foreign country for a minimum of 6 months prior to shipping the vehicle to Germany.
After the customs clearance, vehicle must be inspected before licensing and must comply with German technical and environmental regulations and required modifications.

Pets

clearly identifiable by microchip
Dogs, cats and canaries permitted with a Health Certificate (in German or with a translation) issued by a licensed veterinarian describing the animal and stating that the pet is free from rabies and contagious diseases.
No case of rabies has been notified within a radius of 20 km from the place of origin of the animal during the previous 3 months prior to the date the health certificate was issued.
Importation or transit of other domestic animals is subject to a special authorization or eventually forbidden.
Health Certificate is valid ten days from the date in which it was issued (20 days for pets coming from non-European countries).
Form 38 (SV0802)
All endangered species and exotic animals are prohibited.

Transit Times and Ports of Entry

Sea Shipments:

Port of Entry	Transit Time	Customs Clearance
Bremen	Approx. 30 Days	6-8 Working Days
Bremerhaven	30-35 Days	6-8 Working Days

Air Shipments:

Port of Entry	Transit Time	Customs Clearance
Munich	1=2 Days	2-3 Working Days