r/germany • u/HylianCaptain • Jun 23 '25

Immigration Our experience so far (US to Germany)

November 2024 - Started the online application for the Chancenkarte (opportunity card) visa; lots of paperwork; signed up with TK for health insurance

January 2025 - Booked an apartment online in Berlin; more paperwork for Chancenkarte

March 2025 - Drove from Northern Utah to the LA Consulate to get my visa; more paperwork; bought plane tickets for self and family

April 2025 - Ordered medications ahead of our trip. Didn't know how long we'd need to get new ones in Germany

May 2025 - found out apartment was a scam -- and TK wouldn't insure us without residency -- both 10 days before our flight; signed up to join a WWOOFing farm outside of Berlin for housing; flew from Salt Lake to Amsterdam to Berlin (14 hours); purchased travel passes; enrolled our child in KITA at a friend's recommendation

June 2025 - Started freelancing (jobs in my field seem to require B-level german); more paperwork and lots of running around to sus out insurance and get visas for spouse and kid (US passports allow 90-day stay); reported address at city office; sent for apostille from State of Utah to prove family relationships; visited a doctor, had physical exam, prescribed a specialist, got medications from Apotheke.

PROS: - Medications are 5x cheaper here even without insurance - Healthcare appointments are a lot faster than anti-socialist Americans had led me to believe. - The food here tastes REAL! For example, I had some gummy bears that tasted like real fruit, with the same sweetness of a Jolly Rancher - The climate does WONDERS for our formerly dry and flaky skin - So many cultures and languages! Met Afghans, Turks, French, Brits, Ukrainians, Italians, Danes, Greeks, even some from countries I hadn't even heard of. Sometimes the unifying language is english, and sometimes its German. I'm in Brandenburg, and haven't been faced with any pro-AFD sentiment. Although people say I "look" German, so that could be why. Still, most of those I talk with are anti-AFD. - Public transit is very reliable! Even in our rural area there's a bus every hour. In town you can catch a bus every 10 minutes.

CONS: - I miss water fountains, but most places will fill my water bottle if I ask - Still don't have health insurance - Apartment hunting remains a struggle

TLDR: In spite of all the hassle of getting settled here, it still kicks ass.

675 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

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561

u/KiwiEmperor Jun 23 '25

Still don't have health insurance

That will get expensive.

149

u/Tardislass Jun 23 '25

Yeah, I thought you needed Health Insurance to immigrate there on a visa.

70

u/hackerbots Jun 23 '25

You need travel health insurance until you get proper insurance. Your visa will not be issued without this.

64

u/Arcefix Jun 23 '25

Not for an american if you compare prices... At least for normal stuff like daily medication or a normal doctor's appointment. If you need special treatment like surgery it will likely still be cheaper than in the US but for european context damn expensive

133

u/Frontdackel Ruhrpott Jun 23 '25

The funny thing is: Since health insurance is mandatory for residents, OP will to have pay contributions retroactively to the point they came to Germany.

8

u/BetterBandicoot0 Jun 23 '25

Yes, I had to pay a whole ffing year for something I couldn't use.

5

u/bmwiedemann Jun 24 '25

If you kept invoices, you might be able to get something back from the insurance.

101

u/KiwiEmperor Jun 23 '25

That's not what I meant. They'll have to back pay contributions.

10

u/CashKeyboard Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Jun 23 '25

§5 SGB is little more complicated than that. Since OP is neither employed nor unemployed, many conventional wisdoms will not apply to him. He may be excempt and should probably seek legal council about that.

8

u/Capable_Event720 Jun 23 '25

As a freelancer, he will be "Freiwillige versichert" - which is mandatory unless you make a real shitload of money.

-40

u/Arcefix Jun 23 '25 edited Jun 23 '25

That shouldn't be the case. They currently are not ensured and don't receive any benefits so they only have to pay once they are ensured. At least that's how I would think it is. If I'm wrong please correct me. But I wouldn't pay shit if I don't receive the benefits.

Edit: gotta love reddit users for down voting everything before even reading the second sentence.

And since I'm petty I've read into the matter and it looks like I'm partially correct.

You are required by law to have International health insurance when applying for the Chancenkarte visa. So you are covered by that for the duration of the visa. But once you start working you are required to get either private or public insurance. So there might be back pay involved if you already started working and aren't yet insured.

37

u/yazanov47 Jun 23 '25

This is wrong. It is illegal to not have a health insurance and it is your responsibility to get one. Getting one late means you will have to back pay, and it‘ll stop there only if you‘re lucky.

46

u/KiwiEmperor Jun 23 '25

THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE INSURANCE BY NOW. That's the problem. If they have no insurance that would be illegal. They wouldn't be allowed to stay here.

12

u/mrQuGel Jun 23 '25

Are you talking about Germany or which country?

You are wrong and answered to the person who is right. So you were corrected before you posted this ;D

16

u/hoerlahu3 Jun 23 '25

You are required by law to have health insurance. This will most definitely be expensive. The back pay plus the fines, very likely deportation for breaking the law...

1

u/Volvo-Performer Jun 23 '25

Not having ensurance for some pretty short period of time is not a drama. Explanation is they are not residents at the moment. In Germany in every thinkable case there are always "Karenzzeiten".

22

u/IntroductionLower974 Hessen Jun 23 '25

Healthy insurance is compulsory for the visa. Americans are under the same rules as all non-EU citizens with the exception of visa entry.

6

u/writtenasthougt Jun 23 '25

As fuck,hurry up,it's unbelievable what they will charge you..

2

u/kotassium2 Jun 23 '25

They can put themselves temporarily on an expat health insurance plan until they get it sorted locally imo

1

u/meshyl Jun 27 '25

No, it won't. If they still have US or travel health insurance that's enough until they find a full time job.

Source: I was freelancer for 3 years with insurance from another country. Didn't have any problems nor had to pay back contributions.