I was born and raised in Indore,India. I spend most of my life there. Luckily, I saw the whole journey of Indore transforming from a small town to a large city of Madhya Pradesh, from tempos and minivans to AC buses, from spitting and dumping waste on roads to awarding the cleanest city.

Now if I think about Indore from my childhood till today I feel like how all these changes happen in a few years. When I think deeply I found Indore sets an example that such miracles happened only and only when government and people come together to achieve national objectives. One such example set by Indore city is being awarded constantly in “Swachh Bharat Mission”.

Swachh Bharat Mission isn’t just changed the city but it also changed the mindset and behavior of people towards their surroundings. It all started in 2015 when the Government of India launched the “Swachh Bharat Mission” to make the country clean. Indore Municipal Corporation(IMC) started working on this mission and deployed 1500–2000 vehicles to cover every road for door-to-door garbage collection. This was a success but IMC didn’t stop here they trained people to separate wet and dry waste, not spitting on roads, deployed big bins in farmer’s markets to collect the leftovers, etc. Here government played its role and now it was on the people to adapt to those new changes.

It was not that easy in the start to make such a change in people’s behavior towards the environment but slowly they start adopting it. People started separating wet and dry waste, they started cleaning their roads on their own on daily basis, and it change to this stage that now common people on roads are stopping such activities like spitting or throwing plastics. Now people’s mindset has changed totally and the city become an inspiration for other cities to change their surroundings.

Where many big cities having strong governments and educated people failed to achieve this, Indore just made this change in a few years through the contribution of government and people. This just proves that things will not change just by blaming the government, only we can make or break the system.

I am living in Germany for the last four years and I know many people who dreamt of living in Europe, traveling to different countries, and getting a job on a high salary. So, Today I decided to share my views on the pros and cons of moving to Germany and also the factors which one must consider before deciding to move from India especially after covid hits and lifestyle and situations changed in India.

Work-life Balance:

Work-life Balance is an issue around the world. Finding the correct work-life balance allow employees or workers to get ample amount of time to spend with their families, and leave work to pursue education, hobbies, or leisure.

German working hours are based on legal laws. In Germany legally the permit working hours must not be more than 8 hours/day or sometimes 35–40 hrs/week for full-time jobs. Business hours in Germany for shops are also fixed and all shops must be closed before or at 8 P.M. every day in a few cities. Sunday everything is closed except emergency services.

Apart from flexible working hours Germany also offers a great number of leaves to employees. Most people get 27–30 leaves yearly apart from public holidays.

Health and Medical Benefits:

The German healthcare system is one of the best healthcare systems in the world. In Germany, All residents by law need to have health insurance. Most people have public health insurance run by taxpayers in Germany. Health insurance provides you access to the best and most affordable medical treatment. Most of the treatments are covered by insurance like psychotherapy, eye-checkup, gynecologist, treatment during pregnancy and childbirth, and other treatments from specialists. As per law residents can opt for any insurance whether it’s public or private and from any company. The insurance cost is automatically deducted from the salary.

Traveling and Exploring Europe:

Germany is the best country that offers a high standard of living, from the cleanest environment, scenic attractions, well-developed architecture, and high-speed transport. Germany is a great option to live in if you love traveling, as many countries are accessible by road like Switzerland, Austria, etc. Germany is also famous for its hiking trails in the Alps, castles, and sea. Most of the locals enjoy hiking during summer and sledding and skiing during winter.

Free education:

German universities and their education is considered the best in the world. Many universities ranked in the top 100 in the international ranking. Many students from Non-EU and EU countries select German universities for higher education as a degree from German universities is respectable in the world and opens many career options for you.

Education in Germany is free if you opt for public universities and schools. For higher education, you don’t have to pay any tuition fees. Some private institutes are also available that expects you to pay tuition fee.

Apart from this if any resident whether it EU/Non-EU citizen gets benefits for their kids in education. Every child can opt for free education in public schools. If parents are willing to pay they can also opt for International schools for their children. Germany has very strict standards for education providers so, here you can expect high-quality education.

Benefits of employment loss:

Yes, you heard it right, the German government provides benefits to the person who is unemployed or lost their jobs under certain terms and conditions. In Germany, it is called Arbeitslosengeld. All residents of Germany are obligated to pay social security and unemployment contribution from their gross salary and this contribution government provides benefits. For self-employed persons unemployment contribution is optional. They can choose to pay if they want such benefits.

These benefits include financial support(you will get 60% of your net salary), help in searching for jobs, and 100 percent funded training including language courses or some technical courses for 1 year in most cases depending on your social security contribution.

Taxes and Social Security:

This is the most important point which you should consider while taking a decision. Working in Germany also results in paying high taxes and social security, In total, almost 35–40% will be deducted from your gross salary to pay taxes. In Germany, tax class is defined based on civil status(marital status) so tax percentage also varies depending on your and your wife’s salary and your civil status. I know it’s frustrating to pay high taxes but in the end, it benefits a lot in Germany like Unemployment, kids’ education, or medical issues. Also, the pension contribution is refundable.

This 35–40% of tax includes many contributions which are paid by you and your employer:

Before taking any decision calculate your salary based on contributions if its worth to move or you are getting similar salary in India as well. Below is the link of calculator you can use which have all contributions integrated.

https://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/gehalt/gross_net_calculator_germany.php

Language Barrier:

If you are planning to move to Germany for the long term then learning the German language is a must. Living in some country without knowing the language is tough, well you will not face that many issues in big cities as there are many ex-pats and even some Germans also speak good English. Learning German will make your life easier like in supermarkets, and foreign offices. It helps you to better communicate with your colleagues, and friends and involve in communities here.

Basic Services:

Germany is a developed nation and with this many people expect to get house help and other services easily. But this is not the case in Germany, In Germany, Labour cost is quite high if you plan to hire basic services here it will result in paying more money. For a simple cleaning service, you will end up paying 20–30 euros/hour. In Germany, people end up doing everything on their own whether it’s cleaning, cooking, babysitting, painting the apartment, or making furniture. Getting an electrician or key maker is quite difficult here as you have to book appointments even for these services.

Social Life:

In Germany, society and friend circles are very closed, and it’s very hard to enter a circle. Most people feel alone in Germany because of cultural differences and not many friends. Making friends in Germany is difficult even if you open yourself to reaching out to strangers and attending events in random communities. German love to have a beer in beer gardens.

Olympia-park: Olympia-park was built for Olympics in 1972. As it’s made for Olympics you will be able to see almost all sports like swimming, badminton, lawn tennis, etc available for people even today as well in Olympia-Halle. This park plays a major role in Munich’s events and is also on the top list for every tourist who visits Munich. The park covers a huge area where you can spend your time attending different events, can play sports, have sunbathed near the Olympia sea, walking around the park, can have a great view of the city from the longest tower of Bavaria(Olympia tower) and many more. During summer, people enjoy multiple events and fests, enjoying different food stalls, and adventurous rides. You can also enjoy BMW-Welt and BMW-Museum if you have an interest in the automobile industry.

Time to visit: 2 -3 hrs (approx).

English Garden: English garden enhances the beauty of Munich. Its the largest park in Germany and also the largest urban public park in the world which covers an area of 910 acres of land. A large group of trees, landscapes full of grass and a small beautiful lake attracts more tourists. People of Munich usually visit this garden more often in Summer for jogging, walking around, some Barbecue parties and to spend some hours boating and swimming in the lake. It’s the best place to sunbathe and also for a picnic with your colleagues or friends. Many other attractions are available inside the park like a Japanese tea house, a Chinese tower, and Hirschau.

Time to visit: 4–8 hrs

Marienplatz: Marienplatz is the heart of Munich, located near Munich Central Station. You will be able to visit Old Town Hall and New Town Hall at the same place. Marienplatz is popular for different cultural and sports events. Many rallies and protests are held here and even the world-famous FC Bayern team always chooses Marienplatz to celebrate their success. Apart from events, Marienplatz is quite popular for its shopping street. You can find hundreds of shops in Marienplatz for clothing, perfumes, books, and many more. The shopping street is always crowded. You can also enjoy many street artist performances while passing through the street. During winter many people enjoy ice-skating in Marienplatz.

Time to visit: 2 -5 hrs

Viktualienmarkt : Viktualienmarkt is the famous farmer’s market in Munich. It’s the most recommended place for locals to buy fresh loaves of bread, a variety of cheese, and pastries. Apart from all these, the market also offers fresh vegetable, fruits, fish, and other baking items. This market also contains many shops offering flowers, herbs, spices, honey, butter, sausages, wine, and tea. Beer garden and a few small restaurants located between sightseeing are the most popular ones among Munich locals.

Time to visit: 1–2 hrs

Deutsches Museum: Deutsches Museum is the largest museum of Science and Technology in the world. This museum is worth visiting if you are visiting Munich. The museum demonstrates almost everything from Astronomy, Pharmaceuticals, Aviation, and mining to musical instruments and virtual reality. Anyone enthusiastic about technology and who wants to experience and experiment must visit this museum. It looks quite small from the outside but even one whole day is not enough to visit this as it’s huge and demonstrates every field in detail. This museum has seven floors which consist of different themes and demonstrations of its history. Seven floors consist of mining which is located underground and one can get a feel of the mining and extraction process, then on the first floor you can learn about the history of aviation, shipping, and marine research, on the second floor you can visit pottery, ceramic section, and glass technology, the third floor is the interesting one and one of my favorites which is physics and Pharmaceuticals here physics section demonstrate almost all laws which we read in school time from vibrations and waves to electrostatics and magnetism, on next few floors you can enter into Astronomy which demonstrates different themes like Universe, cosmology, planetary system, etc, and on the last floor, you can visit the planetarium.

Time to visit: 1 day

This blog is created specially for expats and students planning to move to Germany for long term. Now a days many Indians are travelling to Germany. I always got queries on Facebook/whatsapp group related to what to bring and what not to Germany. I will suggest you to follow this list and check twice if you kept everything mentioned especially in document section.

Mandatory Documents :

1. Passport (keep a copy in all your luggage as well)
2. Visa (keep a copy in all your luggage as well)
3. Tickets
4. Vaccination Certificate(Depending on country’s and airline’s regulation)
5. Education Certificate/ Degree Certificate
6. Birth Certificate and Marriage Certificate(if already married, mandatory for people travelling on dependent visa)
7. Original and also copy of employment contract(mandatory for people travelling on work permit visa)
8. Carry some Indian Id proofs as well (Its optional but keep atleast Aadhar/Pancard/DrivingLicence, immigration officer may ask you to show)
9. Photographs (Passport size) (Optional but better to keep at-least 1–2)
10. Carry some cash or forex card(multi-currency card)(Germany only accept euros).
11. Carry your hotel/airbnb booking or address of apartment(Optional but immigration officer may ask for such things)
12. Copy of Health insurance/Travel insuarnce.

Outfits/Clothing :

1. Good quality of Jacket(mandatory if travelling between Sept -April). If you are travelling during summer some hoodies/jackets will work.
2. Woollen cap and gloves(Mandatory during winter)
3. Jeans/formal and informal wear
4. Pair of socks(at least 7 pairs)
5. Boots (mandatory if travelling during snow)
6. Pair of sport shoes
7. A Pair of flip-flop
8. Belt/other accessories as you like
9. 1–2 pair of Indian traditional wear (Gatherings/festivals)
10. Towels

Electronic Items :

1. Universal adapter(mandatory)
2. Hard drive
3. Pen drive
4. Wire extension
5. Power bank
6. Laptop/Mobile phone (Optional)

Cosmetics :

1. Hair oil (mandatory as you will not get much option in Germany)
2. Shampoo/cream/face wash(For initial days)
3. ToothPaste/ToothBrush(For initial days)
4. Menstrual Pads (For initial days)
5. Comb
6. Safety pins

Medicine :

Try to carry some common medicine like pain killer, cough syrup, vicks etc for emergency situations as you might not get some medicine in Germany without doctor’s prescription. If you want to bring any prescribed medicine keep those with doctor’s precription. If possible keep a Steamer/Steam vapouriser in luggage.

Utensils and Cooking Products :

1. Pressure Cooker/kadhai/Rolling board and Pin/Spice box(Mandatory as you will not get it in Germany)
2. Mixer Grinder(Optional you will get it in Germany but its bit expensive)
3. Snacks (For initial days)
4. Ghee
5. Spices/Pulses/Flour (Optional- Spices/pulses available in Indian stores if you are staying in big cities in Germany)
6. Tea leaves/Tea
7. Coffee powder(for initial days, you will get great quality and options in coffee in Germany)
8. Maggi (For initial days to survive)

Preparations for Safety and Security :

1. Weigh you luggage properly. Make sure it fits under allowed baggage terms.
2. Stick you personal details(Name and phone number) on your luggages.(Required in case it got misplaced)
3. Keep luggage tags and tickets safely.
4. Do not keep or wear much Gold.(Check country wise allowance on carry gold)
5. Keep a copy of all your documents in your handbag.
6. Download some important application before travel (Maps/Free now/Uber/Db navigator)
7. You can also order a simcard for you at least 1 day before your travel.(lebara deliver free simcard on any of your Germany’s address)
8. If you are travelling on weekend(specially on Sunday). Ask some of your friends to buy milk and basic groceries for you. On Sundays all shops are closed in Germany.

9. Carry full address of your apartment/Hotel/airbnb and also be in touch with owner. Keep them informed about your travel plans and details.

10. Do not forget to carry cash with you.

I learned how to love unconditionally from my dog. Dogs are really friendly and best buddies of humans. Most of us love them for their nastiness and their behavior like a child and most of us hate them for their behavior towards strangers even some of us hurt them and killed them sometimes just for fun and sometimes for food.

I am from those who love them a lot. I had a dog and he changed our lives. He brought fun and enjoyment to our life. My whole family treated him like their own child and dare him to hurt him in front of my mom. My mom scold me so much because of him as I always tried to pull his leg with some food or with his toys.

My Dog “CRUDO”

Crudo is gifted by our saint to us when he was 5 months old and they gave us to take care of him. Before this incident happened my whole family had a fear of dogs except my brother and me. When Crudo come to our family for the first time he was a little upset and emotional as he may be missing his brothers. He was so quiet for two days and just sitting behind a sofa. My mom was too upset to see him like that and she surprised me by taking Crudo in her arms and loving him like her own child. She gave milk and some biscuits to him and while he was having breakfast she console him. It’s mesmerising to see.

Best Moments

After two days he started playing with us and started recognizing people. He always is around by my mom when I was not there and as soon as I came he looks happy and started annoying me. A funny incident happened in my mom’s bedroom. My mom was getting ready and Crudo come into the room, my mom started loving him, there was a mirror in the room and Crudo looked at the mirror and saw his image and he thought its some other dog and started screaming like actual dogs that were the first time we heard him screaming on someone.

Crudo lives with me and had a small place in my room. He sometimes sleeps on my legside and always annoys me by snatching my quilt. He always woke me up by standing on me and trying to remove my quilt from my face. He follow my mom’s schedule and woke up early morning, always went on the morning walk with her have breakfast on time, bath on time and mom always scold us for being late and compare us with him. Even he always gets a ride in the car when my father goes to the office every day.

As time goes he become a part of our family and everyone started loving him. He has always been a part of our all festivals and also our all pictures. He somehow learn our language and we started giving instructions to him in our mother tongue. My father use to come home a little late and he always waits for him. If my father is out of the city he waits for him and always stairs the window, My father use to call my mother and Crudo always recognize my father’s voice and also understand that he is not going to come home today. Crudo always treat every family member of mine as a prince or princess, as soon as you enter the house he started loving you like anything, and even if I had a tough day seeing him and being loved by him I use to forget all tensions.

Protector

Dogs act as a protector and saviors of humanity. Because of their strong-smelling power and great hearing capacity, Dogs are also a part of police service for detective purposes. I saw usually in airports police carry dogs to verify the luggage of travelers. Likewise, our Crudo was also having such superpowers and he always protects us from strangers. Nobody dares to visit our house if he is there and even no one can park their vehicles in front of my house. I remember he always went temple(2–3 min walk)with my mother as her bodyguard and wait there till she complete her worship and return with her.

Hurting a Dog

Dogs and even all animals on earth deserve love and care. But, sadly it’s not the case in the real world. I think some dogs like Crudo are lucky ones who have a house and better life after being adopted by a family. But sadly millions of street dogs in the world have the worst life and they have to suffer all weather conditions on street. Sometimes they even didn’t get food and ended up eating waste from bins. I read so many such incidents in the news which gives tears to my eyes. One such incident happened in my city where people while burning crackers during Diwali also burn some crackers on the street dog and some dogs died. In my view, this is inhuman behavior towards other living beings. I also watched one video showing some markets in other foreign countries selling dog’s and cat’s meat. There are such devastating incidents available on social media and news as well. Many people show cruelty to animals and those things need to be stopped by us.

Protect our dogs

Dogs are a part of human life and they protect us and even the whole world. But in return, we should also protect them and show respect and love to them. Some big organizations are working toward protecting dogs like PETA. I am very happy to see some small organizations and youth working on rescuing dogs, caring for them, and giving love to them which they deserve. I think if each one of us takes responsibility for street dogs just to provide them with food, water and shelter then only society will improve and more dogs have their home and good life like humans.

“Get a dog, He will protect you”

Scam Percentage from Different channels:

Immoscout24/Immowelt -> 2–5%

Facebook communities(Different countries have their group and they usually exchange flats in their own community) -> 1–4%

Facebook Marketplace -> 80–90%

In Germany, Most people rent apartments on Immoscout24/Immowelt are trusted ones and I will recommend searching for flats there only. If you are a part of some Facebook group from your own communities/friend group you can trust them and visit those apartments. Coming to the Facebook marketplace, most scammers use the marketplace to scam people. Please be careful while using Facebook Marketplace to search for an apartment.

Identify a Scammer :

Now the question arises how can we identify a scammer. There are few ways to identify them.

1. Don’t go for looks

“Don’t judge an apartment by looks”. Yes its true don’t just go by look and feel of apartment. Usually if you came across a picture perfect apartment eqipped with washing machine and all necessary equipment, having perfect room with almirah, bed etc. Those might be a scam 90%. Scammer show you a perfect apartment which blow your mind and that too in a cheaper rate in the heart of city which is unbelievable to find anywhere. Before believing on such images which looks like a taking from a hotel room just check what is the current rate of apartments going on in that area for the particular size of apartments.I have shared the pictures which one of the scammer sent me over email.

2. Identify them the way they scam

Most scammers have conversations only over email and not in person. They will send you emails about the apartment and images of the apartment and even sent you their pictures, a fake passport copy, and some information about their work and likes/dislikes as well. They make some fake reasons about not being present in the country currently. They might promise you to meet in person after the booking process is done remotely through TripAdvisor/Airbnb/western union/booking.com. Just don’t trust such emails and stop replying to them. They are fake and please don’t share any documents or anything with them. I have shared such fake emails below.

Save yourself from Scam:

You can save yourself from such a scam if you just act smart and have the patience to find the correct apartment for you. Just by avoiding below-mentioned activities, you can save yourself from scams.

1. Do not sign any contract before visiting the apartment or without meeting the apartment owner. First, visit the apartment and also contact the owner of the apartment for some queries to confirm it’s not fake.
2. Do not share any of your information or documents such as passport/visa copies to such scammers if they ask.
3. Do not pay any security deposit to secure the apartment for you till they prove to you that it’s a true apartment and the owner is ready to meet/ contact you.
4. Do not go through any Upfront Screening process remotely on online channels before visiting till you didn’t get the contract/keys to the house.
5. Avoid the marketplace or some fake website to search for an apartment in Germany.
6. If you are unable to find an apartment within the given time just check if any friend of yours can offer to stay for some days or book a temporary stay on Airbnb or some hotel at the start. You can also book from Mr.Lodge/HomeLike temporarily as those cost you a little higher.
7. If you got a reply from some owners just confirm with someone living already in Germany. You can also ask them for help in visiting the apartment.
8. If you are suspicious about the property you can also ask for “Grundbuchauszug”(copy of land registration).
9. Always try to transfer the amount through your account in Germany. As it’s difficult to track if you pay online(western union)or from any other platform.
10. You can also hire an agent to search the apartment for you if you are ready to pay one-time fees to him.

Trusted website/apps to search apartments in Germany:

1. Immoscout24
2. WG-Gesucht
3. Immowelt
4. Mr.Lodge
5. eBay-kleinanzeigen
6. Facebook group of some communities which you can trust.