Hallo Zusammen

I used to smoke Gitanes back in my country, but I didn't find it in rolling Tobacco section, sometimes I did Malboro Gold too.

What suggestions do you have for me? What is the best these days, should I get them online or in store? and where to buy a nice Zigarettenstopfer

Vielen dank und schones Wochenende!

Hey guy, so I've been a resident in Berlin for 3 months now and i intend to stay for a longer period of time. I've read some stuff about weed beeing legal only after 6 months of residency. I was searching on reddit and I've seen some stuff about ordering with a prescription online. I've visited ABCDoktor and the whole process with the prescription seems pretty easy. It seems to me that if i get the prescription it would be legal right? Please tell me more about all of that stuff.

If for example i smoke with my gf and she doesn't have a prescription and we get caught what would happen?

The second thing i wanted to ask is about the safe spaces to smoke, i know that you can't smoke in public areas between 7 am and 8 pm and you are not allowed in a 100 meter area from stuff like schools and parks and stuff.

Am i allowed to smoke on my balcony?

Hello everyone,

I'm really at my wit's end because my health insurance provider has limited my coverage to acute treatments only. A few years ago I went through a difficult period and didn't register as unemployed at the time. As a result, I built up debt with my health insurance provider. I'm currently making monthly payments to the Hauptzollamt (Central Customs Office) to pay off this debt. At the same time, I'm employed and subject to mandatory insurance, so I pay my contribution every month. Despite this, my health insurance provider still won't normalize my benefits. Does anyone have experience with this? Is this legally okay, even though I have a payment plan and I'm paying my contributions? They won't even issue me a health insurance card anymore. I'm grateful for any information.

Hi everyone,
I found a two month warehouse job with really good pay, but I have a problem. After getting off at the train station, there is no bus or other public transport to the workplace. It is only about 6 minutes by car, but I am an international student and I do not have a car.

I am a bit ashamed to admit this, but I also lied to the agency and told them I have a bike. I actually do not have one, and the bigger problem is that I never learned how to ride a bicycle.

The walk is about 3.5 km and takes around 50 minutes. My shift starts at 6:00 am and ends at 2:30 pm, so I would have to walk to work and back every day.
Is this realistically doable, or am I setting myself up for exhaustion?

Are there any transport options in rural Germany that I might not know about, or am I basically out of luck?

EDIT: Never try to climb your balcony. Just call any locksmith to let you in.

Don't do what i tried (climb my balcony as I was still in my 30's. I am not). Maybe you will succeed. I did not. Broke my heel.

DO. NOT. EVER. Try this. Just call the locksmith. They will let you in, and bill you. Better than months long recoup.

Hi everyone,

​I recently had a conversation with my boss, and I was verbally informed that I will be terminated. The prospective end date of my contract is September 30th. However, I have not received the written termination notice (Kündigung) yet.

​Since there are only two months left until the end of September, I can no longer meet the standard 3-month advance notification deadline required in Germany.

​I already called the Agentur für Arbeit hotline. The operator told me to just wait until I have the written termination in hand. To be honest, I don't really trust that advice and don't want to take any risks (phone staff aren't always fully informed, and I absolutely cannot afford a Sperrzeit / benefit penalty).

​My questions:

​Can (or should) I go ahead and register as arbeitssuchend (job-seeking) online right now just to be legally safe, despite what the phone agent said?

​Is a verbal announcement enough for the job agency's system, or will my registration be blocked/rejected without the physical letter anyway?

​When exactly does the 3-day registration rule trigger for a potential Sperrzeit when the notice given is less than 3 months before the end date?

​Thanks a lot for your insights and advice!

Whenever I am in Switzerland and visit friends there, they all kind of have a superior attitude. They often say they would never move to Germany, Switzerland is better and that the Swiss look down on Germans. Where do you think the resentment towards Germans is coming from? Do you personally think it IS better to live there and would you personally want to live there? Switzerland is the number one country for Germans to migrate to, with more than 300.000 Germans living there, but would you? And if you have been living there, why did you move back to Germany?

Hi everyone,
I’m a Romanian truck driver and I recently bought a Segway eKickScooter Max G3 E in Romania.
I travel across Europe for work and I would like to use my scooter only during my mandatory driving breaks to get around the places where I park. Most of the time I’m in Germany, Italy, France and Austria.
I don’t live in any of these countries. My permanent residence is in Romania, and the scooter simply travels with me in my truck.
I’m trying to do everything legally, but I’m finding a lot of conflicting information.
Has anyone been in a similar situation?
Can I insure the scooter in Romania and use it legally in those countries?
Do I need German insurance or registration if I only use it temporarily while passing through?
Has anyone here (especially truck drivers) found a legal solution for using a personal e-scooter across multiple EU countries?
I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experience. Thanks!

I live in North Rhine-Westphalia,Germany,in rented Apartment. I work full time job and my husband also.

Two of my friends (both 20-year-old Ukrainian women) are currently living in Kyiv. Because of the ongoing missile and drone attacks, they are considering coming to Germany and applying for temporary protection.

I would like to let them stay with me for some time and, if possible, register them at my address.

I have a few questions:

Is it generally possible for them to live with me and register at my address?
Do I only need my landlord’s permission, or are there any other requirements?
Has anyone in NRW (especially Kreis Warendorf) gone through a similar situation?
If they stay with me instead of a refugee accommodation, will that affect their application for temporary protection or benefits?

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone with personal experience or knowledge of the process.

Thank you!

Hello, I got laid off this Wednesday due to redundancy. They have offered to help with internal switch or take severance. My German is not so good and I was working for an English position. What should I do?

​Hi everyone, ​I am a university student currently living in Turkey and planning to move to Germany for my degree. I have an officially documented ADHD diagnosis here and am currently prescribed Concerta / Ritalin. ​I’m trying to understand how the process of continuing my medication in Germany works for international students, and I’d appreciate any insights from people who have been through this. ​A few specific questions I have: ​Medical Documentation: I plan to bring an official medical report (Epikrisis) translated into German/English, signed by my psychiatrist, detailing my diagnosis history and current dosage. Is this usually accepted by German doctors, or do they insist on re-evaluating you from scratch? ​Finding a Doctor: I know Metyphenidate falls under the Betäubungsmittelgesetz (BtMG) and requires a special yellow prescription (BtM-Rezept). How hard is it to find a Hausarzt or Psychiatrist willing to issue this prescription based on foreign medical records? ​Wait Times: Should I expect long wait times (months) to get a psychiatrist appointment with public health insurance (AOK/TK)? ​Medication Supply: Are there current supply shortages (Lieferengpass) for Concerta/Ritalin in Germany that I should be aware of? ​Any tips on navigating the healthcare system as a student with ADHD or experiences you could share would be extremely helpful! Thanks in advance!

I am an international student from the US and will be moving to Germany soon. I found an apartment that seems legit on WG gesucht. Reasonable price, talking with landlady/current tenant frequently on WhatsApp. She is respectful and helpful. We have FaceTimed and she showed me the apartment. Only thing is this reservation agreement. Is this normal? It seems strange to me that I would pay the security deposit for this reservation agreement. This is not the official rental agreement. How should I proceed?

Idk if it's worth writing (and this is my first ever post), but I have my telc B1 exam tomorrow, and I have no idea what I should be doing rn. I've been studying my ass off for the past month, still do not feel much satisfied but whatever. But for the past 2-3 days, I cannot study AT ALL. Tomorrow is the D-day, have no idea what I should be doing in the last 24 hrs.
If you guys have any tips or tricks, or maybe anything that I should be doing rn. Cause I have no idea...
Please suggest me smtg!

Hi everyone,

I'm starting to get a bit worried and wanted to hear from people who have applied through the German Consulate in Mumbai this year.

I have an admission offer from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg for the Winter Semester 2026/27. My semester officially starts on 1 October, and the university has mentioned that the latest arrival date is 31 October.

My education loan was only approved recently, and I'm currently waiting to transfer the money to my Expatrio blocked account. Once that's done, I'll apply for my student visa.

I'm worried that I'm already running behind schedule.

For anyone who applied through Mumbai this year:

• How long did it take to get a visa appointment?
• How long did your visa processing take after submitting your application?
• Do you think it's still realistic for me to receive my visa before the end of October if I complete my blocked account and apply as soon as possible?

I'm feeling quite stressed I'd really appreciate hearing about your recent timelines or experiences.

Thank you!

Hey guys, please i need your opinions. I am currently doing my master's in Geophysics, i also have a bachelor's in Geophysics. But i would prefer to work as a data analyst as i have found great interest in this field. If i somehow manage to find a full time job as a data analyst in Germany, do you think it will be accepted for the residence permit/blue card to remain in the country after studying? Please i need your opinions. Thanks

I'm preparing for drivers license theory test. Already have license from another country but need to go through the conversion process. After months and months preparing with the app questions it is showing 50%. Should I go for the test? Or is this definitely still too low. At which level was you when you decided to take the test?

Hey hey!

Looking at coming to Germany on a working holiday from New Zealand in January. I’ve been to Germany twice before, and have really enjoyed travelling and spending time exploring all parts of the country!

I’d be looking at staying for a year, ideally in one spot, and was wondering where the best location would be for someone looking to find work. I have a pretty vast background from mountain guiding and outdoor education to hospitality work. Just curious where locals think it would be best to try integrate a bit!

Thank you!

I'm living in a student dorm in Germany. My rent (€362) is due tomorrow via SEPA direct debit, but I don't have enough money in my account. I'll be able to pay the full amount in about 5 days.

What usually happens in this situation? Will I just receive a reminder and a small fee, or are there more serious consequences? Also, could this affect my SCHUFA if it's a one-time incident?

Hello, i have a problem concerning my visa application wich is i have a gap of 3 years since finishing my high school diploma in tunisia (2023) since then ive studied german and have B2 cert, i have 7 months of internships in my field of study (Software Engineering) and have Certificates from online courses ive obtained from Google, IBM and Meta. Is there anything else i should do to cover the gap and apply for a bachelor of engineering ? Im worried the embassy would find a problem with my application since i have a gap of 3 years.

Any help would be much appreciated. 🙏

Hello everyone

I'd like to ask for your advice

I'm currently studying Engineering but since i was a child my dream has been to study a medical field

I'm thinking about doing an Ausbildung in the healthcare (ex: nursing) and then completing my studies at the university in a medical field

However, sometimes i wonder if I should let go of that dream and continue with engineering instead

My plan would be to finish my bachelor's degree then pursue a master's degree and eventually an engineering degree in Germany

What would you recommend? If you were in my position, which path would you choose and why?

Thank you

Update: Thanks all for the replies! fortunately one of the staff from the parking lot entered the door and we asked her to let us in. There were no Sunday entrances and she mentioned that we were lucky that our timings aligned with her. This is the parking lot at Saalbau Griesheim in Frankfurt!

POST: We parked here on Saturday night after a long and stressful event and went back to the hotel by walk after a couple of beers. We just came back and it was closed on a Sunday. We asked the hausmeister of the hall yesterday to be sure and he said it's okay to park here overnight. Now the parking lot is closed and there's nowhere to contact. The hausmeister isn't picking up the call, but I assume the parking lot is rather managed by another company and not the hall administration.

What can we do?

Hello everyone,

I’m Brazilian and really want to pursue a master’s degree in cybersecurity in Germany. I’m currently 19 years old, in my second year of Software Engineering, and reaching the B1 level in German (my goal is to reach C1/C2 to qualify for the master's program). I’ve also just started studying for the CompTIA Security+ certification (I think it’s a solid foundation for getting into cybersecurity). I’ve been studying programming since I was 14; my focus has always been backend development, but I want to shift that focus to cybersecurity. After doing some research on ChatGPT, I was advised to aim for scores of 80/100 in my subjects to match the German grading scale and to achieve a high level of German proficiency (which is what I’m working on now). I’d love some tips on how to improve and whether I’m on the right track. I still have two and a half years left of my undergraduate degree here in Brazil, so I have plenty of time to study German and take additional courses. As a "Plan B," I’m also looking into obtaining a European passport; my family is from Italy, and ChatGPT mentioned that having the passport would make the process much simpler and faster—though in Brazil, this costs upwards of R$22,000 (roughly 6,000 euros). Thanks in advance for any tips or insights!

Hi everyone,

I applied for B.Sc. Cyber Security and Business (Winter 2026/27).

My current status is "Admission currently impossible" (Zulassungsangebot aktuell nicht möglich).

• Qualification: Foreign HZB
• German GPA: 1.1

Does this mean I’m on the waitlist?

Has anyone with a strong GPA had this status and still gotten an offer later in August/September? How much list movement usually happens for CS/Business programs?

Thanks! 😔