Tag Archives: Arriving in Berlin

Flat or holiday apartments Berlin

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New decision concerning holiday apartments in Berlin!

About 16000 flats are now allowed to be rented as holiday apartments as they are used only rarely by their owners. The administrative court of Berlin decided that secondary residences may be rented out to tourists and are not covered by the “Zweckentfremdungsgesetz” (law of misappropriation).
What consequences does this decision have for the already tense housing market?

Berlin’s housing market is tense since several years and will be tense in future. It needs to be awaited whether and how the decision influences the market. However, only flats which are used as secondary residence are allowed to be rented out, and are only allowed to be rented for several days or a few weeks a per year. The owners need to proof their own usage of the flat. Hence, the flat wont be on the housing market, even without the decision.

Summer in Berlin

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Summer in Berlin has started and so has the festival and event season. Berlin does not only provide for usual leisure activities during summer such as many open-air pools, lakes and outdoor cinemas but many events take place.
The most important current events this summer are:

EM-Fanmeile at Brandenburger Tor (until the Final)
Sport: Public Viewing during the European Football Championship at the international Fan Fest in Berlin – follow the German matches at an intercultural party-mile filled with happiness and cheering fans.

Berlin Fashion-Week (28.06-01.07.2016)
Fashion: tomorrow Berlin Fashion Week starts and brings fashion back into the centre of the town. Providing the recent trends and alternative events, for which you can register, it is not only interesting for professional buyers.

Biennale (04.06-18.09.2016; multiple locations)
Culture: Summer of Art – already for the 9th time you can attend events and exhibitions of contemporary art in Berlin during Biennale

Staatsoper für Alle (09.07.2016; 18 Uhr, Bebelplatz)
Classical Music: follow the Staatskappelle Berlin directed by Daniel Barenboim – open air and for free.

Christopher Street Day (23.07.2016)
The biggest gay-lesbian “holiday” will be celebrated by up to 500000 on 23.07.2016 in Berlin. As every summer the parade and the subsequent parties will attract not only the gay-lesbian scene

Berlin: Registration at the municipality office – why is it that important?

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This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Authorities

Registration at the municipality office – why is it that important?

You are legally required to register your place of residence in Berlin. That is one important reason. The second reason is that as you are coming from a third country and want to apply for a residence permit as well as a working permit, it is essential to register. The national registration authority “LABO” in Berlin is only responsible for you once you are registered in Berlin. Your application cannot be processed without registration in Berlin.

The next very important reason for registration is: once you start your employment, your employer needs your tax id “steuerliche Identifikationsnummer” otherwise he is not able to do your monthly play slip. This tax id is organized by the municipality office once you are registered. After a few days your tax id will be sent to your address.

Lastly, if you want to apply for child benefit in Germany you need to be registered as well. You have to provide, in order to fill in the form, your name, address etc. you have to fill in your tax id as well.

 

Berlin Green Market

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The „Green Market“  in Berlin takes place on 18th and 19th of June this year.

The 2-day lifestyle market in Berlin offers street food, fashion, cosmetic and little gifts all without animal components. This year special vegan market opens its doors in the area of the “Alten Kindle Brauerei”.More than 30 market trader offer beside regional food and drinks also little gifts, fashion and cosmetics. All presented products are without animal components. You will find international vegan food specialties and live music.

The Green Market will open on both days from 12 am to  22 pm.

New City, new country: Relocation – do it yourself!

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This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Relocation

You want to move with your family?

First, there is a difference between moving with infants and moving with teenagers. However, no matter how old your children are, you get child benefit in Germany.
For infants it is important to join a kindergarten, after moving to a new country. This makes it easier for them to integrate and to find new friends. They learn the new language fastest while playing with children of their age.
In Germany it is compulsory for children between the age of 6 and 16 to attend school.

If you are moving with teenagers – involve them in decisions from the beginning. It will be difficult for them to leave their friends behind; therefore, they need to identify themselves with the decisions taken related to the move.

Important decisions for them are:
Which school to attend?
Where to live?
What sports to do?
Other leisure activity clubs to follow?

Your integration will be successful only, if your children feel integrated as well.

Outlook for the next part of the series: Relocation with a Blue Card EU

Berlin’s Lack of teachers

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The lack of teachers in primary schools in Berlin is growing.

Berlin has not enough teachers especially for primary schools. Caused by this fact the Senate/Ministry of Berlin for Education, Science and Research is recruiting teachers from Austria and the Netherlands.  Starting now the Berliner Education Administration places advertisements in Austrian newspapers for the upcoming three weeks.

The Senator of Education Mrs Scheeres said in her statement that people who live close to the German border in Austria and the Netherlands are able to speak proficiently German. Brandenburg is looking for foreign teachers as well. Here, teachers from Poland are preferred.

Detailed information on how to become a teacher for primary schools are available here. The Senate/ministry of Education, Science and Research formed a list of criteria and a table of salary for prospective primary school teachers in Germany.

You want to learn more? The Berliner Education Administration will answer your question at their open day “Berliner Day” 23rd of April 2016.

Daylight saving time – summertime

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Daylight saving time – summertime

Daylight saving time in Germany is the practice of setting the clock forward by one hour during the warmer part of the year, so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less.
Daylights saving time starts on the 27th of March this year, with the time changes taking place at 2:00 a.m. In springtime the clocks are moved forward from 2:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.

 

Creative City of Berlin

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How become a fellow of the creative City of Berlin

Foreign artists, talents and member of the creative economy moving to Berlin get a chance to get easily in touch with the creative professionals, artists and talents in Berlin.
We show you how to become a fellow of the cutural and creative economy of Berlin.

Berlin stands for an integrated approach to the cultural and creative economy. Launched in 2004, Berlin’s Cultural Economy Initiative (Kulturwirtschaftsinitiative) has evolved into a state-wide, inter-agency and cross-ministerial initiative that enjoys the support of businesses, networks, institutions and political parties. The best approach to learn more the creative city of Berlin is using special platforms.

  • By using the platform Creative City Berlin, you get an overview off all activities Berlin offers to you. You can enter networks, communicate with other artists, get a member of the creative community of Berlin.
  • starting with Kulturprojekte Berlin, you will learn everything about Berlin events (from Berlin Art Week to the Long Night of Museums).   It foster Cultural Education fosters the relationship and transfer of ideas between Art & Cultural Institutions, the wider cultural scene and children, young people and adults from different communities, backgrounds, generations, in various languages.
  • You also can get some information about the creative economy of Berlin on the offical page of Berlin.

International students can increase their chances of good career start in Germany

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International Students:
Voluntary Engagement or voluntary internship improves the opportunities for starting successlully a career in Germany.

The Expert Council of German Foundations in Integration and Migration surveyed 2,565 international master’s degree students throughout Germany. In the survey of international students asks what can help international students successfully begin their professional careers in Germany.
An active involvement in sport clubs or, neibourhood initiatives and church congretions, helps the students, who want to stay in German, to improve their German. They are more aware of residence laws, have more effective problem- solving strategies and know more people they can ask to help them.“It has also been shown that interships and volunteer work in particular is very important for acquiring skills relevant to the job application process and for creating the respective networks. The findings of the survey of the Expert Council’s Research Unit shows, that volunteer work pays off. International students who take advantage of these opportunities icrease their chances of good career start in Germany.
The whole findings of the survey.

Bike Boxes for Berlin

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Within as a pilot project the company velo easy and the district of Lichtenberg installed the new „Fahhrradbox“. This green bike box will give shelter to bikes while parking in front of the station of Lichtenberg.

Many biks are demanged or stolen in Berlin day after day. Now the Lichtenberg district Manager and the easy velo company starts a project to protect bikes while standing in front of the station in Lichtenberg. If you go by bicycle to the station in order to take a train, and park your bike, very often you will find your bike demanged when returning or do not find it any more because it is stolen. In order avoid this, you can rent this green bike box. It costs you about one Euro for the first hour, maximum price is three Euros per day. So the only thing you have to do is to download the app and make a reservation for a box – then park your bike in the box and lock it , so your bike wil be safe.