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Moving to Germany?

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    #32
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    justback83 wrote: »
    So apparently my company will cover pension insurance, is this normal?? Is there anything I should be looking out for in the contract?
    This is normal. In Germany your payslip shows the individual amounts deducted for unemployment insurance, medical insurance and pension. You should note, that the German pension system will credit you for things the Irish system will not, for example time spent at University or even school past a certain age because you were not in a position to pay into the pot due to full time education! These periods can be added to your German pension credit record, but you need proof of such things. It's certainly worth doing and better to do it now rather than try to reconstruct the paperwork when it's time to retire! I need to do this myself, but I know it's possible.

    Your car leasing might be problematic without a German credit history, but I am not speaking from experience so maybe it'll work out fine. You should get a BILL PAY phone asap and set up a German bank account asap (even though you should be able to use your Irish one initially just fine) as this information will flow into your credit rating. If you have a ready to go phone and just use an Irish account indefinitely you will have a hard time building up a credit rating here.


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    #33
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    murphaph wrote: »
    This is normal. In Germany your payslip shows the individual amounts deducted for unemployment insurance, medical insurance and pension. You should note, that the German pension system will credit you for things the Irish system will not, for example time spent at University or even school past a certain age because you were not in a position to pay into the pot due to full time education! These periods can be added to your German pension credit record, but you need proof of such things. It's certainly worth doing and better to do it now rather than try to reconstruct the paperwork when it's time to retire! I need to do this myself, but I know it's possible.

    Your car leasing might be problematic without a German credit history, but I am not speaking from experience so maybe it'll work out fine. You should get a BILL PAY phone asap and set up a German bank account asap (even though you should be able to use your Irish one initially just fine) as this information will flow into your credit rating. If you have a ready to go phone and just use an Irish account indefinitely you will have a hard time building up a credit rating here.

    Thank you - great advice here! The company is providing a fully serviced apartment for 6 months and it will be within walking distance to work so hopefully I'll be able to build up a credit rating within that time frame. The company is also going to assist me in setting up a bank account and insurance etc.

    I'd know what my salary is but I'd really like to know exactly how much I'll be taking home each month. I have a call later today with HR - is there anything specific you think I should be enquiring about?!
    Thanks again :)


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    #34
    jester77
    Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    justback83 wrote: »
    Thank you - great advice here! The company is providing a fully serviced apartment for 6 months and it will be within walking distance to work so hopefully I'll be able to build up a credit rating within that time frame. The company is also going to assist me in setting up a bank account and insurance etc.

    I'd know what my salary is but I'd really like to know exactly how much I'll be taking home each month. I have a call later today with HR - is there anything specific you think I should be enquiring about?!
    Thanks again :)

    https://www.nettolohn.de will show you your take home pay. Hold on to the receipts for any moving costs not being covered by your company, you can claim against then in your eoy tax return. 30 days is the standard holiday allowance in the professional world, although I think 20 is the minimum legal amount. Keep an eye on that. Also flexi time, core hours and notice period are important to know. Notice period is usually 3 months, sometimes more depending on position.

    If HR are sorting out your registration, be careful how they handle your church tax, as once you are paying it is not so easy to get out and it is around 8% of your taxable income.

    If you are young, healthy, and don't plan to stay in Germany out have kids here then look at private health insurance. You can easily save hundreds a month here. If you will start a family here, then get some professional advice about it.


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    #35
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    And if you're not sure about private or public health insurance then take public initially. It's easy to go public to private but difficult to do the reverse.

    Edit: if you earn no more than the 45k indicated in one of your posts then you will not be eligible for private health insurance. You have to earn at least 50 something k to be allowed bail out of the compulsory public system.


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    #36
    random_guy
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭random_guy


    jester77 wrote: »

    If HR are sorting out your registration, be careful how they handle your church tax, as once you are paying it is not so easy to get out and it is around 8% of your taxable income.

    This.
    Even if you are religious it's a fair chunk of money every month.

    Although I think this is a trip you'll have to make to the Rathaus yourself.

    Do companies do registrations for you? I've never heard of it but it'd be interesting to know.

    As an aside:
    A new colleague of mine didn't register in time (I think the time limit is 2 weeks after arrival) and got fined because of it. Around €20 if I remember rightly, appealed it, failed, got another €25 added to the bill.

    Remember to register in the city!!!


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    #37
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    jester77 wrote: »
    https://www.nettolohn.de will show you your take home pay. Hold on to the receipts for any moving costs not being covered by your company, you can claim against then in your eoy tax return. 30 days is the standard holiday allowance in the professional world, although I think 20 is the minimum legal amount. Keep an eye on that. Also flexi time, core hours and notice period are important to know. Notice period is usually 3 months, sometimes more depending on position.

    If HR are sorting out your registration, be careful how they handle your church tax, as once you are paying it is not so easy to get out and it is around 8% of your taxable income.

    If you are young, healthy, and don't plan to stay in Germany out have kids here then look at private health insurance. You can easily save hundreds a month here. If you will start a family here, then get some professional advice about it.

    I had this conversation with hr today, they're basically going to hold my hand throughout the whole process. I've been assigned my own case officer who's gonna get me there, register us, open bank accounts with us, sort out insurance etc!


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    #38
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    murphaph wrote: »
    And if you're not sure about private or public health insurance then take public initially. It's easy to go public to private but difficult to do the reverse.

    Edit: if you earn no more than the 45k indicated in one of your posts then you will not be eligible for private health insurance. You have to earn at least 50 something k to be allowed bail out of the compulsory public system.

    In over €60k so should be eligible for private health insurance. We don't plan on having kids so i think I'll look into private health insurance to see how much I'll save


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    #39
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Is your gf going to have a job? She will not get private health insurance without one so she would be compelled to opt as a voltunary (bit counterintuitive that) member of the public system. The thing is, she needs to prove her entitlement to this by providing documentation from Ireland showing that she was covered under the HSE. There is a strict time limit in which to make this application! If you were married she could be covered for free on public insurance, but not private.


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    #40
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    murphaph wrote: »
    Is your gf going to have a job? She will not get private health insurance without one so she would be compelled to opt as a voltunary (bit counterintuitive that) member of the public system. The thing is, she needs to prove her entitlement to this by providing documentation from Ireland showing that she was covered under the HSE. There is a strict time limit in which to make this application! If you were married she could be covered for free on public insurance, but not private.

    No - but she's looking st the moment. We are planning on getting married before we move over so this is good news about the health insurance!


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    #41
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    murphaph wrote: »
    This is normal. In Germany your payslip shows the individual amounts deducted for unemployment insurance, medical insurance and pension. You should note, that the German pension system will credit you for things the Irish system will not, for example time spent at University or even school past a certain age because you were not in a position to pay into the pot due to full time education! These periods can be added to your German pension credit record, but you need proof of such things. It's certainly worth doing and better to do it now rather than try to reconstruct the paperwork when it's time to retire! I need to do this myself, but I know it's possible.

    Your car leasing might be problematic without a German credit history, but I am not speaking from experience so maybe it'll work out fine. You should get a BILL PAY phone asap and set up a German bank account asap (even though you should be able to use your Irish one initially just fine) as this information will flow into your credit rating. If you have a ready to go phone and just use an Irish account indefinitely you will have a hard time building up a credit rating here.

    I've worked out that I would be paying €355.95 per month on health insurance if I went with the public system. Do you have any idea if I'd be better off going private??


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    #42
    random_guy
    Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭random_guy


    justback83 wrote: »
    I've worked out that I would be paying €355.95 per month on health insurance if I went with the public system. Do you have any idea if I'd be better off going private??

    You might not be allowed to go private. It's depends on what you earn among a few other things I think.

    Probably worth discussing it with your HR or chatting to some insurance companies to see what their offers are.

    Also keep in mind that dentists are often seperate and have seperate insurance. The public insurance will cover yearly checkups and extractions but that's about it.


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    #43
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    random_guy wrote: »
    You might not be allowed to go private. It's depends on what you earn among a few other things I think.

    Probably worth discussing it with your HR or chatting to some insurance companies to see what their offers are.

    Also keep in mind that dentists are often seperate and have seperate insurance. The public insurance will cover yearly checkups and extractions but that's about it.

    I'm able to go private, I'm over the salary threshold...thanks anyway!


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    #44
    justback83
    Registered Users Posts: 359 ✭✭justback83


    Good news - I'm getting private health insurance and my company will pay for half.

    Just starting to get stuff organised now to be shipped over. Do you think it's worth the hassle of taking things like the TV (it's a great TV) or should I buy them there? Is anyone aware of any potential problems using a TV from Ireland in Germany? We have a lot of kitchenware as well (delph, cutlery, glasses etc). Should be bring it all? The company is paying for relocation so why not eh? Do relocation companies assist in securing fragile equipment before shipping?!


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    #45
    jester77
    Registered Users Posts: 11,262 ✭✭✭✭jester77


    justback83 wrote: »
    Good news - I'm getting private health insurance and my company will pay for half.

    That's actually the law, they have to pay half. If you are self-employed then you pay the full amount yourself. Have they picked a provider for you?

    But difference in coverage and costs, definitely warrants some time and study. Some providers require a medical, any existing conditions have to be declared and you cover all costs up front and later claim them back.

    For example, I have to cover the first €800 of costs per year before I can make a claim. Mine also has a no claims bonus where I get x amount back per year if I make no claim. This amount increases each year I make no claim.
    justback83 wrote: »
    Just starting to get stuff organised now to be shipped over. Do you think it's worth the hassle of taking things like the TV (it's a great TV) or should I buy them there? Is anyone aware of any potential problems using a TV from Ireland in Germany? We have a lot of kitchenware as well (delph, cutlery, glasses etc). Should be bring it all? The company is paying for relocation so why not eh? Do relocation companies assist in securing fragile equipment before shipping?!

    Ship everything over if they are paying, if your TV has a built in digital tuner then it will probably not work here. DVB-T is the standard OTA digital delivery, but most apartments will have cable included.


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    #46
    Fnordius
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭Fnordius


    Coming late to this thread, I am actually considering the opposite: applying for a job in Dublin whilst still living and working in Germany. So I am willing to answer any questions about Munich as well as hoping to figure out if it's worth coming to Dublin. I mean, I love the city and the country, but I am an American and not Irish, and I do have a nice flat and a job here in Munich.
    So go ahead, ask me anything about Munich (or Minga, as the locals call it) and either tell me to come or convince me to stay away.


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    #47
    yosser hughes
    Registered Users Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭yosser hughes


    Fnordius wrote: »
    Coming late to this thread, I am actually considering the opposite: applying for a job in Dublin whilst still living and working in Germany. So I am willing to answer any questions about Munich as well as hoping to figure out if it's worth coming to Dublin. I mean, I love the city and the country, but I am an American and not Irish, and I do have a nice flat and a job here in Munich.
    So go ahead, ask me anything about Munich (or Minga, as the locals call it) and either tell me to come or convince me to stay away.

    Having lived in both cities, my advice is to stay in Munich or move to another European country.


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    #48
    murphaph
    Registered Users Posts: 19,018 ✭✭✭✭murphaph


    Fnordius wrote: »
    Coming late to this thread, I am actually considering the opposite: applying for a job in Dublin whilst still living and working in Germany. So I am willing to answer any questions about Munich as well as hoping to figure out if it's worth coming to Dublin. I mean, I love the city and the country, but I am an American and not Irish, and I do have a nice flat and a job here in Munich.
    So go ahead, ask me anything about Munich (or Minga, as the locals call it) and either tell me to come or convince me to stay away.
    Stay where you are. Dublin will be a big disappointment after Munich IMO.


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