Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

DS wants to work in Germany or Austria

123 replies

Tulipomania · 02/08/2021 18:24

He's just graduated with an excellent degree & wants to improve his German skills, doing a casual job for a few months before he starts on the career ladder.

It seems to be all but impossible post-Brexit, you can't get a work permit without a job offer, and vice versa.

Anyone got any useful advice to offer?

OP posts:
LaMagdalena · 03/08/2021 20:21

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcon

You can easily get residency in the EU as a spouse of an EU citizen, but not citizenship. That depends on the rules of the particular country.
True, the pp said she wanted to live in Spain, so she could do that easily. If someone wants Spanish citizenship it is more complicated, but after 5 years you can get permanent residency anyway.

I guess it depends what you want to prioritise, living in a certain country or having EU citizenship.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 04/08/2021 08:44

It always used to be 8 years residency (not 3) for German citizenship, even as a spouse and parent of German citizens. I don't think that's changed has it?

PieceOfString · 04/08/2021 08:49

This is so sad. Scampering round Europe working was such a great life experience. I think voters really did a number on our youth. 🙁

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 04/08/2021 09:16

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

It always used to be 8 years residency (not 3) for German citizenship, even as a spouse and parent of German citizens. I don't think that's changed has it?
It's three years residency for spouses: www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/faqs/EN/topics/migration/staatsang/Erwerb_der_deutschen_Staatsbuergerschaft_durch_Eingbuergerung_en.html
Kendodd · 04/08/2021 09:32

Makes me so sad too.

It makes me angry.
Did anyone see Priti Patel at the Tory party conference tell the crowd that they will end FoM once and for all, to huge cheers from the crowd?
She didn't end FoM, EU citizens still have FoM. The only people she ended it for is ourselves. We are one of the very few countries in Europe that don't enjoy the freedom of the continent, us and the Ukraine, Belarus etc.
I hope our young people never forgive them.
And don't get me started on the reckless disregard for the hard won peace in NI.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 04/08/2021 10:01

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon ah ok, good I guess!

Hoppinggreen · 04/08/2021 11:19

Yes, it’s EU citizenship I really want rather than Spanish Residency ideally

Freshapples · 04/08/2021 12:05

For all the kids lucky enough to have a foot in the door of the EU thanks to a foreign-born parent or grandparent, there must be a hundred British teenagers with no claim on an EU passport whatsoever.

LaMagdalena · 04/08/2021 13:06

@Freshapples

For all the kids lucky enough to have a foot in the door of the EU thanks to a foreign-born parent or grandparent, there must be a hundred British teenagers with no claim on an EU passport whatsoever.
I think I read that about 10% of Britons can get an Irish passport, then there are those with passports from other EU countries too.

I don't have an EU passport, and to be honest reading this made me feel worse, since there are actually quite a lot of people who can carry on using FOM as before, and frankly I'm jealous Sad

I'm lucky in that I travelled/lived abroad/studied abroad before, so I haven't missed out, but I'm pretty keen to get one for my Spanish-born daughter somehow.

Ipanemama · 04/08/2021 14:39

My British born dc have Dutch passports as their dad is from the Netherlands. We are very fortunate and I was browsing undergraduate courses at Dutch universities with my eldest just this morning.

Freshapples · 04/08/2021 14:53

@Ipanemama

My British born dc have Dutch passports as their dad is from the Netherlands. We are very fortunate and I was browsing undergraduate courses at Dutch universities with my eldest just this morning.
You are really fortunate. Not a drop of EU or Irish blood in this family unfortunately.
hennybeans · 04/08/2021 15:40

I came to the UK from the US as a student, then married British DH. I would have given anything to have been able to travel and work freely in the EU when I left school. The best I could do was a degree in the UK.
When I had my DC, I was so happy knowing that they would have the opportunity to freely work in the EU. How lucky were they! Of course that is all gone now.
My eldest loves languages but I am discouraging him from studying any at uni because realistically we are becoming such an isolated island that his job prospects 10- 15 years from now would be slim.

Op, can your ds work here for six months to save money then go on a German course for 6 months on a student visa?

daisypond · 04/08/2021 16:57

Ironically, while my DC needs to be an EU passport holder for lots of jobs in Europe, because the job field is on the shortage list in the UK, those in Europe and worldwide are still able to come to the UK to work -with a visa. It’s so frustrating. We have no foreign grandparents to claim nationality by descent from. God knows I’ve looked. I lived abroad in Europe for years when I was young. It’s so depressing.

LaMagdalena · 04/08/2021 18:49

My daughter could get an EU passport if her dad naturalised as an EU citizen - which he could if he wanted to, but he is refusing to help her. That's pretty high up the frustration scale. I can't really blame Brexiters for the fact my ex is a bastard (although I can blame them for making it an issue in the first place Angry)

RuleOfCat · 04/08/2021 19:16

I think you can stay for up to 90 days as a language student doing an intensive course as long as it's at least 20 hours per week (20 x 45 mins). That doesn't give you a work visa though. There are several language schools in Berlin that specialise in this kind of scheme, and they're comparatively cheap, but obviously you need to factor living costs into the equation. Some universities also run 'language preparation' courses, getting prospective students ready for the DSH language certificate, which you need to study in Germany. Could he enrol in that? Again, don't think it gets you a work visa, but it would allow him to study German in the country.
Can't link as on phone, but Google die neue Schule and Aufenthalt in Berlin mit Visum for a page giving info on the requirements. Maybe he could work for a few months in the UK to save money and then do a 3-month intensive course.

Original poster
Tulipomania · 04/08/2021 21:28

Thanks RuleofCat good suggestion.

OP posts:
Gfplux · 05/08/2021 19:04

Daisypond if your DC is already resident in an EU27 Country (you said DC arrived just before December last year so is protected by the Withdrawal Agreement) he/she should join this private Facebook group, link below. The members are ONLY Brits who are resident in the EU27. If your DC is having paperwork trouble then perhaps advise is available within the group.
This applies to any other Brits who are resident. They are welcome to join.
www.facebook.com/groups/704637150153964/?ref=share

Gfplux · 05/08/2021 19:05

I should have added that anyone NOT resident does not qualify to join.

daisypond · 05/08/2021 21:44

Thank you for that info, @Gfplux. I will pass that on.

TheTeenageYears · 05/08/2021 22:29

As someone who has lived in multiple countries worldwide and had to go through the visa process every time except for when we lived in Europe where we just pitched up at the town hall, filled in a few bits of paper and went on our merry way I am so sad for our DC who have grown up internationally and won't have the benefit of just turning up in Europe and seeing how it goes.

Dizzyhedgehog · 06/08/2021 05:52

We moved to Germany just after the Brexit vote. (I still miss the UK and would love to move back but it doesn't look likely in the next few years.) DH has just received his little card saying he is allowed to stay and work here. I'm a German citizen and DS has dual nationality, so it wasn't really a problem. However, to get citizenship, DH needs to have lived here for a number of years and he also needs to speak German at a decent level. We haven't looked into this, yet. He's pretty slow at learning new languages and works in a fully English-speaking environment, which makes this even slower. Most people here will also happily switch to English as soon as they notice him speaking it.
Germany generally only allows for dual citizenship with another EU country. It might be possible for any further DC to claim "substantial links" with the UK to get permission to have both but I'm not sure whether DH would be allowed, considering that he'd basically ask to become a citizen of a different country and his original country isn't a part of the EU anymore.

Kendodd · 06/08/2021 06:31

Another frustrating thing is that I'm sure if the UK wanted, the EU would allow us to have FoM again (both ways only) . Unfortunately, for most people I know who voted Leave, the main (only) think they wanted was to end FoM.

I don't think they'd ever let us back in the EU though.

Nothapppy · 15/08/2021 22:05

He could spend 3 months doing voluntary work via Workaway - it would be fun doing different jobs in different families around Germany, and it wouldn't cost him anything. And then maybe a 3 month language course on a student visa.
And responding to what another poster has said about her half-Dutch children going to university in the Netherlands - EU universities are still an option for UK young people. And some (not all) of them remain cheap. And if studying at an EU university, UK students can take advantage of Erasmus.

Chersfrozenface · 16/08/2021 09:10

@Nothahapppy

And responding to what another poster has said about her half-Dutch children going to university in the Netherlands - EU universities are still an option for UK young people. And some (not all) of them remain cheap. And if studying at an EU university, UK students can take advantage of Erasmus.

The UK no longer takes part in the Erasmus+ scheme.

It has been replaced by the Turing scheme which does not pay the foreign university's tuition fees. Those universities are "expected" to waive their fees. Whether this will happen or not remains to be seen.

UCAS has a section on the scheme www.ucas.com/undergraduate/what-and-where-study/studying-abroad/what-turing-scheme

Nothapppy · 16/08/2021 11:04

[quote Chersfrozenface]@Nothahapppy

And responding to what another poster has said about her half-Dutch children going to university in the Netherlands - EU universities are still an option for UK young people. And some (not all) of them remain cheap. And if studying at an EU university, UK students can take advantage of Erasmus.

The UK no longer takes part in the Erasmus+ scheme.

It has been replaced by the Turing scheme which does not pay the foreign university's tuition fees. Those universities are "expected" to waive their fees. Whether this will happen or not remains to be seen.

UCAS has a section on the scheme www.ucas.com/undergraduate/what-and-where-study/studying-abroad/what-turing-scheme[/quote]
I have looked into this, and British students who attend EU universities qualify for Erasmus. Erasmus is based on your university, not your nationality. Hope that helps some young people.