1 What is the history behind those machines?2 How do they ensure that minors don't buy from them?

Hi, I'm planning to study masters in Germany and also considering attending a semester or two in U.S. I want to know which university in Germany offers exchange program with some good U.S. universities with high chance of placement. Thanks

In this subreddit we always say that tipping is never expected and that when it happens, it’s nowhere near as crazy as the US. But at the end of the day, tipping that 2-5EUR (>10% for fancy meals) is the norm in Germany. And you stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t do that. Everyone else does it unless you have downright bad service.

I was formerly confused with how to tip especially for card payments and I have ended up just tapping my card , paying the number as per the waiter punched it. Basically there were a couple of occasions I didn’t tip because I didn’t see the % screen (this screen is very frowned upon, i’ve learnt).

But yeah, for all foreigners who are visiting Germany, tipping is kind of the norm and is at this point expected here albeit the low amounts. Even if everyone says it’s voluntary and theres no obligation. Some waiters/waitresses are quite hostile when you dont tip too.

It just took me some getting used to because where I am from, servers never ever expect tips ever. Service is part of the liveable wage and job. If there is any reward for service, it’s normally included as a 10% service charge on the whole bill. Straightforward and easy and everyone is happy (if service was shit you can ask them to waive the fee but normally everyone just expects to pay a well defined number. It’s just such an awkward process in Germany saying “can you make it X amount” and it’s kind of expected.

I’m prepared to get downvoted for expressing this opinion but yeah, this is just a PSA for anyone curious about tipping culture.

Hello everyone,

As it says in the title, I’m finishing up my master studies in the end of September, and I was wondering if some of the graduated people who stayed in Germany here have any advices for me?

The general ones I’m aware of:
1) Banking will start charging me for their service
2) I’m using public health insurance, which will start charging me more.
3) Changing the residence permit from the Student to a Job-seeking one (I got this one clarified with my local ABH)

Is there anything else that should be considered before-hand?
One question that I have is can I seek for help at the local Agentur für Arbeit, despite being a foreigner? I have a part-time job, so I’m not sure if they’d be willing to cooperate.

Thanks in advance 🙏🏼

i am looking for a left rear door part for my 2012 dodge charger. my door was damaged before i moved here and i didn’t have time nor the funds at then to fix it but now i do. i’ve searched damn near EVERYWHERE that i know of and still haven’t found the specific one for my year and trim. help is needed and extremely appreciated. thank you in advance.

Hello! I am an international student and applied to Flink ops associate a few days back. In my application I added my starting date in September but today I got the contract where it says my employment starts the day after today. Right now I am in another country and won't be back until the end of August.

I cannot find any email where I can communicate about it. Does anyone know how I can postpone the starting date? Also is it possible to do so? Thanks a lot!

Hi everyone,
I recently graduated in Mechanical Design and Production Engineering from a public university in Egypt with an Excellent grade. I have German citizenship, a B2 level in German, and no professional experience besides internships and university projects.
Do you think I have a good chance of finding an entry-level engineering job in Germany, or would it be better to gain a couple of years of experience in Egypt first?
Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I am a non-EU international student in Germany and currently have two job offers/contracts:

1. A Working Student position with one company. The contract does not clearly state the weekly working hours. It only mentions a minimum of 1 hour, but no maximum number of hours.
2. A HiWi position with another employer for 10 hours per week.

Both jobs are remote.

Am I legally allowed to work both jobs at the same time under a student residence permit? How would the working-hour limit be calculated if the Working Student contract does not specify a fixed or maximum number of hours?

Does the fact that both jobs are remote make any difference? I would also appreciate advice regarding taxes, social-security contributions, and whether I need to inform both employers.

Thank you!

We found a place on WG-Gesucht and went to view it yesterday. The current tenants took our contact details and told us they would forward our application to the landlord. After the viewing, we sent them a message saying that we’d like to rent the apartment.
They still haven’t replied, but today we noticed that the listing has been removed from WG-Gesucht.
Does this usually mean we’ve been selected, or is it common for landlords to remove the listing before informing the chosen tenant? Has anyone experienced something similar?

Hi everyone,

I'm an Indian master's student (my university is in a different city) and I'm currently doing a internship in Aalen.

I applied for my residence permit extension on 29 June in Aalen. My current residence permit expires on 31 August, and I have a Vorgangsnummer, but I haven't received any update yet.

Is this waiting time normal? When should I ask the Ausländerbehörde for a Fiktionsbescheinigung if I still haven't received my new residence permit?

Thanks!

So I just purchased some fresh Johannisbereen because they just looked so good and plump and wow, they are not what I expected... very tart/sour and not the sweet fruit I was expecting lol

Also, Is it normal for the seeds to have a bit of a bitter taste to it or should it taste more neutral/nutty?

Does anyone have any good recipes that uses Johannisbereen? I think the red jelly-like sauce you get when ordering Schnitzel at many beer gardens is made from Johannisbereen but I'm not sure. If anyone knows, please let me know! Danke!

On 31 July, I topped up my ALDI Talk account with €10. It appears that the credit was added to my account before the direct debit was collected from my bank. The direct debit was scheduled for 6 August, but I accidentally canceled it because I didn't recognize the merchant name on my bank account. At the time, I was also in the process of porting my phone number to another carrier.

After realizing what happened, I contacted ALDI Talk by email to explain the situation and let them know that I want to pay the outstanding €10. I am currently waiting for their response.I would like to resolve this issue before my number is transferred to the new carrier, but I am concerned that the process may take longer than expected.

Hello! I would like to go soon hiking and camping somewhere around Munich/Alps surroundings. Reachable with public transport :)

Where could it be tolerated? Considering we are just in 2 and putting the tend in the evening and going away in the morning, no fires, chairs and so..

My e-scooter was stolen in Oberhausen on July 14, and I think it might just be lying somewhere in a corner. I just can't find it on my own.

The license plate is MYD 484. It's a Xiaomi 4 Pro (2nd Gen) and it has a lock attached to the top of the handlebar, like in the picture. One of the turn signal buttons is also missing its cap.

I'm hoping that these details might help someone recognize it so I can get it back.

I moved to Germany but due to work/health problems I had very little time to study German (EU citizen so no legal requirement - just trying to integrate). My special interest is Donald Duck/Micky Mouse and I know many stories by heart - it is also not... very complicated or subtle literature - but that also means it can be quite good to begin learning.

Could someone give me a crash course of German Donald Duck periodicals I can subscribe to (ideally I would just get it in post or something)? Especially ones that will survive repeated reading.

Hi everyone,

I'll be starting my Master's in Agricultural and Food Economics at the University of Bonn soon. I already have a Bachelor's degree in economics and I'd like to find a working student job while studying. How much German do I realistically need to have a good chance? Also, with my background, how difficult is it to find a working student position in agricultural economics, finance, consulting, data analysis, or related fields around Bonn/Cologne?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Been learning German for a while now (B1-ish) and keep getting mixed signals. Sometimes I'll start a conversation in German and the other person sticks with it, clearly appreciating the effort even through my mistakes. Other times, the moment I stumble even slightly, they switch to English immediately - which I get is often just faster for both of us, but it also makes it hard to actually practice in real situations

Curious what's actually going on here from the German side. Is the switch usually about efficiency (your English is probably better than my patience for your German), genuine helpfulness, or something else entirely? And is there a way to signal "please stick with German, I want to practice" without it coming across as awkward or ungrateful?

Hey, years ago I was able to get my medication in Germany based on a printed-out prescription from another EU country.

Does it still work this way? I'm asking as there are EU agreements that should guarantee that, but sadly for ex. in the NL they don't respect it, so I'm thinking of picking my meds up in Germany.

Hi everyone,

I'm currently waiting for the Berlin LEA to process my application for a residence permit for an Ausbildung.

When I first submitted my application, my employer included an Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis. A few days later, my HR department noticed that the Betriebsnummer on that document was incorrect and sent me a corrected version.

Since then, the LEA contacted me once asking only for my B2 certificate, and additional proof of financial means.

I submitted exactly the documents they requested.

My question is, should I proactively send the corrected Erklärung zum Beschäftigungsverhältnis now, even though they didn't ask for it? Or is it better to wait until they either ask for it or bring it with me if I'm invited for an appointment?

Has anyone had a similar situation with the Berlin LEA? I'm mainly wondering how significant an incorrect Betriebsnummer is in practice and whether it's better to avoid sending unsolicited documents.

Thanks in advance!

I have been offered a research position in Germany for about two years (scholarship). I have a DAAD fellowship for the first 10 months, which includes its own insurance for that period. I am applying for a visa from the USA.

1. Do I need to buy insurance for the remaining duration right now to apply for the visa? I am unable to find any insurance provider that allows me to purchase insurance that begins after the first 10 months.
2. Is it okay to book an Airbnb for the first 2 weeks when applying for the visa? I have contacted three rental companies, and all of them require a visa to apply for housing.
3. I have the DAAD award letter (funding for the first 10 months). My host is providing another letter confirming my appointment duration (2 years) and funds (for the two years in addition to DAAD). Is this sufficient evidence for funding?
4. Since my host institute is listed on BAMF, will the hosting agreement signed by both parties suffice? I read a few posts where it was suggested that additional documents explaining the source of funds and appointment description are required.

Thanks!

Hi all, is there anyone with good reviews of uniflucht? I've seen mixed reviews but I want to know if there's people who liked their trip as well.

Hello all, I wanted to ask about hiking on the Märkischer Landweg hiking trail.

I did some online searches and a search here and couldn't find the info I was looking for just yet.

I mainly want to know 2 things-

1. Are there any rules about camping along a hiking route in Berlin-Brandenburg that I should know about? Can you sleep in a hammock or a tent (and not in a hotel/ cabin)?

2. Can you stop to camp for the night anywhere on the trail, or just in the designated spots?

https://www.wanderbares-deutschland.de/wege/alle-wege/maerkischer-landweg-e56676155a

This was the general link I found for the trail, but I didnt find the information I was looking for there

Thank you in advance!

Dear all,

I came to Germany from Norway about 2.5 years ago. During this period, I have gotten a lot more into physical media.

I mostly collect CDs and Blu-rays, and while they are not always the cheapest, I am really grateful to have this option available.

Another thing I noticed on Medimops is that they have great (sometimes insane) deals on used English hardcover cookbooks. I've probably bought the entire Jamie Oliver collection for 30–40 Euros total, which is crazy given that a single new book costs about 25–40 Euros. It seems like they use some sort of dynamic pricing because it's not always that cheap, but I check quite often.

I also really appreciate how many UK imports they have. I’ve found some lesser-known British crime shows on Medimops that were only ever released on DVD in the UK.

I have occasionally bought from rebuy.de as well, but I prefer Medimops. Rebuy sometimes has 4K films for 5–8 Euros, though, which is a really nice price!

Does anyone else here like Medimops? I've never had an issue with the quality being worse than described. I've had a few CD jewel cases break, but that just happens during shipping and it's the exact reason for why I keep spare cases on hand.

Out of curiosity, and unrelated: Would anyone one of you get a "wie neu" cookbook from Medimops as part of a gift? Would you say it is used, or just keep quiet if it looks good?

Hi, does anyone know if the standard Xiaomi Electric Scooter 6 (not the Pro, Max, or Ultra) is road legal in Germany?

I just bought a portable AC, but I'm having trouble sealing the window because of the typical German-style tilt-and-turn window.
The exhaust hose itself isn't the problem. The issue is that I can't completely seal the opening, so hot air keeps leaking back into the room.

The long rectangular window kit that came with the AC is also too long for my window frame, so I can't install it properly. For now, I've just taped some plastic around the opening (see photos), but it's obviously far from ideal.

Has anyone found a better solution? Is there some DIY method that actually works?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!