CMI Research Report

In Germany, apartments include bedroom as well as living room. An apartment in Germany with two bedrooms and a living room is described as a 3-room apartment.

Landlords quote above the normal prices especially to foreigners who are not familiar with the market. Negotiate as much as you can. If the landlord refuses to change his stand, don't push it. Accept his response and bring up again the issue second time around if you are that keen. Usually the amount remains the same for a specific rental period, after which there is an annual automatic rental increase if agreed upon in advance. Engage a lawyer before you sign on the dotted line. Last but not the least have it translated.

These are additional charges associated with heat, hot water, garbage and recycling pickup, electricity, weekly cleaning services, gardener, etc. Your landlord pays these expenses and your Nebenkosten is an estimated portion of your usage. You receive a summery of costs once every year. If your payment exceeds the actual usage, you will receive a refund from your landlord. Or, the opposite may happen and you many need to settle up. Make sure that you know which services are included in the Nebenkosten and which are not. Incase of a metre being shared the landlord usually divides the total monthly building costs by the number of apartments, regardless of the individual usage.

Your refundable security deposit may be not more than, 3 months rent. Normally you put this deposit into a special interest-bearing savings where neither you nor your landlord can remove this money beforehand. After the lease term expires, you may be required to pay for minor damages in the property. It is very important to get a detailed description of the condition of the property, which should be witnessed and signed by you and the owner and entered into the lease agreement.

As a Non-EU national, you have to apply for a German driving license within one year from the date of entry. For applications, you have to approach the local Stadtverwaltung (Führerscheinstelle), which in Munich is the Kreisverwaltungsreferat.

If your car is registered in Germany, it must undergo a Technical Inspection (TÜV). For that you must bring technical data (COC -Papiere) from the manufacturer (non-EU-citizens) of your car to Germany.

If you are making Germany a permanent residence your car has to be UMGEMELDET (re-registered) 6 weeks at the Straßenverkehrsam. For those of you living outside the European Union for the last 12 months prior to your arrival in Germany, you may import your vehicle free of duty and VAT, provided you meet the following conditions: -

The customs give you a provisionary tag called ÜBERFÜHRUNGSKENNZEICHEN.
You are expected to apply for registration under a German licence plate. Cars must comply with German standards, but if it fails, modifications will be required. It's advised, prior to shipping the vehicle to Germany, check with the manufacturer in India, the kinds of modifications that will be required to bring the vehicle in conformity with German standards. After the 6-week time limit expires, non-conforming vehicles may not be driven in Germany with foreign licence plates.

However to avoid complications, purchase a new car. If you are contemplating on a second hand car, you must bring the purchase contract, Fahrzeugbrief (proof of the car's property) and the confirmation of insurance called Double Insurance Card, Versicherungsbestätigung or Doppelkarte, to your local Zulassungsstelle (registration office).

If you live in an apartment, there is no need to contact the water company. You will be charged a fraction of all the water consumed in the building. However, if you have a separate metre, the water company sends you a yearly bill amount for the amount of water used.

Every area in Germany has a number of different suppliers. Munich, for instance, is supplied mainly by "Stadtwerke." You will need to contact the local office to arrange your contract and to choose the type of service you require.

Homes are wired for 230 volts of current. You might have to use adaptors or transformers for certain equipments. Subscribers are usually billed at the end of a two-month period.

Telekom AG Company handles most of the telecommunications in Germany. The local office handles all telephone operations. There are a number of other good private telekom companies like Otelo, Viag, Arcor and Viatel.

Companies like Telekom, Mannesmann and E-plus dominate the mobile phone market.
There are two types of public booths: coin and card. The coin phones take 10 Pfennig, 1, 2, and 5 DM coins. Cards cost either DM 12 or DM 50 and are sold at the post office and stationary shops.

There are plenty of Internet service providers. ISDN connections are easily available through German Telekom. Mind you, telephone costs can be very high, so when choosing an ISP check the availability of a node within your local telephone billing area.
Some of the ISPs are:

Individuals Companies

If your home is not cabled in Germany, you still receive 10 national channels. If you want to get a cable connection, pay 30DM per moth. If you move into a building that has a satellite dish, you get a large number of channels. However, if you move into one with no satellite dish, installing one can be time consuming. You have to ask permission of the owner, the co-owners and the town hall. Every household has to pay (at banks and post offices) a monthly fee of 28,25 DM for TV and Radio. The fee includes all radios and TVs in the household.

Domestic help is available, but they are much too expensive for everyone's pocket. Much of the domestic work is done against cash payment, since most these helpers are "illegal aliens."

For other types of employees like a full time maid, a cleaner, an au pair, a nurse, take the following steps.

Education:
Education is free for all state schools. Every region has its own schooling system and structure.

Education in general is: