German Driving License/Deutscher Führerschein

Getting a German Driving License (Deutscher Führerschein) 

Germans take driving very seriously and is difficult, very costly for the same reason.

Let’s say that we apply for a Car driving license, it is Class B/B1. 

The different license types can be seen from the following link: http://www.tuev-sued.de/fuehrerschein_pruefung/fuehrerscheinklassen. 

There are two possibilities 

• Applying for a fresh driving license and 
• Converting the Indian driving license

1. Applying for a fresh driving license Fresh driving license: 

It needs a bit of work, 

• one needs mandatory theoretical lessons from a driving school, 
• 12 special practical lessons (4 motorway, 3 night time, 5 country roads), 
• and then the regular driving lessons (number of lessons depending on your learning capability). 

Driving school people will guide you guys through the procedure and fee and it varies a little based on the prices of the driving school guys.

Here are the approximate costs: 

• Driving school Registration & Theory classes: €200- 250 
• Theory Lessons: One should attend 14 hours of theory offered by the driving school 
• Theory Test: €60-80 (depending on the driving school) Its possible to take the exam in English
•  First aid course: ~ €40 and 1 day course(Can be done from the Red cross, ADAC etc).
•  Eye test report: Ask the Eye specialist, they will issue a letter especially for license or from an Optician or from Red cross (verify it once again with red cross during first aid course). 
• Biometric Photos (This can also be taken from Redcross during the first aid course or any Photo vending machines) 
• Registration: In this case Driving school guy will apply for the registration and you just pay them.
•  Learning material - 

1. Questionnaire : €35 – 60 (one can also manage the theory test with this online examination questions) 
2. Theory book : €30 – 90 (extra booklet with the driving theory, one can manage without it)

•  12 mandatory Special lessons (4 motorway, 3 night time, 5 country roads)(€38 -42 / hour) : - €456 – 502 
• Regular driving lessons (€28 -32 / hour): depends on how fast you learn(normally 10 -20 hours it could go till 40 hours for beginners): €280 - 640
•  Practical Driving Test: €210-260 (which includes driving school commission and TÜV exam fee) 
• After successfully finishing the theory and practical take the letters from TÜV and go to the Ordnungsamt again and finally they will issue the German Driving License. 

The total costs for learning and getting a license could be in between €1,400 to €2,000.

 2. Converting the Indian driving license:

 If your Indian driving license was issued before coming to Germany, you can convert it to a German one by saving money and some hours of learning. In this particular case, it is not necessary to take the theory lessons from the driving school and can be done by self preparation. Ordnungsamt or Führerscheinstelle or Rathaus (in some cases) is responsible for the conversion process. 

Requirement and Procedure: 

• First aid course: ~ €40 and 1 day course(Can be done from the Red cross, ADAC etc). 
• Eye test report: Ask the Eye specialist, they will issue a letter especially for license or from an Optician or from Red cross (verify it once again with red cross during first aid course).
•  Biometric Photos (This can also be taken from Redcross during the first aid course or any Photo vending machines)
•  German translation of your Indian driving license along with its original (can be done at ADAC).
•  Proof for date of arrival in Germany (One can get this from Visa office or Rathaus. Verify it from the Ordnungsamt). 
• Name of the driving school. 

With all these documents along with Wohnungsanmeldung & Passport go to Ordnungsamt or Führerscheinstelle and pay around € 45. 

After verification, in 2 to 4 weeks you will get the permission to attend the theory test. 

Prepare for theory test, here is where you can save if you decide to do it by yourself. 

Theory classes Learning material 

• You can do the theory test by yourself from the books and/or online portals which cost €30-50. 
• Driving school guys will also provide TÜV certified online portals containing questionnaires or there are a lot of possibilities available online here is one of such portals: http://www.my-fuehrerschein.de/index.aspx 
• This website allows money back guarantee if you fail the test http://www.fuehrerschein-bestehen.de/ License Books : €30 – 90 (extra booklet with the driving theory) 
• Theory Test: €20.83, if you pay some 70 € to the driving school, they will take you to the test center. The test can be taken in English language.
•  In case if you want to take it by yourself, in the below link you can check for the TÜV examination center to take theory test http://www.tuv.com/de/deutschland/addressesworldwide/locationdetails_15651.html

 After sucessfully clearing the test,

 you need the help of driving school to finish the driving lessons.

 Driving school Registration: €80- 150 (50% of actual registration price as you have already done the theory test by yourself)

 Price list for different classes :

•  For Car its class B http://www.tuev-sued.de/fuehrerschein_pruefung/die_fuehrerscheinpruefung/preise 
• 12 mandatory Special lessons (€38 -42 / hour) rule is exempted, but it is highly recommended to have 2 or 3 hours to get familiar with the driving. 
• You might end up on the same streets for the driving test Regular driving lessons (€28 -32 / class): depends on how fast you learn(normally 10 -20 hours or even less hours if you know driving very well): €280 - 640 

Practical Driving Test: €210-250 (which includes driving school commission €120 -165 and TUV exam fee € 85) 

After successfully finishing the theory and practical take the letters from TUV and go to the Ordnungsamt/Führerscheinstelle/Rathaus and submit them your Indian Driving License and collect the German Driving License. 

The costs for learning and getting a license could be around €1,000 to €1200. 

I know some guys who did it for €800 - 900. 

Failing the exam: 

• If you fail the exam once it wil cost you around 210 € for the examination fee and at least 1 driving class according to law. 
• You might need more classes and it depends on you. 
• You will be allowed to take the exam again in 2 weeks time.
• You can start applying for a license immediately after coming to Germany and you don't have to wait till 6 months.
•  However the Indian driving license is valid for 6 months.
• Verification procedure needs some 3 - 4 weeks to complete the process and afterwards it depends on you to finish it as per your convenience. 

***However this not an official page to for learning theory but you can follow this book by American Army, 

I found it on some website. 

Here it is "http://www.eur.army.mil/rmv//Documents_PDF/aep190-34.pdf" (link has expired) Source/: http://www.city-data.com/forum/europe/1079635-german-driving-class-b-english-lehrmaterial.html 

Note: The prices vary from place to place and school to school! So, it can be also more expensive! Please verify them once again

Money Transfers to India

Money transfer

One of the very important question is how to transfer Euro to India. There have been various methods like Western union money transfer, German Bank etc. With our own experience we recommend following services. These services are easy to use and safe. TIPS: To avail dependent support income tax benefits in Germany, ensure that you start transferring money to your dependents in India (parents, parents-in-laws, spouse) etc. at the earliest. For each dependent your income will be reduced by Euro 2050 per person per year for the tax calculation purposes. Download your bank statements in pdf format every month/quarter and keep them safe for future reference. Online Bank statement are not available for more than 6 months. I also use Transferwise its currently the best way to transfer your hard earned money.

Showing 5 items

Name of Banking institution	Web Link	Avg No. of days it takes	Exchange Rate card	Procedure	Comment
Sort	Sort	Sort	Sort	Sort	Sort

xendpay	Xendpay	5		Very simple procedure. You can also choose how much fee you would like to pay or not to pay.
ICICI Bank	Money2India	4-5 days	ICICI Exchange Rate	Register on their website and follow the instruction. The tracking number must be specified while transferring money from your German accout to their German account	This requires money transfer to Bank account in France, so suggested to use other link given in this list
ICICI Bank Europe	Money2India Europe	3-4 days	Exchange rate	http://money2india.eu/send_money1.html	This allows transfer transfer to German bank in Frankfurt.
Remit2India	Remit2India	4-5 days	See on the website	Procedure is same as above	This service is used by other banks e.g. HDFC bank and they provide better exchange rate.
HDFC Bank	QuickRemit	4	QuickRemit exchange Rate	Register at the above link and follow the procedure. The money can be transferrred to their account online from your German account.	I found this service quite useful. Their exchange rate is transparent which can be seen at website

Showing 5 items

Credit: http://www.germanymantra.com/

Germany: Bank Account

German Bank account

Girokonto ( Current Account ) This is current account, which is mandatory to get your salary credited to your account. You cann't live without this account. Most financial transactions are completed using this type of account, such as receiving wages or paying rent. In general, a current account allows you to: withdraw money from your bank using an EC-card. This is normally free of charge at your own bank's ATMs, but a fee of several EUR may be charged for withdrawing money from other banks' ATMs transfer money to pay bills using transfer forms set up regular fixed amount payments (e.g. your rent) paid by standing order set up regular payments (even of variable amounts, e.g. telephone bills and health insurance contributions) to be paid by direct debit. Interest rate: 0% Documents required to open this account: Passport Letter or contract of employment from your employer Salary slip Anmeldung Once you have opened this account, provide following account information to your employer, so that salary will be credit to this account. BLZ :  This is unique code of bank where you have your account. Account Number Note: Your bank statements are required for tax return and other purposes in future, so Download your bank statements in pdf format every month/quarter and keep them safe for future reference.  Below is a list of bank where fellow Indians have opened their account and their experiences with these bank branches. Hope it helps to take your decision. If you would like to add any comments, you can do so. Please write us to get access.

Bank Name	Address	City	Comments	Website	Recommended
Sort	Sort	Sort	Sort	Sort	Sort

Deutsche Bank			No opinion	Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bundesbank			No opinion	Deutsche Bundesbank
Commerzbank		All Major cities	No comment	Commerzbank
Postbank		All cities		Postbank	Y
LBBW		Stuttgart	Good	LBBW	Y
HypoVereinsbank		All Major cities	Check the terms and conditions. There is option to have account without monthly fee.	HypoVereinsbank	Y
Targo Bank (Former Citibank)		All Major Cities	On the spot money transfer to Indian citibank account via online banking	Targo Bank -Citibank	Y

Credit: http://www.germanymantra.com/

Health Insurance Germany

Health Insurance

It is mandatory to be insured if one is working and receives salary less then certain threshold (Approx Euro 50,000) Some features of Public Insurance Salaried people with salary less than Approx Euro 50000 are required to have Public medical insurance. German public insurance computes the monthly premium based on income only. The public system disregards age, gender as well as pre-existing conditions. Public insurance in Germany is a family insurance. Which means all members of the family without their own source of income (and therefore own health insurance) are covered under the umbrella of one public insurance. With public insurance you have good coverage for all major treatment and medical emergencies. In comparison with lots of other countries, the German public health system is still quite good. It is therefore impossible to describe all the treatments etc. that are covered with pubic insurance. Choosing between Govt and Private Insurance For a family public insurance is cheaper, as in private each individual is insured separately. Facts about private insurance: It enables to get better services and better medicines. One doesn't have to pay quarterly fee. Mostly medicines are also 100% covered. Company also contributes upto certain amount. It is not exactly 50% but max something around Euro 300 Once switched to private one can not go back to public one. If both partners are working, one can go for public and other for private. Private insurances usually offer good premiums for not using it the whole year. One is not forced for generally required regular procedures, e.g. visiting to dentist regularly is mandatory under public but not under private. There is more work under private as one receives the invoices from doctors and the person has to send them to the insurance company for the claims. There is usually enough time, to claim and then pay the invoices. You may opt to get different treatment for each individual. Usually people sign for best conditions for kids as they need more visits to doctor and medicines. At most practices, waiting time for private patients is also shorter. One also gets more tax benefits. So one gets some money back from finanzamt when declaring tax. So take your decision carefully. Things to remember If you are under compulsorily insurance then get it at the earliest within first month of your entering to Germany. The premium payment starts from the day you enter into Germany, even if you get yourself insured afterwards. So even if you have insurance from India, it is wise to get your health insurance at the earliest, so that you can get its benefit, in case of need. Buying Health Insurance: I have BARMER GEK public insurance. Insurance that can be possible: AOK, BARMER GEK, DAK, HEK, KKH, IKK. Credit: http://www.germanymantra.com/

HOW TO SEE A DOCTOR IN GERMANY

Have you ever thought of calling the fire brigade in case of a health emergency? Well in Germany that’s what you do. If you are member of a public health insurance in Germany, you are expected to go to the dentist at least one time per year – otherwise your treatment might not be covered!

Read the following facts to learn about what to do when you are sick in Germany, how to make a doctor’s appointment and how to find English-speaking doctors in Germany.

#1 IT‘S WEEKEND, OR ITS LATE NIGHT. I DON’T FEEL WELL. WHO CAN I CALL FOR HELP?

Imagine: It’s Sunday and all doctors are at home with their families… Where to go to? You are in urgent need of medical attention during the night or on the weekend when most of the people are on holiday.

In Germany you can always call a doctor if you do not feel well. If it’s in the middle of the night or on the weekend when all the clinics have closed, then you can call 116 117. Here you can talk directly to a German doctor. Most of the time they should be able to speak English, or refer you to someone that speaks English. You can also call the number during the day, if you feel you are unable to leave the house. When to call 116 117? You can call it if you have a bad fever; if you cut yourself but you are not bleeding to death; or if you feel pain that is not absolutely acute. Once you have called the number, they will usually send a doctor to come and see you personally. The doctor will give you medicine on the spot. In the worst case he will call an ambulance to take you to hospital.

If you are in a life-threatening situation immediately call 112. This is the emergency number in Germany. If you ring this number, please indicate where you live, who you are and what is wrong. You can speak English. They will send an ambulance to you, which should arrive within a few minutes. Only call the emergency hotline in a medical emergency!

In case of high emergency you can also drive to a hospital (Krankenhaus) yourself.  You can report to the Accident and Emergency (Ambulanz / Notaufnahme) at any hospital. For this just google “Krankenhaus + your city“.

Call ‘112’ for high emergency cases; call ‘116 117’ for other emergencies. Both numbers work 24/7.

All emergency expenses are automatically covered by your public health insurance in Germany. As a member of public health insurance you don’t need to pay anything, if you go to hospital or if you call the ambulance in Germany. However, make sure to bring your Gesundheitskarte (proof of health insurance) and your passport when you go to hospital or see a doctor. If you’re privately insured you will need to pay the invoices of emergencies yourself before you get (partially or fully) reimbursed by your insurance provider.

#2 WHY DO I CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY IN GERMANY?

The emergency numbers in Germany are 110 (police) and 112 (fire brigade).

Strangely enough, in Germany you call the fire brigade in case of health-related emergencies.

The reason is simple.

Having one hotline for all emergencies makes the coordination easier. Once you call them, they will ask you questions like: where you are, what happened, etc. They will forward your information to the nearest hospital or fire brigade – depending on the kind of emergency you are reporting.

Importantly, don’t be confused, if someone has a heart attack and a German says, ‘I’m calling the fire brigade’! What that person really means to say, is that he is calling the general emergency hotline 112.

#3 WHAT KINDS OF DOCTORS ARE THERE IN GERMANY?

In the German health care system there is a variety of doctors. When you have moved to Germany you should get a general practitioner / doctor (Allgemeinarzt). If you don’t speak German, no worries. There should be many general practitioners that speak English. Just google “Allgemeinarzt Englisch + your city”.

This general practitioner will be your first point of contact if you are ill. It is very important that you report to the doctor when you cannot go to work because of your illness. In this case, the doctor confirms your illness. You will get a ‘Krankheitsbescheinigung’ (illness confirmation). You must send this confirmation to your employer. Some employer want such a confirmation from day one of your illness. Other employers in Germany only want you to submit a confirmation from the third day of illness. Better check what your employer wants. In any case, it’s important to call in sick when you cannot go to work. Do not send an email or a text message, but make a personal call.

So whenever you are sick in Germany, the first thing you do is go to a Allgemeinarzt (general practitioner). He checks what is wrong. If it is something severe or he cannot help you, he will refer you to a specialist. For this you will get a Überweisung (transferral). Without this document, you cannot go see a specialist. You must be transferred to a specialist by your GP! The only specialists you do not need referrals for is gynecologist and dentist!

Women in Germany usually go to a gynecologist twice a year for regular check-ups. The contraception pill is usually not covered by your health insurance if you are over 18 years old. One package for about 3 months costs usually around 20-30 Euros.

If you are member of a public health insurance in Germany, it is usually expected that you go see a dentist at least once a year. Otherwise the insurance will not cover the expenses of a visit at the dentist! So make sure to go regularly!

#4 WHAT IS A ‘GESUNDHEITSKARTE’ AND HOW TO GET IT?

The Gesundheitskarte is your German health insurance card. It is a document confirming that you have health insurance.

Your personal data and health information are stored on this card.

You must always carry your Gesundheitskarte with you. If you go to hospital or see a doctor in Germany they will always ask for your German health insurance card.

You get a health insurance card from your health insurance provider.

If you live in Germany, you must have health insurance. About 85% of Germans have public health insurance. The rest is privately insured.

 A COUPLE OF WEEKS?

If you are member of German public health insurance, your employer will normally pay six weeks’ full salary if you are ill.

In order to get ‘sick pay’ you must have confirmation of your doctor that you are ill (Krankenbescheinigung). It is also very important that you stay in touch with your employer while you are sick.

You should inform him of how long you might be away for, so the employer can find a temporary replacement, if necessary.

It is common courtesy in Germany to call your employer if you are ill – do not send a text or email. You can send the doctor’s illness confirmation by letter.

After six weeks the government scheme pays a percentage of your income as Krankengeld (‘public sick pay’) for up to a maximum of 78 weeks. As you can see, you’re well taken care of.

If you are self-employed then you only get sick pay if you have a private sick-pay health insurance.

#6 HOW TO FIND ENGLISH-SPEAKING DOCTORS?

Generally you can find English-speaking doctors and specialists in most parts of Germany nowadays. To search for them you can of course use Google, or ask in expats groups on Facebook (see our online community).

Alternatively, if you are member of AOK public health insurance in Germany, you can ring up their service hotline 0800 265 5000.

They speak 17 languages and can assist you with any question you may have.

You can call them around the clock i.e. 24/7.  You tell them what kind of a doctor you need to see. An AOK employee will search for an English-speaking doctor and even make the appointment on behalf of you. Easy, isn’t it?

If you live in Berlin, there is a great website called http://doctorberlin.de/ Here you can look out for doctors in Berlin that speak English, French, Arabic and more languages!

#7 DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE A DOCTOR?

Generally, yes, you do. Especially for specialists, you must make an appointment. It is normal to wait a couple of weeks to see a specialist, sometimes even a few months. Be sure to make appointments as early as possible.

In case of an emergency or if you need a ‘sick leave’ – a verification for your employer that you’re ill – you don’t need an appointment.

There are always visiting hours where you can come in without an appointment at your general practitioner’s (Allgemeinarzt).

Just ring the reception up and ask whether you can come around on the same day. You better call first thing in the morning and go there as early as possible. Otherwise, you might well have to wait a few hours before you get to see your doctor in Germany…

#8 I HAVE PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE. HOW DOES IT WORK WITH THE PAYMENT?

If you’re privately insured, it works as follows. When you go see a doctor, you will get an invoice for the treatment a few days or weeks after the treatment. You must first pay this bill yourself.

Be sure to make a copy of the bill for your own record. Send the bill to your private health insurance provider. The provider should reimburse you after one to three weeks. Exactly how long depends on what kind of health insurance agreement you have. Some agreements cover 100%, some less. Again, check your contract!

What about medicine and prescriptions in Germany? Who pays for it?

If your doctor in Germany prescribes your medicine, then you take the prescription to the pharmacy. Tell the pharmacy that you need a copy of the prescription and a stamp for your private health insurance. You pay for the medicine yourself in the first instance. Then send the copy of the prescription and the payment receipt to your health provider. Again, you should receive the reimbursement directly on your German bank account within a few weeks. In case you don’t have one yet, here you can open a German bank account online.

#9 I HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE IN GERMANY. DO I NEED TO PAY FOR MEDICINE AND TREATMENTS?

If you are member of a public health insurance like AOK in Germany, then everything is quite easy. You will get a so-called Gesundheitskarte (German health card). You must always carry this card with you. When you go see a doctor, you first go to the reception. There you give the receptionist your German health card.

If you have public health insurance in Germany most treatments and medicine are covered. You should talk with your health insurance to check the details of course. Some homeopathic and dental treatments are not included. However, if you inform yourself in detail about what your health insurance covers, you may be surprised! If you have back pain you get prescribed free massages.

If your doctor wants to give you a prescription for medicine (it’s a small piece of paper), ask him, if the public health insurance pays for it. Then you take the prescription to an Apotheke (drug store). The drug store will give you the medicine.

If you go to the gym regularly, your health insurance provider may sponsor your gym membership. If you are member of AOK, ask your English-speaking representative for more details.

If you go see a dentist be aware that only the ‘basic’ treatments are usually covered. Before you get new teeth or have a major surgery at the dentist, you should absolutely check with your public health insurance first! Send them the dentist’s proposal of how much it will cost (Kostenvoranschlag). This way you can avoid having to pay large sums of money yourself, if the insurance provider decides not to cover something!

Most vaccinations are covered by public health insurances in Germany. Even travel vaccinations and malaria tablets are often paid for. Make sure to check with your insurance before you get vaccined, though. Some vaccinations are even obligatory in Germany! Ask your personal doctor / general practitioner for more information. Make sure to bring your vaccination booklet, if you have one.

As for medicine and prescriptions, not everything is covered. Sometimes you have to contribute a small sum yourself, or have to pay the medicine yourself. Check with your health insurance provider.

Credit http://www.germanymantra.com/