Common sense of life of German immigrants is indispensable.

Living in a foreign country for the first time, in a strange place! There may be many inconveniences, such as bank deposits, medical insurance, where to find a dormitory, and what should I do if I get sick? And so on. Here are some important tips for you who just arrived in Germany.

medical service

To see a doctor in Germany, you should first look for a private clinic, not a hospital. To see a doctor, you must first see a "family doctor-Hausarzt". The family doctor had better look for it near his residence. In addition to the so-called "general practitioners", that is, family doctors, there are also specialists (Facharzt). The family doctor decides whether the patient should be referred to a specialist. The opening hours of each clinic are different, and almost all clinics-except the clinic on duty-are closed on weekends and Wednesday afternoons. If you really can't, you can go to the hospital, where there is always an emergency. If the situation is urgent and cannot be delayed, you can also call the emergency doctor at 1 12.

drive

Traffic in Germany drives on the right, and overtaking can only be done on the left. There is no speed limit on highways in Germany. If you live in Germany, a foreign driver's license is generally valid for six months after entry, and you must renew it after six months, unless you have an EU driver's license. If you want to buy a car, in addition to going to the garage, you can also refer to many advertisements selling cars in the newspaper or search online. If you have a car, you must register with Zulassungsstelle of the local traffic management bureau, and each city government will provide relevant information.

Go to a government office to handle affairs

Those who have stayed in Germany for more than three months must register with the Resident Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) within one week after entering the country, and they must show the rental contract or the owner's certificate when registering.

The residence permit is issued by the Aliens Administration. To this end, you must prove that you have financial security during your study: either scholarship income or sufficient personal funds. A student should have at least 500 euros a month. To apply for a residence permit, you need to present a valid student visa, passport, medical insurance certificate, owner's rental certificate and submit three standard photos. Sometimes a doctor's certificate is needed. In case of doubt, you can seek help from the foreign affairs offices of universities (Akademische Auslandsamt).

go shopping

German shops generally open from 9: 00 to 20: 00, bakeries, butcher shops and pharmacies open early in the morning, and large supermarkets also open early and close late. On Saturdays, many shops are only open until noon except downtown. The lunch break of most small shops is from 13 to 15. Almost all the shops except a few are closed on Sundays. If you need a small amount of daily necessities when the store is closed, you can also buy them at the so-called "newsstand" or gas station.

Ritual festival

It is not prejudice to say that Germans love punctuality. Only go to the party, it's okay to be late, and it's best to be on time at other times. In addition, Germans are also considered to be more distant and less casual. This can also be seen in language. Strangers or older people will call you "Sie" and "Du" after they know each other very well. Most young people of the same age call you. Kissing when meeting is only common among friends. Germany does not bow, but shakes hands.

money

The currency of Germany is the euro, and almost all shops accept credit cards. Cash and credit cards can be collected at banks, savings offices and post offices, and you can also open a Girokonto account there, where you can easily control the money, for example, through bank ATMs. If you want to save money, you can open a savings book, but it is best to compare the different savings methods and conditions introduced by banks and savings offices in advance in order to strive for the highest possible interest. Most banks provide free transfer accounts for students, which is worth asking.

Fair/equal treatment

Equality between men and women in Germany. For example, this means that both men and women have the right to vote. In addition, women should not be discriminated against in the workplace. All large enterprises and universities have so-called equality commissioners, whose duties include paying attention to whether female job seekers are discriminated against when recruiting new people. Some companies even set quotas for female employees. At this time, you can often see the words "women and disabled people are given priority in the same education" in job advertisements. Besides, no one can be discriminated against because of his religious beliefs.

internet

Internet coverage in Germany is very high, and it is operated by different dealers. It is not easy to choose suppliers by carefully comparing prices and services provided. The so-called "flat rate" can save money. If you don't have a computer, you can use Internet cafes, which are everywhere in the university district of this city.

medical insurance

Living in Germany requires medical insurance. There are legal and private medical insurance companies in Germany. Unless otherwise agreed, all international students will take legal medical insurance. Statutory medical insurance companies have special college students' insurance premiums. After insurance, you can enjoy free medical care, or you can get the medicine prescribed by the doctor for free or at a cheaper price.

cost of living

According to statistics, college students spend about 600 euros a month. But there are also differences according to the students' family economic situation. The cost of living in Germany is higher than that in China, so you should try to find cheap accommodation. The cheapest is a shared house, or a student dormitory run by the University Student Service Department. Most museums and other cultural facilities offer preferential tickets to college students. In addition, college students don't have to pay for electricity. With the student ID card, there are discounts for traveling abroad and taking public transportation. Those with financial difficulties can consult the College Student Service Department. The university organization of the church is also the backing of college students-making plans and making contributions.

Garbage repackaging

"Mülltrennung" is a typical German word for many people, because in Germany, garbage is sorted at home. Waste paper, packaging materials, glass and other garbage are put into a separate trash can. In most cities, glass collection boxes are placed in public places, and some places also have waste paper and packaging materials collection boxes. Some local governments provide several different garbage bins for each family, such as brown one for organic garbage, yellow one for packaging materials, blue one for waste paper and gray one for others. Batteries and chemicals belong to special garbage and must be sent to special collection places. When shopping, most cans and beverage bottles have to pay the so-called "deposit". If you return the cans and bottles, you can return the deposit.

post office

There are different express and slow delivery suppliers in Germany. The most popular is Deutsche Post, whose logo is a black horn (musical instrument) on a yellow background. For example, if you see this picture, you will know that there is a post office there. There is also a postal banking window in the post office. Just like other banks and savings offices, you can open a transfer account here. If you send a letter, you can drop it in the yellow mailbox on the roadside or in the post office. In Europe, the postage for ordinary mail is 55 Euro cents, for postcards is 45 Euro cents, and for airmail to China is 45 Euro cents.

Travel and transportation

Germany has a well-developed network of highways and expressways, making it very convenient to get on the bus and travel. If you don't have a car, you can ask many Mitfahrzentrale if there is a suitable car to take, so that you can travel around cheaply. Drivers who offer hitchhiking opportunities often give the starting and ending points of big cities and long distances. There are "short-distance buses" in the city Bus, subway and light rail are reliable on time, but they are not all-night services. Taxis in Germany are very expensive.

Germany's feeder lines and long-distance rail transit are also very developed. Deutsche Bahn and other small railway companies operate trains all over Germany and will launch various special fares. There are relatively few long-distance buses in Germany, and if there are, most of them are point-to-point services between German or European cities. These cities have special long-distance bus stations. The intercity express train (ICE) of German railway is often the fastest means of transportation in Germany, so it is worthwhile to fly in Germany only for long distance. There are about 40 civil airports in Germany. Frankfurt Airport is the largest in Germany and the third largest in Europe.

religion

Most Germans believe in Christianity, with Catholicism and Protestantism accounting for 30% each. About 200,000 people in Germany believe in Judaism and 3.5 million believe in Islam. In principle, people with different religious beliefs live in harmony, but disputes over religious symbols often occur and even go to court. For example, many federal States explicitly prohibit Muslims from wearing headscarves in public schools, and some federal States also prohibit hanging crosses in classrooms.

Street safety

Germany is a relatively safe country. However, there are robberies and thefts here. In the city, you can walk safely outside when it is dark, but be careful in remote streets and desolate areas. There is a parking space reserved for women near the entrance of the parking building. Always be careful with your bag, especially in the downtown area of the scenic spot where it is easy to distract attention. In case of emergency, you can call 1 10 free of charge from the public phone booth.

Power?Supply?

Germany universal 220 volt alternating current. Not all plugs in all countries meet German standards. European standard plugs are suitable for all sockets. Germany uses coal and nuclear energy as well as renewable energy such as solar energy, wind energy and biomass energy to generate electricity. Each family can choose one power supplier from many suppliers. The selection criteria are not only the price, but also the mode of power generation. For example, those who oppose nuclear power can choose power suppliers who explicitly say that nuclear power is not used for power generation.

telephone

In addition to the fixed telephones operated by Deutsche Telekom and regional operators, there are many mobile phone suppliers in Germany, which are called "Handy". They offer all kinds of products, from monthly subscription to prepaid cards, some of which are specially provided for college students. It is suggested that when choosing a product, you should think twice about whether the items provided by the product are what you really need. If you make international calls frequently, you should choose the cheapest supplier for international calls.