8 Reasons Why You Should Move to Germany

Are you thinking about moving abroad? Ten years ago, I was asking myself where I should move. When I asked this question in my hometown Hong Kong, the most popular answers were the UK, the U.S., Australia, or Canada. All of them are English-speaking countries. I have lived in Hong Kong, China, and in the U.S. In the end, I decided to settle down in Germany and it was one of the best decisions I made.

Here are the reasons why you should move to Germany:

1. Strong labor protection

For many employees, working in Germany is heavenly. There are strong labor unions in Germany. It is not uncommon to have 30 days of paid vacations annually. You cannot be easily fired. People respect your private time and unpaid overtime working is not common. You are not allowed to work on Sundays or public holidays. In general, you can enjoy a better work-life balance in Germany. I have worked in the U.S. and China before and I can live a more relaxing life when working in Germany.

2. Strong economy

Germany has one of the best economies in Europe. It means that there are many job opportunities and the salary in Germany is good. That is why you can find many people from other European countries even from Australia moving to Germany and work here. They can earn better money in Germany compared to their home countries. In general, you can achieve a high standard of living in Germany.

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3. Good social system

There is a universal healthcare system in Germany. Everybody must have health insurance and nobody needs to worry about the cost if they get sick. This is totally different in Hong Kong, where one often needs to worry about the high cost of going to doctors. Some even delay going to doctors as they do not want to pay, and I think this is really not good for society as a whole.

As a German employee, you are entitled to 100% paid sick leave for up to 6 weeks. Afterward, you will get 70% of your gross salary for up to 78 weeks in 3 years if you are still sick. It is almost too good to be true.

4. Good public transportation system

If you live in a city in Germany, you will usually find a very good public transportation network with trains, buses, trams, etc. Therefore, you can live there without having a car. I used to live in Texas in the U.S. where it was impossible to live without a car.

What I like in Germany is that I can walk to buy my groceries. Besides, biking is very common and many roads are cycling-friendly. I bike all the time when I live in Germany and I feel safe. On the other hand, I have never biked on the road in Hong Kong or the U.S. because I didn’t want to get run over.

5. Beautiful landscape

If you enjoy being in nature, Germany is for you. Germany has a wealth of natural landscapes. You can easily find mountains and lakes that are stunning. Germany also has very distinct four seasons. It can be very cold in the winter with heavy snow, while it can be super hot in the summer.

You can escape the city life easily by going hiking, camping, or swimming in the lakes in the summer. In the winter, you can go to the mountains for skiing. All in all, you can always find something nice to do in nature.

6. Easy to travel around

Germany is in the center of Europe. So, you can travel to other European countries very easily. Depending on where you live, it may take just a few hours’ drive to reach your neighboring countries. It is fast and economical. For example, Greece, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Turkey are some of the top travel destinations by Germans. You can escape from your busy life and enjoy a weekend getaway on an island easily.

7. No speed limit

In many German highways, there are no speed limits. It means that you can drive as fast as you want. I was not used to it at first and found it quite scary as there were many fast cars on the highways. Now, I am “Germanized” and I drive with my maximum speed (>200 km/h) when possible. I even find it very annoying once I cross the German border. For example, on the highways in Austria, there is a speed limit of 130 km/h. Driving in Austria is so slow that I feel like I can never reach my destination!

8. German people

German people are direct and straightforward. You do not need to guess what they are thinking as they will tell you if something is bugging them. Unlike the Americans, German people do not like to do small talk so much. They may seem quite cold at the beginning. But once you get to know them, you will find them really nice and sincere. Not everybody can be used to that. But for me personally, small talk is quite meaningless and I always found it hard when I lived in the U.S. That is also why I like the German people as I think they are sincere and they can be my life-long friends.

Moving to Germany

These are some of the reasons why I love Germany. Despite the difficult German language, I still think that it is one of the best countries to live in. If you have not been to Germany yet, you definitely should and I can guarantee you that you will love it!

This article is written by Sindy, blogger at My Life in Germany.

My Life in Germany was established by Sindy in early 2019, with the aim of providing info to expats about studying, working and living in Germany. Sindy is originally from Hong Kong. Her vision is to provide useful info and advice through My Life in Germany to anyone following her footsteps on subjects like working and finding accommodation in Germany, adjusting to life, citizenship and more.