International – get off to a successful start in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region
The European Metropolitan Region Nuremberg
A new beginning is exciting. Even more so in a foreign country. Germany has plenty to offer – and anyone who is new here will not only be amazed by the autobahns with no speed limit and our love of bread, but also by the high quality of life and a special welcoming culture.
Surveys such as those conducted by Finanzen100 (the Focus Group’s stock exchange website) confirm that Nuremberg offers the best life for little money in Germany. Yet the eleven cities and 23 districts in the metropolitan region also boast impressive diversity and are always worth a visit (or even a move).
To make sure that you feel at home here from the outset, this page contains essential information and contacts so that you can get your career off to a successful start in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region.
Here you will find information on visas and registration.
Advantages for well-qualified professionals when looking for a job
Your qualifications
When looking for a job, it can be advantageous for you to have your university or professional qualification recognized in Germany. An official document makes it easier for your potential employer to assess your skills. The recognition of foreign qualifications is voluntary in some professions, while in others it is mandatory. If you want to work as a doctor, engineer, nurse, or master craftsman in Germany, for example, you must have your qualification recognized.
Initial information
Language and integration courses in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region
German language courses
If you learn German, life in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region will be easier and more enjoyable for you from the outset. The so-called integration courses are intended for anyone who moves to our region from abroad. They offer you and your family the opportunity to quickly reach a proficient language level. The integration courses will also give you useful details about everyday life in Germany – about German culture, history, and politics.
The courses usually include 600 hours of language lessons and an orientation course that lasts 60 hours. If you then pass the free examination, as a holder of the “EU Blue Card” you will be issued with a permanent settlement permit after just 21 months.
German for your career
The Nuremberg Metropolitan Region is home to international corporations and companies where English is largely spoken. However, it is still considered helpful to acquire German language skills if you wish to pursue a successful professional career.
Special courses give you the opportunity to get better acquainted with the national language in a manner that relates to your job. They are also an easy way of meeting potential colleagues or even new friends. The metropolitan region offers you various opportunities to learn the German language. Numerous private schools, adult education centers (known as Volkshochschulen), universities, and websites complement the range of language courses.
The following institutions offer German language courses across several locations in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region:
Berufliche Fortbildungszentren der Bayerischen Wirtschaft GmbH – Deutsche Angestellten Akademie GmbH – Gesellschaft für Arbeitsmarktintegration und Qualifizierung mbH (AQUA)
Language courses
Offers and apps
Online courses and language apps offer a modern and particularly flexible way to learn German. We can recommend the following providers and apps:
- Lern-Fair e. V. offers free digital learning support for educationally disadvantaged students to promote equal opportunities in education.
- Deutsche Welle offers free online courses for an easy and flexible way to learn German.
- Duolingo is a language learning app featuring research-backed teaching methods and fun content.
- Busuu is a language learning platform that offers online courses and allows users to learn together with a global community of native speakers.
- Mondly is a language learning app that features interactive exercises and daily lessons to learn new languages in a fun way.
- Falou is a language learning app that encourages speaking using lessons and AI-powered pronunciation exercises.
- Rosetta Stone is a language learning app that uses interactive exercises and live coaching sessions with native speakers.
- HelloTalk is a language learning app that enables users all over the world to communicate with native speakers to help them learn the language.
- Seedlang is a language learning app that teaches German using interactive video flashcards and authentic videos created by native speakers.
Financial matters
Taxation
Your employer transfers between 14 and 45% of your income to the revenue office every month – depending on your family situation and the amount you earn. This means that you initially do not have to worry about taxes or settling any tax bill. Upon arrival, once you register with the residents’ registration office in your city or district, you will be issued with a digital income tax card. You should then give this to your employer, who will then take care of everything else.
On your monthly pay stub, you can see how much of your salary goes toward social security payments and how much is paid in tax to the revenue office. Once a year, employees submit an income tax return. Depending on your actual income and financial burdens, you may receive a partial refund. If you would like help with any of this, then the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region is the right place for you: Here you will find a wide range of tax specialists and business consultants.
Associations like the VLH provide help with tax returns at fair rates. And internationally renowned tax firms such as Rödl und Partner are also based in the metropolitan region.
Insurance provides comprehensive protection
Insurance
A network of protection mechanisms will help you feel completely secure in Germany. As a company employee, you become part of the German social security system. You can choose between various providers of statutory and private health insurance. Let your employer know which type of insurance you have chosen. Your employer will share the cost with you. And it is also your employer who transfers part of your salary to cover your long-term care and unemployment insurance as well as your pension scheme contributions.
Whether illness or loss of earnings – you’re in safe hands in the metropolitan region. Further information on health, long-term care, and unemployment insurance benefits can be obtained from the Federal Employment Agency and the health insurance companies
Visas and registration – moving to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region
Visas
Anyone who moves to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region from within Germany or comes here from abroad must register their new home with the relevant city or municipality within two weeks of moving in. The registration process is dealt with at the residents’ registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) and the citizens’ office (Bürgeramt). Online registration is also possible in some offices. To successfully register, you will need a registration form, an original national passport or identity card, and confirmation of residence (known as a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). The registration form is provided in the office or online and usually has to be completed and signed by the individual concerned. An entire family can be registered by an adult family member. Please find out in advance about waiting times and the option of making online appointments.
An overview and selection of statutory health insurance providers
A list of statutory health insurance providers in Germany can be found here – and click on the following link to find out more about social security in Germany. In addition to the statutory insurance providers, you have the option of putting together an insurance package individually tailored to your needs from a pool of private insurance companies.
Besides liability insurance, other sensible options for protecting your life and that of your family include cover for household contents and occupational disability as well as personal accident cover. Take an initial test to check whether you are already well insured – or find out which other insurance policies could be worthwhile for you and your family.
More information
Hotline Working and living in Germany
Phone: +49 30 1815 1111
Monday to Friday: 09:00 - 15:00
If you have any questions about the basic principles and procedures for professional recognition, you can also obtain sound and free advice from the Central Service Center for the Development of Foreign Qualifications in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region (ZAQ).
Contact:
Central Service Center for the Development of Foreign Qualifications in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region (ZAQ)
E-Mail: Anerkennungsberatungstadt.nuernberg..de
Phone: +49 (0) 911 / 231 10552
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08:30 to 15:30, appointments can also be arranged for the evening if required.
Further links
Our partner cities
Discover partner cities of the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region in our SmartMap.
