BVG strike
Tomorrow, February 2, the BVG will be on strike, so U-Bahns, trams and buses won’t run. S-Bahn trains will still run. The strike will start at 3 AM, and will last 24 hours.
What’s happening in February
Nothing! February is the quietest month of the year. There are no public holidays and no shopping Sundays, and although the days are slowly getting longer, it’s still too damn cold. It’s a great time to travel and wait the winter out in a sunnier place.
There are still a few good reasons to stick around:
- Berlin Fashion Week – January 30 to February 2
- Berlin Independent Film Festival – February 5 to 8
- Berlinale film festival – February 12 to 22
- Cologne Carnival – February 13 to 15
Oh, and make sure that you get your Meldebescheinigung zur Sozialversicherung this month. Your employer must send it to you every year in January or February.
New guide: how to leave Germany
A third of immigrants are thinking of leaving. Half of them seek to improve their standard of living. I have just released a guide for leaving Germany.
Some guides cover tasks while others cover journeys. Leaving Germany is a journey, so this new guide is mostly a checklist that links to existing guides. However, it also clarifies what happens to your health insurance and your residence permit, and it demystifies the exit tax.
The exit tax
The exit tax is why this guide took four weeks to write. I have read about it for days, then validated my understanding with my delightfully plain-spoken tax advisor.
The conclusion is simple: the exit tax probably does not apply to you, and if it does, you already have a tax advisor to talk to.
Oliver Eidel also created an entire website about the exit tax. It’s based on his own chats with tax advisors, and it’s refreshingly straightforward.
What else is new?
When I write a new guide, I also rewrite everything around it. I have revamped my Abmeldung, moving out and address change guides.
I created a lease notice period calculator, because it got a little complicated to explain. It helps you calculate when to tell your landlord that you are moving out. It accounts for Sundays and public holidays.
Up next: labour law
I am teaming up with labour lawyers to help you enforce your rights. I have heard too many stories about immigrants being wrongfully terminated or pressured to sign documents they should not sign.
This is what I plan to cover:
- Common tricks employers pull on immigrant employees
- How to resist wrongful termination
- How to negotiate a better settlement during layoffs
- How to work with your Betriebsrat, your union, lawyers and your legal insurance
Want to help? Contact me. I want to hear your stories, your questions and your advice.
Things I learned this month
Work days and business days
In Germany, business days (Arbeitstage) are Monday to Friday, but working days (Werktage) are usually Monday to Saturday… except when they’re not.
For example, you have until the third Werktag of the month to pay your rent, and to end your lease. When paying rent, it excludes Saturdays. When ending your lease, it includes Saturdays. Same law book, same word, different definition.
Kettle cleaning
It took me 9 years to buy a kettle, and another year to learn how to properly descale it. Everyone has their blind spots.
It’s simple: just boil a bit of vinegar in your kettle, and the scale comes right off. Vinegar is also an effective bathroom cleaner. Unclog your shower head by wrapping it in a plastic bag filled with vinegar.
Interesting links
- Apartment affordability calculator – It tells you what kind of rent you can afford, and how long your flat search might take.
- A relocation coach’s honest first-aid kit – Affirmations for the stressed-out Berliner.
- Apartment hunting advice from a landlord – Ways to refine your apartment applications.
On other platforms
All About Berlin is also on Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter, Bluesky and Mastodon, and I share my code on GitHub.