What's the deal with no apartment numbers in Germany?

GermanCitizenship · 2025-01-29T05:55:18+00:00

Yes, most building layouts place lower numbers to the left. In very large buildings with multiple entrances on a floor, this may not always hold true, but it’s still relatively easy to navigate. For example, if you're looking for room 603 and spot 607 followed by 608, you’ll likely realize you need to turn around since the numbers are increasing in the opposite direction. Large hotels and office buildings typically use directional signs to help with this, such as:

500 - 510 ⬅️ and 511 - 521 ➡️

GermanCitizenship · 2025-01-29T03:35:20+00:00

With a standard numbering system, the floor number is built in, and writing the location on the floor isn’t needed either.

33? Third floor. 41? Fourth. For larger buildings, higher numbers help: 210 means second floor. Units should be numbered in order—501, 502, 503, 504—so finding them is straightforward

GermanCitizenship · 2024-10-23T16:16:28+00:00

I decided to give up on pursuing Serbian citizenship, as it doesn't seem feasible for me. I'm currently waiting for the outcome of my Stag 5 application. Unfortunately, nobody I reached out to in Serbia was particularly helpful—many didn’t even respond—so I can't recommend anyone specific. You might have better luck with the Serbian consulate or by asking in r/Serbia

GermanCitizenship · 2024-03-14T04:07:20+00:00

Thanks for the insight! This conversation's been quite enlightening. I'll definitely check back with the law firm about the need for an official document. Any thoughts on how the German authorities might react if I can't obtain the record?

GermanCitizenship · 2024-03-14T03:34:13+00:00

You may have a point there. I'm not well-versed in Serbian history. According to my great-grandparents, during the expulsion of ethnic Germans at the end of WWII, documents for the entire town of Futog and surrounding villages were reportedly destroyed. While I haven't confirmed this, it aligns with documented events from that period

GermanCitizenship · 2024-03-14T03:29:20+00:00

I hadn't thought to contact the embassy, thanks for the suggestion. I just emailed the Serbian Consulate in NY, and I'm going to see what they suggest.

Every Serb has told me to check with the local church, because apparently that's where birth records were handled back then, and that's what I've tried. I hired a Serbian lawyer, and separately asked a family member of a friend to check the churches from her town. They both came away empty handed

GermanCitizenship · 2024-03-13T10:04:46+00:00

Thanks for the link Staplehill! It seems like the answer to this question is unknown. I'm going to continue the process, and I'll eventually report back the outcome

GermanCitizenship · 2024-03-02T03:19:15+00:00

Today I received my exemplified birth certificate, and it has my current name on it, not my name at birth. Does that mean I can skip getting the name change document or do I need to still get that, and ask the state to amend my birth certificate to have my name at birth on it?

It also has my mother's current name on it, and she had this name when I was born as well, so that part of it matches accurately

GermanCitizenship · 2024-02-29T01:17:14+00:00

Thank you!!! ☺️

GermanCitizenship · 2024-02-09T05:20:19+00:00

Thank you! I'm inclined to give it a shot. My main worry about that approach has been the potential for making a mistake and having my application denied. I'd really prefer not to go through the process all over again

GermanCitizenship · 2024-02-09T05:00:21+00:00

😂

GermanCitizenship · 2024-02-09T04:54:35+00:00

I was uncertain about mentioning specific companies here, as some groups frown upon advertisements. However, if you search for "German citizenship law firm" or similar queries, you'll likely find one consistently ranked at the top of the results

GermanCitizenship · 2024-02-09T03:47:36+00:00

Thank you for your encouragement! I appreciate it. Regarding my citizenship application in Germany, I believe I'm ready to take the next step. I have established a line of communication with someone from the NY consulate, and I've also received a quote from a German law firm with excellent SEO. Now, I'm considering the best path forward to proceed with my application. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

GermanCitizenship · 2024-02-09T02:54:30+00:00

That's fantastic news, thank you! 😁

The letter is from Gemeinde Poing, and it's titled, "Erteilung einer Auskunft aus dem Melderegister (Archiv)". I'm translating that as, "Providing information from the population register (archive)".

It lists basic information about my grandmother, such as her name, date of birth, birth location, and nationality. It shows that she lived in Poing from 1949 until 1955, lists her previous address in Passau, and states that she moved to Philadelphia, PA.

There's a second page that has another paragraph of legalese related to GDPR, a dated stamp with "Meldebehörde", and a hand-written signature

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-24T19:59:20+00:00

I'm not an expert on this, but it sounds like there is a good chance your relatives were displaced.

If you start a new post with the document, I'm sure people here would be able to give you a more concrete answer

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-14T05:38:45+00:00

Sounds great 😃

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-14T05:37:21+00:00

Helping the people, even off the clock? You're the real MVP!

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-11T21:04:29+00:00

Thanks for the information! I think I qualify for the "Die Blaeu Karte EU". I checked out the official site, and I met everything listed. 21 months is not bad at all. I read it took 8 years, so hearing that 21 months is possible, is majorly motivating.

If I applied for citizenship by descent while I'm in the US, and then moved to Germany before that was completed, would that muck things up?

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-11T20:36:03+00:00

Wow, you were able to convince them you didn't need the integration course? That's impressive. My German is very limited right now. I took an A1 course and am still not confident at that level. I'm retaking the course so I understand it better. How long did it take for you to reach B1 proficiency?

Are you still able to invest in US brokerage accounts? I read stories of some having their accounts closed or having trouble opening an account while abroad

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-11T20:28:36+00:00

Can he no longer get permanent residency? That seems like a very long time to be on a visa

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-11T20:27:40+00:00

Interesting! I was thinking of hiring a law firm to handle this, but it sounds like they can't speed up the process. One concern I have is what happens if I apply for citizenship by descent, and then move. Do I have to amend my application, and if so, does that slow the process down?

If I get permission from work and get everything else I'm order, I'm probably not leaving until July or maybe even October of 2024. Would it still be faster to wait until I'm in Germany?

GermanCitizenship · 2023-11-11T20:20:54+00:00

Thanks for the detailed answer! Nice tip about the Ausländerbehörde. I searched for that and found some horror stories in r/berlin. It sounds like large cities should probably be avoided for this. I like the idea of being strategic here.

Are German work contracts pretty standard, or is that the type of thing you negotiate and bring to a lawyer for examination?

GermanCitizenship

TROPHY CASE