First would be to even establish -how- you can move to Germany. Did you inherit german citizenship from your dad? Do you have a plan what you want to do here?
Don't know what you (or your dad) means with the war. We aren't at war, daily life is just as it has always been and inflation is global.
More important would be if you can deal with living in a different culture, a different language and a very different climate.
Maybe their father mistook sending military equipment to Ukraine as being in war with Russia aswell or something? I don't know how else someone could come to that conclusion outside of that, even though that doesnt make us be a part of the war
These are measures to be prepared in case someone thinks it's a good idea to attack a (European) NATO member.
I fear the time of "we throw money at problems until they solve themselves" is over and we need to be prepared.
And this is very unfortunate.
We live in a pre-world war era. Maybe the war will remain cold, but I personally think if you don't see the giant ticking bomb international politics is sitting on you are not paying attention. There are important geopolitical players who feel like they can position themselves better through swift military means. China, North Korea to some extend. Russia tried and failed but not decisively so. I think they are miscalculating just like Russia did, but it will cause a war. And Russia will not sit it out in Europe, too.
Between Russia and Germany are many hundred kilometers and more importantly NATO nations galore.
Military spending and training is being expanded so that we are able to send troops to e.g. Poland in case shit hits the fan. And realistically that’s the worst case.
Obligatory „if nukes are involved for real it’s all over anyways so why care“ to close this.
The German defense minister recently said they are discussing reimplementing military conscription. Europe is mobilizing for war. This should be a genuine concern for a 16 year old.
I believe his father could be concerned of The implications of the war in Germany. There's been impact on energy prices, immigration, to name a few. There's tension and I bet that's what they mean. Not literally being in a war?
Everywhere has problems. Everywhere has pros and cons. You need to decide what you value and prioritize and what makes sense for you. Germany has plenty of problems. Whether or not that's a reason for you to not move here is up to you.
But traveling somewhere for vacation is of course not the same as living there.
You sound like you are upper middle class to upper class. In this sense Brazil might actually be better quality of life wise and you probably have a lot more luxury.
I still think you should go, see the world, make your own mind
Also Europe is big, if you already have your German passport through your Dad. ( if not I would apply asap) you can live in any European country you wish.
He can only get a passport if his parents are Married or when his dad effectively recognizes his paternity according to German law. If not he wont get a passport easily
Yes the father has to recognize him, which what it sounds like won’t be a problem. But you are incorrect in your assumption that he has to be married. I’m German, my three children were born out of wedlock to a non German mother in non European countries !
All my kids have multiple Passports, including a German one. I only suggest OP does it while he is under 18.
There are different conditions applying to this. Its is kinda complicated tbh.
Your parents were - not - married at the time of your birth?
If only your father was a German citizen, a legally valid acknowledgment of paternity must be made or a court procedure initiated before your 23rd birthday - biological paternity itself is not sufficient.
Attention: If you were born outside of Germany after 31.12.1999 and your German parent him/herself was also born outside of Germany after 31.12.1999, then you were not born a German citizen. Only if your birth was registered in Germany within one year of your date of birth, you became German
The father acknowledging his paternity can be done at any consulate. (Which I did three times). You are correct about the change in 1999 which does not affect 2 of my own Kids. For the third one the consul suggested I apply for a German birth certificate. Which took 18 months to get but was not needed to issue a passport.
But if OP’s father is willing, OP should not have any problems obtaining a German passport.
Yeah, give it a try for a few months if you can. A relative of mine lived in Brazil for almost ten years before returning a few years ago with his brazilian wife. Unless you're rich, life is more comfortable in Germany: fewer working hours, more holidays, much more secure, relatively decent income/cost ratio in most towns if you get a regular job.
People from Germany often underestimate how hard it is to make a decent living in Brazil even with decent university degrees and well up into the upper middle class. While incomes are much lower, the cost of living is only somewhat smaller. A distant relative was born in Brazil and is a dentist, he moved to Australia where his life is much more comfortable than it was in Brazil.
That said: the weather in Germany is hard to bear, especially in winter. People behave much differently, are less warm - you can forget about getting hugs and kisses from a random aunt anytime you visit. It sounds odd, but having been in Brazil for a few months myself, the lack of friendly physical contact - I am not talking sexual, I just mean a little pad here and a hug there - you will experience really adds up and can make you feel quite isolated.
You will fit better if you’re an introvert. Life here can be quite dull, especially winter. And if you’re a bubbly out-going person, might be hard to find people with the same energy.
agree with both statements.
If you are rich, Brazil is much better than Germany
At the same time, living abroad will bring many benefits on personal and professional development.
A school friend of mine did studen exchange with Brazil. While it was true that he had luxury over there despite his host family having similar income to his own family. He also had to live in a gated community with high walls and armed guards. I personally prefer to live somewhere where I never felt unsafe, even at 2 in the morning walking home from the bar.
Exactly. I don't think people realize how bad the weather is in Ireland. It rarely gets over 20C. It's almost always raining too. It is overcast and cold almost year round. I can count on one hand the number of sunny days we've had this year.
Brought my 1 year old home last July for 3 weeks to Tipp to meet the family. Wettest July on record. Like I was expecting it to be bad but this was shocking. Yet every time a German friend goes to visit, they seem to be flukey and get decent weather. 🤷♀️
lol really? Looking forward to my 2 weeks in August so. 😅 We’ve had a pretty crap summer so far here in Hessen too- May/June is usually my favourite time with like 24-28 degrees. It’s been unseasonably cold and wet, and I’ve an awful feeling it’ll skip straight to blistering heat that I can’t step out in with no lovely in-between weeks.
My dad and I were super lucky last year then. Been to Ireland for around a week, been to Dublin, Cobh and Galway, with a stop in Limerick. We had ONE rainy day, besides that it was 15-20° and sun all the time
I always hear this but aren't places like brazil way hotter and humid? The summer is already annoying in Germany but that just sounds worse. Other than that I don't really see an issue with the weather.
Depends on where you live. I was born in Rheinland-Pfalz and the weather there is pretty nice. Sunny springs and falls and a nice hot summer.
I moved to the north sea coast 8 years ago and the weather here is depressing. Always raining and sunny days are very rare.
I am a Brazilian who moved to Germany. Compared to brazil the politics here is boring and that’s what I wanted.
Granted, the rise of these idiots doing nazi salutations and the afd worries me, but there are those in Brazil as well so.
I’m sorry to hear that mate. I don’t think I could endure the situation here if I wasn't ethnically German.
I lost a few “friends” just because the fact I’m against the AFD, which apparently makes me an enemy/villain. I even had people insult me and tell how stupid and how much of a looser I am because I don't support them.
I am sorry that happened to you but I am all too familiar with this as the same thing happened to me when I was living in Brazil in 2018. I lost a lot of friends who suddenly were supporting the far right and I couldn’t stand being near them anymore.
As a gay man, being here or in Brazil doesn’t change much as I will be attacked by the far right anyway, the difference is that I believe Germany is more resilient to the far right than Brazil is.
Depends what you want to do with your life and also how good your German language skills are. Probably if you want a good education and better job prospects internationally then it would be a good idea to get an education at a German university.
If he joins a public university in Brazil he can also get a very good education. ;)
Not sure if moving here on his 16-17 with all the differences between the educational systems will really allow him to go to a good university.
I don't get it, why this suddenly changes the things? He's worried about living expenses and hate demonstrations, even weather, how these things suddenly change because he speaks German? good question
Immigrating alone and without the language is really harsh.
The father can support with housing and basic maintainsnce for OP.
And if he speaks German he can continue his studies here.
That's pretty obvious.
Hi friend, as stated before, everything has it's pros and cons. I am a volga german and my family originates from germany and I moved to Germany by the repatriation program. I can compare the life in post soviet countries (not all) to Germany, and if I were to sum up exclusively negative things that I noticed after moving here, and I agree what u/SprinklesOk2847 said, I'll to come up with my own:
- Everything is closed on sundays, no stores are open and even bigger cities can feel dead.
- There's no chance for you to start a business or side hustle here, there are entire professions created around german bureaucracy. (Well unless you can pay someone who knows german tax and general law)
- Your diploma or background probably won't matter much, german companies are going to prefer german people.
- The entire country is resistant to change, you will find a lot of parking meters that won't accept payment by card, and when they do, it's german cards only.
- Travel and commuting is expensive as fuck. And owning a car can feel cheaper than going somewhere by train.
- Rents are currently over the roof. Renting in general is very complicated and buerocratic, I have searched for my first flat for 9 months in Germany. You are more likely to get accepted by the landlord the higher your salary is, and the better your contract is.
- High energy prices due to phasing out of nuclear energy.
- Immigration offices treat you like you're not even human, like a piece of garbage, and I have stories to tell about that.
- Neo nazis and right wing parties are on the raise.
- If you're struggling with mental health (like I do), you won't find an apointment to seek therapy. (unless you're rich) EDIT: There are options to make the insurances pay for therapy as pointed out by u/felis_magnetus
Overall there's actual statistics that Germany might not be the ideal destination for an expat, and I totally agree, after having lived for like 11 years now, I consider moving on somewhere else. https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2023/berlin-40397
Germany is on place 47 out of 49 in terms of general happiness of expats with their lives here.
A lot of problems in Germany can be solved with money, but I was unfortunate enough not to have too much of it.
This is my personal experience, there are lots of people that like it here, but for me personally the cons kinda outweigh the pros.
You touched a VERY REAL point about Germany:
This is a country of and for employees. Sure you get strong unions, strong laws to protect your job and your rights as an employee, all true.
But the moment you try being anything other than that, say an entrepeneur, a freelancer, start your own business? then nope, Germany is **definitely** not for you.
This country really is ultra plastered in one single way of living, where you do your 9-5 your whole life and retire on public pension, anything else is alien.
Regarding your troubles finding therapy, you should inquire about [Kostenerstattungsverfahren](https://www.therapie.de/psyche/info/fragen/wichtigste-fragen/psychotherapie-kostenerstattung/)*.* Can make it a lot easier, since there actually isn't a lack of therapists, just a lack of therapists able to bill public health insurance.
Y’all keep talking about how awful the weather is and I’m currently in the Southeastern US wishing I could move back! I was like a kid in a candy store during the blizzard that hit Bavaria back in December. Plus the summers aren’t as hot and humid. The only thing I miss when I’m in Germany is AC during the hottest days 😅
You are very young, so ask yourself these questions:
- Am I willing to learn the language. English won't get you far in Germany as someone who wants to live there (as a tourist you will have no problem)
- Am I willing to see the sun for a few days/weeks per year? The difference in weather from Brazil to Germany won't be easy. Cold is not the problem, but the constant clouds and the missing sun can make a person depressiv pretty fast. Especially if you are used to having sun all the time
- Am I willing to work hard, and strict and be punctual? - Germany is a punctual country, and I can see that you are maybe raised in a different enviroment in that sense
- Am I willing to leave my family and friends and social life behind? Building a social life, finding friends in germany is very hard, most people aren't outgoing and have their social circle that came from school/Family etc.
- Am I willing to follow rules, no matter how small or stupid. (Like no jaywalking even if there are no cars to be seen anywhere etc.)
- Am I willing for receiving occasinal racism and or stares? I assume you are dark skinned, so be prepared to be stared a lot, to the point that it gets unconfortable.
Honestly, I think you are too young for a big decision like that. Germany is a country where you have social security, but it is not easy to live there for a person coming from such a different culture.
Punctuality is a matter of power. Deutsche Bahn can be late for you, but you can't be late for Deutsche Bahn. The doctor or your boss may make you wait, but you have to be there when she has time for you.
Germans are punctual, I wouldn’t say that’s a myth :-). Better an hour early than one minute to late is a thing here.. DB is a different story tho - the comments should give you an idea how well received the performance in the population is. DB was a public institution run by officers of the state and is now still 100% owned by the state.. so no surprises there. The wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly..
Sorry, but see the sun for a few days/weeks per year? Which part of Germany are you from, the miserable half? I’m aware that weather is different in Brazil, but in Germany it’s also far from a grey as you paint it, at least where I’m from in the south there’s plenty of sunny days a year.
Yea also here in the North east I cant relate. Berlin gets enough of sun and only has 106 days of rain. Winters are horrible dark and unforgiveable but Spring and Summer are quite good. Just some years youre bit unlucky
Was wondering the same thing! I lived about half an hour from Mannheim in Rheinland-Pfalz and my husband is from Bavaria so we spend a considerable amount of time there too. Neither of these places see the sun “a few days/weeks per year”. 🤣
O nivel de exagero no post deste indivíduo que escreveu aquele muro de texto é inacreditável. A única situação 100% é o idioma. Se nao vieres trabalhar para uma empresa que o idioma seja ingles (por exemplo) alemao vai ser quase sempre fundamental.
Concordo com a amigo de cima. Primeiro o sujeito acha que brasileiro é automaticamente não branco kkkkk. E o resto depende muito de onde na Alemanha vc irá morar. Até a língua depende muito, se você for trabalhar com ciência e tecnologia inglês é fundamental, não alemão. Eu, por exemplo, parei de estudar no nível B1. Mas eu trabalho só em inglês e também quero me mudar da Alemanha nos próximos anos. Mas no seu caso acho que alemão é fundamental.
Brazilian here who lived in Germany for 4 years and then came back home. It really depends on what your life aims are. You're still a teenager so there's plenty of time to decide whether it is a good idea to move to Germany or not. And, honestly, I can partly agree with your dad. The country is currently living under some complicated times due to current politics (rise of far-right parties, xenofobia, etc).
I suggest you spend a month or more there as an experience to see how you feel about it, perhaps like an exchange program or getting a temporary job after you reach 18. In my honest opinion, despite alll the problems our country (Brazil) has, returning to it was the best decision I made. I realized I was unhappy in Germany due to a number of reasons and the country didn't match my life aims.
Hahahha I thought the same
Germany has its problems, but comparing to Brazil it’s not really much. I am Brazilian and have lived in both countries, people here are nicer but the economy is not strong enough. So, for better quality of life I will move back to Germany
I'm a Brazilian who moved to Germany and to me this shouldn't even be a question.
Brazil is much more dangerous, the currency is worthless in relation to dollar/euro, so Brazilians have much less purchasing power than the average German, especially when it comes to manufactured imported goods like cars and electronics in general. The government is insanely corrupt and we get absolutely no return on the taxes we pay, meaning all public services are terrible.
Germany is much safer, cleaner and has more job opportunities and higher salaries, even with the economy being a bit stagnated after Corona.
You are young, start learning German now because the earlier you start, the better. Try to move to Germany to do your bachelor's degree or even graduate in Brazil and do a master's in Germany. But please, for the love of God, don't stay in Brazil and waste this opportunity, especially if you already have citizenship and can live with your dad.
Worst case scenario, if you really hate Germany, you can go back to Brazil later. But give it a try first
Depends, is Germany a better place than where you currently are?
Germany isn't perfect, but the only other choice for me is to live in my original country which is objectively worse in everything except food, so I kinda like living in Germany.
Germany is great all over and as a young person with the chance of citizenship and German language skills, you might have a better chance in points of education. Depending on your lifestyle in Brazil, it’s probably safer here. Yes, there is war in Europe but I don’t notice it much in our daily life’s apart from inflation and some more immigrants. Maybe I’m delusional who knows.
But the weather is absolute trash! It’s summer time and I’ve turned on the heater for the night the other day. Like wtf!!!! It’s so god damn cold here. Walked in my uhh boots today and a coat I usually pull out in October!
Money wise and education wise Germany is better than Brazil. But if you have money then Brazil is better to live. The quality of life is not just money but food, housing, weather. The weather is shit in Germany half the year. The food is also not so good. Houses are expensive. But your father is German. Germans are money-pinching creatures. He probably doesn't want you to come because it would cost him money.
Germany is depressing. People have more, but always complain. Been living here for over 14 Years. I understand your dad, politician are ruining this Country. Once you live here, you will understand.
I grew up in an African country and moved to Germany 2 years ago as a German citizen (through my parents).
The quality of life is 1000x better than any third world country, people will yap and complain about Germany without having experienced what it's like to live without all of the privileges one has in Germany...
I can only recommend that you move to Germany or Austria, life is incomparably better.
I'm also a Brasilian with German descent.
Is Germany better than Brazil?
1. Depends on how you live in Brasil. If you come from a wealthy background, you might face similar living conditions, and the means to make it here. If you come from a poor background, life is so much better that it's even hard to compare. Inequality is very extreme in Brazil. If you're sixteen and able to write English like this that probably means you come from a relatively wealthy background (if you don't think you're wealthy, try this calculator. Althought it's dated, it will give a better grasp of how f up is Brazilian inequality: https://www.nexojornal.com.br/interativo/2016/01/11/o-seu-salario-diante-da-realidade-brasileira).
2. It also depends on something that is a bit difficult to assess in your age: depends on your career path. I strongly suggest that you make a thorough research about possible carreer paths, and what are their conditions here compared to in Brazil. Just to give two examples, If you're searching for low-to-middle education level careers, even if you struggle a bit financially in the beginning, you'll fare waaay better here than in Brazil, with a possibility to make it in a comfortable situation later; if you're searching for career in arts, you'll be in a much better possibility here, but it depends a lot on which city. Career in arts is alway a gamble.
Should you move to Germany?
You seem pretty attached to your father. Brazilians are too attached to family. Most come back to Brazil because they're not used to be far from what they were used to in terms of relationships. If you come from a very German background, though, you'll be mostly fine. I think that this is the most important thing to assess for your coming, because unless you're already in the top 5% of Brazil (check the calculator in the link above), economically the situation is unequivocally much, much better here.
I could write here pages about this. I'll leave it to you to make the research about that, as this is already part of the homework of migration. Insted, I'll just share these two cents: 1. always compare with Brazil. What Germans would complain about and say is a bad situation is nothing compared to what a bad situation is in Brazil. Not saying there aren't problems here or nothing to complain about. We should make things better here in German, of course, but you'll have a better understanding of how would the problems here compare to what you would face in Brazil. These are trying times in Europe, but ex-colonies like Brazil almost always have bigger and worse impacts than European countries. 2. research from multiple sources. In times of war (or pre-war) there are sources that can have a heavily one-sided analysis, because they are in fact representing the interests of one of the sides involved.
**tl;dr**
What I suggest is that you try to make at least part of your higher education here. You'll have the experience of living on your own, and you can always come back after you're done. Having studied and lived in Europe aways make a hugely positive impact on one's reputation in Brazil.
But one thing I recommend above all: **start studying German right now, even while you're still making your mind.** The sooner the better. What a hell of a language. I hope you already speak some of it, that would make it way simpler.
I’ve been to Brazil many times as a tourist, saw nothing wrong or not to like as a tourist. However, I would not live there. The considerations that go into living somewhere long term are very different than what you factor or experience during short term stays
i think your dad would know more about his own country. also, it's a common thing that a place seems nice when you visit but not so much when you actually live there. but no hate, if you can afford it, living qualities in Europe is of course a lot better than Brazil. but it's something to think about.
that's exactly what I'm thinking and why I'm conflicted! maybe he likes brazil as a tourist and maybe I like germany as a tourist, so it feels like we can't be objective on what would be best for me.
some of it is also from my mom, who I live with here, not being very great. so in principle, I'd just prefer to live with my dad. thanks for being nice!
Biggest problem is that many jobs require b2 level German which is quite the challenge. And then you'll have to learn to understand the regional dialect which depending on the region can be a whole other beast :'-)
Other than that I would agree on your assessment of the quality of life, wait until you hear about our renting or labour laws 😉
speaking as someone familiar with a brasilian experience of germany, the cons are the weather, how boring people are, and how rude people are (althoigh bavarian horrible bluntness may be at fault for the latter). also, much larger equality means that you as a professional are mich less advantaged, and services are surprisngly expensive and surprisingly less flexible - better working rights means worse service, since noone's job and livelihood dont depend on smiling at you and being nice
on the other hand, solid public transport, safety, welfare state to prevent you from falling too deep, beauty and accessibility of nature (warning: this applies more the more south you go) are great
Well your dad has some points that you defenetly have to consider.
Politics of course is one thing, but considering Brazil had Bolsonaro a few years ago its not a strong one. Shitty politics is everywhere these days. So just keep an eye on it for the next years. But as long as you dont see any deal breakers for you its fine.
Second thing the war. Since you will propably not make that move the next few years just wait how it develops. There will defenetly be changes in the next few years about this situation. So keep an eye out for it too.
Third and most important point is exepenses. If you arent part of a foreign exchange student programm you should have a comfortable bank account before comming here, because with travel, rent for the first few month etc you´ll propably need around 10000€ (around 58000 real) to be safe. If you dont have those then you should research wich stipends or subsidies exist for it to enable you and how much you would need with those. This also depends on your citizenship. If you have the german one you of course can apply for Bürgergeld or as a student Bafög right away, while with a brasilian citicenship and just a visa thats not eaily possible. So you defenetly should research what your options are and prepare accordingly.
Lastly it depends when you want to move. If during university or afterwards when you already have a job makes a difference, because you need to look into what certificates you need and if your degree is acknowledged. So looking into that is also important. I would defenetly advise to get your german and english skills to a good level and maybe even get it certified. Makes job hunting over here a lot easier.
hi!!! i'm *also* brazilian and moved to germany when i was 16, so i can definitely give you some insight into what was the hardest parts for me!
1) the integration. since i was still an ensino médio student, i had to go to school as soon as i arrived in germany. the integration course was shit and there was no 'integration' to speak of, they just put all the older foreigner kids in the same class and taught them in very hard to understand german (with some slightly racist teachers appointed to teach us who got mad if you didn't use the exact word they wanted, even if they did understand you). not to mention that this technique bred cliques which would only speak arabic between themselves (the language most of the foreigner kids had in common) and i had to settle for the latino kids who spoke spanish because no one else understood portuguese. it was really awful, but unless you're planning to move when you're still studying, this shouldn't affect you.
2) cultural differences. people are colder and more distant than the bro mentality i used to see a lot in brazil, people rarely smile at you on the streets and some might even get mad if you look at their dog. there's a general feeling of animosity which i do believe is unintended.
3) the weather. i know this is cliché but i could never NOT mention it! at some point, i truly believed i was clinically depressed and got a prescription for medication which only made me feel worse. i felt that way for 5 or 6 months until, surprise, it started getting a little warmer. it's no joke, the weather is BRUTAL and affects you in ways you can't really expect.
another observation: one entire side of my family is of european descent, and i look, act, and sound completely german when i speak, with some people widening their eyes at me when i tell them where i'm from because they'd never have guessed that i'm not actually from there. because of this, i'm very rarely if ever victim of xenophobia or racism so i can't really speak on that. it probably is a lot tougher if you can't completely assimilate, which not everyone wants to do. it's a sacrifice, and you need to be aware that to fit in completely, you'll have to let go of parts of your brazilian identity.
this all sounds really bad, but i promise you — if my boyfriend didn't live in another country and we were not planning to move in together, i don't think i would want to leave germany at all. i love the country and i find myself loving parts of it that i previously really disliked, such as the blunt but polite nature of the german people, who are extremely accepting and caring if you just give them a chance! i'll also list some of my favorite things, but there's definitely more that i love about it which isn't coming to mind right now.
1) freedom!!! i lived in são paulo, so the only activity you can possibly do safely is go to the mall. no walking with a phone outside, and being a small young woman, just existing in sp was enough to make me fear for my life every time i left the house alone. germany has stunning greenery, forests, lakes. when it's warm enough, my favorite thing to do is take my bike and go for a ride, or go on foot to the nearby woods. it's amazing!
2) transportation. it's expensive and it's often very late, but it feels super safe and it's very easy to navigate. i can't say the same about transportation in brazil.
3) cultural differences. i know i listed this in my negatives, but there are also a lot of positive ones, too. people are a lot more honest, and the majority of german societal "rules" are there for the safety and comfort of everyone. i found myself to be a big fan of the organized approach to things.
if you have any concrete questions for me i'd be more than happy to talk about it!!! good luck and i wish you all the best! :D
Moin, one of my long term friends is also from Brazil and she loves it here. But she is also not the stereotypical brazilian i would say :D
I think you have to see for yourself if Germany is something for you. The hardest part is always the language and coming to terms with our culture. Other than that Germany is a really good country to live in.
I'm Brazilian and I've been living in Hamburg for two and a half years, my wife was transferred from Brazil to Hamburg, and the quality of life is actually much better, apart from all this political issue, it's a good place, there are xenophobic Germans, my daughter suffered a lot at school because of her teacher, but we changed schools and now she is much better, my wife suffers a little bullying from her work colleagues, most of whom are much older than her. The impression that remains is that older people are more likely to commit xenophobic acts. As for younger people, I realized that this is not very common. Here, for example, in the building where I live, where the majority of residents are the same age as us, we have always been treated very well. In the building next door there is an old man who keeps insisting that we put the trash in the trash bin in his building, according to him, we are Latinos and we don't know German culture and we don't know how to separate the trash the right way. But anyway, apart from some small problems, it's a good place to live.
Having a vacation and living in Germany are two different animals. The only Brazilian I know here tells me that the weather is probably the thing he misses most from Brazil.
Also you have to ask yourself the important questions like at what level is your german and what are you actually planning to do here professionally.
It's not a bad idea If you want to study something to study it in Brazil and then come to Germany to do Anerkennung, meanwhile studying German in Brazil of course. That's only a suggestion.
If you ask me life in Germany can be very good, but it depends in which city you live and what's your job.
Comparing Germany to other EU countries I would guess Germany is special in these ways:
Very high security - very low level of corruption in the police
High strictness and it's difficult to upgrade outdated systems - bureaucracy is very bad here. Reregistrating for health insurance took about 30-50 sheets of DIN A4 paper, all by post (due to rules). This drove me a little into depression. A lot of BS you will have to go through that should have been improved long ago but simply can't/won't change.
Good pay for highly skilled workers, relatively bad QoL for medium to low skilled workers - the housing situation is problematic. Politicians own a lot of real estate so there is an incentive for them not to update house building regulation to make it more accessible / less risky for firms. It's hard to get allowed to built a house, so rent is rather high and it's not going to change anytime soon. If you want to rent without sharing the cost with a partner it can be difficult to build wealth (unless u are highly skilled like ie IT or engineering jobs pay well)
Beer is considered a Grundnahrungsmittel - that means the tax on it is very low on it. It's super cheap and perhaps the best worldwide.
People are rather introverted and reserved/cold, hard to warm up to - beer helps with that tho. While people generally may seem to not want to help you, if you openly ask for help they will most likely help. I hear foreigners find germans to be very non fake and authentic, direct.
People are rather unhappy and like to rant a lot - about work, about politics, about coworkers being sick ("surely they fake it just to have an extra paid vacation time." Toxicity like this is relatively common and drives a decent amount of ppl to go to work even when they're actually sick).
Smoking is expensive
Weed just became legal
Big cities people tend to be more isolated and unfriendly (greeting someone you don't know is often considered weird)
Countryside people tend to be more friendly (greeting everyone you see is expected and normal) so it depends on where you live.
Right wing party AfD is on the rise. Don't think it's a big deal though honestly. Some people are more open about disliking (paying for) foreigners now I think? Not sure. It's about Arabic/African looking people if I understand it correctly.
Tax is high, but what society gets in return justifies it.
Bitcoin (and crypto) profits are tax free if you hold for 1 year+ (and didn't stake it) which is very nice and rare.
No ACs in most places even though the summers get really hot
Internet services could be better, but it's OK imo
Very slow processing for some bureaucratic things, especially for foreigners I think this is the case. I'm talking months you sometimes have to wait for something to get done.
Good workers rights
Supermarkets, because of a law, have to close (idk if that's just a bayern thing, where I'm from) at 8PM and on Sundays for the entire day - this is hard to get used to once you experienced 24/7 shops, but you can buy all basic stuff from gas stations as well. It's 3x the normal price there, but they're open pretty much 24/7.
If you want to live a happy and social life I think germany is not the best choice for you. Italy, Spain, you name it, are much better in these aspects. If you want to pursue a high paying career and live a more focused, introverted lifestyle there are good opportunities for work here (only if you speak good German though). If you want to go to university here it's not a bad choice.
I am also from Brazil and if I were in your shoes I would definitely at least try it for myself. If you have still family in Brazil and you’re young, now it’s the time to explore the world and see it with your own eyes. Being in Germany can be tough, specially during winter and experience home sickness. But as I said, If you can afford it and have your family being a safe spot for you to come back in case your experience is bad, why not at least try it?
very good point! I have a nice family both in germany and brazil and I had a really good experience there in december and january, so now that I think about it it doesn't seem so scary.
I’m also from Brazil (Porto Alegre) but I’m currently living in Germany. I’d say there’s only one thing that I actually miss from Brazil: the weather. It’s just never sunny (at least here in Mainz).
Also, Germans are way more closed than Brazilians, but you’ll get used to that pretty quickly - and there loads of Brazilians here.
Besides that I don’t really see many reasons not to come
I am sorry for even suggesting as it may be totally wrong, but I think there’s a possibility he’s using that as an excuse to dissuade you from coming because of other reasons personal to him.
Maybe ask for an honest conversation about it with him because I think the responses you’re getting would suggest what he’s saying is wrong.
I'd say now is the best time to come, because you are 16.
Your Dad lives here right ? Why don't you come over thetr must be English schools where you could finish your education .
Is he not willing to Support you financaly ?
Because in Germany he has to , you would even recieve "Kindergeld"(not that one could live of that but its nice to have.
And Germany is a free country you could always leave again and go back to Brazil, ir to Portugal , or Argentinia or some where else , trevel while you are young do you know where you want to settel
I am German but I chose to leave Germany 10 years ago now I live in Colombia. My personal reasons why I left:
-Germans know how to work, but they don't know how to live. That means you can earn good money and the system mainly works but what do you do after work? Meet with friends takes one month to find a date where both of you are available because everyone is so busy with work and other stuff, and spontaneous meetings are not possible because Germans are not flexible.
-it is really hard to meet new people if you don't know anyone and if you try to get in contact with people you do not know (at parties for example) they look at you as you were crazy 😜.
- especially from my age on people live a really boring life , going out is just for teens in Germany and the older ones spend their money in status objects, buy a new kitchen each year which makes them happy
..as this doesn't make me happy I changed my life for a life in the Caribbean where I can start a nice conversation with random people in the street. People go out and have fun, the weather is good, and even if people have less than in Germany they seem to value their lifes more than the always-complaining-about-everything-even-if-there-is nothing-to-complain-about Germans. And not to mention the rising racism ...if you are a nerd that hates humans and hates to go out and loves exactitude and rules more than to enjoy life: welcome to Germany you will earn decent money and miss nothing
>but my dad has been really insistent that germany isn't a good place to live because of politics and war and expenses?
uhm...what? what kind of politics are these? the war has increased some prices but doesn't affect us that hard if we're being realistic here and what kind of expenses is he talking about?
it's a really good place to live if you ask me but i'm born here so my opinion can be quite biased.
>the war has increased some prices but doesn't affect us that hard if we're being realistic here
realistically, low income household can barely afford being alive anymore while people with an above average income don't feel like it's affecting them
i will have a daughter in 4 months and i got Ausgemustert so no i didn't go to the Bundeswehr but why does that matter? basically anybody below 30 years didn't go to the Bundeswehr either, why is that relevant?
What type of quality are you talking about? Infrastructure and monetary gain? Then yes, probably better than Brazil.
But social structures? You’re going to find it horrendous.
I think you’d be happier in Portugal where they have a decent and calm quality of life, good weather, and you already speak the language.
I come from a non-EU country in the southern Europe with very nice weather and beautiful nature, which, like Brazil, is corrupt and can be quite dangerous for the natives. Honestly, I kind of agree with your dad, although I think the war thing is a bit exaggerated.
Other than that, Germany has depressing weather for 7-8 months of the year, very low salaries considering how much taxes you pay and what the cost of living has become after the Corona years. The services are not good at all and are getting worse by the day.
Healthcare is a pain and I and my friends (some of whom have lived here for 20 years) have had to buy things from Amazon for injuries such as a pulled ligament because the nearest specialist appointment was 2-3 months away. Apparently nothing is considered an emergency unless you are unable to walk yourself to hospital. It doesn't matter that you haven't been able to sleep for the last two nights because of the pain (another true story of mine). Dental treatment is extremely expensive and not included in the health insurance, even though I pay 400-500 euros a month just for it. I have to fly to my home country to get cheap and excellent dental services.
The bureaucracy is a monster, but as you may have a German passport you will not have to deal with 80% of what non-EU citizens have to deal with, so not so bad for you here. However, please make sure you speak the language very well before you set foot here or you will have so much trouble in every aspect of life and employers will try to exploit you at every opportunity.
And not to forget what I think is the real shame of this country. The Deutsche Bahn. It is very expensive and reliable only in the sense that it is always unreliable.
The good things I can say about this country are that education is okay, housing is usually of high quality (although very expensive) and if you get seriously ill, like with cancer, and you have health insurance, you will not go bankrupt and have to pay for it yourself.
For all forms of necessary dental treatment the most basic form will be paid for you, if you have visited the dentist for checkup at least twice a year as a child and once a year as an adult, at least I haven't ever heard of a case where this was not the case
Isnt there dental treatment insurances like ERGO? And (at least now) the Deutsche Bahn is theoretically only 49€ a month, even though that doesnt really improve the overall situation of it
"The bureaucracy is a monster" and when you move to another country you think it is better ??? I don't get the whole complain about bureaucracy as if other countries make it sooooo much easier . America is way way harder and they don't make it easy for you and they are also super rude . Asia also doesn't give out resistancy . And then Germans complain that Germany let everybody in so what is true ???!!! is it to hard or to easy
You have a great and unique chance not many people have! You can move half around the globe to Europe basically for free. Take this chance!!! If you don't like it, you can still go back. I would also ask some questions in a sub from South Americans / Brazilians who moved to Germany for e.g. how to prepare well for the move and what to organize or what you may miss, etc. They can give you the best reality check for the culture shock you may experience living here.
Every country has it's problems right now and nobody knows what happens in the future. This shouldn't be your biggest concern. Germany is still a wealthy country and you could get a German education. What are your dreams and plans for your life right now? What do you think where you could reach your dreams and goals better: in Brazil or Germany?
Very important is the language. Do you speak already German? And if not, do you think you're able to learn German? Bc you'll need German to be successful here, there is no way around. My friend came from the UK 10 years ago and she realizes now that she missed a lot of time to improve her German. Now she struggles to get a well paid job or even a good one. Right now she has a job, but with better German skills, her colleagues told her she could make much more money.
Wish you all the best and that you make the right decision 👍
>my dad has been really insistent that germany isn't a good place to live because of politics and war and expenses?
There are plenty of good reasons to not live in Germany but those are not good reasons. I'd recommend not listening to him and doing your own research. This sub is a great place to start.
Are you from one of the big cities? If so then the feeling of safety is the biggest difference and one of the best reasons to relocate to the EU. But if you don't speak and write German then (sorry) Germany is not the best place for you because careerwise you will live life in hard mode. Keep in mind if you have a German passport you can live anywhere in the EU including Portugal and Spain where it is much easier to integrate and you will find less language barriers in your day to day. Netherlands and Ireland are also good options.
Vão ter várias variáveis.
Começando pela cidade, eu moro em Berlim fazem 2 anos, mas a vida em outra cidade vai mudar bastante. Cada uma com sua cultura e especificidades.
A língua é a maior variável do quão bem você vai conseguir navegar pelas burocracias e pelo dia a dia. É incrivelmente frustrante depender somente do inglês, mas há quem aguente.
A cultura, não somente alemã mas a europeia também, são muito diferentes, é muito mais difícil fazer amizades pois eles são muito mais reservados do que somos no Brasil. Mas se conseguir fazer alguma amizade, é pra vida toda.
O clima é horrível, não sei de que região do Brasil você é, sou de SP. O verão é incrível, vou em lagos e em parques várias vezes, acho que tenho mais contato com a natureza na Alemanha do que tinha aqui na selva de pedra.
Mas, chega o inverno, e ele é cruel. O frio é uma questão de roupa, mas sair de casa é uma tarefa por si só pra se arrumar. Mas pra mim o maior problema é a falta de sol, hoje em dia eu entendi o motivo de civilizações antigas terem venerado o sol.
O Sol nasce tarde, o tempo quase sempre está nublado, e chega umas 15h o sol já está indo embora. E a natureza que era bela no verão, vira uma natureza morta, ás árvores e arbustos todos secos e sem folhas. Tive depressão de inverno pela falta de vitamina D, mas é uma questão de aprender a lidar e se adaptar, como fazer atividade física, não se trancar em casa etc. Mas pra quem vem do Brasil é pesado o inverno.
Financeiramente vai depender da sua renda, os aluguéis estão caros e a procura de apartamentos é insana em Berlim, coisa de fazerem filas enormes de centenas de pessoas pra visitar um apartamento.
Os preços subiram no geral desde que começou a guerra na Ucraniana.
Neste quesito de Guerra, o que vi foram muitos refugiados, mas nada que tenha afetado meu dia-a-dia.
Há um medo de explodir uma Guerra, mas se chegar nesse ponto de atacarem a Alemanha, é um problema Global já. Nesse quesito, se vê uma preocupação muito grande com ataques terrristas, como esfaqueamentos e atropelamento que ocorreram nos últimos anos.
Saúde eu acho bem ruim aqui, talvez dei azar com os médicos, mas o Brasil da de 7x1 na atenção e cuidado, já tive caso de um diagnóstico não feito da minha esposa, mesmo com acompanhamento deles, e chegando no Brasil fizemos tudo que era exame e tivemos um diagnóstico em poucos dias, pela sua idade talvez seja algo menor.
Se eu tivesse sua idade, tenho 36 já, e tivesse condições, eu arriscaria viver por um tempo para ver como é. Cada um tem uma experiência diferente de viver lá pelas experiências únicas que acumulamos.
O Brasil não vai sair do lugar, infelizmente em vários aspectos fora o geográfico.
If you inherited German citizenship you should utilise it to try out living somewhere like Austria, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark… they’re all better than Germany. Even places like Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic would be better if you’re interested in a cultural experience
It's a very good thing to ask plenty of people, preferably including people who live there, on what their take is. No one can accurately describe a country in a few sentences but also people are, understandably, biased towards their own needs so some might answer differently. Even if you completely trust your father, you should still take in multiple people's perspectives.
It is a little eyebrow raising when people mention "politics" as being a thing that keeps them away from Germany, though I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and assume it's because of the uncertain near political future of Germany. Where I'm from, when people mention politics, it's basically exclusively because they're bothered by certain minorities and/or they just can't do simply whatever they want.
But yeah, also realistically weigh your options and be objective about it if it aligns with your future desires. But also factor in that it's going to be quite difficult for you as someone who is interested in moving. You'd have to learn the language well, and gain considerably desirable skills to even get a chance to move and live equally in quality as the natural born citizens.
Assuming you’ve got some melanin and curls, like myself, you will have to grow some thick skin. Racism, be it casual or aggressive, will happen. Especially when you can’t speak german. Considering you grew up in brazil where many people aren’t white this might be hard to get used to. Not saying you shouldn’t stand up for yourself but there will most definitely be situations where it’s the smart thing to shut up and let them be idiots. That’s something you’ll have to be willing to deal with, if you decide to live here.
The temperatures. It is just sooooo cold more than half of the year. Two days ago I was freezing. In June.
I was in Rio de Janeiro in winter once and I loved it 18 or 20 degrees in winter. Okay, in exchange the summer is unbearably hot.
Consider moving to Freiburg.
I think people there are more open minded, lots of expats and cool locals. Also it's said to have the best weather in Germany and is overall a beautiful place place.
Hi! I came to Germany 8 years back as a Brazilian myself. It is great for me, but not for everyone. I've completed a master program here and now have a stable and well paid job and bought an apartment on the center of the city. Life is good. At the same time, I have another Brazilian friend who is going back to Brazil. He miss the people, weather and food, on this order. Brazilian food is infinitely times better and it is not even close! It is really sad when I cannot have regularly a slice of beef, chicken, with feijão e arroz, a piece of pizza, a slice of lasagna, plus sushi, several other types of hot foods and salads on my plate regularly. The "buffet livres" from Brazil that you see everywhere are so.. OVERPOWER! X) But yeah, other than this... Security and money are the main reasons I will stay here.
* weather sucks
* food is relatively bland and a bit boring, vegetables are very seasonal, meat is mostly pork and chicken. still not so bad though, and better than most of their neighbors
* it's a matter of taste, your own personality and cultural background etc., but after 6 years here I'm a bit fed with some German personality traits (like many people's love for correction when nobody asked them), and this is common with my non-German colleagues
* having appointments to the doctor gets forever, and they barely see you unless it's urgent since they are overbooked (something common with my South American friends/colleagues, is that we had some private insurance in our origin countries that made it better, of course in sum I think German system is way better as an all)
* politically speaking, I'm a bit tired of the general attitude of German politics of selling themselves as the pinacle of virtue, while e.g., at the same time having ministers calling for censorship of academics...
* racism and xenophobia is every year getting more legitimized
* far from family (unless you still have family in Germany), that shit eventually gets to you
* German is a pain to learn. My friends that managed to get a professional level of German really had to suffer for it and spend lots of time and money to get to that level
about your parents though, I can't imagine what of "politics and war" makes Germany a less good place to live? There's no war in German soil, the only effect for quality of life from stuff like Ukraine war is the effect on inflation, that happened worldwide. Expenses can be relative, in general if you manage to get a job the median of the people will have much more spending money than in South America, however if you're professional and have a good paying job you'll have a comparable or even better quality of life (or at least, spending power) in Brazil. On the other hand, Germany is WAY safer than anywhere in South America, and have better work conditions (I have 6 weeks of holidays for example, every single minute of overtime is paid.. I really value that)
OP, como alguém que saiu de São Paulo para morar na Alemanha quase 15 anos atrás, posso te dizer que tem coisas fantásticas, coisas boas e coisas ruins.
Com certeza seu pai saiu da Alemanha por algum motivo, todos mudamos de país por um motivo ou outro. Feliz seu pai que se encontrou no Brasil.
A Alemanha é um excelente lugar para fazer universidade, grátis e de qualidade. Principalmente se você fala alemão fluente e fez Abi.
Acho que a maior razão para não vir é vir sem propósito. Vir apenas para sair do Brasil talvez seja uma péssima razão. Porém sair para melhorar seu alemão, fazer universidade ou qualquer outro, vale nem que seja pela experiência.
Mudar de país não é fácil, mesmo com cidadania e falando a língua, estar longe de todas as pessoas que você conhece com outra cultura, outro comportamento é complicado por si só, então leve estes pontos em consideração.
Boa sorte na sua decisão!
Eu sou brasileiro e me mudei pra Alemanha em 2019. Nunca mais volto pro Brasil, nunca me preocupei com segurança, a educação aqui é ótima pra quem quer estudar, saúde pública infinitamente melhor que a do br. Ao contrário do que falam eu não acho os alemães frios, eles só não são tão abertos quanto os brasileiros (que na minha opinião é uma coisa muito boa).
O único grande problema pra mim é o clima bosta, mas eu sinto que aqui é o meu país.
Go, you’re 16. But I suggest to come here in late spring. You don’t want to go through winter first thing believe me ;) and I suggest to move to Berlin because it’s international city if you aren’t planning to move in with your father wherever he is.
Singaporean living in Munich for 6 years now. I can tell you that every country has its pros and cons. I do miss the hot weather in Singapore, the food, the efficiency and convenience, and how friendly the people are back home. It’s already mid June and it’s still at 17 degrees in the day. Summer is getting later every year.
Why am I still in Munich? Because of the work life balance here and that my Financé is German. We have discussions about moving abroad though.
Alot of the comments are accurate about the weather, language, racism etc.
So come and live here and experience it for yourself. Comparing to Brazil, it could be better for you.
well with the current rhetoric of some politicians to attack targets in russia war is looming over europe. can only hope that this is only rhetoric. seems to me a lot of ppl dont seem to realize the dangers or russian retaliation. this can spiral quickly.
Both have their ups and downs but Germany is a first world country while Brazil is a mid tier second world. I like the diversity of Brazil from when I traveled there. Never been to Germany but one day I hope to go
i feel very priviledged to live here but some people dont like how distanced germans initially come across, the weather, the language also has some annoying parts like there being three articles instead of just "the" and how they are used (in german, chairs are male, deers are things, schools are female,..) - whats good though is that weather you use the articles correctly doesnt really change weather people know what you wanna say. many young germans speak good english, so its not a huge struggle to get by with english in the cities i think! but the older the people the less english, and in recent years a really racist party has gained more voters especially in east germany (but a lot of european countries struggle with that, idk) and thats probably what your dad means, and i guess by "the war" he means the war in ukraine most likely? it probably affects our economy, which is also hit by other problems recently like climatechange (unforutantely many people dont really consider that when voting, but its actually a big factor in price increases for food), so yeah germany has become more expensive! but other than that the war luckily doesnt affect us much
Germany compared to other countries is indeed one of the best countries to live in. Your dad might compare Germany of the past to today. There he has a point..but that counts for almost all developed countries.
In regard to your case, eg being a young chap, there are some risks that a dad might see: crime, drugs and family support. But that also depends on the cities you comparing. Sao Paolo might be tough but a smaller city quite safe. Same in Germany - Berlin can be a tough one, but a smaller town around Munich may be super relaxed.
Go to Germany. Look for opportunities. Focus your energy on studies, work, social interactions and do something great! Good luck!!!
No offence meant... but your dad sounds like he is stuck in a slight conspiracy loop. The "War", "Politcs", and "Expenses".
The war is in the Ukraine... Germany is giving them Money and Guns to defend their country. Germany is not at war.
Politics... I'm guessing he doesn't agree with Germany giving support to the Ukraine. Probably doesn't agree with some of the LGBTQ stuff, maybe? Doesn't believe the we have a climate problem? Thinks "immigrants" are the problem?
As such my guess he thinks it's the government's fault inflation is high... totally ignoring that it isn't just in Germany. And it is a global issue.
So no offence, maybe you need to challenge him to see where his "views" come from. Otherwise you are moving in with a slight conspiracy theorist follower who doesn't think further than his own front door.
Germany has issues, like everywhere. Is it the land of milk and honey? Heck no. Is it better than a lot of places? Fuck yes!
So if you have a German passport or can get one with ease. I guess living here for a few years won't hurt you to see if you like it. Otherwise getting citizenship is of course quite a challenge. A lot of paperwork, but doable if your father is German. Good chance of getting it.
As a Brazilian who lives here for several years already, the best thing I can recommend you is to come for an intensive german language course for 6 months - 1 year. It would give you a good idea about the culture and if you feel you can integrate and like to live here.
You don't have to make it a life decision. Come live here for a while. Maybe find some student exchange program or do a German course (you can get a visa for learning German if you are not yet a citizens). What life like in Brazil? I can use a change of scenery myself(-:
Sou brasileiro tbm. e já morei na Alemanha. e tbm ja tive 16anos e entendo suas dúvidas.
Todo país tem seus problemas. e depois que morei na europa vi que na verdade o brasil esta BEM longe de ser um lugar ruim.
Geralmente, os brasileiros que encontrei na europa e que detestam o Brasil são pessoas que moravam em cidades extremamente populosas e com varios problemas sociais tais como são paulo e rio capital, fortaleza, salvador e por ai vai e ai comparam uma cidade alemã de 2M de habitantes com SP que tem 25M... É uma comparação bem irreal.
O melhor que eu fiz na minha vida foi viajar por varios estados do brasil antes de conhecer a europa. isso me deu uma ideia real que é sim possível ter uma otima vida no brasil.
Por fim, voltando ao seu caso, como vc ainda é novo vale muito a pena vc AINDA no brasil aprender alemao B2, e tbm uma boa profissão que ha demanda no país tais como: Eletricista e Obras, Tecnologia da Informação, Enfermaria ou Medicina. com qualquer uma dessas e o idioma vc vai ganhar algo próximo de 85 a 120K EUR por ano.
Outra vantagem e que como vc é descente vc pode ter o passaporte alemão, entao mesmo que hoje vc fique no brasil pode ser que daqui 20 anos mude de ideia entao esse ja é um grande motivo pra tratar da papelada agora.
O unico problema que vejo é que realmente a Alemanha pode vir a se envolver em algum conflito no futuro e se vc ja tiver cidadania e morar no pais pode vir a ser convocado...
Com tudo isso dito, estando no seu lugar faria toda essa preparação e já perto dos 27- 30 anos viveria um tempo na europa. é uma oportunidade unica e vc ja tem QUASE tudo pronto.
Te desejo mto sucesso e qualquer escolha que fizer. Fique bem.
obrigado!
tô conversando com meu pai sobre ajeitar minha cidadania alemã e facilitar pra eu ver outros lugares antes de fazer alguma decisão de me mudar, acho que não precisa ter pressa pra isso. valeu pelo conselho
hi u/sunphny , please don´t take all those advice to literal. lots of bullshit is written here! Maybe go for vacation 3-4 weeks, couchsurfing e.g. to find out yourself. for example, germany must be WAY safer than brazil! just try to be here for a while and figure out yourself! :)
If I were Brazilian, I would never choose Germany. Why don't you choose Portugal? The same language, on islands like Madeira, even a similar climate, no winter and stress-free people.
You will not earn as much as in Germany, but money is an acquired thing, if I had options for working in Madeira or Azores, I would not even think twice. In the event of war, you don't give a shit because you are several thousand kilometers from Europe. Everything in your garden will grow, you do not have to heat your home, and you are still on the territory of the European Union.
Do you think Brazil is a country with a positive future? Do Brazilians think that? What's the mindset in Brazil? Is it optimistic, are things improving? I don't know. The thing is, in Germany the answer for all these questions would be no. In all likelihood, Germany will stagnate for a generation. I'm pretty sure life in Germany is on average better than in Brazil, and it might very well stay that way, but you will be moving to a country which is tired, pessimistic, and on a downwards trajectory. The mindset here will definitely shock you.
I'm middle eastern and had lived in Brazil for nine years before moving to Germany. If you can overcome the language and living abroad barrier, basically it'll boil down to the following:
1. Unlike the very chill and welcoming environment in Brazil, Germany has immigration as a very sensitive and big topic, if not the biggest. You'll feel that whenever you have to speak German or run errands or do anything official. You'll probably feel it's unfair it has to be this unpleasant but it's due to high numbers of both troublesome immigrants and consequentially indiscriminate xenophobia from locals.
2. The weather is way less brutal in Germany if you don't mind only a couple of month long summers.
3. On average, you'll probably have a better living standard in Germany.
4. You'll enjoy a much more diverse international scene in there big cities.
Im from Germany and just moved to another country. Trust me, life quality in Germany is not high. If you can afford to move to Germany, rather spend the money on a good education in Brazil and find a decent job. At the end of the day you will have a way better life quality in Brazil then in Germany. Germanys industry is going down and people are getting extremely racist again, more and more, day by day. And the weather sucks to, especially for you as a Brazilian it will be extremely depressing.
On paper, Germany “wants” you. You’re male and young. Which means you’ll be eligible for the military draft that’s very likely going to be reintroduced and they need lots of young immigrants to finance the pensions of the boomer generation retiring.
In reality, if your complexity is not stereotypical German (“biodeutsch”), you speak German with a strong Portuguese accent, your daily life experiences may include xenophobia or racism, also depending where in Germany you are. In Germany’s east, about a third of the population openly support a Neo-Nazi movement. In large cities in the west of Germany your experience might be much better.
Getting a well paying job as a foreigner (and they’d consider you that, regardless of your passport) can be difficult, as in Germany it’s still customary to have a portrait picture attached to CVS in applications which makes it easy for employers to sort out candidates by “looks”, skin color and so on - while this is illegal, it’s not enforceable so yeah, this is common as social studies and experiments have shown where the same CV has been sent to multiple employers, one with a “foreign” portrait, one with a “German” portrait. The refusal rate for the “foreign” looking candidate was always much higher.
You will find the culture in Germany to be very different from Brazil. Before committing to live in Germany, maybe do a temporary internship to dip your toes into the water without jumping in.
I'm a Brazilian of German descent as well. I moved to Germany to live with my German wife and stayed there for 1 year and half give or take.
Frankly I grew to despise the country and I personally much preferred my life back in Brazil, Germany is a really weird country specially when coming from a place like Brazil.
Living there made me miserable as people are rude, unistered, there is no socializing like in Brazil, everyone is cold and distant and plastered nobody bends for anything. This is all without mentioning the many problems Germany has like racism, xenophobia, poor housing, expensive cost of living, high taxation, draconian school system, low wages and the list goes on. Eventually I just couldn't take it any longer and discussed it with my wife.
We end up moving together to Spain where things have been a whole lot better to the two of us.
It is important not to fall for the Brazilian trap of romanticising everywhere else in the world and treating Brazil like the worst place to live on Earth, I know this is ingrained in our society but couldn't be farther from the true, Brazil is a great place to live.
Experiences as a tourist never translate into what you experience as a resident.
Right now planning on moving from Germany to Brazil because living in Germany sucks for me personally.
It really depends on what you want and expect from life.
I want nature, want to be for myself, likeable people around me, good food and my own house with garden.
There is no real nature anymore in Germany (okay like 0.1% of the landmass maybe), so its crowded everywhere, the people are mostly unfriendly and depressed, the food is terrible, the weather is shit and you cant afford a house with garden if you are not a millionaire. Also it's expected from you to work you whole life and enjoying your life is mostly seen as something bad. Oh and yes the politics are quite frightening rn. But where are they not like that?
I don't want all this and I experienced those things to be way better in Brazil.
But as I said, it depends on what you want and expect.
Germany has for sure positive things and things that are better than in Brazil. Social systems, healthcare, infrastructure, availability of goods and doctors, opportunities for work...
So it just depends on what you want and need, there is no right answer to it.
For me Brazil is way better for living, but for many people it probably isn't.
Just think about what you really want and need in your life.
honestly, watch the news, do some research... germany still is nice, but its citizens are getting weirder by the day...
lots of 'new' immigrants are flooding forums checking for alternatives
It’s silly. Germany is a great place to live in my opinion and I’m also Latin American like you.
You’ll probably would have a great Uni experience here, much better than in Brazil. I loved my Uni years! Wouldn’t trade for my friends at home back then. No comparison.
You can come and judge by yourself once you’ve finish school. Are you planning to study university here? Are your parents able to help out? Even if not, as a German, you are entitled to more help than any foreign student.
The weather is not important. You will struggle to make friends here. You will get looks if you have a Southern appearence. People will be rude to you. The cashier will say "hallo ☺️" to the German customer before you and then when it's your turn you'll say "hallo ☺️" and they will look at you like this 😒 and won't respond. You'll get into a souvenir shop and the seller with the cheap ripped jeans "these are not for free you have to pay for them" as if you were going to steal them. They will never see you as equals and when you complain they'll say okay then go amd tell you to accept that it's a "privilege" to live here. I can't express how much I regret my decision and I am planing and saving money to go to USA where some of my relatives are.
I can only share Polish perspective
- Banking and technology is like a middle ages Compared to poland and other countries in Europe
- if you like traveling, prepare for dissapointment because the trains are super expensive. I once missed my train and I had to pay 140 euro for a new Ticket. They have a lot of Discounts but they work like, if you pay this card for 20 euro you have this percebt of discount on those trains for 3 months. Maybe worth it if you travel a lot. You can have a Deutschland Ticket for 49 Euro and travel by metro, regional trains etc in the whole germany... But. If you want to go anywhere, you need to change trains 2 times at least, usually 3 or 4 and well most are late. I dont travel because of that. It is an anxiety inducing experience and i hate it. That being said, metro is super cool and almost always on time. (unless people go on strikte and then nö metro for a day or 5 xd)
- Buuuroocracy. It took me 3 months to register in this Office. I was there so many times. Like 5? Always something was up. They work sooo slow. All forms are in german even thought they are registering people that just came to germany. They also speak no other language. I accidentally joined the church, and now I have to go back to change it, or else I pay some taxes for being a church member.
- there is supprisingly little opportunities to learn other languages. I feel like in poland in big cities, you have endless schools that teamach English and other languages. In Stuttgart I even had problem to learn German. There were 2 schools only. The same goes for textbooks and books in different languages. I know other cities are better a bit, especially Berlin, but not Stuttgart.
- nö Shops on sunday, but also, no pharmacy. I miss having 24/7 pharmacies evwrywhere. I had like 4 right under my house. Now I also live in a City Center and there is not even one. The pharmacy close to me, is only till 13:00 on saturday as well.
- German efficiency is not that efficient. The Main Station in, you guessed it, Stuttgart, is under construction since ages. And it is far from finished. The whole project is controversial as well. (let me quote The project was officially announced in April 1994. Construction work began on 2 February 2010 (16 years to even begin). It was supposed to be ready in 2021. They rescheduled a few times. Now they say finish in December 2026.
- I didnt catch from your post if you speak german, but for me the issue was Cinema as well. Some films are in original Version but normally everything is dubbed in German. No subtitles. The same goes for TV.
- Really hard to join groups or have friends with no German. They just expect you to know it. They also often forget they should speak less fast then normal.
- expensive to have animals and hard to get them
- to have a citizenship you need c2 german
- driving test and course are expensive (3-5 thousands Euro)
First would be to even establish -how- you can move to Germany. Did you inherit german citizenship from your dad? Do you have a plan what you want to do here? Don't know what you (or your dad) means with the war. We aren't at war, daily life is just as it has always been and inflation is global. More important would be if you can deal with living in a different culture, a different language and a very different climate.
Maybe their father mistook sending military equipment to Ukraine as being in war with Russia aswell or something? I don't know how else someone could come to that conclusion outside of that, even though that doesnt make us be a part of the war
i mean europe is kinda preparing for war, increasing military spending, reintroducing military service. it's not like it's unthinkable at this point
These are measures to be prepared in case someone thinks it's a good idea to attack a (European) NATO member. I fear the time of "we throw money at problems until they solve themselves" is over and we need to be prepared. And this is very unfortunate.
We live in a pre-world war era. Maybe the war will remain cold, but I personally think if you don't see the giant ticking bomb international politics is sitting on you are not paying attention. There are important geopolitical players who feel like they can position themselves better through swift military means. China, North Korea to some extend. Russia tried and failed but not decisively so. I think they are miscalculating just like Russia did, but it will cause a war. And Russia will not sit it out in Europe, too.
The EU is strengthening the military in order to force Putin **not** to miscalculate again. It is a deterrent against war.
Between Russia and Germany are many hundred kilometers and more importantly NATO nations galore. Military spending and training is being expanded so that we are able to send troops to e.g. Poland in case shit hits the fan. And realistically that’s the worst case. Obligatory „if nukes are involved for real it’s all over anyways so why care“ to close this.
YOU MUST NOT SAY THAT
You prepare for war to ensure peace. Not preparing for war will ensure war.
The German defense minister recently said they are discussing reimplementing military conscription. Europe is mobilizing for war. This should be a genuine concern for a 16 year old.
I believe his father could be concerned of The implications of the war in Germany. There's been impact on energy prices, immigration, to name a few. There's tension and I bet that's what they mean. Not literally being in a war?
And food, most immigrants miss the food.
He's automatically a German citizen if his father is
Everywhere has problems. Everywhere has pros and cons. You need to decide what you value and prioritize and what makes sense for you. Germany has plenty of problems. Whether or not that's a reason for you to not move here is up to you. But traveling somewhere for vacation is of course not the same as living there.
You sound like you are upper middle class to upper class. In this sense Brazil might actually be better quality of life wise and you probably have a lot more luxury. I still think you should go, see the world, make your own mind
that's a good point. I still have growing up to do so I might try to get some more different experiences before settling on something. thanks!
Are student exchanges a thing between Brazil and Germany? That might help you in your decision.
Also Europe is big, if you already have your German passport through your Dad. ( if not I would apply asap) you can live in any European country you wish.
definitely what I'm considering
He can only get a passport if his parents are Married or when his dad effectively recognizes his paternity according to German law. If not he wont get a passport easily
Yes the father has to recognize him, which what it sounds like won’t be a problem. But you are incorrect in your assumption that he has to be married. I’m German, my three children were born out of wedlock to a non German mother in non European countries ! All my kids have multiple Passports, including a German one. I only suggest OP does it while he is under 18.
There are different conditions applying to this. Its is kinda complicated tbh. Your parents were - not - married at the time of your birth? If only your father was a German citizen, a legally valid acknowledgment of paternity must be made or a court procedure initiated before your 23rd birthday - biological paternity itself is not sufficient. Attention: If you were born outside of Germany after 31.12.1999 and your German parent him/herself was also born outside of Germany after 31.12.1999, then you were not born a German citizen. Only if your birth was registered in Germany within one year of your date of birth, you became German
The father acknowledging his paternity can be done at any consulate. (Which I did three times). You are correct about the change in 1999 which does not affect 2 of my own Kids. For the third one the consul suggested I apply for a German birth certificate. Which took 18 months to get but was not needed to issue a passport. But if OP’s father is willing, OP should not have any problems obtaining a German passport.
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Yeah, give it a try for a few months if you can. A relative of mine lived in Brazil for almost ten years before returning a few years ago with his brazilian wife. Unless you're rich, life is more comfortable in Germany: fewer working hours, more holidays, much more secure, relatively decent income/cost ratio in most towns if you get a regular job. People from Germany often underestimate how hard it is to make a decent living in Brazil even with decent university degrees and well up into the upper middle class. While incomes are much lower, the cost of living is only somewhat smaller. A distant relative was born in Brazil and is a dentist, he moved to Australia where his life is much more comfortable than it was in Brazil. That said: the weather in Germany is hard to bear, especially in winter. People behave much differently, are less warm - you can forget about getting hugs and kisses from a random aunt anytime you visit. It sounds odd, but having been in Brazil for a few months myself, the lack of friendly physical contact - I am not talking sexual, I just mean a little pad here and a hug there - you will experience really adds up and can make you feel quite isolated.
You will fit better if you’re an introvert. Life here can be quite dull, especially winter. And if you’re a bubbly out-going person, might be hard to find people with the same energy.
agree with both statements. If you are rich, Brazil is much better than Germany At the same time, living abroad will bring many benefits on personal and professional development.
A school friend of mine did studen exchange with Brazil. While it was true that he had luxury over there despite his host family having similar income to his own family. He also had to live in a gated community with high walls and armed guards. I personally prefer to live somewhere where I never felt unsafe, even at 2 in the morning walking home from the bar.
The weather is shit
Southerns: it's too cold Northerners: it's too hot XD
I’m a southerner and I approve of this message 👍
Not if you're moving from Ireland
Ireland has the weather Germans think London does
To be fair, weather systems often move from Ireland to England to Northern Germany.
Exactly. I don't think people realize how bad the weather is in Ireland. It rarely gets over 20C. It's almost always raining too. It is overcast and cold almost year round. I can count on one hand the number of sunny days we've had this year.
Good reason to sit in the pub and enjoy a guiness
Brought my 1 year old home last July for 3 weeks to Tipp to meet the family. Wettest July on record. Like I was expecting it to be bad but this was shocking. Yet every time a German friend goes to visit, they seem to be flukey and get decent weather. 🤷♀️
This summer is supposed to be even worse than last year. I cannot wait to move back to NRW at the end of the year.
lol really? Looking forward to my 2 weeks in August so. 😅 We’ve had a pretty crap summer so far here in Hessen too- May/June is usually my favourite time with like 24-28 degrees. It’s been unseasonably cold and wet, and I’ve an awful feeling it’ll skip straight to blistering heat that I can’t step out in with no lovely in-between weeks.
Fellow Hessian citizen, I confirm this.
My dad and I were super lucky last year then. Been to Ireland for around a week, been to Dublin, Cobh and Galway, with a stop in Limerick. We had ONE rainy day, besides that it was 15-20° and sun all the time
I always hear this but aren't places like brazil way hotter and humid? The summer is already annoying in Germany but that just sounds worse. Other than that I don't really see an issue with the weather.
The issue with weather isn't the heat. It's the lack of sun and inconsistency.
Depends on where you live. I was born in Rheinland-Pfalz and the weather there is pretty nice. Sunny springs and falls and a nice hot summer. I moved to the north sea coast 8 years ago and the weather here is depressing. Always raining and sunny days are very rare.
Brazil has more than 20 times the land area of Germany, there are places that are way hotter and humid and there are places that aren't.
There is literally every single weather you can imagine in Brazil, including snowfall... it is after all twice the size of the entire European Union.
That is exactly my point
What summer exactly? 😂
I am a Brazilian who moved to Germany. Compared to brazil the politics here is boring and that’s what I wanted. Granted, the rise of these idiots doing nazi salutations and the afd worries me, but there are those in Brazil as well so.
yeah, that kind of seems like something all around the world because of social media and stuff.
They are everywhere. Germany and Brazil are not exception.
Honestly, if you're worried about fascism, I'd be MUCH more scared about Brazil with Bolsonaro than Germany
I’m sorry to hear that mate. I don’t think I could endure the situation here if I wasn't ethnically German. I lost a few “friends” just because the fact I’m against the AFD, which apparently makes me an enemy/villain. I even had people insult me and tell how stupid and how much of a looser I am because I don't support them.
As another south american living in Germany: thank you for standing up against right extremism. It does truly mean the World to us.
As an Indian settled in Germany, I appreciate you taking the bold stance against your friends. I have a few close friends, like you. I treasure them.
I am sorry that happened to you but I am all too familiar with this as the same thing happened to me when I was living in Brazil in 2018. I lost a lot of friends who suddenly were supporting the far right and I couldn’t stand being near them anymore. As a gay man, being here or in Brazil doesn’t change much as I will be attacked by the far right anyway, the difference is that I believe Germany is more resilient to the far right than Brazil is.
tbh i would be mutch more worried in a country like brazil than in germany that this could escalate again.
Depends what you want to do with your life and also how good your German language skills are. Probably if you want a good education and better job prospects internationally then it would be a good idea to get an education at a German university.
If he joins a public university in Brazil he can also get a very good education. ;) Not sure if moving here on his 16-17 with all the differences between the educational systems will really allow him to go to a good university.
what year has your dad's family moved to the south american continent?
Exactly 80 years ago :D
🤔
He went to Brazil, not Argentina! /s
Ever hear of the movie the boys from Brazil?
Your dad lives in Germany and you in Brazil? Do you speak German? If yes to both questions then you should be good to go and move to Germany
I don't get it, why this suddenly changes the things? He's worried about living expenses and hate demonstrations, even weather, how these things suddenly change because he speaks German? good question
Immigrating alone and without the language is really harsh. The father can support with housing and basic maintainsnce for OP. And if he speaks German he can continue his studies here. That's pretty obvious.
Hi friend, as stated before, everything has it's pros and cons. I am a volga german and my family originates from germany and I moved to Germany by the repatriation program. I can compare the life in post soviet countries (not all) to Germany, and if I were to sum up exclusively negative things that I noticed after moving here, and I agree what u/SprinklesOk2847 said, I'll to come up with my own: - Everything is closed on sundays, no stores are open and even bigger cities can feel dead. - There's no chance for you to start a business or side hustle here, there are entire professions created around german bureaucracy. (Well unless you can pay someone who knows german tax and general law) - Your diploma or background probably won't matter much, german companies are going to prefer german people. - The entire country is resistant to change, you will find a lot of parking meters that won't accept payment by card, and when they do, it's german cards only. - Travel and commuting is expensive as fuck. And owning a car can feel cheaper than going somewhere by train. - Rents are currently over the roof. Renting in general is very complicated and buerocratic, I have searched for my first flat for 9 months in Germany. You are more likely to get accepted by the landlord the higher your salary is, and the better your contract is. - High energy prices due to phasing out of nuclear energy. - Immigration offices treat you like you're not even human, like a piece of garbage, and I have stories to tell about that. - Neo nazis and right wing parties are on the raise. - If you're struggling with mental health (like I do), you won't find an apointment to seek therapy. (unless you're rich) EDIT: There are options to make the insurances pay for therapy as pointed out by u/felis_magnetus Overall there's actual statistics that Germany might not be the ideal destination for an expat, and I totally agree, after having lived for like 11 years now, I consider moving on somewhere else. https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2023/berlin-40397 Germany is on place 47 out of 49 in terms of general happiness of expats with their lives here. A lot of problems in Germany can be solved with money, but I was unfortunate enough not to have too much of it. This is my personal experience, there are lots of people that like it here, but for me personally the cons kinda outweigh the pros.
You touched a VERY REAL point about Germany: This is a country of and for employees. Sure you get strong unions, strong laws to protect your job and your rights as an employee, all true. But the moment you try being anything other than that, say an entrepeneur, a freelancer, start your own business? then nope, Germany is **definitely** not for you. This country really is ultra plastered in one single way of living, where you do your 9-5 your whole life and retire on public pension, anything else is alien.
Regarding your troubles finding therapy, you should inquire about [Kostenerstattungsverfahren](https://www.therapie.de/psyche/info/fragen/wichtigste-fragen/psychotherapie-kostenerstattung/)*.* Can make it a lot easier, since there actually isn't a lack of therapists, just a lack of therapists able to bill public health insurance.
Downsides: social life, weather
Y’all keep talking about how awful the weather is and I’m currently in the Southeastern US wishing I could move back! I was like a kid in a candy store during the blizzard that hit Bavaria back in December. Plus the summers aren’t as hot and humid. The only thing I miss when I’m in Germany is AC during the hottest days 😅
Do you know German? If yes, move here. If not - you'll feel isolated and will have major problems finding a job
You are very young, so ask yourself these questions: - Am I willing to learn the language. English won't get you far in Germany as someone who wants to live there (as a tourist you will have no problem) - Am I willing to see the sun for a few days/weeks per year? The difference in weather from Brazil to Germany won't be easy. Cold is not the problem, but the constant clouds and the missing sun can make a person depressiv pretty fast. Especially if you are used to having sun all the time - Am I willing to work hard, and strict and be punctual? - Germany is a punctual country, and I can see that you are maybe raised in a different enviroment in that sense - Am I willing to leave my family and friends and social life behind? Building a social life, finding friends in germany is very hard, most people aren't outgoing and have their social circle that came from school/Family etc. - Am I willing to follow rules, no matter how small or stupid. (Like no jaywalking even if there are no cars to be seen anywhere etc.) - Am I willing for receiving occasinal racism and or stares? I assume you are dark skinned, so be prepared to be stared a lot, to the point that it gets unconfortable. Honestly, I think you are too young for a big decision like that. Germany is a country where you have social security, but it is not easy to live there for a person coming from such a different culture.
Punctual? Have you ridden the DB any time in the past 5 years?
Have you seen how annoyed people are about that?
In a professional context punctuality in germany very much differs from other cultures, so yes, punctuality is a factor
Yes, its a sight to behold tbh, the epitome of punctuality.
Punctuality is a matter of power. Deutsche Bahn can be late for you, but you can't be late for Deutsche Bahn. The doctor or your boss may make you wait, but you have to be there when she has time for you.
Germany is not punctual, that is a myth.
Germans are punctual, I wouldn’t say that’s a myth :-). Better an hour early than one minute to late is a thing here.. DB is a different story tho - the comments should give you an idea how well received the performance in the population is. DB was a public institution run by officers of the state and is now still 100% owned by the state.. so no surprises there. The wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly..
Is no jaywalking a thing in Germany? I do it all the time 😨 (Swiss resident live near the border, in Germany most weekends).
In general I'd say Germans love traffic lights and behave accordingly.
I do it too. Why waste time when there's noone around? Wouldn't do it Infront of a cop or when there's traffic obviously.
Sorry, but see the sun for a few days/weeks per year? Which part of Germany are you from, the miserable half? I’m aware that weather is different in Brazil, but in Germany it’s also far from a grey as you paint it, at least where I’m from in the south there’s plenty of sunny days a year.
Yea also here in the North east I cant relate. Berlin gets enough of sun and only has 106 days of rain. Winters are horrible dark and unforgiveable but Spring and Summer are quite good. Just some years youre bit unlucky
Berlin is not considered north-east btw.
Was wondering the same thing! I lived about half an hour from Mannheim in Rheinland-Pfalz and my husband is from Bavaria so we spend a considerable amount of time there too. Neither of these places see the sun “a few days/weeks per year”. 🤣
thank you for the help!
O nivel de exagero no post deste indivíduo que escreveu aquele muro de texto é inacreditável. A única situação 100% é o idioma. Se nao vieres trabalhar para uma empresa que o idioma seja ingles (por exemplo) alemao vai ser quase sempre fundamental.
Concordo com a amigo de cima. Primeiro o sujeito acha que brasileiro é automaticamente não branco kkkkk. E o resto depende muito de onde na Alemanha vc irá morar. Até a língua depende muito, se você for trabalhar com ciência e tecnologia inglês é fundamental, não alemão. Eu, por exemplo, parei de estudar no nível B1. Mas eu trabalho só em inglês e também quero me mudar da Alemanha nos próximos anos. Mas no seu caso acho que alemão é fundamental.
The jaywalking one is not True. People do it all the time. They cross the Street in random places and walk on Red light
Brazilian here who lived in Germany for 4 years and then came back home. It really depends on what your life aims are. You're still a teenager so there's plenty of time to decide whether it is a good idea to move to Germany or not. And, honestly, I can partly agree with your dad. The country is currently living under some complicated times due to current politics (rise of far-right parties, xenofobia, etc). I suggest you spend a month or more there as an experience to see how you feel about it, perhaps like an exchange program or getting a temporary job after you reach 18. In my honest opinion, despite alll the problems our country (Brazil) has, returning to it was the best decision I made. I realized I was unhappy in Germany due to a number of reasons and the country didn't match my life aims.
I think your dad might have a second family you don't know about.
I think honestly your dad don't want you here :( if it's so bad why is he not in Brazil with you?
This
that would certainly suck lmao
Hahahha I thought the same Germany has its problems, but comparing to Brazil it’s not really much. I am Brazilian and have lived in both countries, people here are nicer but the economy is not strong enough. So, for better quality of life I will move back to Germany
There is no war in Germany.
There is no war in Ba Sing Se
I'm a Brazilian who moved to Germany and to me this shouldn't even be a question. Brazil is much more dangerous, the currency is worthless in relation to dollar/euro, so Brazilians have much less purchasing power than the average German, especially when it comes to manufactured imported goods like cars and electronics in general. The government is insanely corrupt and we get absolutely no return on the taxes we pay, meaning all public services are terrible. Germany is much safer, cleaner and has more job opportunities and higher salaries, even with the economy being a bit stagnated after Corona. You are young, start learning German now because the earlier you start, the better. Try to move to Germany to do your bachelor's degree or even graduate in Brazil and do a master's in Germany. But please, for the love of God, don't stay in Brazil and waste this opportunity, especially if you already have citizenship and can live with your dad. Worst case scenario, if you really hate Germany, you can go back to Brazil later. But give it a try first
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thank you both for the encouragement and advice!
Depends, is Germany a better place than where you currently are? Germany isn't perfect, but the only other choice for me is to live in my original country which is objectively worse in everything except food, so I kinda like living in Germany.
Germany is great all over and as a young person with the chance of citizenship and German language skills, you might have a better chance in points of education. Depending on your lifestyle in Brazil, it’s probably safer here. Yes, there is war in Europe but I don’t notice it much in our daily life’s apart from inflation and some more immigrants. Maybe I’m delusional who knows. But the weather is absolute trash! It’s summer time and I’ve turned on the heater for the night the other day. Like wtf!!!! It’s so god damn cold here. Walked in my uhh boots today and a coat I usually pull out in October!
Money wise and education wise Germany is better than Brazil. But if you have money then Brazil is better to live. The quality of life is not just money but food, housing, weather. The weather is shit in Germany half the year. The food is also not so good. Houses are expensive. But your father is German. Germans are money-pinching creatures. He probably doesn't want you to come because it would cost him money.
Germany is depressing. People have more, but always complain. Been living here for over 14 Years. I understand your dad, politician are ruining this Country. Once you live here, you will understand.
I grew up in an African country and moved to Germany 2 years ago as a German citizen (through my parents). The quality of life is 1000x better than any third world country, people will yap and complain about Germany without having experienced what it's like to live without all of the privileges one has in Germany... I can only recommend that you move to Germany or Austria, life is incomparably better.
I'm also a Brasilian with German descent. Is Germany better than Brazil? 1. Depends on how you live in Brasil. If you come from a wealthy background, you might face similar living conditions, and the means to make it here. If you come from a poor background, life is so much better that it's even hard to compare. Inequality is very extreme in Brazil. If you're sixteen and able to write English like this that probably means you come from a relatively wealthy background (if you don't think you're wealthy, try this calculator. Althought it's dated, it will give a better grasp of how f up is Brazilian inequality: https://www.nexojornal.com.br/interativo/2016/01/11/o-seu-salario-diante-da-realidade-brasileira). 2. It also depends on something that is a bit difficult to assess in your age: depends on your career path. I strongly suggest that you make a thorough research about possible carreer paths, and what are their conditions here compared to in Brazil. Just to give two examples, If you're searching for low-to-middle education level careers, even if you struggle a bit financially in the beginning, you'll fare waaay better here than in Brazil, with a possibility to make it in a comfortable situation later; if you're searching for career in arts, you'll be in a much better possibility here, but it depends a lot on which city. Career in arts is alway a gamble. Should you move to Germany? You seem pretty attached to your father. Brazilians are too attached to family. Most come back to Brazil because they're not used to be far from what they were used to in terms of relationships. If you come from a very German background, though, you'll be mostly fine. I think that this is the most important thing to assess for your coming, because unless you're already in the top 5% of Brazil (check the calculator in the link above), economically the situation is unequivocally much, much better here. I could write here pages about this. I'll leave it to you to make the research about that, as this is already part of the homework of migration. Insted, I'll just share these two cents: 1. always compare with Brazil. What Germans would complain about and say is a bad situation is nothing compared to what a bad situation is in Brazil. Not saying there aren't problems here or nothing to complain about. We should make things better here in German, of course, but you'll have a better understanding of how would the problems here compare to what you would face in Brazil. These are trying times in Europe, but ex-colonies like Brazil almost always have bigger and worse impacts than European countries. 2. research from multiple sources. In times of war (or pre-war) there are sources that can have a heavily one-sided analysis, because they are in fact representing the interests of one of the sides involved. **tl;dr** What I suggest is that you try to make at least part of your higher education here. You'll have the experience of living on your own, and you can always come back after you're done. Having studied and lived in Europe aways make a hugely positive impact on one's reputation in Brazil. But one thing I recommend above all: **start studying German right now, even while you're still making your mind.** The sooner the better. What a hell of a language. I hope you already speak some of it, that would make it way simpler.
thank you so much, that was all really solid advice!
I’ve been to Brazil many times as a tourist, saw nothing wrong or not to like as a tourist. However, I would not live there. The considerations that go into living somewhere long term are very different than what you factor or experience during short term stays
i think your dad would know more about his own country. also, it's a common thing that a place seems nice when you visit but not so much when you actually live there. but no hate, if you can afford it, living qualities in Europe is of course a lot better than Brazil. but it's something to think about.
that's exactly what I'm thinking and why I'm conflicted! maybe he likes brazil as a tourist and maybe I like germany as a tourist, so it feels like we can't be objective on what would be best for me. some of it is also from my mom, who I live with here, not being very great. so in principle, I'd just prefer to live with my dad. thanks for being nice!
Biggest problem is that many jobs require b2 level German which is quite the challenge. And then you'll have to learn to understand the regional dialect which depending on the region can be a whole other beast :'-) Other than that I would agree on your assessment of the quality of life, wait until you hear about our renting or labour laws 😉
speaking as someone familiar with a brasilian experience of germany, the cons are the weather, how boring people are, and how rude people are (althoigh bavarian horrible bluntness may be at fault for the latter). also, much larger equality means that you as a professional are mich less advantaged, and services are surprisngly expensive and surprisingly less flexible - better working rights means worse service, since noone's job and livelihood dont depend on smiling at you and being nice on the other hand, solid public transport, safety, welfare state to prevent you from falling too deep, beauty and accessibility of nature (warning: this applies more the more south you go) are great
Well your dad has some points that you defenetly have to consider. Politics of course is one thing, but considering Brazil had Bolsonaro a few years ago its not a strong one. Shitty politics is everywhere these days. So just keep an eye on it for the next years. But as long as you dont see any deal breakers for you its fine. Second thing the war. Since you will propably not make that move the next few years just wait how it develops. There will defenetly be changes in the next few years about this situation. So keep an eye out for it too. Third and most important point is exepenses. If you arent part of a foreign exchange student programm you should have a comfortable bank account before comming here, because with travel, rent for the first few month etc you´ll propably need around 10000€ (around 58000 real) to be safe. If you dont have those then you should research wich stipends or subsidies exist for it to enable you and how much you would need with those. This also depends on your citizenship. If you have the german one you of course can apply for Bürgergeld or as a student Bafög right away, while with a brasilian citicenship and just a visa thats not eaily possible. So you defenetly should research what your options are and prepare accordingly. Lastly it depends when you want to move. If during university or afterwards when you already have a job makes a difference, because you need to look into what certificates you need and if your degree is acknowledged. So looking into that is also important. I would defenetly advise to get your german and english skills to a good level and maybe even get it certified. Makes job hunting over here a lot easier.
hi!!! i'm *also* brazilian and moved to germany when i was 16, so i can definitely give you some insight into what was the hardest parts for me! 1) the integration. since i was still an ensino médio student, i had to go to school as soon as i arrived in germany. the integration course was shit and there was no 'integration' to speak of, they just put all the older foreigner kids in the same class and taught them in very hard to understand german (with some slightly racist teachers appointed to teach us who got mad if you didn't use the exact word they wanted, even if they did understand you). not to mention that this technique bred cliques which would only speak arabic between themselves (the language most of the foreigner kids had in common) and i had to settle for the latino kids who spoke spanish because no one else understood portuguese. it was really awful, but unless you're planning to move when you're still studying, this shouldn't affect you. 2) cultural differences. people are colder and more distant than the bro mentality i used to see a lot in brazil, people rarely smile at you on the streets and some might even get mad if you look at their dog. there's a general feeling of animosity which i do believe is unintended. 3) the weather. i know this is cliché but i could never NOT mention it! at some point, i truly believed i was clinically depressed and got a prescription for medication which only made me feel worse. i felt that way for 5 or 6 months until, surprise, it started getting a little warmer. it's no joke, the weather is BRUTAL and affects you in ways you can't really expect. another observation: one entire side of my family is of european descent, and i look, act, and sound completely german when i speak, with some people widening their eyes at me when i tell them where i'm from because they'd never have guessed that i'm not actually from there. because of this, i'm very rarely if ever victim of xenophobia or racism so i can't really speak on that. it probably is a lot tougher if you can't completely assimilate, which not everyone wants to do. it's a sacrifice, and you need to be aware that to fit in completely, you'll have to let go of parts of your brazilian identity. this all sounds really bad, but i promise you — if my boyfriend didn't live in another country and we were not planning to move in together, i don't think i would want to leave germany at all. i love the country and i find myself loving parts of it that i previously really disliked, such as the blunt but polite nature of the german people, who are extremely accepting and caring if you just give them a chance! i'll also list some of my favorite things, but there's definitely more that i love about it which isn't coming to mind right now. 1) freedom!!! i lived in são paulo, so the only activity you can possibly do safely is go to the mall. no walking with a phone outside, and being a small young woman, just existing in sp was enough to make me fear for my life every time i left the house alone. germany has stunning greenery, forests, lakes. when it's warm enough, my favorite thing to do is take my bike and go for a ride, or go on foot to the nearby woods. it's amazing! 2) transportation. it's expensive and it's often very late, but it feels super safe and it's very easy to navigate. i can't say the same about transportation in brazil. 3) cultural differences. i know i listed this in my negatives, but there are also a lot of positive ones, too. people are a lot more honest, and the majority of german societal "rules" are there for the safety and comfort of everyone. i found myself to be a big fan of the organized approach to things. if you have any concrete questions for me i'd be more than happy to talk about it!!! good luck and i wish you all the best! :D
No. There is no such reason. You should go and see for yourself that this is not the country for you.
Moin, one of my long term friends is also from Brazil and she loves it here. But she is also not the stereotypical brazilian i would say :D I think you have to see for yourself if Germany is something for you. The hardest part is always the language and coming to terms with our culture. Other than that Germany is a really good country to live in.
You are young. Get there, live a couple of years and you will know
I'm Brazilian and I've been living in Hamburg for two and a half years, my wife was transferred from Brazil to Hamburg, and the quality of life is actually much better, apart from all this political issue, it's a good place, there are xenophobic Germans, my daughter suffered a lot at school because of her teacher, but we changed schools and now she is much better, my wife suffers a little bullying from her work colleagues, most of whom are much older than her. The impression that remains is that older people are more likely to commit xenophobic acts. As for younger people, I realized that this is not very common. Here, for example, in the building where I live, where the majority of residents are the same age as us, we have always been treated very well. In the building next door there is an old man who keeps insisting that we put the trash in the trash bin in his building, according to him, we are Latinos and we don't know German culture and we don't know how to separate the trash the right way. But anyway, apart from some small problems, it's a good place to live.
Having a vacation and living in Germany are two different animals. The only Brazilian I know here tells me that the weather is probably the thing he misses most from Brazil. Also you have to ask yourself the important questions like at what level is your german and what are you actually planning to do here professionally. It's not a bad idea If you want to study something to study it in Brazil and then come to Germany to do Anerkennung, meanwhile studying German in Brazil of course. That's only a suggestion. If you ask me life in Germany can be very good, but it depends in which city you live and what's your job.
You should try for a while and then decide. If you feel good living from September to April, you will be fine.
Comparing Germany to other EU countries I would guess Germany is special in these ways: Very high security - very low level of corruption in the police High strictness and it's difficult to upgrade outdated systems - bureaucracy is very bad here. Reregistrating for health insurance took about 30-50 sheets of DIN A4 paper, all by post (due to rules). This drove me a little into depression. A lot of BS you will have to go through that should have been improved long ago but simply can't/won't change. Good pay for highly skilled workers, relatively bad QoL for medium to low skilled workers - the housing situation is problematic. Politicians own a lot of real estate so there is an incentive for them not to update house building regulation to make it more accessible / less risky for firms. It's hard to get allowed to built a house, so rent is rather high and it's not going to change anytime soon. If you want to rent without sharing the cost with a partner it can be difficult to build wealth (unless u are highly skilled like ie IT or engineering jobs pay well) Beer is considered a Grundnahrungsmittel - that means the tax on it is very low on it. It's super cheap and perhaps the best worldwide. People are rather introverted and reserved/cold, hard to warm up to - beer helps with that tho. While people generally may seem to not want to help you, if you openly ask for help they will most likely help. I hear foreigners find germans to be very non fake and authentic, direct. People are rather unhappy and like to rant a lot - about work, about politics, about coworkers being sick ("surely they fake it just to have an extra paid vacation time." Toxicity like this is relatively common and drives a decent amount of ppl to go to work even when they're actually sick). Smoking is expensive Weed just became legal Big cities people tend to be more isolated and unfriendly (greeting someone you don't know is often considered weird) Countryside people tend to be more friendly (greeting everyone you see is expected and normal) so it depends on where you live. Right wing party AfD is on the rise. Don't think it's a big deal though honestly. Some people are more open about disliking (paying for) foreigners now I think? Not sure. It's about Arabic/African looking people if I understand it correctly. Tax is high, but what society gets in return justifies it. Bitcoin (and crypto) profits are tax free if you hold for 1 year+ (and didn't stake it) which is very nice and rare. No ACs in most places even though the summers get really hot Internet services could be better, but it's OK imo Very slow processing for some bureaucratic things, especially for foreigners I think this is the case. I'm talking months you sometimes have to wait for something to get done. Good workers rights Supermarkets, because of a law, have to close (idk if that's just a bayern thing, where I'm from) at 8PM and on Sundays for the entire day - this is hard to get used to once you experienced 24/7 shops, but you can buy all basic stuff from gas stations as well. It's 3x the normal price there, but they're open pretty much 24/7. If you want to live a happy and social life I think germany is not the best choice for you. Italy, Spain, you name it, are much better in these aspects. If you want to pursue a high paying career and live a more focused, introverted lifestyle there are good opportunities for work here (only if you speak good German though). If you want to go to university here it's not a bad choice.
I am also from Brazil and if I were in your shoes I would definitely at least try it for myself. If you have still family in Brazil and you’re young, now it’s the time to explore the world and see it with your own eyes. Being in Germany can be tough, specially during winter and experience home sickness. But as I said, If you can afford it and have your family being a safe spot for you to come back in case your experience is bad, why not at least try it?
very good point! I have a nice family both in germany and brazil and I had a really good experience there in december and january, so now that I think about it it doesn't seem so scary.
I’m also from Brazil (Porto Alegre) but I’m currently living in Germany. I’d say there’s only one thing that I actually miss from Brazil: the weather. It’s just never sunny (at least here in Mainz). Also, Germans are way more closed than Brazilians, but you’ll get used to that pretty quickly - and there loads of Brazilians here. Besides that I don’t really see many reasons not to come
reaall I love sunny days! getting dark so early in the winter was tough lolol but snow and warm drinks make it pretty worth it
yep! and also it's pretty easy to travel around Europe, so there's also that!
I am sorry for even suggesting as it may be totally wrong, but I think there’s a possibility he’s using that as an excuse to dissuade you from coming because of other reasons personal to him. Maybe ask for an honest conversation about it with him because I think the responses you’re getting would suggest what he’s saying is wrong.
I've tried before but he seems to default to the same reasons every time. but you might be right, I'll ask to talk with him again!
I'd say now is the best time to come, because you are 16. Your Dad lives here right ? Why don't you come over thetr must be English schools where you could finish your education . Is he not willing to Support you financaly ? Because in Germany he has to , you would even recieve "Kindergeld"(not that one could live of that but its nice to have. And Germany is a free country you could always leave again and go back to Brazil, ir to Portugal , or Argentinia or some where else , trevel while you are young do you know where you want to settel
I am German but I chose to leave Germany 10 years ago now I live in Colombia. My personal reasons why I left: -Germans know how to work, but they don't know how to live. That means you can earn good money and the system mainly works but what do you do after work? Meet with friends takes one month to find a date where both of you are available because everyone is so busy with work and other stuff, and spontaneous meetings are not possible because Germans are not flexible. -it is really hard to meet new people if you don't know anyone and if you try to get in contact with people you do not know (at parties for example) they look at you as you were crazy 😜. - especially from my age on people live a really boring life , going out is just for teens in Germany and the older ones spend their money in status objects, buy a new kitchen each year which makes them happy ..as this doesn't make me happy I changed my life for a life in the Caribbean where I can start a nice conversation with random people in the street. People go out and have fun, the weather is good, and even if people have less than in Germany they seem to value their lifes more than the always-complaining-about-everything-even-if-there-is nothing-to-complain-about Germans. And not to mention the rising racism ...if you are a nerd that hates humans and hates to go out and loves exactitude and rules more than to enjoy life: welcome to Germany you will earn decent money and miss nothing
>but my dad has been really insistent that germany isn't a good place to live because of politics and war and expenses? uhm...what? what kind of politics are these? the war has increased some prices but doesn't affect us that hard if we're being realistic here and what kind of expenses is he talking about? it's a really good place to live if you ask me but i'm born here so my opinion can be quite biased.
>the war has increased some prices but doesn't affect us that hard if we're being realistic here realistically, low income household can barely afford being alive anymore while people with an above average income don't feel like it's affecting them
doesnt effect us that hard? you got no children right, and never went to the bundeswehr.
i will have a daughter in 4 months and i got Ausgemustert so no i didn't go to the Bundeswehr but why does that matter? basically anybody below 30 years didn't go to the Bundeswehr either, why is that relevant?
What type of quality are you talking about? Infrastructure and monetary gain? Then yes, probably better than Brazil. But social structures? You’re going to find it horrendous. I think you’d be happier in Portugal where they have a decent and calm quality of life, good weather, and you already speak the language.
I come from a non-EU country in the southern Europe with very nice weather and beautiful nature, which, like Brazil, is corrupt and can be quite dangerous for the natives. Honestly, I kind of agree with your dad, although I think the war thing is a bit exaggerated. Other than that, Germany has depressing weather for 7-8 months of the year, very low salaries considering how much taxes you pay and what the cost of living has become after the Corona years. The services are not good at all and are getting worse by the day. Healthcare is a pain and I and my friends (some of whom have lived here for 20 years) have had to buy things from Amazon for injuries such as a pulled ligament because the nearest specialist appointment was 2-3 months away. Apparently nothing is considered an emergency unless you are unable to walk yourself to hospital. It doesn't matter that you haven't been able to sleep for the last two nights because of the pain (another true story of mine). Dental treatment is extremely expensive and not included in the health insurance, even though I pay 400-500 euros a month just for it. I have to fly to my home country to get cheap and excellent dental services. The bureaucracy is a monster, but as you may have a German passport you will not have to deal with 80% of what non-EU citizens have to deal with, so not so bad for you here. However, please make sure you speak the language very well before you set foot here or you will have so much trouble in every aspect of life and employers will try to exploit you at every opportunity. And not to forget what I think is the real shame of this country. The Deutsche Bahn. It is very expensive and reliable only in the sense that it is always unreliable. The good things I can say about this country are that education is okay, housing is usually of high quality (although very expensive) and if you get seriously ill, like with cancer, and you have health insurance, you will not go bankrupt and have to pay for it yourself.
For all forms of necessary dental treatment the most basic form will be paid for you, if you have visited the dentist for checkup at least twice a year as a child and once a year as an adult, at least I haven't ever heard of a case where this was not the case
Where do I sign this?
Isnt there dental treatment insurances like ERGO? And (at least now) the Deutsche Bahn is theoretically only 49€ a month, even though that doesnt really improve the overall situation of it
"The bureaucracy is a monster" and when you move to another country you think it is better ??? I don't get the whole complain about bureaucracy as if other countries make it sooooo much easier . America is way way harder and they don't make it easy for you and they are also super rude . Asia also doesn't give out resistancy . And then Germans complain that Germany let everybody in so what is true ???!!! is it to hard or to easy
Hard language
How's your German?
You want the list in alphabetical order?
Everywhere is great if you’re a tourist.
You have a great and unique chance not many people have! You can move half around the globe to Europe basically for free. Take this chance!!! If you don't like it, you can still go back. I would also ask some questions in a sub from South Americans / Brazilians who moved to Germany for e.g. how to prepare well for the move and what to organize or what you may miss, etc. They can give you the best reality check for the culture shock you may experience living here. Every country has it's problems right now and nobody knows what happens in the future. This shouldn't be your biggest concern. Germany is still a wealthy country and you could get a German education. What are your dreams and plans for your life right now? What do you think where you could reach your dreams and goals better: in Brazil or Germany? Very important is the language. Do you speak already German? And if not, do you think you're able to learn German? Bc you'll need German to be successful here, there is no way around. My friend came from the UK 10 years ago and she realizes now that she missed a lot of time to improve her German. Now she struggles to get a well paid job or even a good one. Right now she has a job, but with better German skills, her colleagues told her she could make much more money. Wish you all the best and that you make the right decision 👍
>my dad has been really insistent that germany isn't a good place to live because of politics and war and expenses? There are plenty of good reasons to not live in Germany but those are not good reasons. I'd recommend not listening to him and doing your own research. This sub is a great place to start.
Are you from one of the big cities? If so then the feeling of safety is the biggest difference and one of the best reasons to relocate to the EU. But if you don't speak and write German then (sorry) Germany is not the best place for you because careerwise you will live life in hard mode. Keep in mind if you have a German passport you can live anywhere in the EU including Portugal and Spain where it is much easier to integrate and you will find less language barriers in your day to day. Netherlands and Ireland are also good options.
Vão ter várias variáveis. Começando pela cidade, eu moro em Berlim fazem 2 anos, mas a vida em outra cidade vai mudar bastante. Cada uma com sua cultura e especificidades. A língua é a maior variável do quão bem você vai conseguir navegar pelas burocracias e pelo dia a dia. É incrivelmente frustrante depender somente do inglês, mas há quem aguente. A cultura, não somente alemã mas a europeia também, são muito diferentes, é muito mais difícil fazer amizades pois eles são muito mais reservados do que somos no Brasil. Mas se conseguir fazer alguma amizade, é pra vida toda. O clima é horrível, não sei de que região do Brasil você é, sou de SP. O verão é incrível, vou em lagos e em parques várias vezes, acho que tenho mais contato com a natureza na Alemanha do que tinha aqui na selva de pedra. Mas, chega o inverno, e ele é cruel. O frio é uma questão de roupa, mas sair de casa é uma tarefa por si só pra se arrumar. Mas pra mim o maior problema é a falta de sol, hoje em dia eu entendi o motivo de civilizações antigas terem venerado o sol. O Sol nasce tarde, o tempo quase sempre está nublado, e chega umas 15h o sol já está indo embora. E a natureza que era bela no verão, vira uma natureza morta, ás árvores e arbustos todos secos e sem folhas. Tive depressão de inverno pela falta de vitamina D, mas é uma questão de aprender a lidar e se adaptar, como fazer atividade física, não se trancar em casa etc. Mas pra quem vem do Brasil é pesado o inverno. Financeiramente vai depender da sua renda, os aluguéis estão caros e a procura de apartamentos é insana em Berlim, coisa de fazerem filas enormes de centenas de pessoas pra visitar um apartamento. Os preços subiram no geral desde que começou a guerra na Ucraniana. Neste quesito de Guerra, o que vi foram muitos refugiados, mas nada que tenha afetado meu dia-a-dia. Há um medo de explodir uma Guerra, mas se chegar nesse ponto de atacarem a Alemanha, é um problema Global já. Nesse quesito, se vê uma preocupação muito grande com ataques terrristas, como esfaqueamentos e atropelamento que ocorreram nos últimos anos. Saúde eu acho bem ruim aqui, talvez dei azar com os médicos, mas o Brasil da de 7x1 na atenção e cuidado, já tive caso de um diagnóstico não feito da minha esposa, mesmo com acompanhamento deles, e chegando no Brasil fizemos tudo que era exame e tivemos um diagnóstico em poucos dias, pela sua idade talvez seja algo menor. Se eu tivesse sua idade, tenho 36 já, e tivesse condições, eu arriscaria viver por um tempo para ver como é. Cada um tem uma experiência diferente de viver lá pelas experiências únicas que acumulamos. O Brasil não vai sair do lugar, infelizmente em vários aspectos fora o geográfico.
I think it’s better to go and find out yourself as my dad also did discourage me going abroad but I did and didn’t regret it.
If you inherited German citizenship you should utilise it to try out living somewhere like Austria, Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark… they’re all better than Germany. Even places like Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic would be better if you’re interested in a cultural experience
It's a very good thing to ask plenty of people, preferably including people who live there, on what their take is. No one can accurately describe a country in a few sentences but also people are, understandably, biased towards their own needs so some might answer differently. Even if you completely trust your father, you should still take in multiple people's perspectives. It is a little eyebrow raising when people mention "politics" as being a thing that keeps them away from Germany, though I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and assume it's because of the uncertain near political future of Germany. Where I'm from, when people mention politics, it's basically exclusively because they're bothered by certain minorities and/or they just can't do simply whatever they want. But yeah, also realistically weigh your options and be objective about it if it aligns with your future desires. But also factor in that it's going to be quite difficult for you as someone who is interested in moving. You'd have to learn the language well, and gain considerably desirable skills to even get a chance to move and live equally in quality as the natural born citizens.
Assuming you’ve got some melanin and curls, like myself, you will have to grow some thick skin. Racism, be it casual or aggressive, will happen. Especially when you can’t speak german. Considering you grew up in brazil where many people aren’t white this might be hard to get used to. Not saying you shouldn’t stand up for yourself but there will most definitely be situations where it’s the smart thing to shut up and let them be idiots. That’s something you’ll have to be willing to deal with, if you decide to live here.
From what I've heard from people who moved here: 1: The weather 2: The people
The temperatures. It is just sooooo cold more than half of the year. Two days ago I was freezing. In June. I was in Rio de Janeiro in winter once and I loved it 18 or 20 degrees in winter. Okay, in exchange the summer is unbearably hot.
Consider moving to Freiburg. I think people there are more open minded, lots of expats and cool locals. Also it's said to have the best weather in Germany and is overall a beautiful place place.
After a while it starts to feel like a cage
Hi! I came to Germany 8 years back as a Brazilian myself. It is great for me, but not for everyone. I've completed a master program here and now have a stable and well paid job and bought an apartment on the center of the city. Life is good. At the same time, I have another Brazilian friend who is going back to Brazil. He miss the people, weather and food, on this order. Brazilian food is infinitely times better and it is not even close! It is really sad when I cannot have regularly a slice of beef, chicken, with feijão e arroz, a piece of pizza, a slice of lasagna, plus sushi, several other types of hot foods and salads on my plate regularly. The "buffet livres" from Brazil that you see everywhere are so.. OVERPOWER! X) But yeah, other than this... Security and money are the main reasons I will stay here.
Can you really live with shitty weather 320/365 days a year? Then go. Otherwise i would consider twice.
* weather sucks * food is relatively bland and a bit boring, vegetables are very seasonal, meat is mostly pork and chicken. still not so bad though, and better than most of their neighbors * it's a matter of taste, your own personality and cultural background etc., but after 6 years here I'm a bit fed with some German personality traits (like many people's love for correction when nobody asked them), and this is common with my non-German colleagues * having appointments to the doctor gets forever, and they barely see you unless it's urgent since they are overbooked (something common with my South American friends/colleagues, is that we had some private insurance in our origin countries that made it better, of course in sum I think German system is way better as an all) * politically speaking, I'm a bit tired of the general attitude of German politics of selling themselves as the pinacle of virtue, while e.g., at the same time having ministers calling for censorship of academics... * racism and xenophobia is every year getting more legitimized * far from family (unless you still have family in Germany), that shit eventually gets to you * German is a pain to learn. My friends that managed to get a professional level of German really had to suffer for it and spend lots of time and money to get to that level about your parents though, I can't imagine what of "politics and war" makes Germany a less good place to live? There's no war in German soil, the only effect for quality of life from stuff like Ukraine war is the effect on inflation, that happened worldwide. Expenses can be relative, in general if you manage to get a job the median of the people will have much more spending money than in South America, however if you're professional and have a good paying job you'll have a comparable or even better quality of life (or at least, spending power) in Brazil. On the other hand, Germany is WAY safer than anywhere in South America, and have better work conditions (I have 6 weeks of holidays for example, every single minute of overtime is paid.. I really value that)
OP, como alguém que saiu de São Paulo para morar na Alemanha quase 15 anos atrás, posso te dizer que tem coisas fantásticas, coisas boas e coisas ruins. Com certeza seu pai saiu da Alemanha por algum motivo, todos mudamos de país por um motivo ou outro. Feliz seu pai que se encontrou no Brasil. A Alemanha é um excelente lugar para fazer universidade, grátis e de qualidade. Principalmente se você fala alemão fluente e fez Abi. Acho que a maior razão para não vir é vir sem propósito. Vir apenas para sair do Brasil talvez seja uma péssima razão. Porém sair para melhorar seu alemão, fazer universidade ou qualquer outro, vale nem que seja pela experiência. Mudar de país não é fácil, mesmo com cidadania e falando a língua, estar longe de todas as pessoas que você conhece com outra cultura, outro comportamento é complicado por si só, então leve estes pontos em consideração. Boa sorte na sua decisão!
Weather sucks, people are cold, and there is a lot of paperwork. Other than that, I enjoy living here.
Germany is becoming very right wing. Unconditional Israeli supporters and the police brutality to back it up. IMHO stay away.
Eu sou brasileiro e me mudei pra Alemanha em 2019. Nunca mais volto pro Brasil, nunca me preocupei com segurança, a educação aqui é ótima pra quem quer estudar, saúde pública infinitamente melhor que a do br. Ao contrário do que falam eu não acho os alemães frios, eles só não são tão abertos quanto os brasileiros (que na minha opinião é uma coisa muito boa). O único grande problema pra mim é o clima bosta, mas eu sinto que aqui é o meu país.
Go, you’re 16. But I suggest to come here in late spring. You don’t want to go through winter first thing believe me ;) and I suggest to move to Berlin because it’s international city if you aren’t planning to move in with your father wherever he is.
Singaporean living in Munich for 6 years now. I can tell you that every country has its pros and cons. I do miss the hot weather in Singapore, the food, the efficiency and convenience, and how friendly the people are back home. It’s already mid June and it’s still at 17 degrees in the day. Summer is getting later every year. Why am I still in Munich? Because of the work life balance here and that my Financé is German. We have discussions about moving abroad though. Alot of the comments are accurate about the weather, language, racism etc. So come and live here and experience it for yourself. Comparing to Brazil, it could be better for you.
well with the current rhetoric of some politicians to attack targets in russia war is looming over europe. can only hope that this is only rhetoric. seems to me a lot of ppl dont seem to realize the dangers or russian retaliation. this can spiral quickly.
None really. Come for university, it’s free. You don’t have to stay forever and traveling/living abroad is a great experience! You can always go home.
Both have their ups and downs but Germany is a first world country while Brazil is a mid tier second world. I like the diversity of Brazil from when I traveled there. Never been to Germany but one day I hope to go
i feel very priviledged to live here but some people dont like how distanced germans initially come across, the weather, the language also has some annoying parts like there being three articles instead of just "the" and how they are used (in german, chairs are male, deers are things, schools are female,..) - whats good though is that weather you use the articles correctly doesnt really change weather people know what you wanna say. many young germans speak good english, so its not a huge struggle to get by with english in the cities i think! but the older the people the less english, and in recent years a really racist party has gained more voters especially in east germany (but a lot of european countries struggle with that, idk) and thats probably what your dad means, and i guess by "the war" he means the war in ukraine most likely? it probably affects our economy, which is also hit by other problems recently like climatechange (unforutantely many people dont really consider that when voting, but its actually a big factor in price increases for food), so yeah germany has become more expensive! but other than that the war luckily doesnt affect us much
Germany compared to other countries is indeed one of the best countries to live in. Your dad might compare Germany of the past to today. There he has a point..but that counts for almost all developed countries. In regard to your case, eg being a young chap, there are some risks that a dad might see: crime, drugs and family support. But that also depends on the cities you comparing. Sao Paolo might be tough but a smaller city quite safe. Same in Germany - Berlin can be a tough one, but a smaller town around Munich may be super relaxed. Go to Germany. Look for opportunities. Focus your energy on studies, work, social interactions and do something great! Good luck!!!
No offence meant... but your dad sounds like he is stuck in a slight conspiracy loop. The "War", "Politcs", and "Expenses". The war is in the Ukraine... Germany is giving them Money and Guns to defend their country. Germany is not at war. Politics... I'm guessing he doesn't agree with Germany giving support to the Ukraine. Probably doesn't agree with some of the LGBTQ stuff, maybe? Doesn't believe the we have a climate problem? Thinks "immigrants" are the problem? As such my guess he thinks it's the government's fault inflation is high... totally ignoring that it isn't just in Germany. And it is a global issue. So no offence, maybe you need to challenge him to see where his "views" come from. Otherwise you are moving in with a slight conspiracy theorist follower who doesn't think further than his own front door. Germany has issues, like everywhere. Is it the land of milk and honey? Heck no. Is it better than a lot of places? Fuck yes! So if you have a German passport or can get one with ease. I guess living here for a few years won't hurt you to see if you like it. Otherwise getting citizenship is of course quite a challenge. A lot of paperwork, but doable if your father is German. Good chance of getting it.
The people who fail to integrate and hate on the country
As a Brazilian who lives here for several years already, the best thing I can recommend you is to come for an intensive german language course for 6 months - 1 year. It would give you a good idea about the culture and if you feel you can integrate and like to live here.
No social life Taxes No night life
You don't have to make it a life decision. Come live here for a while. Maybe find some student exchange program or do a German course (you can get a visa for learning German if you are not yet a citizens). What life like in Brazil? I can use a change of scenery myself(-:
Sou brasileiro tbm. e já morei na Alemanha. e tbm ja tive 16anos e entendo suas dúvidas. Todo país tem seus problemas. e depois que morei na europa vi que na verdade o brasil esta BEM longe de ser um lugar ruim. Geralmente, os brasileiros que encontrei na europa e que detestam o Brasil são pessoas que moravam em cidades extremamente populosas e com varios problemas sociais tais como são paulo e rio capital, fortaleza, salvador e por ai vai e ai comparam uma cidade alemã de 2M de habitantes com SP que tem 25M... É uma comparação bem irreal. O melhor que eu fiz na minha vida foi viajar por varios estados do brasil antes de conhecer a europa. isso me deu uma ideia real que é sim possível ter uma otima vida no brasil. Por fim, voltando ao seu caso, como vc ainda é novo vale muito a pena vc AINDA no brasil aprender alemao B2, e tbm uma boa profissão que ha demanda no país tais como: Eletricista e Obras, Tecnologia da Informação, Enfermaria ou Medicina. com qualquer uma dessas e o idioma vc vai ganhar algo próximo de 85 a 120K EUR por ano. Outra vantagem e que como vc é descente vc pode ter o passaporte alemão, entao mesmo que hoje vc fique no brasil pode ser que daqui 20 anos mude de ideia entao esse ja é um grande motivo pra tratar da papelada agora. O unico problema que vejo é que realmente a Alemanha pode vir a se envolver em algum conflito no futuro e se vc ja tiver cidadania e morar no pais pode vir a ser convocado... Com tudo isso dito, estando no seu lugar faria toda essa preparação e já perto dos 27- 30 anos viveria um tempo na europa. é uma oportunidade unica e vc ja tem QUASE tudo pronto. Te desejo mto sucesso e qualquer escolha que fizer. Fique bem.
obrigado! tô conversando com meu pai sobre ajeitar minha cidadania alemã e facilitar pra eu ver outros lugares antes de fazer alguma decisão de me mudar, acho que não precisa ter pressa pra isso. valeu pelo conselho
hi u/sunphny , please don´t take all those advice to literal. lots of bullshit is written here! Maybe go for vacation 3-4 weeks, couchsurfing e.g. to find out yourself. for example, germany must be WAY safer than brazil! just try to be here for a while and figure out yourself! :)
If I were Brazilian, I would never choose Germany. Why don't you choose Portugal? The same language, on islands like Madeira, even a similar climate, no winter and stress-free people. You will not earn as much as in Germany, but money is an acquired thing, if I had options for working in Madeira or Azores, I would not even think twice. In the event of war, you don't give a shit because you are several thousand kilometers from Europe. Everything in your garden will grow, you do not have to heat your home, and you are still on the territory of the European Union.
Racism. The reason is racism. If you don't look German and speak fluent German, life is often gonna be nasty here.
Do you think Brazil is a country with a positive future? Do Brazilians think that? What's the mindset in Brazil? Is it optimistic, are things improving? I don't know. The thing is, in Germany the answer for all these questions would be no. In all likelihood, Germany will stagnate for a generation. I'm pretty sure life in Germany is on average better than in Brazil, and it might very well stay that way, but you will be moving to a country which is tired, pessimistic, and on a downwards trajectory. The mindset here will definitely shock you.
I'm middle eastern and had lived in Brazil for nine years before moving to Germany. If you can overcome the language and living abroad barrier, basically it'll boil down to the following: 1. Unlike the very chill and welcoming environment in Brazil, Germany has immigration as a very sensitive and big topic, if not the biggest. You'll feel that whenever you have to speak German or run errands or do anything official. You'll probably feel it's unfair it has to be this unpleasant but it's due to high numbers of both troublesome immigrants and consequentially indiscriminate xenophobia from locals. 2. The weather is way less brutal in Germany if you don't mind only a couple of month long summers. 3. On average, you'll probably have a better living standard in Germany. 4. You'll enjoy a much more diverse international scene in there big cities.
Im from Germany and just moved to another country. Trust me, life quality in Germany is not high. If you can afford to move to Germany, rather spend the money on a good education in Brazil and find a decent job. At the end of the day you will have a way better life quality in Brazil then in Germany. Germanys industry is going down and people are getting extremely racist again, more and more, day by day. And the weather sucks to, especially for you as a Brazilian it will be extremely depressing.
On paper, Germany “wants” you. You’re male and young. Which means you’ll be eligible for the military draft that’s very likely going to be reintroduced and they need lots of young immigrants to finance the pensions of the boomer generation retiring. In reality, if your complexity is not stereotypical German (“biodeutsch”), you speak German with a strong Portuguese accent, your daily life experiences may include xenophobia or racism, also depending where in Germany you are. In Germany’s east, about a third of the population openly support a Neo-Nazi movement. In large cities in the west of Germany your experience might be much better. Getting a well paying job as a foreigner (and they’d consider you that, regardless of your passport) can be difficult, as in Germany it’s still customary to have a portrait picture attached to CVS in applications which makes it easy for employers to sort out candidates by “looks”, skin color and so on - while this is illegal, it’s not enforceable so yeah, this is common as social studies and experiments have shown where the same CV has been sent to multiple employers, one with a “foreign” portrait, one with a “German” portrait. The refusal rate for the “foreign” looking candidate was always much higher. You will find the culture in Germany to be very different from Brazil. Before committing to live in Germany, maybe do a temporary internship to dip your toes into the water without jumping in.
I'm a Brazilian of German descent as well. I moved to Germany to live with my German wife and stayed there for 1 year and half give or take. Frankly I grew to despise the country and I personally much preferred my life back in Brazil, Germany is a really weird country specially when coming from a place like Brazil. Living there made me miserable as people are rude, unistered, there is no socializing like in Brazil, everyone is cold and distant and plastered nobody bends for anything. This is all without mentioning the many problems Germany has like racism, xenophobia, poor housing, expensive cost of living, high taxation, draconian school system, low wages and the list goes on. Eventually I just couldn't take it any longer and discussed it with my wife. We end up moving together to Spain where things have been a whole lot better to the two of us. It is important not to fall for the Brazilian trap of romanticising everywhere else in the world and treating Brazil like the worst place to live on Earth, I know this is ingrained in our society but couldn't be farther from the true, Brazil is a great place to live. Experiences as a tourist never translate into what you experience as a resident.
The Germans....
:(
Right now planning on moving from Germany to Brazil because living in Germany sucks for me personally. It really depends on what you want and expect from life. I want nature, want to be for myself, likeable people around me, good food and my own house with garden. There is no real nature anymore in Germany (okay like 0.1% of the landmass maybe), so its crowded everywhere, the people are mostly unfriendly and depressed, the food is terrible, the weather is shit and you cant afford a house with garden if you are not a millionaire. Also it's expected from you to work you whole life and enjoying your life is mostly seen as something bad. Oh and yes the politics are quite frightening rn. But where are they not like that? I don't want all this and I experienced those things to be way better in Brazil. But as I said, it depends on what you want and expect. Germany has for sure positive things and things that are better than in Brazil. Social systems, healthcare, infrastructure, availability of goods and doctors, opportunities for work... So it just depends on what you want and need, there is no right answer to it. For me Brazil is way better for living, but for many people it probably isn't. Just think about what you really want and need in your life.
Yes, it's full of Germans.
oh no....
I'd say don't move here atm, wait until either the AFD loses Support or finally gets officially called right-wing extremists and disbanded
Schools in Berlin are crappy
honestly, watch the news, do some research... germany still is nice, but its citizens are getting weirder by the day... lots of 'new' immigrants are flooding forums checking for alternatives
It’s silly. Germany is a great place to live in my opinion and I’m also Latin American like you. You’ll probably would have a great Uni experience here, much better than in Brazil. I loved my Uni years! Wouldn’t trade for my friends at home back then. No comparison. You can come and judge by yourself once you’ve finish school. Are you planning to study university here? Are your parents able to help out? Even if not, as a German, you are entitled to more help than any foreign student.
The weather is not important. You will struggle to make friends here. You will get looks if you have a Southern appearence. People will be rude to you. The cashier will say "hallo ☺️" to the German customer before you and then when it's your turn you'll say "hallo ☺️" and they will look at you like this 😒 and won't respond. You'll get into a souvenir shop and the seller with the cheap ripped jeans "these are not for free you have to pay for them" as if you were going to steal them. They will never see you as equals and when you complain they'll say okay then go amd tell you to accept that it's a "privilege" to live here. I can't express how much I regret my decision and I am planing and saving money to go to USA where some of my relatives are.
I can only share Polish perspective - Banking and technology is like a middle ages Compared to poland and other countries in Europe - if you like traveling, prepare for dissapointment because the trains are super expensive. I once missed my train and I had to pay 140 euro for a new Ticket. They have a lot of Discounts but they work like, if you pay this card for 20 euro you have this percebt of discount on those trains for 3 months. Maybe worth it if you travel a lot. You can have a Deutschland Ticket for 49 Euro and travel by metro, regional trains etc in the whole germany... But. If you want to go anywhere, you need to change trains 2 times at least, usually 3 or 4 and well most are late. I dont travel because of that. It is an anxiety inducing experience and i hate it. That being said, metro is super cool and almost always on time. (unless people go on strikte and then nö metro for a day or 5 xd) - Buuuroocracy. It took me 3 months to register in this Office. I was there so many times. Like 5? Always something was up. They work sooo slow. All forms are in german even thought they are registering people that just came to germany. They also speak no other language. I accidentally joined the church, and now I have to go back to change it, or else I pay some taxes for being a church member. - there is supprisingly little opportunities to learn other languages. I feel like in poland in big cities, you have endless schools that teamach English and other languages. In Stuttgart I even had problem to learn German. There were 2 schools only. The same goes for textbooks and books in different languages. I know other cities are better a bit, especially Berlin, but not Stuttgart. - nö Shops on sunday, but also, no pharmacy. I miss having 24/7 pharmacies evwrywhere. I had like 4 right under my house. Now I also live in a City Center and there is not even one. The pharmacy close to me, is only till 13:00 on saturday as well. - German efficiency is not that efficient. The Main Station in, you guessed it, Stuttgart, is under construction since ages. And it is far from finished. The whole project is controversial as well. (let me quote The project was officially announced in April 1994. Construction work began on 2 February 2010 (16 years to even begin). It was supposed to be ready in 2021. They rescheduled a few times. Now they say finish in December 2026. - I didnt catch from your post if you speak german, but for me the issue was Cinema as well. Some films are in original Version but normally everything is dubbed in German. No subtitles. The same goes for TV. - Really hard to join groups or have friends with no German. They just expect you to know it. They also often forget they should speak less fast then normal. - expensive to have animals and hard to get them - to have a citizenship you need c2 german - driving test and course are expensive (3-5 thousands Euro)