Moving to Germany
Legal and administrative matters | Housing & day-to-day life | For families | Languages | Living in the town of Jülich
When you move to a new country, there are many things that need to be organized and taken care of. To make your arrival as easy and pleasant as possible, we offer a wide range of services at Forschungszentrum Jülich to provide you with the best possible support. The services can also be used by international employees who have been living in Germany for some time. An overview of our support and services can be found below.
Legal and administrative matters
The International Advisory Services supports all Forschungszentrum Jülich’s employees who come from abroad, as well as their families, on international matters and matters concerning German social legislation.
For example, the team helps with the visa application process and registration of a new employee’s place of residence. It offers consultations about appropriate health insurance as well as advice regarding the German social security system. The team also informs new employees about benefits for families within the German social system, and provides up-to-date information on German tax law (e.g. double taxation agreements).
Last year, over 60 % of our international employees were supported by the International Advisory Services, and they rated their experience highly with 4.7 out of 5 stars.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has published a brochure with the most relevant information regarding entering and living in Germany.
Another helpful source is the The Federal Governments website “Make it in Germany”. Here, you can enter the country you come from to receive tailored information about relevant steps that need to be taken before you move to Germany.
Housing & day-to-day life
In addition to all the administrative steps in preparation for coming to Germany, a relocation also means fundamental changes to your day-to-day life. New hires at Forschungszentrum Jülich have the option of renting a room or apartment in our guesthouse for a limited period of time. Forschungszentrum Jülich also offers an internal portal called “WohnPortal” where you can find advertisements for housing. This is a good alternative to the popular housing websites in Germany.
In addition, International Advisory Services provides support on other useful things for everyday life, like using a foreign driving licence in Germany, opening a bank account, or enrolling children of compulsory school age in school.
If you would like to know more about average costs of living in Germany, an indication is given on this website provided by Research in Germany.
For families
The Equal Opportunities Bureau offers services to employees, their partners, children, and direct relatives on topics relating to the reconciliation of work and private life.
In addition to individual consultations, the team also provides support in finding suitable schools and childcare options, including kindergarten, childminders, or babysitters. Kindergartens are early educational daycare centres; childminders care for a small group of toddlers in a home setting; and babysitters offer flexible short-term childcare. Usually, at the age of six, children in Germany start school. Many schools also provide all-day options.
Our Job Journey for Women provides an overview of how we especially support women in balancing career and caregiving responsibilities.
Dual career support: We offer support for the partners of employees in leadership positions and help them find suitable jobs. In this way, we ensure that not only you, but also your family, is supported throughout your new professional career.
Languages
English is one of the main languages spoken in our research institutes and in everyday work. However, language use varies between the institutes and research groups, with e.g. Hindi, Italian or Spanish also being commonly used next to English.
Most likely administrative communication is often conducted in German. Therefore, knowledge of German opens doors – both professionally and socially – and helps you integrate more easily into life in Germany. Forschungszentrum Jülich offers various opportunities to learn and improve German (or another language).
Living in the town of Jülich
When you work at Forschungszentrum Jülich, you are probably also thinking about moving to the area. The closest town is Jülich itself, and in the surrounding area, you will find the city of Düren. The cities of Aachen, Cologne, and Düsseldorf are not far away and can be reached by car or train. You can find more information about the Jülich Campus and other sites on our website "Jülich and Other Sites".
To learn more about the Rhineland, the region in which we are situated, and what it has to offer to international professionals, we recommend watching the video produced by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce below.
