Important changes

• From October 1, cars in Germany must have winter tyres. Otherwise, expect a fine of 60€ and a point in Flensburg.
• As of October 5, 2025, Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, and North Macedonia will be part of the SEPA area. Earlier, transfers to these countries were treated as international transfers. Not anymore. You can send money to these countries via SEPA transfer, just like within Germany. [1, 2]
• The gold price set a new record high this week. It crossed the 3800$ mark. One of the reasons for this surge is people losing trust in the US dollar and in general fiat currencies. [1]
• Winter is here, so is the wintertime. On October 26th, the clocks will go back from 3:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
• The new entry-exit system will go live on 12th October. More on this later.
• No radio tax for students. Students who recieve BAföG and don't live with their parents can apply for exemption from paying the broadcasting fee. You can apply for an exemption here. [1]

Keep this in mind when traveling within the EU

The Schengen Area is launching a new entry and exit system. It's called EES (Entry/Exit System). It starts on October 12.

Who does this affect?

The system applies to travelers from countries outside the EU, EEA, and Switzerland. This includes people from the USA, Canada, China, India, etc.

What changes?

Passport stamps will stop. Instead, your data will be recorded digitally. This includes:

• Your travel documents
• Your fingerprints
• A photo of your face

Exception: Children under 12 won't have their fingerprints taken.

When will it be fully ready?

There will be a transition period of about six months. During this period, both the old and new systems will be utilized. The system is expected to be fully operational by spring 2026.

What should you keep in mind?

The new EES system will ask if you have a valid medical insurance to cover your medical and repatriation costs during your stay. If you select no, a local officer will be notified. The officer may reject your entry if you can't show proof of valid medical insurance.

This happened to passengers travelling from the UK to France.

Never enter false information. Random inspections will be carried out. If you cannot show proof of your answers, you may face penalties or be denied entry.

Thus, you should get a valid travel health insurance even if it's not mandatory for you.

You can get good travel health insurance for under 45€ for your whole family. It covers all your trips for the whole year.

​Best travel health insurance in Germany ->​

We highly recommend that every traveller get it.

What about EU citizens?

Nothing changes for you. If you're a German or European citizen, you don't need an EES. Just show your passport as usual.

When Dental Insurance Is Too Late

The dentist says you need a treatment soon. Can you get dental insurance now?

No. Once your dentist recommends or starts a treatment, you can't get coverage for that tooth anymore. This is true even without a treatment plan or cost estimate.

Your teeth are fine now. But you know you'll need treatment soon.

In this case, contact an insurance broker. A broker can request an anonymous offer from several insurance companies for you.

This way, even if an insurance company rejects you, it won't affect your chances of getting a policy from another insurer.

You have missing teeth. They're replaced with implants and crowns. Can you still get insurance?

Yes, you can. Insurers don't count bridges, crowns, or implants as missing teeth. The gap is already filled.

You must answer all questions on your application honestly. If you lie, the insurer has the right to cancel your policy and claim back any benefits that have already been paid.

Always work with an insurance broker if you have dental issues. They can help you get better and more affordable offers.

What is the right time to get dental insurance?

In general, don't wait to get the insurance policy till you develop dental problems for three reasons

• The dental policy gets too expensive if you have existing dental issues.
• Your choice of insurance companies gets limited
• It's tough to find an insurance company that accepts you as a customer.

As per the statistics, you should consider getting dental insurance once you are 35 years old. Smokers should consider getting insurance even sooner.

What are the best dental insurance plans?

In our research, we found

• ​Deutsche Familienversicherung AG* (Exclusiv 100),
• Allianz (MeinZahnschutz 100)

among the best dental insurance plans in Germany as of 2025. You can read how we found the best dental insurance plans here.

Family Health Insurance

Learn more about family health insurance.

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Lufthansa Pilots Are Planning a Strike - Your Rights as a Customer

A pilot strike is looming at Lufthansa. [1] The timing of the strike remains unclear.

In the event of a flight cancellation or delay, you have the following rights.

• Compensation: Your flight was canceled or delayed by three hours or more? You can get compensation of up to 600€ per person, depending on the travel distance.
• Alternative Transportation: The airline must offer you another way to reach your destination. This can be another flight or a train. You can suggest alternatives yourself.
• Food and Hotel: You have to wait? The airline must pay for your meals. They must also pay for a hotel and transport if needed. Did you pay yourself? Keep all receipts. Send them to the airline later.
• Time Limits: You have three years to claim your money. The time starts at the end of the year when you flew. Example: You can still claim money for flights from 2022 until the end of 2025.
• How to Get Your Money:
  1. First, contact the airline. Use their online form or write to them.
  2. Use the "Flugärger" app from the NRW Consumer Advice Center (web, app). The app helps you figure out what you can claim. It even creates an email for you to send to the airline.
  3. You don't want to handle claims on your own. You can use portals like FlightRight* to file a claim on your behalf. Suppose the airline refuses to pay. FlightRight will hire an attorney on your behalf. You don't pay anything to these portals up front. They keep 30% to 50% of the claim amount if you win.

Are there special rights when it comes to strikes?

Yes, if your flight was canceled because of a strike, you have the right to get either

• a new flight or
• a complete refund.

You can also get a lump sum compensation (€250 to €600) depending on the type of strike.

• Airline staff on strike (pilots, flight attendants)? You get compensation.
• External staff on strike (airport workers)? Usually, no compensation.

Sources: 1, 2, 3​

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Latest News

• Drone sightings at Munich Airport led to the cancellation of 17 flights and the diversion of 15 others. It left around 3,000 passengers stranded overnight. Politicians are calling for stricter measures, including laws to allow police or even the military to shoot down drones. [1]
• Belgium is urging other EU countries to share the risks of using frozen Russian assets. The EU plans to utilize the frozen Russian assets to issue a €140 billion loan to Ukraine. Belgium holds several Russian assets. This is why Belgian leaders want guarantees to avoid bearing all the legal and financial burden alone. [2]
• Oktoberfest in Munich was temporarily closed after a bomb threat. Now, hospitality groups have proposed extending the fest to make up for lost hours. However, the organizers find the proposal unviable due to the staff shortage. [3]

Community Shoutouts! 📣

• ​SIM24* is offering a 20GB mobile data plan for 4.99€ per month.
• ​C24* is offering a 75€ bonus for opening a new account. You must also transfer your existing checking account using the CHECK24 account switching service.
• Perplexity is offering a 12-month Pro subscription for free. You can sign up here.
• Google Gemini is offering a 12-month free Pro subscription to students. You can get it here.
• ​Join our Facebook community. Ask questions, share experiences, join webinars, and stay updated about your rights, laws, and latest changes in real time.
• Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, Instagram, and Pinterest to get more insights about Germany daily.

New and recently updated guides

• ​Understand how the pension in Gemrany works?​
• ​What benefits do parents get when their child is sick?​
• ​Don't buy residual debt insurance when taking out a mortgage in Germany​
• ​Check if your child is ready for school in Germany​

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