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Recent changes that affect expats in Germany

Published over 1 year ago • 4 min read

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Your unfair advantage in Germany

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This week's newsletter will be short. We'll focus on the changes happening in Germany that affect expats.

Changes in Germany that affect you

Transport

  • Deutschlandticket price will increase from 49€ to 58€ per month from 2025.

Health Insurance

  • Increase in public health insurance premiums: In 2025, the maximum income threshold will increase from 5175€ to 5512.5€, a 6.5% increase. In addition, the "additional contribution" rate will increase by at least 0.6% in 2025.
  • Increase in private health insurance premiums: According to PKV, private insurers will increase premiums by 12% on average in 2025. However, abrupt premium increases are normal in private insurance. This is because insurers can only increase the premium once the cost of insurance benefits in the tariff has increased by at least 10%. You can read more about this here.

Tax

  • The basic tax-free allowance will increase: For the years 2025 and 2026, the basic allowance will increase by 300€ to 12,084€ and by 252€ to 12,336 euros, respectively.
  • Child benefits will increase from 250€ to 255€ per month on 1 January 2025. It'll be 259€ in 2026.

Politics

  • Stricter border control implemented by Germany
  • AfD received close to 30% votes in Brandenburg. AfD leadership in Brandenburg is considered especially radical and the state intelligence service has listed it as "suspected right-wing extremist."
  • AfD is attracting young voters: According to a poll by public broadcaster ARD, 32% of voters between the ages of 16 and 24 in Brandenburg voted for the AfD.

Strikes

  • Berlin's kita staff is on an unlimited strike: From 30 September (Monday), around 2900 Kitas in Berlin will be closed.

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Subletting in Germany

Learn about subletting in Germany. What are your rights? What can you do if your landlord refuses to give permission? How much rent can you charge for subletting? And more.

Launched a new tool to create sublet contracts online 🥳

Subletting is very common in Germany. It's vital for the main tenant and the sub-tenant to have a sublet contract. Now, you can create one online for free.
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Freebies

Check out our shop to download freebies like rental contracts, checklists, books, etc. We created several free products to make settling in Germany easy for you.

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Disclaimer

The information provided here is based on our own experience and in-depth research. The content might be inaccurate. It should not be considered financial, insurance, tax, legal, or any kind of advice.

We are not certified brokers or consultants. Always do your research and contact certified professionals before making any decision. GermanPedia disclaims any and all liability for damages or losses arising from the use of this document.

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GermanPedia

Wikipedia for expats to succeed in Germany

Learn something new about Germany every day. We cover every aspect of life in Germany: insurance, tax, real estate, schooling, scams, etc.

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