Important changes

• The German government stops issuing family reunification visas to refugees with subsidiary protection status. This policy primarily impacts Syrian refugees in Germany. The policy bars refugees' immediate family members from joining them in Germany. Germany's interior minister, Dobrindt, argues that this measure aims to reduce migration inflows and address public concerns about integration and resource strain. [1]
• Abolition of the remonstration procedure from 1 July 2025. This means applicants can no longer request a review of their denied visas. [2]
• Stricter rules for ETFs to qualify as "sustainable" or "green." Earlier, every company defined "sustainability" in its own way. Thus, leading to ambiguity. Not anymore. The EU implemented clear guidelines on what qualifies as sustainable and a uniform set of rules on when an ETF may use terms such as transformation, environment, or sustainability in its name. [3]
• A new generation of radios will support a disaster warning technology called Automatic Safety Alert (ASA). This technology can warn even when the radio is turned off. These radios will be available soon for purchase. You can identify them by the ASA logo. [4, 5]

Apartment keys - Your rights as a tenant in Germany

Key Ownership:

Apartment keys are the landlord’s property; you, as a tenant, are responsible for keeping them safe.

Tenant Rights:

• Each resident, including children, should receive one key; single-person households typically get two keys. This rule applies only to keys that give access to the apartment and not to shared areas. Keys for shared areas (e.g., basement, mailbox) can be limited.
• If needed, you can have extra keys made at your own cost with a valid reason and the landlord's permission. The key smith requires an authorization certificate from the landlord to create duplicate keys.

Landlord’s Key Access:

• Landlords must hand over all the keys and cannot keep spares without your consent.
• The landlord cannot enter the apartment without your consent.
• You should inform the landlord who holds a spare key for emergencies (e.g., water damage). This way, the landlord can access the apartment in case of emergencies.

Additional Security Locks:

• You can install an additional security lock. However, you require the landlord's consent. A Berlin court rules that the tenant's safety takes precedence over the landlord's consent.
• When moving out, you must restore the property to its original condition. This means removing the additional lock and fixing the door if necessary.

Lock Replacement:

• You can replace door locks at your own expense without the landlord's permission. However, you must keep the old lock. This way, you can install the old lock back when moving out of the property.
• If the lock stops working, the Landlord must pay for its replacement. However, if you damage the lock, you cover the costs.

Lost or Stolen Keys:

• You must notify the landlord of lost or stolen keys, especially if your personal ID was also stolen with the keys. The reason is that the thief knows your address (ID) and can use the keys to enter the property.
• If you conceal the loss of a key from your landlord, you risk being held liable for any resulting damage.
• You have to pay if you are responsible for losing the key.
• If keys are stolen without your fault (e.g., stolen from your pocket), you are not responsible for the loss. In this case, the landlord covers the lock replacement costs.

If the keys to open the building door and the apartment door are the same, you must replace the building door lock and the apartment door lock of all the apartments. In this case, the cost of lock replacement quickly adds up to thousands of euros.

Thus, having good private liability insurance that covers the cost of lock replacement can save you a lot of money.

Home buying process (Promotion)

Learn everything about buying a house in Germany in our ebook.

The federal government injects 800 million into public health insurance funds

As you all know, the German public healthcare system is struggling financially due to the aging population and inflation.

To fix the short-term problem, the federal government injected €800 million into public health insurance funds.

As per the BKK Dachverband, this only postpones the underlying problem. This promotes plugging short-term gaps and neglecting long-term solutions. [1]

BKK Dachverband said the health insurance funds' reserves are at a point where the next financial bottleneck is inevitable. Thus, injecting money won't solve the need for structural reforms.

What can you do about it?

If you are a high earner, you can move to private health insurance (PKV). However, PKV is not all roses.

If you get a poor PKV plan, you will end up in old age poverty due to increased premiums or lack of medical coverage. Thus, you must consult an insurance broker before taking private health insurance.

In the end, regardless of which health insurance you have, you must save to cover

• unexpected medical costs and the
• expected increase in health insurance premiums over time.

You can open a savings account* and deposit a fixed sum monthly. This will act as a financial cushion to cover medical and insurance costs.

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Bike theft - how do you protect yourself?

Average number of bike thefts in Germany

The summer is here. And you would like to use your bike more often than before.

This increases the risk of your bike being stolen.

According to the 2023 police crime statistics, here is how many bikes were stolen per 100,000 inhabitants. [1]

• Berlin – 766 bicycle thefts per 100,000 inhabitants
• Remscheid – 60 bicycle thefts per 100,000 inhabitants
• Göttingen – 2,009 bicycle thefts per 100,000 inhabitants

How can you protect yourself?

Here are a few preventive ways you already practice.

• Buy a good lock and always lock your bike.
• Park your bike in a safe, closed place, if possible.

However, thieves still manage to steal the bikes. This is where bike theft insurance offers protection.

Bike theft insurance pays the new value of the bike if it gets stolen.

Is bike theft insurance worth it?

The decision to take bike theft insurance depends on the following factors.

• Value of your bike: The expensive the bike, the more sense it makes to get bike theft insurance. As a rule of thumb, if your bike costs more than 1500€, you should consider getting bike theft insurance.
• Parking situation: Do you have a safe parking space? If not, get bike theft insurance.
• Frequency of bike usage: The more you use your bike, the more likely it is to be stolen.
• Area you live or work: Have you heard of theft in the area where you live or work?

As per Stiftung Warentest, those who don't have bike theft insurance lose money on average.

You can compare bike insurance on Check24 and Verivox. You can also compare the coverage offered by Feather bike theft insurance*.

What should a good bike theft insurance cover?

• The insurer should pay the new value of the entire bike or individual parts. The new value compensation should be valid for several years.
• Your contract shouldn't have complicated requirements for keeping the bike safe.
• The policy must cover parts like tires and saddles.
• The insurer must pay even if only parts of the bike are stolen.
• For ebikes, check the battery coverage. The policy must cover the cost of a stolen battery and the replacement cost of a battery that performs below 60% of its original capacity.

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Latest News

• There has been a drop in "illegal" migrants after increased border checks. As per Die Welt, 22,170 illegal entries have been recorded in 2025 so far. During the same period, 83,572 illegal entries were recorded in 2024 and 127,549 in 2023. [1]
• Less tax revenue: The German government will collect around €81.2 billion less in taxes between 2025 and 2029 than the previous forecast. This is because of the weak German economy and aging population. [2]
• India and Pakistan extended the ceasefire agreement until 18 May. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister urged the resumption of a “composite dialogue” with India. [3]
• Trump lifted U.S. sanctions on Syria. [4]

Trump's visit to the Middle East

U.S. President Donald Trump recently visited Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE). According to the WhiteHouse.gov, the trip locked in over $2 trillion in deals with the three Gulf countries.

Here is a breakdown.

• $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Arabia signed a $142 billion arms deal for weapons, missile defense, and military training.
  • DataVolt committed $20 billion for AI data centers in the U.S.
• $1.2 trillion economic exchange agreement with Qatar
  • $243.5 billion in U.S.-Qatar commercial and defense deals
  • Qatar Airways placed orders for 160 jetliners plus options to buy 50 more. The deal is worth $96bn
  • Qatar purchases $42bn of military hardware from the US.
• $200 billion in deals with the United Arab Emirates.
  • UAE and U.S. partnered to build a massive AI data center in Abu Dhabi.
  • Etihad Airways is buying 28 Boeing aircraft.

Criticism

• Some question the deals’ feasibility due to Saudi budget limits and vague details.
• Trump family business ties in the Gulf raise conflict-of-interest worries.

Sources: [1, 2, 3]

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