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Important changes
- The Deutschlandticket will cost €63 per month from 2026. You may need to actively accept the price increase or cancel by December 10th, depending on your provider.
- Stricter credit checks for "Buy Now, Pay Later" purchases and mini-loans. From November 20, 2025, all short-term, digital "Buy Now, Pay Later" loans and mini-loans require formal credit-worthiness checks (EU Consumer Credit Directive 2023/2225).
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Young vs retired
CDU supports a pension reform package that seeks to
- maintain the statutory pension level at 48% of average income until 2031 and
- protect current pensioners' benefits.
However, the youth wing of the CDU/CSU (Junge Union) rejects this proposal. They warn that the guaranteed pension level creates an unsustainable financial burden (additional €120 billion in costs between 2031 and 2040).
The Junge Union argues that it's unfair to ask younger workers to pay for the older generation's retirement without meaningful structural reforms.
You can already expect the pension contributions to rise from the current 18.6% to presumably 19% or 20% by 2027.
Add the struggling German health insurance in the mix, and it's a recipe for the collapse of the great German social security system.
Public health insurance premiums will increase sharply in 2026 and will continue to rise. Read more about it in our last newsletter.
What does this mean for you?
The number of retirees in Germany is increasing. The politicians can't ignore this voter group. Thus, the inclination to retiree-friendly policies is high.
This means you can't rely solely on the public system. You must secure your retirement yourself.
Here are some ways you can do this.
- Invest in diversified ETFs, such as the MSCI World ETF. You can open a free trading account and start an ETF savings plan to invest a fixed amount every month automatically.
- Private pension plans.
- Savings account. You can check savings accounts here*.
Sources: euronews, finanztip
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Citizenship law update
Key takeaways from Germany's new citizenship law, effective October 30, 2025.
- No more fast-track citizenship: The option for “turbo” naturalisation after just three years of residence has been abolished. All applicants must now have five years of legal residence in Germany.
- Applications submitted under the old law will be reviewed under the new requirements. If you have not fulfilled the five-year residency requirement, your application will likely be rejected.
- Dual citizenship is still allowed.
- Stricter requirements remain: You must have sufficient German language skills, be able to support yourself financially, and have a clean criminal record. Convictions for racist, antisemitic, or other hate crimes disqualify you.
Sources: Federal Government, Federal Foreign Office
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Black Friday deals for you
Black Friday is here. You must be receiving tons of discount offers in your inbox.
We also have a special black friday deal for you on our two products.
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Winter is coming
Here are a few things you should know about winter in Germany.
- Winter tires are mandatory by law: Driving without “winterreifen” (marked with the snowflake symbol) is illegal and can result in fines, even for short trips.
- Sidewalk snow clearing is your responsibility: You are obligated to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of the building, usually by 7 a.m. Usually, your Hausverwaltung handles snow removal if you live in an apartment. You pay for this service. Check your annual utility bill sent to you by your landlord for the item "Winterdienst".
- Grit or sand instead of salt: In Germany, using salt to de-ice walkways is prohibited for environmental reasons. You should use sand or special grit ("Streugut") instead.
- Ventilate frequently to prevent mold: Open windows for 5–10 minutes a few times daily (“Stoßlüften”). Keeping windows on “tilt” isn't enough.
- Check for frozen pipes: If away from home, ensure minimal heating (“Frostschutz”) to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
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Write a letter to Santa
In Germany, children can write letters to Santa Claus. They must address the letters to one of the following Christmas post offices operated by Deutsche Post.
- An den Weihnachtsmann, Weihnachtspostfiliale, 16798 Himmelpfort
- An das Christkind, 51777 Engelskirchen.
- An den Weihnachtsmann, Himmelsthür, 31137 Hildesheim
- An das Christkind, 21709 Himmelpforten
- An das Christkind, 97267 Himmelstadt
- An den Nikolaus, 49681 Nikolausdorf
- An den Nikolaus, Nikolausplatz, 66351 St. Nikolaus
Teams of volunteers and Deutsche Post employees personally reply to each letter. Your letters must have a return address and arrive by December 8 to ensure a reply before Christmas.
Every year, around 600,000 letters are processed by these post offices.
Source: meinbavaria.de
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Dirty talk?
Germans have a uniquely playful sense of humor, and Deutsche Bahn's latest campaign proves it.
"Dirty talk" is not what you think.
True to their famously direct communication style, Germans mean it literally: call this number if you spot dirt, garbage, or maintenance issues anywhere at the Bahnhof.
It's wordplay meets practicality.
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Current Black Friday Deals
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Firing and hiring
Germany's unemployment has risen above 3 million for the first time in over a decade, reaching 3.025 million in August 2025. The unemployment rate stands at 6.3%.
According to the German Economic Institute (IW), 38% of companies plan to cut jobs in 2026, while only 18% plan to create new positions.
Despite this, 27% of firms reported labor shortages in 2025. This highlights a mismatch between the available workforce and the required skills.
Major companies that are cutting jobs
- Volkswagen: Cutting 35,000 jobs by 2030 (25% of its German workforce).
- Audi (Volkswagen subsidiary): Eliminating 7,500 jobs in Germany by 2029 (8% of global workforce) in administration and development roles.
- Mercedes-Benz: 40,000 employees offered voluntary exit packages.
- Bosch: Cutting 22,000 jobs.
- Continental: Cutting 3,000 R&D jobs by the end of 2026. This follows 7,150 job cuts in its automotive division.
- ZF Friedrichshafen: Reducing 14,000 jobs in Germany by 2030. 7,600 jobs in its electrified drivetrain division.
- MAN (truck manufacturer): Planning to cut 2,300 jobs in Germany over 10 years through natural attrition.
- Schaeffler: Eliminating 2,800 jobs in Germany between 2025-2027.
- ThyssenKrupp Steel: Cutting 11,000 jobs by 2030 (40% of workforce).
Sectors that are hiring
Healthcare & Digital Health
- Doctors (especially geriatrics, cardiology, neurology)
- Nurses (geriatric and critical care)
- Digital Health Specialists
- Telemedicine experts
- Healthcare IT professionals
- Health data analytics specialists
Green Energy & Sustainability
- Renewable Energy Engineers (wind, solar, geothermal)
- Environmental Engineers
- Energy Consultants
- Sustainability Managers
Skilled Trades
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Construction workers
- Carpenters
Finance & Fintech
- Fintech developers
- Blockchain engineers
- Risk analysts
- Compliance officers
Sources: reuters, dw, eurometal, careerbee
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A Request 🙏
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You can help us compete in Google search by leaving reviews on Google. These really (yes, really) help and are a vital part of Google's discovery and recommendation algorithms.
So, if you find what we are doing helpful, please leave a simple star rating or a short review on Google. This will help more users discover GermanPedia.
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Latest News
- Germany is reducing the financial benefits for newly arrived Ukrainian migrants. As per the new rules, Ukrainians who arrived or will arrive after April 1 will receive less monthly support, lose automatic access to health care, and face stricter work requirements. [1]
- President Trump has given Ukraine less than a week to accept his 28-point peace proposal. The proposal requires Ukraine to cede territory, limit its military, and renounce NATO membership. These are all the demands Russia has long sought. President Zelensky framed the ultimatum as presenting Ukraine with a choice between losing its dignity or losing US support. European leaders, including Germany, France, and Britain, have pledged continued support for Ukraine while expressing concern that decisions about Ukraine should not be made without its input. [2]
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Community Shoutouts! 📣
- SIM24* is offering a 60GB mobile data plan for 9.99€ 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.
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