Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
in Germany
A guide for young Canadians
interested in working
and travelling in Germany
Published by
the Embassy of Canada and
the Embassy of Germany
1
Table of Contents
1
Discover Germany
2
• hold comprehensive health and liability 2. Assistance by Service Providers
insurance coverage (minimum 30.000 If you would like to use the assistance
EUR) of a service provider, please contact
• obtain a YMA visa from the German the organisation you have selected
Embassy/Consulate General. Clearly for information on how to apply.
indicate to the Embassy/Consulate Most will help you to prepare and sub-
General that you are submitting an mit your application for a YMA visa
application under the Youth Mobility to the German Embassy or consulate.
Agreement Some can also help you find a job in
• plan to stay for up to one year Germany and/or offer you support
after you arrive.
There are many types of travel and work
Youth Mobility Opportunities available. Some programs have specific
– the Choice is Yours mandates, and you may choose to apply
for these programs if you meet the
1. Independent Arrangements qualifications. In terms of finding work,
If you intend to apply independently, appli- some programs will assist you while
cations are available in the visa section others leave it up to you to find your
of the website of the German Embassy own employment.
in Ottawa (www.ottawa.diplo.de). It is important that you become familiar
Use the form “application for a residence with the types of programs that are
permit”, not the “Schengen” application available, choose what suits you best
form! Fill out the application form and and then apply. German Classes
submit it, along with the required docu- We have listed some of the Youth Mobility If you plan to par-
ments, to the German Embassy or Con- Programs available in addition to web- ticipate in one of
sulate nearest you (Ottawa, Toronto or site addresses we encourage you to the work and travel
Vancouver). explore. Investing in some research up programs in Ger-
If your application is accepted, you will front will help you find the program many and present
receive a YMA visa with a combined that is right for you. this voucher to
residency and work permit which will the Goethe Insti-
authorize you to stay and work in Ger- tute in Montréal,
&
many for up to 12 months. Canadian - Toronto, Vancou-
enroll
on
le r ma you will be
eligib 0% Ge uage
want to work, may do so without apply- r a 2 la n g eligible for
f o
unt cour s
e
ing for a visa. Please note that a YMA disco r a discount
u
o n yo
visa cannot be obtained after arriving of 20%
in Germany. on German
language training.
3
Working in Germany
4
! How do I apply? Duration of Program
You must register by January 10th. Length of program can vary between
A small non-refundable registration 8 and 52 weeks any time in the year,
fee is required. In some cases, your depending on the offer of employment,
round-trip fare and room and board but most placements are during the
in Germany may be subsidized. summer months.
5
Working in Germany
6
Other Work & Travel Programs Au Pair Programs
A “cultural exchange experience” for both
Co-op Education Programs the au pair and the German family
To promote international relations and involved. An au pair is a live-in part-
intensify cooperation in education time child caregiver who may also be
and research, Canadian colleges and expected to perform light housekeeping
universities enter into agreements with duties, in exchange for which he or she
foreign educational institutions that receives room and board and pocket
have similar objectives. money.
These initiatives provide students with an
opportunity to gain valuable experience To be eligible you must:
related to their current academic field • be between 18 and 25 years old
of study, and help prepare them for a • have a basic command of German
successful transition from school to the
working world. Duration of Program
• 6 to 12 months
To be eligible you must:
• be a full-time student at the time ! How do I apply?
of application, and For more information, contact one of the
• be enrolled in a co-op program at a agencies that offer quality assured
participating post-secondary institution. conditions, i.e. that has been certified
by the organisation “Gütegemeinschaft
Duration of Participation Au pair”, which issues a guarantee,
Exchange co-op students may study and called the “RAL Quality Seal”. Informa-
work abroad for up to one year, depen- tion material, counselling and placement
ding on the agreement with the host are free of charge for incoming au pairs.
institution. For a list of certified agencies, please
visit guetegemeinschaft-aupair.de and
! How do I apply? apply at least three to four months
Students wishing to work or study abroad in advance.
should contact their own college or
university for details on the various
programs and eligibility requirements. More programs are available at the
Visit the Web site of the Canadian Asso- following websites of Foreign Affairs
ciation for Co-op Education at cafce.ca and International Trade Canada:
for an updated list of participating Please visit youthonthemove.gc.ca
institutions. and international.gc.ca/123go.
7
Working in Germany
Service Providers at a Glance
Requirements SWAP CAUTG IAESTE
General profile SWAP is a service provider CAUTG enables students IAESTE is a service provider
that organizes opportunities to improve their knowledge that enables students to
for young Canadians, both of German by working and combine travel with a career-
students and non-students, travelling in Germany during related job
to work and travel their summer holidays
Eligibility by age 18 - 35 18 - 30 19 - 30
Student status Any young adult Yes, enrolled at a post-secon- Yes (Graduating
dary institution that has students not eligible)
membership in CAUTG
Paid employment Yes Yes; work is primarily in Approx. $1200 per month
the hotel and restaurant
industry
Accommodation Two nights included in Berlin Some assistance provided by Provided through IAESTE
upon arrival, then assistance CAUTG. May be dependent or employer but paid by
from local service provider on employer situation student
German language – Must be able to demonstrate Working language of IAESTE
requirements a working knowledge of Ger- found jobs is English.
man Sometimes employer will
request working knowledge
of German
Deadline – January 10 Early December
Website www.swap.ca yorku.ca/wsp queensu.ca/iaeste
Where to apply Any office of Travel CUTS/ Through German Depart- queensu.ca/iaeste
Voyages Campus in Canada ment at University
Other Reception arrangements, DAAD sponsors 3-day-semi- Reception arrangements by
SWAP office access, mail nar in Bonn and provides IAESTE Germany
access, emergency assistance, small subsidy towards air
arrival orientation and on- travel
going counseling
* Note: The assistance of service providers might be helpful and convenient, but is not a precondition for a stay in Germany
in the framework of the Youth Moblity Agreement!
8
Service Providers at a Glance
Requirements AIESEC PAD RISE
General profile AIESEC is a member based PAD places students Summer Research Internships
organization that enables in positions as English in Science and Engineering
students and recent gradu- language assistants at
ates to live and work in secondary schools
Germany
Eligibility by age 18 - 26 max. 29 –
Student status Yes Must have B.A. degree Enrolled as a full-time student
at University or College in
third or fourth year
Required funds – – –
Accommodation Assists you in finding accom- Schools provide support Housing assistance provided
modation by program, student pays
This chart represents a sampling of programs, and many more opportunities exist.
Potential participants are encouraged to explore the websites.
9
Living in Germany
10
After you Arrive Most people in Germany speak English,
• Registration – Once you are inside however it is recommended to learn
the country, your first stop will be the some German prior to departure.
Registration Office (Einwohnermelde-
amt) or citizens’ office (Bürgerbüro or Depending on how long you are staying,
Bürgeramt). All residents in Germany, you may need to provide a deposit and
citizens and foreigners, must register perhaps sign a rental agreement – but
within a week of moving to a new all of this varies depending on your
house or apartment. You will need your accommodation preferences.
passport with your YMA visa and your
lease, including the address of your Useful websites
landlord. The YMA visa should indicate • mitwohnzentrale.de
in German “Jede Beschäftigung gestat- • studenten-wg.de
tet“, meaning that no further residence • immobilienscout24.de
or work permit from the local immigra- • couchsurfing.com
tion office (Ausländerbehörde) is requi- • deutschland-wg.de
red. You will receive a Confirmation of • websites of the city and nearest
your Registration (Anmeldebestätigung). university
This is your proof that you are a legal
resident of your community and it might Telephone
be needed for all sorts of services and Depending on the length of your stay
paperwork. Don’t forget to cancel your in Germany you can either register for
registration when moving back to a regular telephone connection or a
Canada. Please note that fees apply, cell phone. A cell phone (called Handy
depending on the registration office. in Germany) will likely be the most
convenient option.
Where to Stay The telephone market in Germany is very
Be prepared to find your own place to stay competitive and there are many phone
in Germany. Generally, you should not companies which offer pre-paid cell
have any problems – and you can even phone packages that don’t involve con-
start your search before you come to tracts.
Germany. Many websites are available, For short stays, pre-paid phone cards,
though most of them are in German which can be used from any phone, can
only. German students and young people be bought at news agents, bus stations
often share apartments, the so-called and many other common locations.
Wohngemeinschaft. You will find the
abbreviation WG in classified ads and
websites.
11
Living in Germany
12
Students
If you just want to do casual work to help
finance your summer travel, it’s up to
you to find your own job. You can also
contact the appropriate service-providers
for help (see list on page 8-9).
If you would rather find a job related to
your area of study, some assistance is
available through the Arbeitsagentur
(ZAV).
However, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND
that you also look for your job yourself –
after all, you know best what job would
give you the best professional experience
and be most useful for your studies.
Your future employer can ask the ZAV
directly for the necessary forms.
CHECK what your college or university
can do to help, particularly if you are
enrolled in a co-op program.
USE your own personal and professional
contacts and networking resources!
13
Contacts and Facts
14
Facts about Germany 16 Provinces ("Länder") in the Federal
Republic Text
Geography Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Ellen Ewert, Thilo Lenz,
Germany is located in the centre of Europe. Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Helen Rodney, Petra
It forms a bridge between the maritime Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Stöckl, Ellen Zimdahl
west of Europe and the continental East, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia,
between the warmer South and the cool Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Photos
North. Germany is a triad of mountain Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Presse- und Informations-
ranges, uplands and low-land plains – Thuringia. amt der Bundesregierung,
the Bavarian Alps in the South, the Gunnar Schwalm,
pleasant wooded mountains in the cen- Time zone www.photocase.com
tre of the country and the low country In Germany, clocks are set to Central
along the North Sea and Baltic Sea European time. From the end of March Composition & Layout
coasts in the North. to the end of October (summertime) mediendesignbuero.com
they are put forward one hour.
Capital For example, note the time difference 2nd edition 2008
Berlin (3.3 million inhabitants) from:
Pacific Time: + 9 hours
Climate Eastern Time: + 6 hours
Germany’s climate is temperate. The aver-
age temperatures are around 20-30°C Germany Canada
in the summer (June/July – August/ Population 82.5 m 32.1 m
September) dropping to around 0°C Size 357,021 km2 9,984,670 km2
Population 231 3.2
in the winter months (November/
per square km
December – February/March Adjacent Austria, Belgium, United States
countries Czech Republic,
System of government Denmark, France,
The Federal Republic of Germany is a Luxembourg,
the Netherlands,
democracy with a liberal free-market Poland, Switzerland
economy, freedom of religion and Currency Euro Canadian Dollar
freedom of the press. Germany is a Highest point Zugspitze Mount Logan
member of the European Union (EU). (2,962 m) (5,959 m)
Coastal line: 2,389 km 202,080 km
Life expectancy 77 years (Men: 73; 80.2 (Men: 76.9;
Women: 80) Women: 83.7)
Railway system: 43,966 km 48,683 km
Freeways and 633,000 km 1,408,900 km
roads:
Electricity 220 V, 50 Hz. 110 V, 60 Hz
15
Danmark
Denmark
Danemark
Kiel
Schleswig-Holstein
Mecklenburg-
Vorpommern
Schwerin
Hamburg
Polska
Bremen Poland
Brandenburg Pologne
Niedersachsen
Berlin
Potsdam
Nederland Magdeburg
Netherlands Hannover
Pays Bas
Sachsen-
Anhalt
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Düsseldorf
Sachsen
Erfurt
Köln Dresden
Thüringen
Belgique Hessen
België
Belgium
Wiesbaden
Rheinland-Pfalz
Frankfurt am Main
Česká Republica
Czech Republic
Luxem- Mainz République tchèque
bourg
Saarland
Nürnberg
Saarbrücken
Bayern
Stuttgart
France
Baden-Württemberg
München
Österreich
Austria
Autriche
Schweiz
Switzerland
Suisse