Germany

Work

Non-EU citizens cannot work legally in Germany without a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) and a work permit (Arbeitserlaubnis). EU citizens don’t need a work permit but they must have a residence permit, although obtaining one is a mere formality. Since regulations change from time to time, it’s best to contact the German embassy in your country for the latest information.

Because of fairly high unemployment, finding skilled work in Germany can be a full-time job in itself, except in high-demand fields such as information technology. A good place to start is at the local employment offices (Arbeitsamt), which maintain job banks of vacancies. The classified sections of the daily papers are another source, as are private placement and temp agencies. The three largest temp agencies are Randstadt (06196-4080; www.randstadt.de), Adecco (01802-900 900; www.adecco.de) and Persona (02351-9500). All have comprehensive websites (in German) that allow you to search for job openings. Computer specialists might want to visit www.computerjobs24.de, a data bank that allows you to search for jobs or list your services at no cost. Obviously, the better your German, the greater your chances.

If you’re not in the market for a full-time job but simply need some casual work to pad your travel budget, options include babysitting, cleaning, English tutoring, tour guiding, bar tending, yoga teaching, donating sperm or perhaps nude modelling for art classes. You won’t get rich, but neither will you need a high skill level, much training, or fluent German. Start by placing a classified ad in a local newspaper or listings guide. Other places to advertise include noticeboards at universities, photocopy shops and supermarkets.

Au pair work is relatively easy to find and can be done legally even by non-EU citizens. Fluent German is not expected, although you should have some basic language skills. For the full story, get the latest edition of The Au Pair and Nanny’s Guide to Working Abroad by Susan Griffith and Sharon Legg. The website www.au-pair-agenturen.de has links to numerous agencies in Germany.

Citizens of Australia, New Zealand and Canada between the ages of 18 and 30 may apply for a Working Holiday Visa, entitling them to work for up to 90 days in a 12-month period. Contact your German embassy for details.

Business hours

Official trading hours in Germany allow shops to open until 8pm Monday to Saturday. Actual hours, though, vary widely. In rural areas and city suburbs, shop owners usually close doors at 6pm or 6.30pm Monday to Friday and at 2pm or 4pm on Saturday. Some establishments also observe a two- or three-hour lunch break. Train stations and petrol stations are good for stocking up on basic supplies after hours, although prices will be inflated. Many bakeries open for three hours on Sunday morning and for two hours on Sunday afternoon.

Banking hours are from 8.30am to 4pm Monday to Friday, with suburban and rural branches usually closing for lunch. Most branches stay open until 5.30pm or 6.30pm on Thursday. Post office hours vary widely, but core hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and to 1pm on Saturday.

Travel agencies and other service-oriented businesses are usually open from 9am to 6pm weekdays and till 1pm or 2pm on Saturday. Government offices, on the other hand, close for the weekend as early as 1pm on Friday. Many museums are closed on Monday but stay open late one evening a week.

Restaurant hours vary greatly, but many still close in the afternoon, stop serving food at about 9.30pm and observe a closing day (Ruhetag). This rule generally does not apply in big cities where you’ll have no problem packing your tummy all day long and until late in the evening.

Pubs and bars pour libations from around 6pm, unless they serve food, in which case they’re also open during the day. Happy hours are practically mandatory, and are usually between 5pm and 10pm. In cities without closing hours, such as Hamburg and Berlin, bars stay open until the wee hours if business is good; otherwise, 1am or 2am are typical closing times. Clubs don’t really get going before 11pm or midnight and often keep buzzing until sunrise or later. In places like Berlin there is now a growing number of daytime clubs, so it’s quite possible not to go home at all on weekends!

All shops, banks, government departments and post offices are closed on public holidays.