The General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) is the uniform central set of rules in Germany for the implementation of four European anti-discrimination directives that have been issued since 2000. After several infringement proceedings against the Federal Republic of Germany, the AGG finally came into force on August 18, 2006. For the first time, a law was created in Germany that provides protection against discrimination on grounds of racist or ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity by private actors (e.g. employers, landlords, providers of goods and services) comprehensively regulates.
The law contains rights and obligations for employers as well as for employees. The entire application process, starting with the job posting, must be non-discriminatory. In existing employment relationships, employees have the right to protection from discrimination. You can claim damages or compensation and complain to employers about discrimination. For this purpose, a corresponding complaints office must be set up in all companies, and all employees must be informed about its existence. Employers must ensure that there is no discrimination. In addition, they are obliged to take action against employees who discriminate against other colleagues. The possible measures range from a transfer to a warning to termination.
The protection against discrimination of the General Equal Treatment Act also applies to everyday business such as shopping, insurance and banking transactions and when going to restaurants or clubs.
Ten years after the General Equal Treatment Act came into force, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency is in favour of reforming the law. In doing so, it is based on the results of an independent evaluation committee. Protection gaps would have to be closed so that people can take action against discrimination more effectively. Among other things, the experts are in favour of extending the deadlines within which those affected must assert claims. The possibilities of legal action for those affected should also be facilitated by the introduction of a collective right of action.
Documents to download
General Equal Treatment Act / Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (AGG) of August 2006
Evaluation oft he General Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz)
Legal comparison of the European systems on anti-discrimination law
Further information
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugendliche
Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
How to apply to stud at a university in Germany
There are various ways in which you can apply for a place at a German university. The best option for you will depend on the subject you wish to study and your country of origin. The requirements and deadlines vary from university to university and also according to subject. You will find answers to the most important questions below.
Where do I apply?
This depends on two things: where you took your school-leaving qualification and what subject you wish to study. Three different institutions are responsible for applications: the Foundation for Admission to Higher Education (Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung), the University Application Service for International Students (Arbeits- und Servicestelle für Internationale Studienbewerbungen, uni-assist) and the university itself. Where you need to submit your application will depend on the restrictions on admissions for your subject. Which is why you should first find out whether your subject has restrictions on admissions.
What are admissions restrictions?
Even if you fulfil the general requirements for academic studies in Germany, it is often not easy to enrol in your chosen subject. The reason for this is that in Germany there are many more applicants than places for many degree programmes. The admissions restrictions determine who is allowed to study the subject. It may be regulated locally, which means it only applies to individual universities. However, it can also be determined throughout Germany, i.e. on a nationwide basis.
Which courses are locally restricted and which ones nationwide?
Medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, dentistry and geoinformation management are very popular courses of study and therefore there are restrictions on admission at all universities in Germany. Study places are awarded by a process that checks if you meet certain criteria. The Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (Foundation for University Admissions) awards the study places. You need to apply there for admission to these courses.
Some degree programmes only have admission restrictions at particular universities. Applicants sometimes have to pass tests or attend selection interviews. These criteria differ between higher education institutions and between study programmes. The Hochschulkompass (Higher Education Compass) will advise you as to whether your chosen subject is restricted.
What does it mean for me, if I come from a EU country, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Norway?
If your subject has a nationwide NC, you need to apply to the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung. If not, you apply either via uni-assist or directly to the university – depending on whether your chosen university is a member of uni-assist. A list can be found on the uni-assist website.
What documents do I need?
In the foreign students’ office (Akademischen Auslandsamt) at your university you will learn how the application process works and which documents you need to submit. Forms and information material, which will vary according to the application procedure for the university, are available on the uni-assist application portal or from the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (Foundation for Admission to Higher Education). You will normally need the following:
- A certified copy of the higher education entrance qualification (Hochschulreife)
- An overview of your subjects and grades (certified and including an official translation)
- Certified copies of your previous higher education certificates, if applicable
- A passport photograph
- A photocopy of your passport (name and photograph)
- Certified copies of language certificates
Only officially certified copies and translations are accepted as proof. You can have these issued by the German embassy in your home country, for example. Some higher education institutions also accept documents in English and French.
How much does the application cost?
You should plan for the cost of any certifications and German language tests that you might have to take. There are often also fees for the application itself. If you apply through uni-assist, an assessment of your certificates and a preliminary review of your documents costs 75 EUR for the first higher education institution. Each additional application within a semester costs 15 EUR per university. Universities will charge an administration fee for examining the application documents. The application will be processed only when this is paid. Application to the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung is free of charge.
When do I need to submit the application?
The application deadline is usually several months before the start of the semester. The university will only accept your application if it is completed in full and submitted to the university by the stipulated application deadline. The earlier you contact the foreign student’s office, the better. As you will then have plenty of time to obtain missing documents. These are the deadlines:
For courses starting in the winter semester (usually October):
- Application deadline: usually from the end of May to the 15 July
- The letter of acceptance will be sent in August/September.
- Notification of rejection will be sent in September and October.
- For courses starting in the summer semester (March/April):
- Application deadline: beginning of December to the 15 January
- The letter of acceptance will be sent in February/March.
- Notification of rejection will be sent in March/April.
Some universities have different deadlines. Sometimes there is only admission to the winter semester, and some deadlines end earlier than shown here. Find out about the exact deadline for the application and the start of the semester at your chosen university well in advance!
Source: Study in Germany
Further Information
Hochschulstart – Trust for admission to higher education
uni-assist.de – University Application Service for International Students
Germany’s school system
Once your children are six years old, they are required to go to school, since school attendance is compulsory in Germany. Most German schools are run by the state and there is no charge for your children to attend. In addition, of course, there are private and international schools, which charge fees.
The individual states are responsible for education policy. This means that the school system will to some extent depend on the region where you and your family are living. Children do not always have the same curriculum in every state, and textbooks may differ as well. Individual states also have different types of schools. Basically, however, the German school system is structured as follows:
Grundschule (primary school): Normally, six-year-olds begin their school careers at primary school, which covers the first four grades. Only in Berlin and Brandenburg does primary school continue to the sixth grade. At the end of primary school, you and your child’s teachers will decide, depending on your child’s performance, which secondary school your child will attend.
Weiterführende Schulen (secondary schools) – the most common types are:
- Hauptschule (secondary general school for grades five through nine or ten)
- Realschule (more practical secondary school for grades five through ten)
- Gymnasium (more academic secondary school for grades five through twelve/thirteen)
- Gesamtschule (comprehensive school for grades five through twelve/thirteen)
Hauptschule and Realschule: Young people who have successfully completed the Hauptschule or Realschule are eligible for vocational training, or can transfer to the sixth form / senior high at a Gymnasium or Gesamtschule.
Gesamtschule: Combines the Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium and offers an alternative to the tripartite school system.
Gymnasium: At the end of the 12th or 13th grade, students take examinations known as the Abitur and if successful graduate from high school with a certificate of advanced secondary education entitling them to study at a university or at a university of applied sciences. However, they may also choose to undergo vocational training and enter the job market directly.
Source: Make it in Germany – School system
Baden-Württemberg school system
The four-year elementary school is followed by the following secondary schools in the Baden-Württemberg school system: the Hauptschule, the Werkrealschule, the Realschule and the Community School with the option of an upper level and grammar school. After completing a general school leaving certificate, pupils can also attend a vocational school. In addition to all of these types of schools, there are also special educational offers.
Source: State Center for Political Education – Baden-Württemberg School System
School in Baden-Württemberg
School children have different strengths and needs. The Baden-Württemberg school system therefore offers individual support options for all children and young people. In addition to general education schools, vocational schools open up a wide range of educational paths. Baden-Württemberg relies on a teaching culture that imparts knowledge, promotes responsible and social behavior and is characterized by tolerance and democratic cooperation.
Primary level: elementary school
The primary school is the common primary level of the school system. It conveys basic knowledge and skills. Your special task is characterized by the gradual introduction of the students from the playful to the school-based forms of learning and working.
Secondary level I (secondary school): Werkrealschule and Hauptschule
The secondary school comprises grades 5 to 9 and leads to the secondary school leaving certificate. In addition, at many schools there is the possibility of acquiring the secondary school certificate after grade 10. If it is a Werkrealschule, an intermediate degree is also possible after six years.
Lower secondary level (secondary school): Realschule
The Realschule prepares its pupils in particular for a successful transition into the world of work or the vocational high school. After six years it leads to the secondary school leaving certificate, but also offers the option of obtaining the secondary school leaving certificate at the end of grade 9.
Secondary level I + II (secondary school): Gymnasium
The high school is the direct route to the Abitur. It provides a qualified foundation of knowledge, values and competencies and leads to general university entrance qualification in eight years – at 44 model schools in 9 years. The individual grammar schools differ in their course offerings through different focuses.
Secondary level I + II (secondary school): Community school (Gemeinschaftsschule)
The community school offers both the basic as well as the intermediate and advanced levels. Pupils learn in each subject at the level that suits them. In or through the community school, the secondary school certificate, the secondary school certificate and the Abitur are possible.
SBBZ
The special needs education and advice centres (SBBZ) offer advice, support and educational opportunities at general schools and at their own facilities. They differ according to the focus of support and in some cases lead the courses of education in general schools.
Vocational education: vocational schools
The vocational school system offers school leavers from general schools a variety of opportunities to gain further qualifications. The vocational schools are divided into six types of school: vocational school, vocational high school, vocational college, vocational school, vocational high school and technical school.
Source: Ministry of Culture Baden-Württemberg – School
Documents for Download
Ministry of Culture – Educational Pathways in Baden-Württemberg
Learning the German language
New to Germany and want to learn the language? Attending the integration course will help you with that. If you speak no German or only a little, attendance is mandatory, in other words you have to take the integration course.
The immigration office (Ausländeramt) gives you a certificate of eligibility and a list of course providers, in other words language schools. Then you can find a language school in your area and register there.
You can also find the addresses of all integration course providers under the heading Important addresses. There you can search for course providers near your place in Germany. Then you will see the results with information such as address or telephone number on a map.
Language level assessment, lessons and final examination
Once you have registered with the course provider you take a language level assessment. This enables them to find out which course is best for you. The cost to you is 1.20 € per lesson. If you don’t have much money, you will not have to pay and/or your travel expenses will be reimbursed. The integration course consists of a language course and an orientation course.
The language course consists of 600 lessons. Here you learn the language with aspects of everyday life, such as shopping, housing, children, media, leisure, school and work, or appointments with the doctor.
At the end you take your final examination (“German language test for immigrants”; DTZ). After the examination you are awarded an “Integration course certificate”. You can then speak, read and write German to level A2 or B1 standard. Many employers want to see this certificate. Sometimes you also need it for an authority, such as the immigration office.
What if you don’t pass the final examination? Then you can repeat the 300 lessons. And you can retake the examination as well.
Special courses
There is a special integration course for young people up to the age of 27, the youth integration course. It helps you if you want to do vocational training. Information is available from the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF).
In some towns, specialised courses are also offered, such as courses aimed at women only, literacy courses or courses with childcare. Ask at your language school.
How long is the integration course?
The integration course normally consists of 700 lessons:
The language course is 600 lessons. Usually you have 4 or 5 lessons per day. The weekend is free. Then the course lasts 6 to 7 months. But there are also more intensive courses, as well as morning, afternoon or evening courses. Ask the course provider.
The orientation course follows the language course and consists of 100 lessons. You usually have 5 lessons per day for this as well. Then the course lasts 3 to 4 weeks. But there are also more intensive versions of this course, as well as morning, afternoon or evening courses. Ask the course provider.
How long is the youth integration course?
It consists of 945 lessons. The language course consists of 900 lessons, the orientation course consists of 45 lessons.
Where can I do an integration course?
Many language schools offer these courses. Find language schools near you, phone them up or search for them on the internet using this website:
BAMF – Looking for an integration course
Further Information
Make it in Germany: Integration courses
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) – Integration courses
Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) – Integration courses for youth
In Baden-Württemberg you can have foreign certificates checked by the certificate recognition office at the Stuttgart regional council.
It then assesses whether it is comparable with a German school leaving certificate, e.g. secondary school and secondary school leaving certificate.
If you have a foreign nationality, are entitled to asylum or are stateless and you would like to study at a university, please contact the following offices if you have any questions about the recognition of foreign educational certificates:
- Applications to universities and colleges of education should be sent directly to the university of your choice. This checks the university entrance qualification as part of the application process.
- To study at a university of applied sciences, contact the Studienkolleg Konstanz. This checks and confirms your university entrance qualification as well as proof of German language skills.
- To study at an art and music college, contact the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart for confirmation of your university entrance qualification and language skills.
- For studies at the Cooperative State University, please contact the Central International Coordination Office of the Cooperative State University in Stuttgart for confirmation of your university entrance qualification and language skills.
For the subjects of human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy, applications for EU citizens are made centrally via the Foundation for University Admission. Citizens of all other countries living in Germany also apply using this procedure if at least one parent is an EU or EEA citizen or if they are married to an EU or EEA citizen or have entered into a registered civil partnership. The university entrance qualification is checked by the Foundation for University Admission as part of the application process.
For the examination of your educational certificates, you must submit officially certified photocopies of the certificates in the original language and the translations of your certificates. The translations must be carried out by officially appointed and sworn document translators. You can find out what else you need from the relevant authorities. Translations into German that were made abroad must have been legalized there by the German embassy or a German consulate.
Are you still going to school and would you like to have your placement in a grade checked? Then you cannot have your previous academic achievements recognized in an official procedure. The school management of the school in Germany that the pupil wishes to attend decides on the classification. The decision is made in consultation with the local school authority, the pupil and the parents.
Source: Service portal Baden-Württemberg – recognition in the school / university sector
For professional qualifications that you have acquired abroad, you can have a binding determination in Germany as to whether your degree is equivalent to a German professional qualification.
The competent authorities compare the foreign with a German professional qualification. In the examination, they take into account formal criteria such as the content and duration of the training. This is currently possible for 325 state-recognized dual training occupations.
Recognition is mandatory for regulated professions. Only then are you allowed to work in one of these professions in Germany. Professions are regulated whose access and exercise are linked to proof of qualification.
The Stuttgart Regional Council carries out the assessment procedure for the following professions in the certificate recognition office:
- Educators
- Nannies
- Freelance qualified sports teachers
- Freelance gymnastics teachers
- Freelance sports teachers.
The assessment procedure for geriatric nurses is carried out in the State Health Office.
The Tübingen regional council carries out the assessment process for teachers.
You can obtain approval to use the professional title of engineer from the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Engineers.
Further information
Information portal for foreign professional qualifications
“Recognition in Germany” portal
in the EU regulated professions
You can also get support from the initial contact points and competence centres for recognition advice.
Source: Service portal Baden-Württemberg – professional recognition
Presenting the German education system is not that easy, especially since, strictly speaking, there is no German education system. The federal states are responsible for educational policy in Germany. They have so-called cultural sovereignty, so that the state governments can largely decide independently how they shape their education systems. There are some differences between the federal states in the design of the general education system, but also in the other educational areas.
Compulsory schooling
Compulsory schooling generally begins in the year of sixth birthday. From this age onwards, all children are legally obliged to attend school. In exceptional cases, however, a school-age child can be postponed from school enrolment for one year, namely if it is found not to be “fit for school” in the course of a school medical examination.
As a rule, compulsory schooling extends up to the age of 18 and consists of two parts: The so-called full-time compulsory schooling comprises nine, in some federal states even ten years of attendance at a general school.
Educational areas and educational institutions and courses
The education system consists of five major areas of education:
- elementary level,
- primary education,
- lower secondary level,
- Upper secondary and
- tertiary education.
Each of these educational areas in turn comprises different educational institutions or courses.
Source: Federal Agency for Civic Education – bpb.de – Benjamin Edelstein (23.07.2013)
Germany offers a wide range of high-quality rental housing. Many Germans prefer to rent rather than to buy a home. In this section we explain how to find a place to live and what you need to keep in mind, both before and after moving in.
Your first accommodation
There are a variety of options for your first few weeks in Germany, before you have found permanent housing: A hotel room costs an average of about 90 euros per night. You can expect to pay roughly 500 to 1,200 euros per month for a temporary, furnished two- or three-room flat, depending on its location. Youth hostels usually charge between 20 and 30 euros per night. There is also the option of using online portals to rent a room from a German family, which has the added benefit of helping you make contact to local residents.
The next step: buy or rent?
In contrast to many other countries, most Germans rent their homes – for good reason: There is an abundance of high-quality rental housing in every location and price range, from small flats to villas with gardens. These rental properties are often in excellent condition and equivalent to owner-occupied dwellings in terms of quality. In addition, renters are protected by law against excessive increases in rent, and landlords are not allowed to terminate a lease without cause.
House and flat shares
House and flat shares, called “Wohngemeinschaften”, or “WG”, in German, are good alternatives for people who want to make friends quickly and save money on the rent. Usually in this kind of shared accommodation, each person has their own private room. In most “WGs”, the kitchen and bathroom are shared, as are the rent and electricity, Internet and phone costs. The kitchen or shared living room tend to be the heart of a “WG”. There, you can cook together or sit and chat. If you want to be alone, you can simply shut the door of your own room behind you.
In Germany, house and flat shares are not only for students. Trainees and working professionals also live in shared accommodation, especially if they are new to the town or like the conviviality of living together. There are lots of such “WGs”, especially in larger cities.
Students often find a house or flat share on their university notice boards or student union websites. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also offers numerous tips on how to search for accommodation.
Looking for housing
Whether you want to rent or buy: Information about available housing can be found in the advertising section of the newspapers and on real estate websites, which is where most flats and houses are listed today. Housing supply and demand depend to a large degree on the respective region. In rural areas, renters or buyers tend to have their pick of what is available, but in larger cities owners can usually choose from multiple offers. Finding housing can be time-consuming, particularly in the metropolitan areas surrounding Munich and Frankfurt.
Source: https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/en/living-in-germany/housing/looking
Further information
Handbook Germany: Searching for a flat?
https://handbookgermany.de/en/live/search-a-flat.html
Statutory accident insurance is a branch of social insurance. As a compulsory insurance, it compensates for health damage that the insured suffer as a result of an insured activity. The legal basis is the Seventh Book of the Social Code (SGB VII).
Statutory accident insurance has the task of using all suitable means:
- prevent insurance claims (accidents at work and occupational diseases) and work-related health risks,
- to restore the health and performance of the insured after the occurrence of insured events and
- to compensate the insured or their surviving dependents with cash benefits.
Employees and trainees are particularly insured. Entrepreneurs can take out voluntary insurance if they are not already compulsorily insured by law or the articles of association, as in some industries. Insurance coverage exists regardless of age, religion, nationality or income.
The occurrence of an insured event is the basic prerequisite for accident insurance benefits. Insurance claims are accidents at work and occupational diseases. Accidents at work include not only accidents sustained in the company during actual work, but also commuting accidents. Commuting accidents are accidents that employees suffer on the way to or from work. Occupational diseases are diseases that the insured suffer from work and are either described in the Occupational Diseases Ordinance or are caused by the profession based on new medical knowledge.
In addition, there must be a causal link between the insured activity and the accident, and between accident and health damage. This means that insurance cover only exists if the health damage that has occurred can be traced back to the operational (insured) area in individual cases. The benefits include, in particular, medical treatment measures, medical rehabilitation, benefits for participation in working life (e.g. retraining), cash benefits for insured persons (e.g. wage replacement benefits and pension benefits) and – in the event of death – survivor benefits (e.g. widow’s / widower’s and orphan’s pensions).
The employer pays the full cost of the statutory accident insurance. It is therefore free of charge for employees.
Further information
Overview of the statutory accident insurance of a Federal Ministry for Labor and Social Affairs
German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV)
Health insurance is a special case. Here, as a legally insured person, you can choose from a variety of insurance companies the health insurance company that best suits you. The general contribution rate is the same for all health insurance companies. However, some health insurance companies still require an additional contribution, which is paid in equal parts by the employee’s employer. The average additional contribution was 1. percent in 2018.
Health insurance is another special case in another respect: from a certain annual income, you are not obliged to be a member of a statutory health insurance company. You have to take out insurance, but you can also join a private health insurance company. This is possible in 2019 from an annual income of 60,750 euros gross. However, since a switch from a private back to a statutory health insurance company is not easily possible, this step should be done carefully.
Source: https://www.make-it-in-germany.com/de/jobs/sozialversicherung/deutsche/
Further information
