Sorani (Kurdish) Swedish Bosnian Greek Turkish Serbian Romanian Arabic Spanish Youruba Persian English French German Welcome to Merzig The city with more possibilities! The "Integration durch Qualifizierung (IQ)" Network First Steps in Merzig: Information for Immigrants Chinese Amharic Bengali Kurmanci Italian Pashto Thai Russian 2 Imprint Published by: Kreisstadt Merzig/Teilprojekt “IQ Merzig“ in IQ Landesnetzwerk Saarland Brauerstraße 5 66663 Merzig Editing Group 1st Edition: Caroline Gisch, Giusy Grillo, Heike Wagner, Tatjana Wiegant Editing Group 2nd Edition: Caroline Gisch, Giusy Grillo, Radostina Kikillus, Heike Wagner, Tatjana Wiegant Adaptation to simple language (1st Edition): Susanne Franz M.A. Text Adaptation to simple language (2nd Edition): Caroline Gisch This folder was created with the kind support of the internet platform "MakeitinGermany". 1. Edition, November 2014 2. Edition, December 2016 The "Integration durch Qualifizierung" (Integration through Qualification) program aims to provide assistance. Through this program, migrants should have a better chance at finding work. Throughout Germany there are therefore groups and experts implementing the program. The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs supports the program together with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Federal Employment Agency. The IQ program is financed by: In cooperation with 3 Dear Merziger, In the past months, many people have come to Merzig. You have also moved to Merzig. I am pleased about this. Welcome! You received this folder when you registered at the Bürgerbüro. The folder should help you better understand life in this town. You can also use this folder to file important documents. That way, you'll stay on i top of things and know where to find the documents. We have compiled some information for you in this folder: • How can I find a job? • Where can I learn German? • Where can I shop? • How can I open a cash account? • Where can I find support for my family? • What happens if I am sick? • How can I find an apartment? • How can I become a German citizen? You can also find information on the Internet. You can have a look here: www.merzig.de www.bamf.de www.goethe.de/lrn/prj/wnd/deindex.htm www.make-it-in-germany.com These websites provide important information about living and working in Germany and Merzig. To know what is going on in Merzig, you can read the newspaper "Neues aus Merzig" (News from Merzig). "Neues aus Merzig" is delivered to your house or apartment every Wednesday. The paper is free. On the following pages you will also find counselling centers that you can go to in person. You can get information and find answers to your questions there. It is best to take the folder with you to these counselling centers. You can put your documents in the folder. Some of the information in the folder can also be found in another brochure. This brochure is called Bürgerbroschüre (residents' brochure). You can get the Bürgerbroschüre at the Rathaus (town hall). Ask for the brochure at the town hall's main office. I wish you a good start in Merzig! Your Mayor Marcus Hoffeld 4 Contents Right of residence and obligation to register ..................................................... 5 Working in Merzig: Work permit and recognition of your foreign occupational qualification .................................................................... 6 Looking for work ............................................................................................. 10 Learning German ............................................................................................ 12 Becoming a German citizen .............................................................................. 14 Advice on living in Merzig................................................................................. 15 Shopping in Merzig ......................................................................................... 16 Money: A bank account .................................................................................. 18 Family life in Merzig: Childcare, kindergarten, school ....................................................................... 19 Leisure: What you can do in your free time in Merzig ...................................... 21 If you ever get sick ........................................................................................... 22 The right to vote ............................................................................................. 23 Getting around in Merzig ................................................................................ 24 Insurance ........................................................................................................ 25 Living in Merzig ............................................................................................... 27 Important telephone numbers ........................................................................ 29 5 Right of residence and obligation to register You have just moved to Merzig and registered at the Bürgerbüro (residents' office). Information on the Bürgerbüro can be found in another brochure. That's the Bürgerbroschüre. Take a look in there on page 8. It is important to register. All persons living in Germany must be registered. Registration is mandatory. In other words: If you move to another municipality, you must register with the TIP Einwohnermeldeamt (residents' registration office) within 7 days. In order to register, you will need the following: • A valid identity card (e.g. identity card or passport). • Your birth certificate. • If you are married, you need your marriage certificate. • If you are a late repatriate, you will need your registration certificate. You will find the Bürgerbüro: Kreisstadt Merzig, Bürgerbüro Neues Rathaus Brauerstraße 5 66663 Merzig 06861 85 100 You need a residence permit for your stay in Germany. You can obtain this residence permit from the Ausländerbehörde (immigration office). The following residence permits exist: • visa • residence permit • EU Blue Card • settlement permit • permanent residence permit EU If you are a citizen of these countries, you do not need a residence permit: • a country belonging to the European Union (EU) • a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) • Switzerland The address of the Ausländerbehörde is: Landesverwaltungsamt - Zentrale Ausländerbehörde Schlesierallee 17 66822 Lebach 0681 501 00 6 Working in Merzig: Work permit and recognition of your foreign occupational qualification For citizens of the following countries • European Union (EU) • Iceland • Liechtenstein • Norway • Switzerland You can apply for work in Germany without a permit. This means that you do not need a visa or residence permit to enter the country and to work. When entering Germany, you need a valid identity card or a valid passport. For citizens of other countries You need a visa if you are not from Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand or the USA. You get this visa in your country of origin. You must apply for a visa before entering Germany. In your country of origin, you must go to a German embassy or consulate general. Whether you need a visa to enter the country or not, you need a “Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Beschäftigung” (residence permit for employment) to be able to work. You can get this permit at the following address: Landesverwaltungsamt - Zentrale Ausländerbehörde Schlesierallee 17 66822 Lebach 0681 501 00 TIP Make an appointment and let us advise you in person. 7 You have a degree from a German higher education institution You have studied at a university in Germany and you have a degree from a German university. However, you have not yet found a job that matches your degree. If you would like to apply for work in Germany, you can obtain a residence permit from the Ausländerbehörde. This permit is valid for 18 months. During this time, you may search for a job. Since you need money to live during this time, you may accept any job. You can get this permit at the following address: Landesverwaltungsamt - Zentrale Ausländerbehörde Schlesierallee 17 66822 Lebach 0681 501 00 EU Blue Card The EU Blue Card is a residence permit. You can get the EU Blue Card: • If you have a degree from a German university and if you have a job in your profession. • If you have a degree from a foreign university. This degree must be comparable to a German degree. In addition, you must have a job in your learned occupation in Germany. You can also find information on the Internet. You can take a look here: www.bluecardeu.de Notes 8 If you have learned an occupation abroad You learned an occupation abroad. You may work in your occupation in Germany if: • Not enough people are working in this occupation in Germany. You can find out which occupations you can apply for here: www.arbeitsagentur.de • You have a job offer. • Your qualification in your occupation is comparable to a German qualification. You need recognition for that. You must already apply for this recognition in your country of origin. Training in Germany If you have not yet learned an occupation and have not studied, you can obtain a residence permit. For this you have to learn an occupation in Germany. If you want to learn an occupation in a company, you need a permit from the Federal Employment Agency. If you want to learn an occupation at a university of cooperative education or at another institution, you do not need a permit from the Federal Employment Agency. For residents with a refugee