WHY I'm Becoming German! This New Law Changes Everything. How to Get German Citizenship in 2024.

[@williamhuey217]

Great video! I was stationed in Germany for 6 years w/ the U.S. Army in Schweinfurt /Wuerzburg and it was a great experience. If you are looking to better your German, I highly recommend the Goethe Institute. I attended language training with them for 3 months at their Rothenburg ob der Tauber location and it really helped me improve from about an A2 level when I started to B2/C1 at the end.

[@NearFromHome]

Yes! Ben did A1.1 and A1.2 at Goethe, and loved it. Camille has done all the B levels at Edeltraud in Munich. These intensive courses are really the best way to learn I think. Camille has B1, and that's all that is needed for citizenship. Unfortunately, Ben doesn't have time to take an intensive course.

[@MYTravelBF]

As Americans in Germany, we were shocked by the difference in work-life balance as well. The focus on you having a personal life outside of work and not this deeply entrenched 'rise and grind until you retire culture' has made for much healthier lives overall. We wish people in the US coudl see how this improves so many aspects of life, along with the other points you mentioned! We loved the new style video too! We'll be a few years behind you in the citizenship line, just have to improve our German first...

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! We really experimented with a lot of aspects that led to this new style, and are really happy with how it came out. We totally agree with everything you said about work-life balance. I also wish people in the US could understand, but its really something you have to experience for an extended period of time. It took us even a year or two to truly feel it.

[@derka6118]

People also take good care of their health here in Germany. Less obesity than the United States

[@naimapeukert8575]

Das ist wunderbar und willkommen in Deutschland 🇩🇪 Deutschland ist ein wunderschönes Land❤ ich lebe hier über 50 Jahre, und habe auch ein Deutsche Pass und bin dankbar dafür 🙏 Ich wünsche euch alles liebe und gute ❤❤

[@jps30]

Had a similar situation. A coworker's husband was sick with cancer and the end was coming. Our old boss would have given her all the leave she needed but the company had just been sold to a large company. When she ran out of days off, they came around asking the employees to donate their vacation days. Apparently the huge conglomeration couldn't afford what the family owned business could.

[@NearFromHome]

A tale that is far far too common :(

[@stevenneidert8019]

Hi Ben and Camille. That was an awesome video. You were spot on for the differences in work-life balance. I wish you the best in getting your German citizenship.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! We just signed up for the naturalisation test an hour ago, so we are one step closer. Hopefully by this time next year we will have german passports.

[@hans-dieternichau5467]

Welcome here in Germany! More and more Americans are falling in love with Germany! It's always not easy,but you should live where you feel most most comfortable! I accompanied you on the videos and you already got an impression that you feel better here! All the best for your future here in my homeland☘️☘️☘️🍺🍺

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks mate! Happy to be here.

[@1foreverr]

And more and more germans are moving out. Germany became an expensive shthоlе.

[@Steeler-wg5zo]

@@1foreverr No idea, man. It's just as expensive elsewhere now, if not more expensive overall.

[@WolfF2022]

@@Steeler-wg5zo then you haven`t heared from the 2nd highest taxation world wide, and you`re forced to pay health care insurance, which costs a lot and gives you quite less.

[@tim10243]

Great to have you here in Germany

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks!

[@gozer87]

When we were stationed in Germany, my village had a train station that we could then use to connect to trains everywhere.

[@NearFromHome]

beautiful :)

[@TerryMoore-bn8tt]

I'm so delighted for you both! I love the videos you make. They've made many of our trips more informed and fun! Vielen Dank!

[@NearFromHome]

Thank you so much! :D

[@stevegibson6483]

I just discovered your channel. Your presentation style and solid informational content are refreshing. You have a new subscriber!

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much!! :)

[@ProbstRobert]

Welcome, we need people like you!

[@NearFromHome]

Thank you!

[@checkthemikecrophone9050]

This video is right on time I love this. So inspiring 🙌🏾🇩🇪. I’m proud of you man. So many great places to live there

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks :)

[@barbarawissinger]

I’ve lived in Bavaria for over 30 years, German at C2 level & gainful employment for the whole period. I have begun the process for German citizenship so that I can leave the country for more than 180 days without losing my residency. The S2 to Erding is terribly unreliable, so public transport is only mittelmäßig.

[@NearFromHome]

Awesome! Glad so many people are benefitting from the new law. DB needs to be overhauled. It's been a downhill spiral since privatisation in the 90s :/

[@dieZera]

I think it is a great and long overdue step to allow dual citizenship. Go for it!

[@NearFromHome]

YES! Thanks!

[@Kazaii64]

Very well thought out video. Thanks for sharing so much.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! :)

[@Kazaii64]

@@NearFromHome and best of luck with your application!

[@MrMojo271]

As an American, you don’t sound American, but British. ?? Love Bad Tölz und München

[@NearFromHome]

I grew up in England. Though they all think I sound American :) because I moved to the US as a teenager and stayed for over a decade.

[@dieZera]

@@NearFromHome that explains a lot, because I couldn't quite put my finger on it, sounded like some mixture of accents to me ;).

[@philippbock3399]

@@NearFromHome When I heared you speaking I thought so, too. Your English is so clear and sounds o British. Many greetings from Philipp

[@christinehorsley]

@@NearFromHome Nah, you sound British. With a rather public school accent.

[@SamFlightlevel49]

Nice to finally find someone sharing positive thoughts about Germany while we are being showered with politicians and co-citizens talking about the upcoming downfall of our country and blaming it on the work life balance, social state and the tolerance you are talking about

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much! There are definitely problems in Germany, but the social state, work life balance, and immigrants are not some of them! I would say those are Germany's strengths.

[@SamFlightlevel49]

@@NearFromHome Well, seems that you are not voting to the right side of the spectrum neither 😅... Happy to have you as a fellow citizen 🙏🏼

[@NearFromHome]

@@SamFlightlevel49 Thanks mate. Happy to be here, and will be happy to vote when it’s finally our time. And yeah…..not right in the slightest. I care about other people :) lol

[@George-rm7yw]

I absolutely love Bad Tölz. I discovered it by accident driving to Austria on my first alpine holiday and we drove through it to escape the traffic. Have been back there many times. As an Aussie, I can totally understand your reasons.

[@NearFromHome]

It's a really great town, and also under the radar. Thanks for watching!

[@lordofnumbers9317]

A very well-known German TV series called “Der Bulle von Tölz” also takes place in Bad Tölz. Of course, this is a crime series, like "Die Rosenheimcops", which takes place in Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria). Ottfried Fischer plays the “Bulle von Tölz” who, in addition to solving murder cases, also has to take care of many little things in connection with his mother, the priest and the local construction lion. Every episode has a little bit of humor in it. Highly recommended.👍

[@NearFromHome]

LOL. I didn't know there is a famous Krimi from Bad Tölz. We have been meaning to watch die Rosenheimcops for German practice and to integrate (lol). We will add it to our list of German practice Serien.

[@Opa_Andre]

Your video about Bad Tölz brought back so many memories. I've been there around 10 years ago for the last time. Before that I visited this town on a regular base, be it for business trips or be it for visiting it with my family - especially to visit the Alpamare, the fun bath area with lots of pools, waterslides and so on. Unfortunately it got run down and finally closed around 2014-1015.

[@NearFromHome]

:)

[@danielw.2442]

Thank you very much for sharing your personal story and reasons.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks mate :) it was a different kind of video to make, but I enjoyed it and I hope others do too.

[@Kenjey]

welcome to germany! glad to have you here!!

[@NearFromHome]

:D

[@chellele5816]

Love Bad Tölz! ❤ Having lived in Munich for 23 years now, I am so excited to be able to apply for a German passport too, and keep my Aussie one. Just looked up when the naturalization tests are at the MVHS - next available in September so get in soon. It is a 12 -18 month wait for passport applications to be processed!

[@NearFromHome]

yup! We have our test in July. I need to make the appointment at the Ausländerbehörde tho :I. Good luck!

[@steve81nz39]

you're making the right move mate

[@NearFromHome]

I hope so!

[@hanshansen8137]

Please move to Hamburg. Weekend trips to Berlin, Lübeck, Lüneburg, Flensburg, Bremen, danish Copenhagen, dutch Amsterdam. Please become a nordic guy.

[@NearFromHome]

I'm loling at this comment. Maybe I will have a midlife crisis, and become a Nordic guy....at least that's the only way I will get to all those places. It would be so hard to leave the mountains though.

[@hanshansen8137]

@@NearFromHome You're welcome!

[@flowerpower8765]

I used to live in Tölz, went away 42 years ago. It was quite different at the time,the centre street which is now pedestrian space was full of traffic, especially weekends. We also had American barracks right on the town entrance and as a German Luftwaffe soldier I had access and enjoyed often the good food there

[@NearFromHome]

wow! That's crazy. I'm so glad to hear that Bad Tölz has been making changes to re-pedestrianize. I assumed it was always pedestrian only.

[@huha47]

I was applying for German citizenship several years ago as I was entitled under the immigration laws since my great grandfather came from Germany. I had collected all the necessary documents, several being translated, had met with Counsulate, just needed the ship records. In the meantime, unfortunately, came the refugee crisis, everything stopped. Later, when I was serious to finally submit my documents, Covid shut things down again. I decided finally to opt for Austrian citizenship, which had a waiting time of 11 months for a first meeting, which meant more delay. Due to a health issue, I moved to the Carinthian Alps, got an appointment within 2 weeks, then needed a language test certification and also to pass a history/culture/political test. All done, time to renounce my American citizenship, which I did, then was Stateless for 3 months, an interesting experience. After the US confimation, it was just a few weeks before finally getting my new citizenship in August 2023. Been living in Austria since late 1992, no plans ever to return to the US. Good luck to you in 2024! LG aus Villach.

[@NearFromHome]

Wow that sounds like a pain, but I'm glad it finally worked!

[@TinyEpics]

Have lived here in Germany since 2014 and this year on my 10th anniversary I will finally get my German citizenship and German passport! So happy I didn't do this sooner, because I would have had to give up my American citizenship. Now I have the best of both worlds. Good luck to you on getting your citizenship!

[@NearFromHome]

Yeah, my wife is considering keeping her American citizenship. But for me, being British, I just really didn’t want the permanent tax filing hassle and what not when I know I’ll never be going back. For some it’s worth the hassle, for others it’s not. Just depends on your situation.

[@TinyEpics]

@@NearFromHome Just filed my application for German citizenship with the help of an immigration lawyer today. Curious how long it will be until the German passport is in my hands!

[@bobhodges858]

Helpful….how nice if you did a video for retired people and what we need to do. Thanks

[@NearFromHome]

Maybe one day! I try to stick to what I know though, which is why I framed this video more through a personal story lense than a bureaucratic one. I’m not qualified in the slightest to help people sort through all of the legal forms :)

[@hape3862]

German here. "What we have to do" for what? German citizenship? Just one thing: get on an airplane. Really, as an American you can stay in the EU for 90 days without a visa. To get a residence permit, you have to prove that you can support yourself and that you have health insurance (either your American or German). No further conditions. Find an apartment and stay as long as you want with the annually renewable residence permit. Or apply for citizenship after three or five years. As a pensioner, however, you will not have access to our social security system, i.e. public health insurance and our pension system will not be available to you. (Don't worry, with private health insurance all doctors and hospitals are open to you, all as in every single one). And with your American pension, you should get much more for your money here than in the USA, as rents and the cost of living are much cheaper here.

[@Kev6764]

Yes do an episode of all day in Bad Tolz, please.

[@NearFromHome]

:D

[@JohnDixon44]

Great videos and presentation! I'm roughly the same time here in Munich - 5 years (from USA). Also thinking about going for citizenship. All truth on work-life balance. I've found some of the same places on your list, but definitely not all. I'm always on the lookout for the best cycling routes. Your take on that topic would make for a cool video!

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much!

[@asmir458]

I am happy for you that you have found Germany as your new home. I am living in Germany for the last decade and I am happy for the things this country is offering. Of course there are things that are not perfect but there is no place that is perfect. If at some point in the future another place is better for my life I will move. But for now I will stay.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks! That is exactly the attitude we have. Living in Germany is a MAJOR improvement from living in the US, but there are some concerning issues here.

[@asmir458]

@@NearFromHome I think I know what you are thinking about. If it's the safety and the direction politics are heading towards you should just be prepared in advance and have options where you can go to. In case of a war you will have time to flee in the beginning. Even in the case of the Ukraine-Russia conflict they didn't close the border for men immediately. I am observing what is happening here and if I notice that it's getting dangerous I will move. Just be cautious and prepared and it should be fine.

[@churlskunk]

I LIVE IN TEXAS! GET ME TF OUT HERE! I'VE HAD IT!

[@NearFromHome]

do it do it do it!

[@TinyEpics]

@@churlskunk I’m from Texas but have lived in Europe since 2013. Never looked back!

[@redstone5149]

Go…and stay there. And don’t call America when you need your country saving.

[@NearFromHome]

@@redstone5149 lol

[@Lennyjana]

I have lived in Germany since 1983 and since April 2024 I am a Germany. Well Germany is my home sweet home I love the enviroment, people are friendly and so on

[@NearFromHome]

:)

[@MichaelDavis-us4lp]

Another great video Ben and Camille!!! I have a question that is a bit off topic, but hoping you might be able to help me out. My son and I will be down in the Munich area and are trying to plan a day trip cable car ride up Zugspitze on May 5th. It seems near impossible as tickets aren't available from Ehrwald or Eibsee. There doesn't seem to be maintenance scheduled for that day, but the availability is not there. I have emailed both sites, but have not heard back in the last couple months. Any insight would be helpful and appreciated!!! We will be staying in Munich from the 10th to the 12th also if you would like to catch up for lunch. I've been tuned in to your channel for quite some time now planning my own adventure through Europe and have picked up so many tips. Cheers from Australia!

[@hape3862]

Hi, I'm German and just looked into reservations for the Zugspitzbahn (cable car/cog railway) - I seems you are too early! As of today, the latest date for reservation is May 1st. So, just wait 4 days and the 5th of May should become available. But don't worry, even without a reservation you should be able to buy a ticket on site.

[@heinzschoenherz6236]

I am from Munich...Don`t worry - I can`t imagine that you need a reservation for the 5th May...It's not high season yet and no school hollidays

[@NearFromHome]

you are doing the lords work, because I had no idea. danke!

[@NearFromHome]

danke!

[@MichaelDavis-us4lp]

@@heinzschoenherz6236Thank you for your comment and the advice.

[@Jason0424-gt2vs]

I also moved to a rural area in germany in Lower saxony but the public transport is not the best here. Decentralized and too late so im making my driver license here. 20-30 minutes drives in Germany for a bigger City are complete normal btw

[@NearFromHome]

Yeah, if I lived elsewhere in Germany I’d probably have a car by now, but it all depends.

[@dougmattingly]

Hi Near From Home! I am a professional American musician (performer and college music educator) with a doctorate of musical arts degree from a highly regarded university school of music. Rather than Western European Art Music (aka "classical") I am a guitarist who specializes in jazz, blues, and various forms of American-originated popular music. Before being able to mvoe to Germany or the EU in general, I am assuming I would need to be hired by a German institution or company? Any advice or resources you could point me toward would be greatly appreciated. To avoid the language barrier, I'd possibly be interested in moving to the UK as well. Any move I would hope would be permanent. Thanks in advance for your time. /// Wonderful videos! I just discovered your channel today as my wife and I will be traveling to Europe over the Xmas holiday 2024.

[@karinland8533]

Simple Germany is the chanal for you

[@gerdipediaTV]

I have to subscribe to your channel immediately if you are already standing in front of the Plönlein in my hometown Rothenburg ob der Tauber on your channel picture. Freut mich das du deutscher Staatsbürger werden willst.

[@NearFromHome]

:D We love Rothenburg. That's so crazy that such a beautiful town is your hometown. :O

[@IsenbergerHerold]

If you like trains - Did you ever realize, that we here in Bochum have Germanys biggest railway-museum? ;-)

[@NearFromHome]

I did not :O We will have to check it out!

[@ulrichjahn9975]

Every now and then there is a „feel good“ story in US media about donated PTO, just like the one you’ve experienced. Always makes me feel so sad. No actually mad! This is humiliating and should not be tolerated.

[@NearFromHome]

Those feel good stories that are just rebranded dystopias sting every time. Just like when people come together to donate to a sick persons GoFundMe. I mean I’m glad that humans are nice and we all help each other out when we can, but that doesn’t excuse the inhumane situation.

[@robwilliams2410]

Former American Citizen over here. Are you a dual US/UK citizen? Your thumbnail mentions that you are renouncing your US citizenship, but you don’t mention this in your video. In contrast, you mention the new legal option in Germany to have dual citizenship. As a former American, I would highlight the heavy burden that Americans living in other countries, both with the obligation to report global earnings and file a tax return. This also creates a huge obstacle to investing money here in Germany, building wealth and planning for retirement. Evan Edinger does a great job discussing the tax regulations for American expatriates in a KZbin video that I highly recommend. Also, there is a little known distinction between renunciation and revocation that few people know about, but can have a significant impact on the fees that the American government assesses when giving up citizenship. Mind you that I’m not qualified to give legal advice, and the laws definitely have changed since I became a German citizen nearly 11 years ago, but I’m happy to share my experiences if you would care to get in touch.

[@NearFromHome]

Yeah, that’s why I steered clear away from the more bureaucratic topics. I’m a travel KZbinr, I like showing hidden gems and the logistics of how to get there. I like helping people have better holidays :) Every so often I like making a more personal video like this, a travel and chat, but even then I can’t help showing you where I went, how I got there, and what to do. I don’t really want to do the sort of “sit down and explain something I read online” topics that then delve into those nitty gritty details. I just don’t feel qualified to give that kind of advice, and it usually goes out of date. Whereas everything here, personal topics and places to go, theoretically can’t go out of date. Myself I’ll be becoming a dual citizen of the UK and Germany. I actually cancelled my application for USA citizenship when I moved to Germany and handed in my residency card to the German embassy to formally sever the tie. I chose to use that as the inspiration for the title because the reasons I want German citizenship are counterposed against the reasons I gave up my USA citizenship opportunity. But didn’t want to bog down the video with all of that :) it was getting kinda long anyway.

[@nicostreeck8394]

Some companies actually do offer benefits like Stock options, Urlaubs- and or Weihnachts-money, deferred compensation, company pensions, gym (membership or own), special rates on phone-/ internet-plans, sabbaticals,company cars, free coffee, free attendence of sports events (like a firmenlauf), reduced pricing at a company cafeteria, shopping benefits (through internet offers like corporate benefits), some do even have their own private kindergarten and offer vacation programs for children of employees. Sometimes you also can get products cheaper that the company produces or even get Deputate (like breweries who give their employees free beer)

[@NearFromHome]

Not too shabby if you can find that :)

[@nicostreeck8394]

@@NearFromHome mainly big coroperations offer benefits like that. Car producers, Hightech (like optics producers), corporations in Energy production, banks I am not too sure. Maybe look through the DAX40 company list. Since everyone is looking for new applicants rn you might be in luck finding something with better benefits. A lot of companies in Munich, Frankfurt a.M., Düsseldorf and Berlin are also English speaking and might offer German courses as benefits for their employees.

[@mucxlx]

There is no way you could live in Bad Tölz without a car ;D. You can do that in Munich or other big cities but not in the countryside. With some exceptions like Lindau where you get good public transportation.

[@NearFromHome]

True! But aside from NY you can't even live in US cities without a car.

[@cbailey2376]

Get a bicycle 🚲.

[@DebiChapman-y7b]

Thanks for your perspective. I can jump in my car to the mall, beach, stores, errands in just a few minutes (not 20). I also work for the school system so I get 3 months vacation + 14 holidays off, vacation leave, sick leave and personal leave with full medical benefits paid by my employer. So it really depends on where you live and who you work for.

[@NearFromHome]

But at what cost? When most do not live with such freedoms? Everyone has access to what I displayed in my video. Few have access to what you have mentioned. The point of my video is that it does not depend on where you live and who you work for, here in Germany. It only depends on those things where you live because they are not guaranteed. You have a car, you can drive to the beach. You have sick leave, you can take it off. We have a train, we can ride it. We all have sick leave, we can all take it. - this was my difficulty in the United States. I lived a good life, but I wanted to live somewhere where we all live good lives.

[@Em-iq9kc]

I love Germany. Hope to go back again for a much longer time soon, return to my great great grandparents' homeland.

[@NearFromHome]

❤️

[@iarovyid]

Wondering why have you never been to city of Ulm? It's really close to Munich and i think it's very interesting and beautiful. Would love to see it filmed by you guys ❤

[@NearFromHome]

We’ve been to Ulm personally! But these videos take a long time to make and at least a week if not more to edit. All for essentially no money, lol. So planning g our backlog of which videos and when is actually rather hard. It’ll happen one day though! Perhaps even this year.

[@iarovyid]

Sure, I understand. Looking forward to it, though!

[@hanneweber4246]

Very interesting

[@NearFromHome]

Thank you!

[@Steeler-wg5zo]

Once again you can see the perversity of the US labor market, when colleagues give up their sick-days just to save their (poor?🤑) employer money. Simply disgusting! 🤮😵‍💫

[@NearFromHome]

it's awful. So glad I don't live there anymore.

[@NardoVogt]

Welcome... Or better said: Servus und Willkommen

[@NearFromHome]

Danke! :)

[@xxyyzzplants131]

your a lucky man, I work for the USG and believe me the benefits are at least as good as Deutschland's I lived there for 9 years, the health insurance companies are better in GE.

[@NearFromHome]

I am glad you had a good experience. As for myself and all my peers, we have found the benefits in Germany to be much better.

[@ursulasakaski9768]

Love your video. It is so awesome that you are going to get your German citizenship. I wish you the best of luck. 😊

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks so much. We are excited!

[@irminschembri8263]

Halte die Daumen, dass es mit der Staatsbürgerschaft klappt. 🤞 Keeping my fingers crosssed that everything works out well with acquiring German citiitenship. ( And then there are English-speaking people who claim that German is more complicated than English ! Just compare the length of both sentences.😁)

[@notdirsale7426]

Für ein Amerikaner haben sie einen sehr starken britischen Akzent.Wenn sie Amerikaner sind wird wohl auch einer der hauptsächlichen Gründe sein das US Bürger die im Ausland leben ihr Einkommen nochmals Steuern an die USA versteuern müssen .Also einfach eine Geldfrage.Deshalb geben viele ihre Staatsbürgerschaft zurück.

[@lifewalkthrough]

Congratulations! We hope to move there too soon! Btw, are you planning to make a video about Frankfurt am Main?

[@NearFromHome]

One day!!

[@agn855]

@@NearFromHome - _"Mainhattan"_ …the most American city in Germany, just in case you’re getting homesick

[@jpaz390]

Thank you for the amazing videos. We are planning a Fall trip and your videos are so helpful! When you do the short day trips, do you purchase your tickets in advance on the app or do you book from the kiosk at the HBF? Also, you mentioned an Italy series in another video. We would love to see those! Thank you both for all of the hard work and research.

[@NearFromHome]

Hi! I’m so glad we could be helpful :) for me personally I use the Deutschland 48€ ticket, so I haven’t bought train tickets in months. For tourists, the kiosks are fine, though the DB navigator app is what I would usually use. Our Italy series is on an Italy playlist on our channel page, and don’t forget we offer itinerary consultations if you might find that helpful.

[@Why-D]

Bad Tölz ist schon schön!

[@NearFromHome]

:D

[@nomap2161]

Great video! I had no idea the residency requirement lowered. I retire at 51 next year from the federal government and we plan to move to Europe for the lower cost of living compared to the US. Fortunately federal government employees get 6 weeks of vacation a year, but my wife had to deal with low yearly sick days and only a week vacation per year. We’ll have to put Germany on our radar now. We loved Munich and going back there this May/June for holiday.

[@1foreverr]

Lower cost of living. 😂 You are in for a big surprise.

[@hape3862]

@@1foreverr Bullshit. Du bist bestimmt so ein AfD-Miesepeter.

[@NearFromHome]

We were paying 300 dollars a month for one used car payment, plus 150 dollars a month for gas. We also ended up spending around 4, 000 dollars in three years on repairs. Compare that to 49 euros per person for unlimited access to public transit. If we need access to reeducation, or theoretically had children attending higher education, it's completely free. Compare that to the 50,000 dollars worth of debt Ben had after dropping out of his first year of Uni in the US. If one of us can't work because of illness or disability, we know we will be ok. Compare that to 66 percent of American adults who file for bankruptcy due to medical debt. Germany isn't perfect, but I know which country I'd rather live in.

[@toniagrantham953]

Every day is cake day!🤣🎂😋

[@NearFromHome]

:D this is the truth

[@johnhinkle3310]

Genius, congrats!

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks!

[@JGGuitarCovers]

I love the trains in Germany! So handy! Bad Tölz is beautiful but my favourite place is Tegernsee

[@NearFromHome]

Tegernsee is basically my favourite as well!

[@markalexander71332]

Hi near from home team. 😊👍

[@NearFromHome]

Hi!!

[@grey_wizard]

cool outfit bro

[@NearFromHome]

Thank you! That really means a lot :)

[@notroll1279]

From the few US citizens living in Germany, I understand that some find doing tax returns for both countries annoying so they consider giving up their US citizenship. Is that something that crossed your mind already?

[@NearFromHome]

YES! lol The fact that we could be double taxed also has us wondering if Camille should give up her US citizenship.

[@notroll1279]

@@NearFromHome I understand that most residents in Germany don't actually need to pay money to the IRS as taxation is pretty high in Germany and it's counted against what you'd have to pay in the US (though I'm not a tax advisor...) - but most are just annoyed by having to do a second set of tax returns or paying an accountant to do them.

[@NearFromHome]

@@notroll1279 after a certain income you do have to pay double taxes. Camille is a US citizen, but isn't at that point, but if she ever was, we would seriously consider it. For now, the two tax returns are SO annoying.

[@christinehorsley]

@@NearFromHome You’ve got quite a while before hitting retirement age, but here’s an early word of warning to you, because after giving up your US citizenship you’ll still have to do US income taxes for 3 more years afterwards: Pension resp German retirement pay (= Rente) is NOT “earned income” for your US income tax report, you cannot claim the FEIE for such retirement income. So it gets difficult once you retire …

[@henryluebberstedt7819]

That makes me feel "honoured" as a German. Becoming German because you like the train connections so much. It comes just behind the reason that you can travel so well from Germany. Others want to become German so that they can get medical treatment here. Or because education here is free. Hundreds of thousands come here because in Germany you get paid for doing nothing. What I hardly ever hear: the country and its people touch me emotionally. I've made (German) friends here, started a family with my German partner. I love the way the society works. No. The most important reason always seems to be: What material advantages do I have with this passport. As a German, I really feel like I'm being taken for a fool. Germany is my home and I'm deeply connected to the people and the history. When I hear guys like you talking its like you look at the Passport like an everlasting ticket for a theme park...

[@NearFromHome]

lol. Don’t worry mate. I pay my taxes ;) you are getting plenty of material out of me. However this video is about systems. The ways in which society has been organised here to make life enjoyable. The way we can move around and interact with the world. This changes vastly between countries. You are right though that it isn’t about “the German people” as for me it’s about “the German system”. Speaking frankly, people are nice everywhere. Everywhere has people. Everywhere has history. Everywhere has personal connections to be made, lives to live, love to be found. In all honesty, people are people. There is no German blood that makes you nicer to be around than someone else, nothing in the DNA. What you do have though, are people who uphold a system of living. The trains, the education, the community welfare, the vacation days. That is something to be proud of. You uphold those values, and those values are why I’m here because I share them too. I want my tax money to go to your education system, I want it to support the healthcare, so that we all together may benefit from living within this country together. I can fall in love anywhere. But I can’t build a society like this without millions of others who all care as I do. You aren’t being taken for a ride. So I couldn’t agree less with your sentiment.

[@henryluebberstedt7819]

@@NearFromHome Sorry for being a bit rude. Ich bin da einfach dünnhäutig geworden.

[@NearFromHome]

That’s totally fine. Immigration is a hot button issue, and trust me, I have many many complaints about the way other travel content creators cover Germany too. However, if you go through more of my channel, I’m sure you’ll see how much I love this country. My goal was to only stay here for 2 years before moving on, I never dreamt of a passport. However I have fell in love with the way of life, the people, and the culture. I can’t find it in my heart to leave and have no plans to. That was a total surprise. The list of things I want to film and share is longer today than when this channel began, which is saying something after almost 100 videos 😅

[@CoL_Drake]

"sick days" in a western country are such a horrible thing ... how can afghanistan have better laws for that then the usa ? i sadly got very sick in october, i got covid and i never really recovered, i got 60 days paid off and since i am on "sick days" from the sate for 60% of my wage.

[@NearFromHome]

Wow very lucky! I am glad to hear that so many other countries have sensical and compassionate laws around sick leave. The US's policies around the issue are awful.

[@anubisswift]

If God intended every man to drive a car, then we should have been born with a parking space -jerry reed

[@NearFromHome]

lolol

[@nobodix]

blinded by the normalcy of being exploited 😕 the german/european concept is: one for all. all for one. or simply: solidarity

[@NearFromHome]

Community focused vs Individuality focused is a dichotomy I wasn’t aware of, truly, until moving here and seeing the other side.

[@cocobunitacobuni8738]

Congratulations! I will do the same towards the end of the year. I can't wait. Are you going for Niederlassungserlaubnis first or straight for Einbürgerung? The system is pretty backed up at the moment. Fortunately, since I'll have two German degrees so I don't need to prove German knowledge but I have registered for the Einbürgerungstest for July.

[@NearFromHome]

Going straight for naturalisation! I already have permanent residency via article 50 of the Brexit agreement. So no worries there. But it disappears if I ever leave for too long, so I’d feel much more comfortable having the real passport :)

[@cocobunitacobuni8738]

@@NearFromHome good luck with the paperwork! Oh Lingoda is awesome we use it at our University's Language center for staff members of the Uni. I am enrolled also but haven't used any of my credits yet

[@Amerigohall]

Is it possible to acquire knowledge about economics, international politics and geography entirely in English in German libraries, or is it necessary to know German for this knowledge?

[@NearFromHome]

No. That is forbidden knowledge which you seek. But also it would depend entirely on which library you went to, some of them will have books in English and some might not.

[@Amerigohall]

@@NearFromHome Why is it forbidden knowledge?

[@NearFromHome]

@@Amerigohall just making a joke

[@Amerigohall]

@@NearFromHome I mean you're kidding me?

[@NearFromHome]

@@Amerigohall Yeah. I’d recommend googling more specifically about where you would be and what libraries are available because I can’t answer that question for Germany. Some libraries have good English sections and others don’t.

[@lazystart]

So in comments replies, I see that you're retaining a UK/DE dual citizenship due to tax reasons. From your experience, would just US/DE dual citizenship have any downsides or gotchas to look out for? I'm from the US and am looking at the DE dual citizenship and see the greatest benefit as having one inside-the-EU and one outside-the-EU citizenship.

[@NearFromHome]

The only real downside is that you would have to pay double taxes over a certain amount with duel US/DE citizenship. My income is over that threshold, so I renounced my US green card. We are definitely excited to have the whole EU opened up to us!

[@safiremorningstar]

I hope you're getting paid to make basically a commercial for Germany and I don't mean they're just going to give you a citizenship with its passport Etc, because you can you can find the same things you find in Germany in about a half a dozen countries that I know of, and that includes Germany's neighbor Switzerland.

[@NearFromHome]

Sure. But I don’t live in Switzerland?

[@stampcollector74]

Nice to have you here! ♥ Bad Tölz I've been there because of ice hockey. = D 🏒 Best wishes from Thuringia.

[@NearFromHome]

Thanks! :)

[@wokeaf1337]

The less sweet, the better the quality of the cake. If it's too sweet, they try to make up for the lack of flavor.

[@NearFromHome]

Truth

[@islandgurl4123]

I wish my living in Germany as a US Army dependent, child, for 9 years qualified me to get citizenship 😢

[@NearFromHome]

Ikr! I feel so bad for military dependents. :/

[@islandgurl4123]

@@NearFromHomewe moved back to the US in ‘92 and I’ve never felt like I belonged here. I miss Germany

[@johnhinkle3310]

If Germany now allows dual citizenship, are you renouncing your USA citizenship because the USA requires you to do so?

[@NearFromHome]

I actually renounced my USA citizenship due to tax reasons. Theoretically I could keep it, but I don’t even plan on going back and would not rather be beholden every year to the IRS :) I will actually be keeping my British citizenship as dual alongside German once I receive it.

[@JED-v8q]

​@@NearFromHome Now this explains your accent. I was wondering if my hearing was off.😂 Welcome to Germany!

[@safiremorningstar]

I probably could get German citizenship without too much difficulty but I don't see the point... It would just be another country that I have to pay taxes in which I currently can't afford even if I did make any money.

[@NearFromHome]

Citizenship does not alter your tax status. Tax is residency based, not citizenship based, unless you are American in which case America does tax on citizenship. They are the only country in the world that does this.

[@szudy76]

I wish I could move to Germany 😢

[@NearFromHome]

:')

[@pako1724]

We Germans tend to complain about everything and everyone all the time, often forgetting or ignoring how good life here actually is, compared to 95% of the rest of the world... Btw, you said you're American? You sound pretty British to me.

[@alanharrison1142]

A great decision… I once did something similar from the UK to the US… you may remember it 😂

[@NearFromHome]

lolol vaugly

[@bjorndehoust5768]

... wow...young Russell Crowe's got the German Passport!😅

[@NearFromHome]

Are you not entertained? :D

[@Astrofrank]

Amerikanische Arbeitsverträge sind komplizierter als deutsche? Das hätte ich nicht erwartet.

[@jensschroder8214]

Why German citizenship? Maybe because the new law now makes it easy to keep your old citizenship and get the new one. Because German citizenship opens the doors to many countries to visit. Because life is good in Germany. Maybe because you don't know whether the next government will change its mind and laws for access in future.

[@NearFromHome]

Yeah pretty much. I’m also personally unhappy with having been an EU citizen and having my rights removed. So getting a citizenship that will give me back those rights would be pretty excellent. There are a lot of reasons really, but today I must wanted to dive into the “because life is good” - what does that mean to me? That’s what this video hopefully explains.

[@shamicentertainment1262]

I'm sure you've been asked before, but how come you sound british if you are american!? I'm guessing you left england when you were young, grew up in the USA but kept the answer? Ist es richtig oder nicht?

[@NearFromHome]

Richtig! I lived in the US from age 11-26. My accent is very transatlantic ;)

[@mylifeintheusa4720]

American Companies don't fire you for taking a few days off because you are sick. My husband's company offers a 6 month leave before they lay you off. Personally, I always experienced working in Germany as very stressful. I needed more vacation days. In the US working seems to be much more relaxed.

[@NearFromHome]

Can’t relate. That was not my experience in the slightest. And you can say that American companies don’t fire you for taking time off……but would you say it to my coworker? Probably not.

[@alexbigkid]

Dude BMW is Not Bavarian Motor Works! It is Werks 😂

[@NearFromHome]

It’s Werke actually 😭 Bayerische Motoren Werke. I’ll let you guess what that translates to in English ;)

[@alexbigkid]

@@NearFromHome Ohh I am German, but it looks like my German became verenglished 😂😂😂 I’d translate Werke to hmm Factory, well plural form of Factories.

[@NearFromHome]

@@alexbigkid You can translate it to factory if you want :) but BMW doesn’t. Not when translating their name.

[@alexbigkid]

@@NearFromHomewhat do you mean? Every German speaker will translate it so. Or are you talking about the origins of the company building engines for airplanes?

[@NearFromHome]

@@alexbigkid Just Google it mate. Come on. A cursory fact check and you wouldn’t have been wrong in two languages. Just go to bmw.com - it’s a pretty nice website. lol. They’ll explain their name and history to you in great detail.

[@RoscoPColtrane17]

Say hello to the Turks and Arabs for me

[@NearFromHome]

I will. They are great. Plus, their food is so much better than German food. :)

[@ringo7561]

I'm in Germany now on vacation...I'll say hi to them too. It sure beats the crime in the U.S.

[@NearFromHome]

@@ringo7561 The wonders of a social safety net!

[@RoscoPColtrane17]

@@NearFromHome The food argument 😂. Let them cook in their own countries, besides cooking is based on recipes so anyone can make them. It’s not a secret.

[@christinehorsley]

I can’t believe this. Deutsche Bahn has become the most unreliable mass transportation system in the developed world. Even though in Munich and most major German cities the local transit systems are working well, once you leave the outer perimeters, you’re at the mercy of Deutsche Bahn 👎👎👎 So I’m waiting to find out more … Okay, German cakes 🍰👍 and coffee & cake culture 👍 Walkability of cities 👍 There must be some other reason 🤔🤔🤔

[@NearFromHome]

tbh, compared to the US's non existent public transit system, DB seems like a miracle that we are so grateful for. It clearly needs an overhaul, but I am very grateful to be living in a country where these systems already exist. I am confident Germany has enough talented people to reform the network. It's just a matter of if they are willing to...

[@Wrong-Way-Round]

Well where do I start, ok, you do not have to have citizenship to live in Germany, you could opt for a residency 'Title', with this you are entitled to practically everything that a German is entitled to except vote. You never stated what the citizenship will cost you, I can tell you that British expats here have paid between €250 and €800 depending on how long they have lived here, what courses they had to take, which tests they had to sit and lastly their age. Dual citizenship is also nothing new here in Germany, I served here in the Forces from '73-''77 and then settled here with just a residency permit. I was offered German nationality after 5years, I declined again after 10years, declined again. I married a German and had two kids in '81 &'85. Both had British and German birth certificates. At the age of 14 they could then choose which nationality the would like , they didn't but had theirown British passports then from 14 on ( no longer on mine) Under Dual Nationality Reg's my Daughter also got her German passport, if my son has one I don't know but both also have German passes, But Both still have Dual nationality, for 43 & 39years respectively. I myself have lived here for 47 years now, I did not take either dual nor German citizenship, I am still a British national with the NEW Residecy permit (Aufenthalts Title) which is similar to and can also be used as an ID card within Germany Total cost for me €39, 95c. For travelling outside of Germany I use my British passport and am like all EU members still allowed to be in other EU countries for up to 90 days. Personally I think all this dual or change of nationality was/is just one big moneymaking scam. But hey at 73 what do I know I paid €39,95. No matter what you do, we all need to renew passports every ten years. Good luck anyway, I would tho' if I were you apply for the British one again, allways good to have a plan B 😉

[@NearFromHome]

I did say I think within the first paragraph of the script “irrevocable right”. I’m on the same Brexit residency title, but if I were to go and live in Britain for a year to perhaps help my family as they age….I would lose my right to come back to Germany. Maybe it isn’t worth it to you but an extra 250€ feels like pocket to change for a lifetime membership back into the EU.

[@Wrong-Way-Round]

Methinks it'll cost you more, You can let us know 🤔

[@NearFromHome]

@@Wrong-Way-Round I think focusing so much on the money is a bit strange. At the end of the day it’s just not that much. I’d be 10 times more and still consider it a deal to gain actual nationality.

[@Wrong-Way-Round]

@@NearFromHome we have 3 to 4 hundred brits around our town alone most of which applied, taking into consideration all the other foreign applicants not only in our town but the whole of Germany 🤔 in Scotland we have a saying "many a micle macs a mucle" many a mickle makes a muckle" meaning it all adds up to a great amount. There were around 7-8 thousand Brits living in Hamburg. So much more €'s being taken back off people on top of which if some are receiving UK pensions here they will be receiving tax bills here for that too. One I know of got a bill for €10k another for €2,5k. I know of one guy that handed his €500 German nationality back after getting a €10k backtax bill. So not such a petty amount for some.

[@samjohnson2801]

But he said the public transit is what does it for him he loves it but what about when the germans go on strike and you cant get to work jajajajajajajs

[@NearFromHome]

I'd rather have a base system that needs to be reformed than live in a country with no public transit (and no interest in creating it)

[@samjohnson2801]

@@NearFromHome yeah like not working and still getting paid

[@NearFromHome]

@@samjohnson2801 …….so you don’t like unionized strikes?? Not sure I see how that fits with what I was saying though. It’s way easier to pay people better wages than lay track. So I’d yeah I’d rather live in a system that is being improved than in a place with nothing at all.

[@Be-Es---___]

For an American, your intonation is pretty British

[@NearFromHome]

For a British, my intonation is pretty American ;)

[@Jason0424-gt2vs]

you get a bus once a day here 😅

[@NearFromHome]

That’s a real shame. I hope someone comes in to make those lines more dependable and run often enough to be useful.

[@i86ij99]

I would have guessed the real reason is Brexit

[@NearFromHome]

The reclamation of my rights as a European citizen will be a massive benefit :) but I wanted to keep this video about the lifestyle and what I've come to really appreciate about the country. If you'd asked me a few years ago, I'd say I'd be getting citizenship for the passport and that would be that, however now, my feelings have changed and its more than just a passport to me now.

[@neptunusatalanta2330]

Owning a Passport does not make you German...

[@NearFromHome]

But your approval does? ;)

[@janroach1852]

Why don’t you just become a citizen in another European country where you don’t have to give up your citizenship? oh I see. You have lived there five years already. What about the 40 percent tax on your income?

[@NearFromHome]

My honest answer about the tax? I pay it, mostly, happily, and I promise I’m not being untruthful. That money I pay goes into many of these systems that I love and benefit from and that others benefit from even more. I’d rather live in a place like Germany with its benefits and pay high tax than somewhere like the USA and pay less. Perhaps I as an individual would wealthier, but my community would be worse. And you just can’t put a dollar value on the communal safety and happiness that I benefit from on a daily basis here in Germany that I could never buy in America.

[@scarba]

How can American have such an English accent?

[@NearFromHome]

Because I am English

[@aleterra]

you are not afraid of a war in germany ?

[@NearFromHome]

I am… :O

[@aleterra]

@@NearFromHome shit, that was not the answer I expected :(

[@suzijw825]

There is no war in German. Where are you getting your information from?

[@NearFromHome]

@@suzijw825 nobody said there is currently a war in Germany...

[@japanruben]

I WILL live in Germany one day. Currently living in USA and I hate the lack of public transit and lack of walkability. I am manifesting my future life in Germany 🇩🇪 ❤

[@NearFromHome]

❤️

[@neilfazackerley7758]

You sound more British that American.

[@NearFromHome]

That's because I am!

[@kellymcbright5456]

you need a citizenship to eat cake?

[@NearFromHome]

If I want to eat it every day for the rest of my life :)

[@kellymcbright5456]

@@NearFromHome Ok? I am living abroad and do not need a citizenship there. But enjoy it.

[@NearFromHome]

@@kellymcbright5456 If you plan on leaving one day, or not having the freedom to live somewhere else for a year before coming back then sure. Don’t. But if you do want that freedom then citizenship is the answer. Not sure if we are discussing this in good faith though….because I was clearly making a joke when I said that?

[@berndbrakemeier1418]

Willkommen!

[@NearFromHome]

Dankeschön :) Ich freue mich, hier zu sein