Yes. Germany is very safe. Overall crime rates are much lower than the US. At first look, it does appear that hate crime is more common in Germany than the US, however US hate crimes are being under reported, under investigated, and not taken seriously. Germany takes hate crimes very seriously.
Human rights are enshrined in the first article of the German constitution. Religious rights are fourth. Any content praising or sympathizing with Nazis or Nazi symbols is strictly forbidden.
I have not personally experienced any negative experiences due to being queer in Germany. I have never felt unsafe walking around Germany, but instead have been pleasantly surprised by the number of rainbow flags I see on a day to day basis. I am personally white and male presenting, therefore I cannot speak on instances of racism or sexism in Germany. I have spoken with my friends who do report experiencing racist incidents in Germany, but I do not know how that compares to racism in the United States.
Politics wise, there has been an increase in support for the AFD which is a far right party (ironically, led by a lesbian in an interracial relationship). However, that support is typically concentrated in the south east of Germany, so if that is something you are worried about I would recommend not planning to move to those locations. The AFD is just one of Germany's many political parties.
Yes! But there are some things to consider. Bully breeds are a banned breed in Germany, meaning they cannot come with you. The list of banned breeds includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and Bull Terrier as a country wide ban. Each of the 16 states have their own bans within as well, so make sure to research that your dog(s) will not be banned in the state you will be moving to. It is not recommended to attempt to bring these animals with you, even if they are mixed with something else. Germany utilizes euthanasia for imported dogs of these breeds, mixed breed or not.
With that being said, the process of bringing pet(s) over does not have to be an incredibly difficult one. There are some steps you have to take to ensure you can bring your animals over safely. Your first step (if you are booking your plane ticket months in advance) is making sure that the airline you use allows animals on flight. Do you need to bring them in the cabin with you, or will they have to go into the hold? If you have any layover countries, you may need to get documents for all countries, not just Germany. Every airline has different standards and qualifications, so ensure that you have everything in order with the airline of your choice. If your pet(s) are in the hold and you have a layover, you will sometimes need to pick them up in between their flights and recheck them, and other times they will be automatically transferred for you. It is important to figure this information out with your layover airport before you get there. This is different for every airline.
Once you have figured out how you are physically getting your pet(s) there, the most important step is getting them there legally. Germany requires all imported animals from the United States to have a USDA certification of health, showing that they are healthy for travel and will not be bringing any diseases with them. Germany requires this certification to be received no earlier than 10 days before arriving in the country. I would recommend scheduling the appointment for exactly 10 days before, to ensure enough time for the documents to process without being outside of the time frame. If you have a layover country, this timeline may be different. Use this website to find a USDA certified veterinarian near you. Your vet will tell you everything that you will need for each country you will be in. This typically includes a rabies vaccination within the past 30 days and a microchip. Your vet will ask for all documentation that will be necessary for your exact situation.
The prices for this drastically differ between vets. I highly recommend calling many vets until you find one in your price range, and be prepared to drive far distances for this visit. I called around 50 different vets before I found one that was in my price range. We ended up paying $180 per cat for our certifications, but I talked with vets who were $2000+ per certification. I ended up finding a vet that was not on the website mentioned but was still certified.
Something else to consider is pet taxes. Legally, cats are considered pest control, and you will not need to pay extra taxes to own them. However, dogs are considered property and you will have to pay extra monthly taxes for each dog. The larger your dog is, the more expensive the taxes will be.
Most "wild" or typically non-domesticated animals are not allowed to be kept as pets in Germany. If you have any exotic animals you may need to look up the separate qualifications that you would need for them.
If you and your partner are married or legally registered domestic partners, your partner will be able to join you on a family reunion visa. Common-law marriage is not recognized in Germany. If you do not have legal documents stating your partnership, each person will need to get their own separate visas. If you and your partner have discussed getting married, this may be a good time to do so. (Side note: like America, polyamorous relationships are not recognized by law in Germany, so you would not be able to bring multiple partners) If you decide to go with a family reunion visa for your partner, the amount of money you will have to show that you have will double. Each person must prove that they can afford their stay in Germany. Alternatively, one person can show that they have enough money to support both people. Your partner must prove at least an A1 (very basic) understanding of German to be approved. You can do this with a certificate (which costs extra) or your partner can do the communication at your Ausländerbehörde appointment to prove basic understanding of the language. This is the route my husband and I took.
The good news for your partner is that family reunion visas have no work restrictions. This means that they can work up to 40 hours a week, which is more than enough to support day-to-day life, even with a minimum wage job.
People who come to Germany on a family reunion visa will likely have to take an integration course. The first six months of the course teaches language skills up to a B1. The last month of the course is called Leben in Deutschland (Living in Germany). This section of the course is over German culture, history, and politics. In total, the course will take seven months to complete. If you do not pass the courses in the allotted time frame you are allowed to retake the tests or even full sections if you need, but this route will be more expensive, so try your best to pass the first time.
A portion of the course is government funded, but the amount that it is funded differs between regions. You will have to pay for the rest of the course in monthly installments. For example, my husband is paying €223 per month, and after he is certified half of the amount that he paid will be credited back to his bank account. He will have to complete the entire course in the allotted time frame to get the credit back. The amount your partner may have to pay may be different depending on their starting level of German and the region you will be living in.
To get started I want to emphasize the difference between the two. An asylum seeker is someone who has applied for refugee status but has not yet been approved, and a refugee is someone who has been approved and is allowed to legally stay in the country they are in. I highly recommend against trying to apply for refugee status in any EU country. The USA is currently under the status of being a "safe country of origin", meaning that your application is highly unlikely to be approved, and you will be deported and not allowed to come back into the country for anywhere from two to five years. Refugee status is typically reserved for those coming from war-torn countries and have an immediate, serious threat to life. Even for those people, their asylum applications are at times denied, and they are sent back home. Refugees are required to stay in government assigned housing and have strict restrictions on how they can go about life in their new country. Even in the worst of circumstances for a country, if the conflict is to be considered as resolved you will be required to return home. This is extremely risky - if you decide to go this route have plans in place for returning home in the very likely circumstance that it does not work out.
For six months. You will then need to get a German driver's license. Here are the official regulations.
This is something that I wondered a lot before moving. There isn't a lot online about it, so I will be speaking from personal experience.
Being an immigrant has its pros and cons. I feel a lot safer in Germany, the cost of living is lower, and the quality of life is better in almost every way. I am free from the constant stress that came from wondering which of my rights would be taken away next. However, there are some things I miss about the US. My found family, spicy food, and singing in my car are what I miss most. It can also be difficult to keep in touch with old friends and family, due to both the time difference and the physical distance. Despite everything I miss from the US, I love being an immigrant. It has shown me different ways of thinking and living. 5/5 stars do recommend.