Healthcare for immigrant to Germany?

Question

I want to move to Germany from the US to teach English, but probably won't find a job until I get there. I am trying to find info on their healthcare system. If I have a work visa, am I eligible for healthcare there? Will I need to be working full-time to be eligible? Is it going to be low-quality? I have a condition which requires daily expensive medication in order for me to live, so this is a really important issue and may dictate whether I move. Any help would be great, thanks!

Answer 1

Frst, you can't just decide to move to another country. You will have to go through an immigration system that requires priority for all jobs to be given to European Union citizens. Before someone from outside the EU can get a work permit, it needs to be certified by a government body that no EU citizen is available to do the job. Even then, only highly skilled workers and professionals can be recruited from outside the EU, and for a teacher of English, that would mean you woud need a Masters degree in English, plus an acceptable qualification to teach English to speakers of other languages(TESOL certification), and then you would have to attain Qualified Teacher Status(QFT) which can ony be done by taking a university course, sponsored by a school.(meaning you cannot do it unless you are sponsored) which may last for a few months,and may last for up to a year, and is to train the teacher to teach to the German schools examination standard, up to university entrance level.Most English teachers teach both language and literature.As far as I am aware , there is no shortage of English teachers in Germany. Most Germn children speak good English.

You may think this is a complicated procedure. You are right,and it will be soon be in use in all EU countries, which is why you don't find many non-EU teachers, despite the  salaries being much better than those of US teachers.

I assume you are fluent in German as well as English?

I also don't think you will get many job offers if you speak with a noticeable American accent, and are familiar with spelling and grammar as it is in the UK, as that is the standard taught throuhout Europe. You can't just go, find a job and get a work permit.

There is an exception. Have you thought of applying for a job at one of the Schools for the US miliary families in Germany? There are quite a few of them. They teach the American system.

As far as the healthcare is concerned, all West European countries have free systems superior to anything you have for ordnary people in the US, but does not cover all medications.

In fact, medications are prescribed by their generic latin names,and not by brand names.A medical condition as you have described may be a bar to your employment in the EU. There are particular rules to ensure that people are not trying to get into the EU for medical reasons,and there are many that try.Work permit holders are entitled to treatment regardless of the hours they work, but if you have a  serious  medical pre-condition, I doubt you will get that far.You can but try.

Don't forget to check on those DoD schools.The money is good and you can use all base facilities throughout Germany too, including healthcare.

good luck.

Answer 2

Germany Info:  http://www.germany.info/relaunch/index.h...

You might want to consider purchasing travel insurance to cover you till you learn to work the ropes of the German system.   http://www.travelguard.com/