Question about Germany immigration for EU people (Bulgarians)?

Question

Me and a friend of mine may want to go to Germany for a couple of years to live and work there. We live in the U.S. right now. I'm German, my friend is Bulgarian. I know that EU citizens can live anywhere in the EU. But how is it for a Bulgarian? They are also EU citizens, but I heard there are still exceptions for them in Germany. Do they need a visa to go to Germany and live there? If yes, is it easy to get?

Answer 1

There used to be an online publication of the German Foreign Office called the Handbook for Germany, but I can't find it.  It explained very clearly the various requirements for being allowed to work in Germany according to citizenship, type of work, etc.  You may be able to order it from the nearest German consulate.

You (or your friend) should call the consulate anyway.  In immigration and work-permit cases, what strangers on the internet tell you counts for nothing.  All that matters are the official regulations (and the people applying them, of course).  Here's the page about work permits/visas from the German Embassy in Washington, DC:

http://www.germany.info/relaunch/info/co...

Answer 2

Your friend is Bulgarian means he has a Bulgarian passport? Or a US one? In any way, there will be no problem traveling into Germany without a visa. But for certain professions, a working permit ("Arbeitserlaubnis") will be required for people from the new EU member states. Their allowance to stay in Germany, however, is unlimited. As you're German, I assume you SPEAK German, so you can help your friend out with all the bureaucracy that's needed to take up a job or start a business on your own.

I must warn you of one thing: People from countries like Bulgaria, Romania, and all the newly adopted EU states in that area are not well-renowned in Germany. As a matter of fact, some people think that only criminals come to Germany from these states. So be prepared for some not-so-friendly "encounters of the bureaucratic kind". Might even start at immigrations or customs at the airport.

Anyway, good luck!