Tech Relocation

ROA
ROADMAP
By Olga (@coding_elf)
 01 SKILLS EVALUATION 🧠🔍
02 RESEARCH 🧐🖥️
03 🌍📄
LIST OF
VISA

04 OPPORTUNITY CARD 💳 (NEW)

CONTENTS 05 EASY CITIZENSHIP 🇩🇪 (NEW)
06 🗣️💬
LANGUAGE

07 JOB SEARCH 🔍💼
08 OFFER AND SALARY 🎉💵
09 RELOCATION 🚚🏠
10 LET ME HELP YOU 😊👋
 WHY COULD THIS ROADMAP BE
VALUABLE TO YOU? 💎
I have lived in Germany since 2017 and often visited before while
studying at an advanced German language school. My journey
began as a language student, then progressed to an exchange
student, and later to a master’s student in social science. I've
worked in various capacities: as a freelancer, working student, part-
time and full-time employee, and as a business owner.

While finishing my master’s and with my student visa running out, I

drastically changed my career. I learned how to code and found a
full-time offer as a self-taught developer.

After two years, I got a permanent residency permit. I never had

any advantages as I am not from the EU/EEA/CH, and so I always
had to deal with visas and immigration officers.

Looking back, I went through fire and flame, and learned a great
deal. In this roadmap, I summarize the most valuable lessons I
learned from my experience. Good luck! 🍀
 But first, did you know that Germany
has recently become the most
attractive European country for
immigration?

From 27.06.2024, it allows multiple

citizenships and shortens the
application period to 5 years, or even 3
🥳
if you're doing great with integration!

You will learn more about this in the

further chapters!
01

skills
EVALUATION Student/Intern 🎓 Entry Level 🌱👾

Which type of relocation is

suitable for your case?

Mid-Level/Senior 💡👑 Lead/VP/CTO 🏠🌍
 Student/Intern 🎓 Entry Level/Junior 🌱👾 Mid-Level/Senior 💡👑 Lead/ VP/CTO 🏢💼
Education in Germany 1-3 years of experience 4+ years of experience 5+ years of experience
is FREE, including It might be hard to find Germany actively seeks with extensive
some programs taught a job as an entry-level to attract skilled leadership, managerial,
in English. tech professional, but a professionals with work and technical expertise
The opportunity to strong portfolio, a experience. Easier to get a job offer
work part-time, couple of interesting Easier to get a job offer High salaries and
gaining valuable projects, and referrals Higher salaries and benefits
experience for your can increase the odds. benefits EU Blue Card instead
future full-time job Work on your LinkedIn EU Blue Card instead of of a tradional work visa
search. profile: share some a tradional work visa No German language
Bachelor's degrees: 3-4 tech-related posts and No German language required (but could be
years connect with required (but could be an advantage)
Master's degrees: 1-2 professionals in your an advantage) Easier to get a flat
years field. Easier to get a flat
 READY FOR THE NEXT STEP?

Get the PRO Tech Relocation Roadmap. Details matter and the
extended version includes all of them from unique knowledge
gathered over 7 years of living in Germany. 🌍✨
Upgrade to the PRO Roadmap to avoid making a tiny mistake that
could ruin the entire process 😱
Benefits of the PRO Roadmap include 👇
Detailed skill level evaluation 🛠️
In-Depth city guides and recommendations 🏙️
Detailed visa approach 📜
Overview of the tech job market 💼
and many more…

Follow this roadmap to make your dream come true! 😉

You can find it via a link in my bio.
02 Pick a city 🏙️
01 Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne are
my top favorites for relocating in
Germany, however, there are other
cities that you might like.

relocation EU/EEA/CH vs non-EU 🇪🇺

RESEARCH 02 Non-EU/EEA/CH citizens generally
require a visa or a Blue Card.

What steps do you need to take in order to make

👩‍💻🧑‍💻
your tech relocation possible?
Job market
03 Research the current market
trends for your tech role: for
example, frontend developer,
AI specialist, data scientist, etc.
03 3
important questions

hello Where are you from? 🗺️

VISA
What are the steps for receiving a visa, and what
Which visa type suits you? 🛂
visa types match your case?

Do you fullfill all of the requirements? 🧐

 VISA TYPES

Student VISA 🎓 Job Seeker Visa 🔍 Working Visa/Blue Card EU 💼 Freelancer Visa 🌐
For international students For individuals looking to For professionals who have For freelancers or self-
who have been admitted find a job in Germany. This received a job offer in employed individuals
to a German university and visa allows you to stay in Germany. planning to work in
are planning to study in the country for up to six Germany.
Germany. months to search for The Blue Card EU for
employment. Germany is a special
*You can also get a residence permit for highly
German Language Course skilled non-EU citizens,
Visa. designed to attract
professionals from outside
the EU to work in Germany.

*note that there are other types of visas that could be relevant to your case
04 With 149,000 vacancies for IT
professionals in Germany as of April
2024, Germany’s Opportunity Card
could not have come at a better time.

opportunity This updated visa will make it even

easier for you to go and work in the

CARD
nation. If you’re not sure what the
Opportunity Card is, don’t worry.

amazing gateway for non-Europeans

We’ll explore more about this pathway
to working in Germany and what it
means for skilled workers like IT
specialists.
Also known as Chancenkarte, this is a new
type of visa that was introduced only on
June 1, 2024.

It targets a specific demographic: residents

of third countries or those who live outside
of the European Union.

That means if you are looking to move to

Germany as a non-EU citizen, you can
apply to receive an Opportunity Card.

BENEFITS
 with this new visa, you can come to
Germany and stay up to one year
until you find a job

A POINTS SYSTEM TO OBTAIN THE

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FIT FOR
OPPORTUNITY CARD:
IT EXPERTS AND SPECIALISTS
Foreign Educational Qualification
DESIGNED TO FILL EXISTING GAPS IN Qualification in a Shortage Occupation
GERMANY’S LABOR MARKET
Professional Experience

FLEXIBLE WORK OPTIONS AND Language Skills

GUARANTEED WORK PERMIT
Age Requirements, Relocation to
Germany, and Joint Applications
05 WHY?

easy According to Deutsche Welle, nearly 14% of

Germany's population does not have
citizenship, and only 3.1% of foreign nationals
living in Germany for at least a decade were

CITIZENSHIP naturalized in the country in 2022.

To recognize their contributions and give them

on June 27, 2024, several changes were made under
further pathways to German citizenship, the
the German citizenship reforms that made it easier government has created a few alterations to the
than ever to relocate to Germany🎉 citizenship law that could affect your relocation
to Germany, too.

In fact, these changes have made Germany one

of the most attractive countries for a relocation
if you’re seeking a new passport!
 WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE TO
GERMANY’S CITIZENSHIP LAW?

SPEEDIER NATURALIZATION QUICKER PATH TO GERMAN

AFTER FIVE YEARS OF RESIDENCY, CITIZENSHIP FOR CHILDREN
NOT EIGHT

EXCEPTIONS MADE FOR CITIZENSHIP- EASIER CITIZENSHIP FOR THE

SEEKERS WITH EXTRAORDINARY “GUEST WORKER” GENERATION
ACCOMPLISHMENTS (AFTER 3 YEARS)

MULTIPLE NATIONALITIES NOW SPECIFIED DEFINITION OF COMMITTING

ALLOWED TO DEMOCRACY AND ANTI-RACISM
 Knowing English is
06 sufficient for relocation 😵
The tech scene in big cities like Berlin
and Cologne speaks English, and
most documentation is available in

LANGUAGE English.

But hey, if you can manage some

do you need to know German?
German, it's a major plus. It really
opens up more job options.
Sometimes, just knowing a bit of
German can land you a job that
needs it.
NOPE, BUT…
The best thing to do if you don’t
know German is to try to get an
English-speaking job and soon
enroll in German classes.
07
job
SEARCH German companies are facing a growing
gap in tech skills. Shifting the way they
The most important thing for view talent could make all the difference.
tech relocation is to secure a
German companies have focused on filling
job offer.
tech jobs, yet the tech gap in the German
Target mid-sized or large economy continues to grow—from
companies that offer a steady
700,000 open positions in 2023 to an
paycheck and unlimited
contracts. A tech startup could expected 780,000 by 2026.
be riskier but also way more McKinsey & Company
rewarding.

maybe it’s your chance?

 a few words on the
ECONOMY
Nowadays, the global economy isn’t doing well. 2023 was a
year of layoffs and an AI boom, leaving many of us feeling
insecure about the future. But hey, the good news is that the
economy works in cycles, and recessions tend to transition
into economic upswings. The labor market in the tech field is
still expected to grow, especially in strong economies.💻📈
Furthermore, for many people who don’t live in developed
countries, priorities for relocation could extend beyond just
economic factors to include overall well-being, such as safety,
access to healthcare, infrastructure, innovations, work ethics,
and a clean environment. 🌤️🌱
Seeking a better place to live could be life-changing. 💥
 PORTFOLIO CHEATSHEET
CV 📋 Projects 🛠️
01 A strong CV is both simple and
informative. List your achievements and
02 If you don’t have internships at big tech
companies under your belt or if you have a lack
prettify your weaknesses. Anything can be of tech experience, projects can be your wild
turned to your favor. For example, I studied card. Even one profound personal project, such
social science, so I emphasized that I am as creating a chatbot to help with your
good at communication and apartment search, can be quite impressive!
understanding user needs, instead of
highlighting my lack of a STEM degree.
See? I turned it to my advantage. 😊

Referrals 🤝 Personal Brand 🌟

03 Check if your current company has a
headquarters in Germany, or if you know
04 Having a personal brand is beneficial. It could be
a blog, a website with cool animations, or a
somebody who can refer you to a company LinkedIn page about tech. This shows recruiters
based in Germany. It could be a simpler way to your interest in technology trends and your
move or land an interview. enthusiasm for sharing knowledge.
 …your resume might initially be
screened by AI, not a person.
Companies use this software to sort …highlighting your tech stack and
resumes. If yours doesn't have the proficiency with common remote
right keywords, is difficult to read, or working tools like Jira is far more
is poorly organized, it may never important than discussing
reach HR. irrelevant skills, such as tennis
playing or cooking.

Did you know that…

...sometimes soft skills are the deciding

factor. At the end of the day, the people
who interview you are also choosing a
new colleague. If you're friendly and
nice but made a minor mistake in your
code, versus someone who is perfect at
coding but appears grumpy, who do you
think they will choose?😉
08 offer &
SALARY 💰
TIP #1 TIP #2 TIP #3

Do not quit your current job Aim for an unlimited or Always refer to the current
or book a flight ticket long-term contract and a salaries for this job in the
before signing the contract salary beyond €41,041.80 city you work in, and
and receiving confirmation per year (2024), as it negotiate your salary and
from your future employer. might qualify you for the benefits. Check Glassdoor
EU Blue Card. for the latest figures.
09

time for
RELOCATION
Apartment Moving City
🔍
Search Organization 🚚 Registration 🌃

You have an offer in hand and your visa

🎉
is getting ready , so it's time to look
for accommodation, health insurance,
a German course, etc.

Here are the most important to-dos on

your bucket list.

Bank Health & Co Language

Account 🏦 Insurances👩‍⚕️🩺 Course 🗣️🇩🇪
10 LET ME HELP YOU 🙏
I’ve been in Germany since 2017, first as a student, then as a skilled
worker. I’ve taken on roles as a freelancer, student, employee, and
business owner. When my student visa was expiring, I switched careers You can find it via a
and became a self-taught developer, working in Berlin and Cologne. I
speak fluent German and know my way around. 😊 link in my bio.

Coming from outside the EU, I faced many visa and bureaucratic
challenges but eventually obtained permanent residency. It wasn’t easy,
and having support would have made the process much quicker and
🙏
less stressful.

You don’t have to go down this rocky road; instead, I'll be happy to help!
Need more guidance? I’ve created an ultimate relocation guide to help
you relocate seamlessly and quickly!

Let's make your dream come true together! 😊

 If you found this information useful,
please consider leaving a review!

Please be aware that the information I have shared is based on my personal experience. Everyone's situation can differ significantly due to a myriad of
factors, so I encourage you to view this as just one perspective among many. This content is not intended as legal advice. I encourage you to be mindful.