News
… and other aspects from our everyday relocation business: about short-term accommodation and flathunting, search for daycare in a kindergarten and schools, visa and residence permits and integration in Germany.
Made it! A fresh start in Berlin
Mariana from Mexico is a surgical nurse and took the leap to Germany. We summarise her journey together after two years, from her arrival at the airport and in the nurses’ residence, through the preparatory course for recognition, to her successful integration in a Berlin hospital. What are the factors that ultimately contribute to success?
Start Relocation takes over the service for Expath customers
The new year brought a surprise for clients of Berlin-based relocation company Expath: Expath’s operational business was taken over by Startcon on 1 February 2025. Expath Managing Director Tia Hardy Robinson informed her customers at the start of the year that Expath would no longer be managing its relocation division itself. In preparation for...
Quality seal certified again — We stand for fair recruitment
Today we received confirmation of the renewal of our RAL quality seal “Fair Recruitment Care Germany”. This seal not only certifies that we comply with the GAPA regulations for fair recruitment (see below). Rather, it is a matter close to our hearts, which is why we lobbied politically for the quality seal at an early stage. After all, it is not...
Navigating Germany’s housing scene: Temporary vs. permanent residences
Finding an apartment in Germany is tough. Moving to a new city and especially country can be both thrilling and daunting, especially when it comes to finding the right place to call home. In Germany, in general, individuals face the choice between temporary and permanent residences. Each option caters to specific needs and presents its own set of...
What is the “Niederlassungserlaubnis”?
The Niederlassungs-Erlaubnis (“settlement allowance“) is a settlement permit for an unlimited period of time, which gives the holder unrestricted access to the labour market. For employers, it can be an advantage to support this one-time procedure. We will tell you about the requirements for acquiring this residence permit, what in our experience...
The Blue Card: Everything you need to know
The Blue Card is a successful permit to attract the best professional talent, which offers significant advantages for their integration into German life. We tell you here what this permit is about, the criteria for obtaining it according to the two different types of the card, which are the most significant advantages, and how we at Startcon can...
The German education System
The German education system is quite different from the wide-spread British and American education system or even others in the world. It starts with optional pre-school education (1- to 6-year-olds) and then continues with the compulsory public school system of primary (6- to 10-year-olds) and secondary school (10-year-olds onwards, with three...
New regulations for foreign doctors – preparatory course for the specialist language examination at the Medical Association
Die Bedingungen für die Zulassung ausländischer Ärzte an Deutschen Krankenhäusern haben sich verändert. Für Approbation und Berufserlaubnis werden in vielen Bundesländern fachsprachliche Prüfungen von den Ärztekammern abgenommen.
You did not get the Blue Card – Now what?
The word Blue Card seems to have a magic connotation these days. Appointments seem to get fixed faster, documents examined within days and the visa issued at a speed rate. It is true that the EU Blue Card is a prestigious title that, if possible, you should try to qualify for when you come to Germany for work purposes. But there are also a number...
Becoming a doctor in Germany: Four steps to guide you through German bureaucracy
I met Ana for the first time when we went together to the Foreigner’s office to apply for her Blue Card. We had been in close contact for the past couple of months and had shared the excitement and anxious waiting that accompanies this huge step of building a new life in another country. First step: Finding the right visa She first contacted me...
”I go to the streets in the morning and I feel that I fit”
Irena is a trained nurse from Macedonia and moved to Berlin a couple of months ago. She had wanted to move to Germany since she first visited the country as a tourist three years ago, but she didn’t take this decision lightly. In this interview, she tells us about her first steps into her new life. Half a year into her job in a clinic in Berlin...
“You don’t move to Berlin, you become Berlin” – An interview after three years
Our client Pratiksha came from India almost three years ago. In this interview she talks about German sunsets, Indian childhood teachers and the biggest challenge in her relocation process. She also tells us how she decided to move out of her comfort zone and start a new life in the German capital.Start Relocation: Hi Pratiksha, nice to see you!...
Themenübersicht:
Made it! A fresh start in Berlin
””In autumn 2022, Mariana (in the middle) from Mexico City lands at Berlin Airport. And searches for her suitcase on the baggage carousel — in vain. Miriam Mueller, Managing Director of Startcon, remembers: “So after the welcome, we quickly bought the basics. Only to...
Start Relocation takes over the service for Expath customers
The new year brought a surprise for clients of Berlin-based relocation company Expath: Expath’s operational business was taken over by Startcon on 1 February 2025. Expath Managing Director Tia Hardy Robinson informed her customers at the start of the year that Expath...
Quality seal certified again — We stand for fair recruitment
Today we received confirmation of the renewal of our RAL quality seal “Fair Recruitment Care Germany”. This seal not only certifies that we comply with the GAPA regulations for fair recruitment (see below). Rather, it is a matter close to our hearts, which is why we...
Navigating Germany’s housing scene: Temporary vs. permanent residences
Finding an apartment in Germany is tough. Moving to a new city and especially country can be both thrilling and daunting, especially when it comes to finding the right place to call home. In Germany, in general, individuals face the choice between temporary and...
What is the “Niederlassungserlaubnis”?
The Niederlassungs-Erlaubnis (“settlement allowance“) is a settlement permit for an unlimited period of time, which gives the holder unrestricted access to the labour market. For employers, it can be an advantage to support this one-time procedure. We will tell you...
The Blue Card: Everything you need to know
The Blue Card is a successful permit to attract the best professional talent, which offers significant advantages for their integration into German life. We tell you here what this permit is about, the criteria for obtaining it according to the two different types of...
The German education System
The German education system is quite different from the wide-spread British and American education system or even others in the world. It starts with optional pre-school education (1- to 6-year-olds) and then continues with the compulsory public school system of...
New regulations for foreign doctors – preparatory course for the specialist language examination at the Medical Association
More and more hospitals are employing doctors from abroad. The conditions for the authorisation of foreign doctors in Germany have now changed. In many federal states, specialist language examinations are conducted by the medical associations to obtain a licence to...
You did not get the Blue Card – Now what?
The word Blue Card seems to have a magic connotation these days. Appointments seem to get fixed faster, documents examined within days and the visa issued at a speed rate. It is true that the EU Blue Card is a prestigious title that, if possible, you should try to...
Becoming a doctor in Germany: Four steps to guide you through German bureaucracy
I met Ana for the first time when we went together to the Foreigner’s office to apply for her Blue Card. We had been in close contact for the past couple of months and had shared the excitement and anxious waiting that accompanies this huge step of building a new life...
”I go to the streets in the morning and I feel that I fit”
Irena is a trained nurse from Macedonia and moved to Berlin a couple of months ago. She had wanted to move to Germany since she first visited the country as a tourist three years ago, but she didn’t take this decision lightly. In this interview, she tells us about her...
“You don’t move to Berlin, you become Berlin” – An interview after three years
Our client Pratiksha came from India almost three years ago. In this interview she talks about German sunsets, Indian childhood teachers and the biggest challenge in her relocation process. She also tells us how she decided to move out of her comfort zone and start a...