Hey,
It's Srijith from 0049 :)
Welcome to The Blick! Each week I round up the stories, events, and opportunities that matter most if you’re living in Germany or planning a move here for work or studies.
🔹 Germany named 5th best country to move to globally Remitly's Immigration Index 2026, which evaluates 82 countries across 34 metrics including healthcare, cost of living, safety, and employment, ranked Germany fifth globally, with Germany and Spain entering the top 10 for the first time, and Switzerland taking the top spot overall.
🔹 Cabinet approves plan to make driving licences cheaper Germany's cabinet approved a draft law on May 20 aimed at making driving licences cheaper and easier to obtain, with reforms including the option to complete theory classes entirely online, fewer mandatory lessons, and the ability to practise with a family member
🔹 Pension commission reportedly set to recommend retirement at 70 A report published on May 21 cited sources within Germany's government-appointed pension commission stating it intends to recommend raising the retirement age from 67 to 70 in phased steps.
🔹 ver.di strikes disrupt transport and retail in two cities Public transport in Hannover was largely halted on 20–21 May, and workers in Mainz staged a one-day warning strike on 22 May,
🔹 Winter Semester 2026 - Uni-Assist practical deadline is now The hard deadline for most German universities is 15 July 2026, but Uni-Assist recommends applying at least 8 weeks before that deadline, making the end of May 2026 the practical internal target, as processing takes 4 to 6 weeks.
🔹 Deck49: No video this week. But Deck49, the German vocabulary app built on spaced repetition and active recall, crossed 1,000 users this week. If you are working on your German, it is worth a look.
Apple Appstore: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/deck49/id6760942173?l=en-GB
Google Playstore: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zerozerofournine.deck49
That is it for this week. Stay informed, stay prepared.
Until next week,
💙 Peace,
Srijith