Hey,
IIt'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.
The Blick: Week of 04 – 11 July 2026
What Happened?
🔹 Record Budget Approved: The cabinet approved a €555.4 billion draft budget for 2027 on 7 July, with defence rising 33 percent to about €109.7 billion, a full fifth of all spending, funded partly by higher borrowing. The budget plans a plastic tax and higher alcohol and tobacco taxes from 2027, plus a levy on sugary drinks still in the works, meaning everyday prices are set to climb.
🔹 Social Cuts Loom: The plan trims €3 billion from pensions and €1.8 billion from public health insurance, and pension contributions are expected to rise from 18.6 to 18.8 percent of gross pay.
🔹 Migration Digitalisation Law: The Bundestag passed a law on 9 July letting the electronic residence permit reuse your fingerprints and photo, so renewals no longer require a new biometrics appointment.
🔹 Health Insurance Reform: The Bundestag approved the GKV finance reform on 10 July to stabilise the average public-insurance top-up contribution, which stood at 3.13 percent in March.
🔹 Minijobs Stay, For Now: Despite a pension-commission proposal to scrap their special tax status, the government has not decided to abolish minijobs, so they continue unchanged.
🔹 Sunday Shopping: A labour-ministry draft from early July would let bakeries open up to eight hours on Sundays and libraries up to six from 2027, reviving the shop-opening fight
What's Coming?
🔹 University Deadline: Winter-semester applications close at most public universities on 15 July, and uni-assist must hold your complete documents before that date.
🔹 Continued Heat: The DWD expects the heat to persist through 13–19 July, with severe thunderstorms and heavy rain likely later in the week
🔹 Tax Return Due: The 2025 income-tax return is due by 31 July for self-filers, submitted through ELSTER.
Updates from 0049
🔹 New Video: With the 15 July university deadline here, my latest video takes you inside a real student Wohnheim near Stuttgart, the rooms, shared kitchen, and common spaces and breaks down the real costs and how to actually secure a spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukhPSRZSQb8
🔹 Family49: The community is ready and opening to a select number of members, where you can ask questions, share experiences, and get real answers from people on the same journey, join the waitlist and I'll let you know when more slots open: https://zerozerofournine.com/join-family49/
That is it for this week. Stay informed, stay prepared.
Until next week,
💙 Peace,
Srijith