Sandra(37)

I worked six years at a major international bank in London. After Brexit the bank decided to move European operations to Frankfurt. As a senior risk analyst I was given the choice: move to Frankfurt or take a redundancy package. I chose Frankfurt — partly for career opportunities, partly because I was tired of commuting between Rotterdam and London.

Frankfurt is smaller than you think. The financial district around the Zeil and the Bankenviertel is compact, almost village-like compared to the City of London. But that makes it pleasant: I cycle to work in ten minutes. The Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt went smoothly — Frankfurt is used to expats and has a special International Office that guides you through the process.

As a single person without children I ended up in Steuerklasse I. The Lohnsteuer in Germany is substantial: at my salary of €95,000 gross I kept less net than expected. But through the Einkommensteuererklärung you can deduct a lot: Werbungskosten (work-related expenses), the Pendlerpauschale (commuting allowance), and even your moving costs if you relocate for work. With a good Steuerberater I got €3,800 back on my first tax return.

The Wohnungssuche in Frankfurt was competitive but not impossible. Thanks to my bank salary and a Schufa-Bonitätsauskunft from my Deutsche Bank account (which I had already opened in London) I was in a good position. I found a nice apartment in Sachsenhausen for €1,350 warm — more expensive than the German average, but cheap compared to London or Amsterdam.

What surprised me was the Rundfunkbeitrag — the mandatory broadcasting fee of €18.36 per month. In the Netherlands you pay that through taxes, but in Germany you literally get a bill at home. The GEZ (as Germans still call it, though it's officially ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice) automatically sends you a letter after your Anmeldung. You can't get out of it, even if you don't own a TV.

Frankfurt has positively surprised me. Yes, it's no Berlin in terms of nightlife, but it's international, green (the Stadtwald is huge), and perfectly located for traveling through Europe. The airport is a hub for everything, and the ICE gets you to Cologne or Stuttgart in an hour and a half. My Dutch friends call Frankfurt boring, but they've never been to the Apfelwein pubs of Sachsenhausen.