Working in Berlin: EU Blue Card, startups and cost of living

◆What draws French people to Berlin

Berlin appeals to French people looking for a creative, open and long-affordable city, with a startup energy that's hard to find elsewhere in Europe. The German capital has established itself as a major tech and creative hub, where teams are often international and English flows widely across the digital scene. That's a reassuring point when you're not yet comfortable in German.

It's also a city where you can reinvent yourself: a career change, an entrepreneurial project, a first experience abroad. The French community is dynamic and quality of life remains a strong argument, even if I'd rather be honest — Berlin is no longer the ultra-cheap city it was ten years ago. Many French people start out in English and learn German along the way, and that's a perfectly viable path.

◆Your right to work, concretely

Because Germany is an EU country, as a French citizen you enjoy free movement. No visa, no work permit to obtain: you can arrive, look for a job and sign a contract just like a German resident. Here too, that's what makes the process far lighter than people sometimes imagine.

For context, you'll hear a lot about the EU Blue Card in Berlin: it's a residence permit for qualified non-EU talent, subject to a salary threshold. It doesn't apply to you as an EU national, but it's useful to know in order to understand your international colleagues' situation. For any formality, the Make it in Germany portal and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) remain the official references to check.

◆Salaries, taxes and cost of living

Berlin salaries are rising, driven by tech and engineering, but they generally remain below London levels. German taxes and social contributions are significant; as in France, take-home pay is noticeably lower than gross. My concrete advice: always think in net terms when negotiating, otherwise you risk being disappointed once the contract is signed.

On cost of living, Berlin was long gentle, but the trend has clearly reversed: housing is now tight and rents have risen sharply, especially in central districts. I'd advise planning for this from the very start of your search, as it's often what surprises people most. To size your budget, lean on recognised indices such as Numbeo or the Mercer rankings rather than rough numbers, keeping in mind that these levels fluctuate.

◆How French people get there

There's rarely a single right way to settle in Berlin. The routes I see most often look like this:

• Direct hiring in tech: the Berlin startup scene is very open to international profiles and often recruits in English.
• Creative and design sectors: agencies, studios, media and creative industries readily welcome French-speaking profiles.
• Engineering and sciences: Germany remains a land of engineers, with real needs in R&D and industry.
• V.I.E. (International Corporate Volunteering): via Business France, a first sponsored experience at a French company in Germany.
• Intra-company transfer: a move from France or another office to your employer's Berlin branch.

◆The local hiring codes

German recruitment values rigour and precision, and you feel it from the application stage. The CV with a photo is still common in Germany, even though the startup scene increasingly drops it: adapt to the target sector rather than applying one fixed rule. Expect a polished, factual application, with no exaggeration, and I've found that restraint lands better there than self-promotion.

A local specificity worth knowing: the Arbeitszeugnis, the work certificate issued at the end of a contract, is important in Germany and may be requested. Remember to ask for it at each job, because it's hard to recover after the fact. On language, English covers a large part of tech, but German opens many more doors, especially outside startups and for client-facing or administration-facing roles.

◆Network and the French community

Berlin's French and international community is very active: expat associations, professional events, tech meetups, French-language schools and media such as lepetitjournal.com. It's an ideal setting to build a network quickly, especially in those first weeks when you feel a little alone.

The startup scene runs on events and meetups, and that's where a good share of opportunities are made, often informally. Franco-German chambers of commerce and the Bundesagentur für Arbeit can also usefully guide your search.

◆Settling in once you're there

The first essential step in Berlin is the Anmeldung: the mandatory registration of your address with the authorities. Many procedures depend on it — bank account, tax number, phone contract — so book an appointment as early as possible, because waits can be long and hold up everything else.

Then comes the rest: open a bank account, take out health insurance, mandatory in Germany, public or private depending on your status, and dive into a competitive housing search. The Berlin rental market is tight, so prepare a complete, responsive file. Verify each step on Make it in Germany and with local authorities, as procedures evolve.