Germany

The most highly populated of the European Union’s (EU) member states, Germany has one of the world’s largest economies and is one of its leading importers and exporters. Read more

Since the collapse of the communist state of East Germany in 1990 and the reunification of the country that followed it, Germany has grown steadily in global influence. It is a member of the Group of 20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations, among other leading international bodies.

Manufacturing industry – including automotive (the strongest performer), metal production and processing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, electrical engineering and electronics – is a pillar of Germany’s economy, thanks in part to the government’s long-term industrial strategy.

As with many developed economies, the services sector is a major contributor to national prosperity; healthcare, telecommunications and tourism are particularly important.

Several of Germany’s cities, including Frankfurt (a major financial centre and home of the European Central Bank), Munich, Hamburg, and the capital, Berlin, are already hubs for foreign direct investment (FDI). Frankfurt, has emerged as a front-runner in the race to win business from London post-Brexit, and several other German regions, including central Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt, are competing to attract businesses that are relocating or seeking an alternative European base.

Challenges for those managing talent mobility in German, or setting up a business or a company office there, include compliance, particularly with immigration and tax regulations. Assignees, too, face challenges, not the least of which are learning the German language and the rising cost of rented expat housing.

In this section, HR and global mobility managers responsible for international assignees in Germany will find the support and information they need to ensure that their organisations comply with all the regulations governing the management of international relocations and assignments to the region.

There’s also plenty of practical advice, support and information for those setting up a business or a company office in the UK.

See also our Enterprise and Mobility Industry sections. For details of suppliers of international assignment and recruitment services, as well as destination services providers and relocation management companies that support businesses on the move, see our Directory. Keep informed by subscribing to our newsletters and other publications, and look out for details of our latest study tours and fact-finding missions to destinations across Europe.

Read less

News and features

Citadines Strasbourg

The Ascott rises to the global demand for hybrid working

Business travel and relocations are taking off again. We caught up with Billy Hughes, UK Area Manager – The Ascott Limited, to talk key trends and developments in the growing serviced apartment sector.

Immigration

Guests at the Innovation Festival for Global Working in Lamberhurst Kent

Inspirational Innovation Festival for Global Working sets the agenda

The Innovation Festival for Global Working broke new ground yesterday with a tantalising blend of inspiring leadership dialogues, practical multidisciplinary sessions to boost learning and collaboration, and unprecedented cross-sectoral networking opportunities.

Education

Salem new headmaster

Schule Schloss Salem welcomes new headmaster

On March 3, Schule Schloss Salem welcomed its new headmaster Henrik Fass at a General School Assembly.
Women scooter Valencia

Spanish city rated best for expats

Valencia has been adjudged the best city in the world to live in for expatriate workers after almost 12,000 expats around the globe expressed their opinions in the latest InterNations survey.
Intl_Guide_22_BIS

Changemakers for a new tomorrow

The Bavarian International School (BIS) is a community of more than 1,200 learners and 180 education leaders, working together to bring out the best in young people from over 60 nations, all within a caring and international environment.
Citadines-MMU-20Citadines-MMU-20
Palladium Mobility Group German Country Partner 2018 leaderboard bannerPalladium Mobility Group German Country Partner 2018 leaderboard banner