Tips for Expat Families in Germany: Navigating Joint Finances, Citizenship, Taxes, and More
My wife is from the UK and I’m from Canada. I’ve been living in Germany for five years and she’s been here for about two. Shortly after she moved over, we got married and moved in together. Since then, we’ve been living, and even had our son, in a foreign country. This has come with it’s challenges. Here are some tips that we discovered when navigating this situation.
N26 Joint Account
Not having a joint account was very frustrating for us. My wife had a UK account and I had a German account. Managing and keeping track of our finances was difficult. We had to track two accounts, deal with exchange rates and lull times when transferring money and many other things. Opening an account in Germany for my wife was an option but the banking system can be a bit complicated here. For example, I set up my bank account with a bank here when I was living in a different city. After I moved, I was informed I couldn’t deposit money even if I go to the same bank in a different city because they’re not connected. I would’ve had to transfer my bank to this city and she would’ve had to open up an account here as well. In addition, she also moved cities. For us, the easiest and most convenient thing was opening an N26 account. Because it’s not a physical bank, it makes things a to manage joint finances as expat couple abroad… especially when moving. If you would like to make an account, you can use our referral link: https://n26.com/r/ifeoluwl0667
Pay Attention To Citizenship Of Your Child
If you want to have children abroad, you really have to pay attention to the citizenship laws of the country you’re in and your home country. Understanding citizenship options for expat children can be difficult and we learned this harsh lesson after we had our son. We knew he wasn’t able to get a German citizenship from birth because neither of us were permanent residents and Germany doesn’t offer automatic citizenship at birth. We made some assumptions that he would be able to automatically get a passport from our passports. We did some research before he was born but we weren’t thorough enough. After he was born, we started the citizenship application for the first country only to find out that due to some unforeseen circumstances, he could only get it through naturalization. We went on to the next country and due to some other unforeseen circumstances, he could get a citizenship but we would have to move there first. Finally, we were able to get his passport at the last country but it was a stressful and longer process. If we had been more informed, we could’ve saved a lot of time, money and stress. If you are having a baby and you’re abroad, look into the rules of the country you’re in and consider traveling back to your home country for the birth.
Pay Attention To Tax Rules
Often times, when you get married, your tax class can change. If you register and present your marriage certificate to the state, you can sometimes change the tax class that you’re in. You can play around with this a bit to see which combination will get you the most income. Dependent on how much your combined income is, it may be worth speaking to a tax consultant to find the best tax options for expat couples abroad.
Find Couple Friends
This is also something very important. Although it’s great to have still have your own group of friends, having couple friends can help make your transition easier. You can glean useful information from them and it’s also really nice to have people who understand your situation. In addition, it also makes it easier when you know some people who speak the same language as you. We have some tips about how to find English-speaking friends as an expat in our “Building a Community” section.
Tutoring
If you have children, moving to a different country can be very difficult. Adjusting to a new curriculum and language can put a strain on your child’s education. To help them through this process, we suggest getting a tutor, if needed. There are different English tutoring options for expat children abroad but one that really worked for us is “I & B Learning Zone”. They offer online, personalized tutoring for children ages 6-13 in Maths and English. Here is a link to their info brochure: I & B Learning Zone Brochure.
Final Thoughts: Tips for Expat Couples Living Abroad and Raising a Family
Living abroad as an international couple can be a deeply rewarding experience, but it definitely comes with its fair share of challenges. From managing joint finances as an expat couple to navigating complex citizenship rules for children born abroad, there’s a lot to learn — and fast. We’ve shared these tips not just from research, but from real-life experience as a Canadian and a Brit raising a family in Germany.
Whether you're trying to open a joint bank account for expats, figuring out tax implications for international couples, or searching for the best educational support for expat children, we hope this guide helps you avoid some of the pitfalls we ran into.
If you’re currently living abroad with your partner or planning to raise children in a foreign country, preparation and knowledge are key. Take time to research, ask questions, and don’t hesitate to reach out for help when needed.
If you have any questions, thoughts, or want to share your own experience as an expat couple or parent abroad, feel free to drop a comment below — we’d love to hear from you and learn from your journey too.
