german citizenship & benefits (health insurance, how much, employment)

[headin2CHI]

After I have german citizenship, what do I need to do to receive all of my german benefits? What benefits do I qualify for or should I be aware of if I am a 28 year old male? How does health insurance and social security work? What other normal benefits are there that you could give me information about?

[headin2CHI]

Also, how would I go about getting help with a job? I heard that the arbeitsamt can help steer you in the direction of gaining employment or better qualifications for employment. Is that a good route to take? Also, how would I go about becoming better at reading and writing german? I speak fluently, but I am beginner to intermediate at reading and writing, especially vocabulary. Should I take some german classes at a university? How much would that cost in Rheinland-Pfalz? Is that the best route for me to become professionally qualified to work in Germany?

[Damage Control Freak]

Originally Posted by headin2CHI

Also, how would I go about getting help with a job? I heard that the arbeitsamt can help steer you in the direction of gaining employment or better qualifications for employment. Is that a good route to take? Also, how would I go about becoming better at reading and writing german? I speak fluently, but I am beginner to intermediate at reading and writing, especially vocabulary. Should I take some german classes at a university? How much would that cost in Rheinland-Pfalz? Is that the best route for me to become professionally qualified to work in Germany?

How much the Arbeitsamt can do for you strongly depends on your qualification. Personally I think they have little to nothing to offer for a well-qualified (meaning a master and up). However you might be eligible to have them pay for some German lessons and something like this.
As for your "benefits": LOL. Just because right wing nutjobs in the US love to talk trash about the "socialism" in that crazy place called Yurrup doesn't mean the gov't will run down your door offering you "benefits". Most probably you will get exactly zero.

[headin2CHI]

Thanks, I have a Juris Doctorate. But I definitely will go to the arbeitsamt for some german lessons. Do you know how the health insurance or dental insurance works in Germany?

[Neuling]

A law degree won't help you much in Germany as law tends to vary considerably from country to country. There are even US states where you can't work in that profession unless you earned your law degree in that very state you want to work in.
Yes, do learn to read and write German, else you won't get very far. Only in research institutions can you get along with English. I guess you should have enough financial resources to pay your expenses for at least a half year or maybe even a year without working.

In order to qualify for health insurance, I guess you would have to have a job. Else you have to get private insurance. But private insurance is expensive now, I am German myself and couldn't move back to Germany (even if I wanted, which I don't) because those insurance costs are so high, unlike here in Portugal. Health insurance is not optional in Germany, but mandatory.

And please don't expect too much from job centers in Germany, there are nasty jokes about them, and for a reason. They have long degenerated into unemployment management institutions.

Here is a very popular German job search engine called Job Robot. Good luck
Thinking about your situation, I guess it would be best to get a low-profile job first, this way you could study real German (not the artificial one often taught in courses) on the fly and at the same time earn some money, and health insurance would be not be much of a problem anymore, either.

[Damage Control Freak]

Originally Posted by headin2CHI

Thanks, I have a Juris Doctorate. But I definitely will go to the arbeitsamt for some german lessons. Do you know how the health insurance or dental insurance works in Germany?

The cheapest way for you will probably be to get some international/travel/exchange student kinda plan from the US, at least temporary.
In Germany you usually you get mandatory health insurance along with your job. If you're unemployed, it's usually covered by social security. Since you have never worked in Germany you aren't eligible for any benefits so you won't even get health insurance, meaning you would have to pay for yourself. You could contact any public health insurance company tell them your problem and ask for a quote (and they all cost the same as of now). You also MIGHT be able to get insurance from a private company but I doubt it. The only person that could answer that reliably would be someone from a private insurance company Either way I'm pretty sure it will be more expensive than some suitable travellers plan from the US.

[headin2CHI]

OK thanks for everyone's info, but what about taxes. As a dual citizen, do I still have to pay US taxes if I am residing in Germany?

[Neuling]

Those things are a bit tricky. But if I am not mistaken Germany and the USA have one of those agreements which ensure that you don't pay taxes twice (Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen).
But taxes in Germany are considerably higher, I wonder why anyone would wish to move to Germany these days

[Damage Control Freak]

Taxing depends on your exact circumstances, however if you are employed in Germany you usually have to pay taxes in Germany and Germany only.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by headin2CHI

OK thanks for everyone's info, but what about taxes. As a dual citizen, do I still have to pay US taxes if I am residing in Germany?

Yep, the U.S. taxes you even if you don't live in the U.S. or make your money in the U.S.