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Germany is a country in Central Europe and its official name is the Federal Republic of Germany.

Its territory is 357 021 km² and the population is over 82 million inhabitants. Germany is the country with the largest population in the European Union, the second in Europe after Russia and the third country in the world by the number of foreign immigrants.

The ethnic composition of the German population is: the Germans - 93.4%, the old local minorities - 0.3%, the immigrants after the Second World War - 6.2%.

According to official data from 2011, the Bulgarians in Germany are 63,581.

The official language in the FRG is German. He belongs to the German language group.

The main religion in Germany is the Protestantism.

Germany is a federal parliamentary republic composed of sixteen provinces. The federal capital and largest city in the country is Berlin.

Weather in Germany is volatile, with typical winds from the west, which carry Atlantic air masses throughout the year. As a result, the country has rainfall over all seasons. From the northwest to the east and southeast, the climate changes from ocean to continental. In most years the winters are relatively soft and the summers are not too warm.

Bulgarian citizens can go in the Federal Republic of Germany without a visa and legally reside in the country with a valid passport or identity card for up to 3 months. If the stay is longer, you must register with your local registration office - Einwohnermeldeamt, which is usually in the municipal administration building in the settlement where they plan to settle. A "Community Right of Community Residence Certificate" will be issued with the registration. Non-EU family members are issued with a "Residence Permit".

The social security system in Germany covers major life risks and includes: unemployment insurance, pension insurance, health insurance, accident insurance, social care for people in need of permanent care.

Access to the social security system in Germany is ensured through health care facilities. Health funds take over the registration of persons for unemployment insurance and pension insurance. Social security in Germany is mainly funded by contributions from workers and employers. About 21% of the net salary is deducted for social contributions that are divided equally between the employer and the worker.

Anyone who lives and works in Germany must pay taxes on their income. Individual living conditions are taken into account when calculating taxable income. The income up to € 8,000 / per year in Germany are free from taxes. Above that amount, income is taxed at a progressively increasing rate, from 14% to 45% on income. Taxes are deducted at any salary payment directly by the employer who brings them to the tax office. The taxation criteria are established by a Taxation Card for payment, issued annually by the municipality on the basis of the documentation stored there. Tax policy in the country is much more beneficial to married people than unmarried, whose income is subject to higher taxes.

At the end of the year, each taxpayer should submit to the tax office a tax return declaring the other sources of income (if any).

More than half of Germany's population lives in rental flats. This can be a problem for finding a cheap rental home. For those who come to the country alone and are willing to live with other people, a good and inexpensive option is the option of "shared accommodation". The lowest is the rental price of an apartment in East Germany. Prices do not include energy consumption for heating, water and electricity. In most cases, the landlords want a deposit of 1 or 2 monthly rent, which deposit serves as insurance for possible damage.

Pre-primary education covers institutions for children aged 3 to 6 and is usually not compulsory. Compulsory education begins with elementary education (1-4 grade). State education is free - only textbooks, school aids and school trips are paid. After primary education, parents and children have to choose a secondary school - a primary school (up to 9 or 10), a real school / an intermediate degree after 10th grade / or a high school / up to 12 or 13th grade /, math completion, which allows admission to a university.

Initial Vocational Training can begin with completion of compulsory education, i.e. under normal circumstances - after 15 years of age. This training lasts between two and three and a half years. Young people can choose from 350 professional trainings.