Hi Luke, I'll let some others (like Julian Oliver) reply on the specific visa situation for kiwis, as I'm from the US.
But I will answer a few other questions. The main issue is the work one. Rents can be shockingly cheap here, but there's a very good reason for that. Berlin's economy is quite depressed compared with the rest of northern Europe, and that's before the glut of young, artistic, non-German-speaking people came on the scene. There is a very large expat scene of artists here in Berlin (it seems like half of New York moved here in the last couple years, for example...), all looking around in the same small pool for jobs in these kinds of fields. It's fairly easy to get by with minimal German here, but to tap into the scene for design and graphics jobs locally you would probably need something to set you apart from the other English-speakers. The more ideal solution, and the one which most expats seem to take here, is to bring work with them. This could be jobs which you can "telecommute" to, or like most artists I know, gigs and shows abroad which can pay the very low rent here. Relying on local connections only, and making Berlin wages, might not really keep you going here. I personally depend on getting performances, workshops, residencies and commissions in other cities in Germany or other countries in Europe to make ends meet here in Berlin. So you might want to take that into consideration when planning your move, and see what you could bring with you work-wise from NZ. Good luck! Derek Luke Munn wrote: > hey ADAers, > > my wife and I are tentatively considering moving to berlin, germany > for about a year so I thought I'd tap the pool of knowledge... :-) > > -i'm an interactive designer (websites, animation, games, etc, > http://www.werkhaus.co.nz) and my wife is a freelance illustrator > (http://www.kimberleemunnillustrator.co.nz). any thoughts on how easy > or hard it is to find this type of work in the city? > > -how difficult is it to obtain work visas to germany? i've read some > differing opinions on this. some say you need a firm job offer from a > german company, etc. is this a lengthy process that i should start way > before hand, or something easier done from berlin? > > -have read the cost of living in berlin is relatively cheap. is this > true in your experience? how do food prices and rent compare to nz? > > -is it true that you can get by on english alone? or do you really > need some german to work, get around, get by daily? > > thanks guys. any contact, advice, suggestions, or warnings much appreciated. > > cheers, > luke > _______________________________________________ > Ada_list mailing list > [email protected] > http://aotearoadigitalarts.org.nz/ > -- derek holzer ::: http://www.umatic.nl ::: http://blog.myspace.com/macumbista ---Oblique Strategy # 10: "Allow an easement (an easement is the abandonment of a stricture)" _______________________________________________ Ada_list mailing list [email protected] http://aotearoadigitalarts.org.nz/
