What We Wish We Knew


What To Bring:
  • Books: Especially kids books and cookbooks. Books in English are more expensive and harder to come by here.
  • Over the Counter Medicines: Bring sufficient amounts of any medicine that you keep in your medicine cabinet. Example: Motrin, Tylenol, cough/cold medicines, Benadryl, Pepto-Bismol, Monistat, etc. You can get German products but most require a trip to the doctor or the ability to communicate in German to the pharmacist (apotheke).
  • Deodorant: Deodorants here do not contain anti-perspirant. If you prefer deodorant with anti-perspirant make sure you bring some along.
  • Clothes: Clothes here are expensive. It starts to get cold here in September. By late September you will need a good winter coat. Bring along winter clothes including long johns. You'll need to layer to stay warm.
  • VCR and DVD players: If you are planning on bringing along your American DVDs and VHS tapes you might want to think about sending over VCR and DVD players. American DVD and VHS tapes do not work with the European players. It is possible to purchase DVD and VHS players that will play both American and European version DVD and VHS tapes.
  • Power Transformers: If you are bringing American appliances, you will need power trasformers. They are much less expensive in the US than they are here.
  • For you pets: Bring shot records. Talk with your vet about paperwork for moving pets overseas. Bringing pets here is no problem. There is no quarentine required.
  • Paperwork: You will need your birth certificates and marriage licenses. To get your residence permit you will have to present an original copy of your marriage licence. Extra passport photos are also useful.
  • Things that make a home: Bring things that make you and your family feel at home here. Pictures, albums, special blankets etc.
  • Don't Bring: Don't bring cookie sheets as they will not fit in your oven. Ovens here are much smaller. Refrigerators are also much smaller here so don't bother bringing large tupperware containers either.

    Dresden International School:
  • Preschool: Your child must be 3 years old and potty trained.
  • If you have a child who is old enough to participate in the International Baccalaureate Program, we recomend tutoring in Physics and advanced math. Start learning German early. They might not have a beginner's class avalable when you arrive.
  • Please note that children in the IB program will have 3-4 hours of homework every night.

    German Driver's License:
    If your license is issued in any of the following US states, then you will not need to take a driver's test to aquire a German driver's license: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Coorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Licenses from all Canadian provinces except for the Yukons do not need to take the test. You can find an up to date list at www.fuehrerschein.net/umschreibung2.html.
    You can drive within Germany for 6 months with your non-German license. After that time you must have a German license to drive legally in Germany. You have 3 years to exchange your license for a German one. It takes weeks to get your German license so plan ahead.
    Most of the paper work and foot work for aquiring a license is done by relocators. If you don't have a relocator here is what you'll need to know:
  • You'll need to go to Landeshauptstadt Dresden, Ordnungsamt, Abelung Grundsatzangelegenheitenn, Sachgebiet Fuehrerscheinstelle. The Address is: Hauboldstrasse 7, 01239. Tel: (0351) 488 80 61. Fax: (0351)488 80 63. Email: [email protected]. You'll find their hours on their web page: www.dresde.de/index.html?page=ger/02/or/anliegen/c_105.html. You'll need to provide the following documents:
    For those who must take a test, it is a much longer process. You must take driving lessons from a driving school, pass a written test and a driving test. Unfortunately these test are quite difficult.

    German Language:
    Learn as much as you can before you get here. There are not as many English speakers in the former East Germany as there are in the western part of Germany.
    LanguageMan is a small electronic translator thay many find useful. You can type in English or German words and translate them back and forth. It gives full dictionary definitions. It is not useful when you are trying to speak, but it is very helpful for reading menus, appliance instructions, recipes, etc.
    There are a number of language schools in Dresden where you can take intensive German courses: Goethe Institute, InLingua and Berlitz are the main ones. A cheaper alternative to these pricey language school is Die Volkshochschule (VHS) which offers language classes among others. Their web page for VHS is www.vhs-dresden.de . You can also pick up a hard copy schedule for VHS at the International Book Store.

    Shopping:
    You must bring your own bags to the supermarket, though you are able to purchase bags at the checkout counter. You must also bag your own groceries. To get a shopping cart you need to place a one Euro coin into the cart. When you return the cart you get your Euro back. Please feel free to contact any of the expats for your first trip to the store. You may find it helpful.

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