Today we’ve hit a major milestone in our life abroad here in Austria. We’ve started German classes! It’s been hard to learn German during these past few months. Everything we do is in English for Surviving Europe and for work. Plus, most people know English in Austria, so they automatically switch to English when we try to speak German!
So why now (3 months in), are we officially learning German? Well, come to find out, in order to apply and get accepted for a long term visa, we need to pass our A1 German test on December 4th.
This long term visa or the “Niederlassungsbewilligung ausgenommen Erwerbstätigkeit” is the answer to all of our concerns. It allows us to live in Salzburg, but make money elsewhere for up to 5 years. Since we both still consult for US companies, and we both run our website, it’s the perfect solution.
Every year, on the first day that each embassy opens after New Year’s, those interested can apply. Having the first appointment of the day is vital, since only 30 applications are accepted every year for Salzburg. (FYI – this varies from city to city in Austria).
So here we are with one month to learn basic German! Now for the next question…how?!
Luckily, we stumbled upon Inlingua Salzburg during our research. This language school provides an accelerated month-long program to pass the A1 test. At the completion of the class, they even administer the exam directly to their students, and take care of all the paperwork.
Since this class a major and very unexpected expense, it will definitely put a damper on some of our travels and our site’s development. So, we’ve created a Gofundme account, just in case you want to help out! The more money we put towards our language classes, the more we can work on the site and the more destiations we can report out on.
Check out our fundraiser HERE!
And in return, we’ll be teaching YOU what we learn each day on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #SurvivingGerman. Be sure to follow us for our Monday through Friday German lessons. We’ll highlight key phrases and words, so you’re prepared for a trip to Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein or Switzerland (German-speaking Switzerland of course)!
Every milestone in Austria brings about growth. And from this minor detour, we’ve realized just how important it is to go with the flow when you move abroad. You’ll run into a lot of the unexpected, but if you stay focused and passionate, it’s bound to pay off!
Are you ready to embark on yet another life-changing journey with us? Let’s start Surviving German!
