Spouses and family

In principle, it is possible for a visiting researcher to bring along their spouse and children to Germany provided they can prove that any applicable costs related to the family member can be covered by the researcher.

Spouses

If the accompanying spouse wants to seek employment in Germany, approval by the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Agency for Employment) may be required.

Children

Child care and education are mostly organized by the state in Germany. The child usually goes to the kindergarten or school that is closest to the parents’ residence.

Children between the ages of one to three years old

For children aged 1 to 3, there are church run and private day care facilities in addition to the government operated ones. Since child care spots are limited you should look for childcare early – preferably before you arrive.

  • Nurseries and crèches provide day care for children aged 1 to 3 years. Depending on the facility the children can either stay for half a day or a full day. Alternatively, there are also private child-care providers.
  • Children aged 3 to 6 years go to kindergarten or day care centres where they can either stay for half a day or a full day.

Close to the university, there is the nursery Flohzirkusas well as the kindergarten “Kita im Treff”.

The German-French Kindergarden is located in the district Neu-Kürenz.

Compulsory schooling for children from the age of 6

Most schools in Germany are government run. After 4 years of elementary school, the education system is traditionally divided into Gymnasium (Grammar School), Realschule (middle school) and Hauptschule (lower secondary school). Meanwhile there are new school forms like the Gesamtschule (integrated comprehensive school) and Realschule plus (middle school plus). While traditional schools only offer classes in the morning, the Gesamtschule offers also afternoon care. The homepage for Trier provides an overview of the schools in Trier.

At the Deutsch-Französischen Humboldt-Gymnasium Trier it is possible to graduate with both the German and French higher education entrance certification at the same time (Abitur/Baccalauréat).