Tom Pugh

1 week ago | thelocal.de | Tom Pugh

In the last few weeks, the US and Canada have updated their travel advice for visitors to Germany, primarily due to concerns about the possibility of terrorist attacks taking place in the country. In May, the US State Department issued a travel advisory placing Germany at Level 2: "Exercise Increased Caution." The new advice cites the persistent threat of terrorism, warning that attacks may occur with little or no warning in public spaces, including those frequented by tourists.

1 week ago | thelocal.de | Tom Pugh

The price of a summer holiday in Germany is rising once again this year, with hotels costing between 20 and 30 percent more in 2025 than five years ago, according to analysis by Budget Your Trip. For example, in 2025 the average price of a hotel room in Germany is €90 to €110 per night for a standard room - up significantly from five years ago when the average price was approximately €65 to €75.

1 week ago | thelocal.de | Tom Pugh

Friday's top story: Merz endorses Israel’s strikes on Iran Chancellor Friedrich Merz has endorsed Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, saying it was doing essential work for Germany and others by striking Iran's nuclear facilities. “This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us,” Merz told the ZDF broadcaster during an interview on the side-lines of the G7 summit in Alberta, Canada. The phrasing came in response to a question from an interviewer who had used the term.

1 week ago | thelocal.de | Tom Pugh

With the planned introduction of an early start pension (Frühstart-Rente), the federal government wants to encourage school children in Germany to think about saving for retirement from an early age. Originally described in the black-red coalition agreement between the conservative Union and the centre-left Social Democrat parties as something the new government “wanted” to do, ministers have decided to press ahead with legislation, with a view to launching the scheme in January 2026.

1 week ago | thelocal.de | Tom Pugh

Germany end free appeals for rejected visa applicants If your visa to visit or move to Germany is rejected after the start of July, you will no longer be able to use a free government review process, called remonstration, to challenge it. Until now, the remonstration process had allowed rejected visa applicants to be re-evaluated at no extra cost, and to include additional documents or note clarifications about their application.