Germany scored poorly in the 2026 Expat Insider survey overall, but specific things — working hours, job security, infrastructure — score far better. An honest look at both sides.
Germany is a genuinely strange case in expat satisfaction research. In the 2026 Expat Insider survey by InterNations — nearly 8,000 respondents across 162 nationalities, ranking 31 countries — Germany came in 30th overall, ahead of only Norway. At the same time, several of the specific things that make daily life good score considerably better than that headline number suggests. Both halves of that picture are real, and worth understanding before you move.
Work-life balance holds up
This is one of Germany's genuine strengths. The country ranked 12th in the Work-Life Balance subcategory, and expats reported an average full-time workweek of 40.4 hours, against a 42.2-hour global average in the same survey. Statutory leave and labour protections are strong by international standards.
The job market is Germany's best-performing category
Germany's highest ranking in the whole survey came in "Working Abroad" — 19th of 31. Europe's largest economy still offers real career depth, particularly in engineering, manufacturing, tech and healthcare, and job security is generally stronger than in more flexible, hire-and-fire labour markets.
Healthcare infrastructure is there, even if satisfaction is mixed
Healthcare was a weaker spot in Germany's Quality of Life ranking (23rd) — not because the system doesn't function, but because the statutory/private insurance structure and appointment processes can feel unfamiliar and slow to someone moving from a different system. The underlying infrastructure and coverage are genuinely comprehensive once you're inside it.
What expats actually find hardest
The low overall ranking is driven by specific, well-documented friction, not by Germany being unpleasant to live in:
- 61% of surveyed expats reported difficulty dealing with German government authorities.
- Germany ranked last — 31st of 31 — for availability of online administrative services, a category covering digital government processes.
- Forms are routinely paper-only and in German, with no digital option, even for basic registration tasks.
- Responsibility is split between federal, state and municipal offices, and local implementation varies, which compounds the confusion.
- Separately, a 2026 survey found language barriers (45%) and local bureaucracy (35%) are the two biggest everyday stressors for expats in Germany.
The honest summary
Germany does not score poorly because the underlying quality of life is bad — work-life balance, job security and infrastructure all hold up well in isolation. It scores poorly because "settling in" is genuinely harder here than in most of the 31 countries surveyed, largely for bureaucratic and administrative reasons that a well-prepared move can soften but not eliminate.
FAQ
Is Germany really one of the worst countries for expats? By overall survey ranking in 2026, yes — 30th of 31 — but that number is driven heavily by bureaucracy and digital-services friction, not by weak fundamentals. What do expats value most? Reasonable working hours, strong labour protections and the depth of Europe's largest economy. What's the single biggest complaint? Bureaucracy and the near-total absence of digital government services — Germany ranked last of 31 countries on this specific measure. Does the language matter day to day? Yes — outside large international employers, bureaucracy runs in German, and this is the most commonly cited stressor among affected expats.
How we help
We give clients the real picture, not just the appealing half of it, and connect you with relocation and paperwork support so bureaucratic friction doesn't become the reason a move stalls. Informational only, based on published survey data — individual experience varies by city, visa category and employer.