Archive
Audience: Civilian Spouse
For civilian spouses of US service members or retirees living in Germany: visa status, work authorization, dependents.
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Kindergeld for an American-German Family: Which Path You Can Actually Claim
Who this is for: American-German families where one spouse is a US citizen and the other is a German national, living in Germany. It covers the two statutory tracks (the Bundeskindergeldgesetz (BKGG, the federal child-benefit residual statute) and the Einkommensteuergesetz (EStG, the German income tax act) § 62 path), why the Bundeskindergeldgesetz NATO-Truppe (NATO force…
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Anmeldung in Germany: The 14-Day Rule and What to Bring to the Bürgercenter
As of May 2026: if you move to a German address and you do not hold NATO Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) status, you have 14 days to register with the local Meldebehörde (registration authority). That is the Anmeldung Germany 14-day rule, set by Bundesmeldegesetz (BMG, the Federal Registration Act) §17 Absatz 1. The SOFA…
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MFS vs MFJ When Your Spouse Is German: The 6013(g) Decision
As of tax year 2025: an American married to a German national has three plausible US filing statuses (Married Filing Separately (MFS), Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) via the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 6013(g) election, and Head of Household (HOH) under IRC § 7703(b)), and the choice matters more than generic expat-tax guides admit. Samira…