Updated by Tara on 02 February 2026
You’ve made it. Your family packed up, survived the flights, and arrived safely in Germany.
Jetlag is still lingering. Your to-do list is growing by the minute.
And then it hits you.
You’re in a new country, surrounded by unfamiliar faces, and you realise how much you need support. Not just practical help but people.
People who understand the emotional weight of starting over. Someone to help you make sense of systems that don’t work the way you’re used to. A friend who can sit with your homesickness without trying to fix it.
As a relocation coach and an expat mother living in Germany, I remember how alone I felt in those early months. I had never felt lonelier in my life.
Germany is a wonderful place to raise a family, but it’s also widely considered one of the hardest countries for expats to settle into. When you’re parenting at the same time, the feeling of struggle increases rapidly.
This post explores why support networks matter so much in Germany, how to start building one, and where to look, even if your German isn’t strong yet.
These are the tips I wish I’d had when I first arrived.
1. Why a Support Network Matters Even More in Germany
Moving abroad with children is one of the most exciting decisions a family can make. It is also emotionally demanding.
You’re navigating:
- unfamiliar bureaucracy
- a new language
- and the responsibility of keeping your children emotionally steady while you’re still finding your feet
In Germany, this can feel particularly intense.
Research consistently shows that Germany ranks low in terms of expat ease of settling in, particularly in regards to social integration and feeling welcome. Many expats report strong systems, but weak social connections.
Without a support network, even small challenges can feel overwhelming.
When your child is sick, who helps you understand the advice from the Kinderarzt? Who herpes you decode the dense language in the letters from school? And when you feel that familiar pang of homesickness, who sits with you?
Loneliness isn’t just uncomfortable; it has real consequences. Research links ongoing loneliness to increased stress, poorer mental health, and physical health impacts. The strongest protective factor? The quality of our social relationships.
You were never meant to do this alone.
2. Start Connecting Before You Arrive
This often surprises families, but some of the most stabilising connections can begin before you’ve even landed.
Before we moved to Dresden, I started quietly reaching out to other expat parents online. I didn’t make instant friends, but I gathered familiarity. Names. Faces. A sense of what mattered locally.
Helpful places to start:
- Facebook groups for international families in your future city
- Groups like:
- “International Families [City]”
- “English-Speaking Parents in Germany”
- “[Your nationality] in Germany”
- “International Families [City]”
- Meetup.com for family-friendly or interest-based groups
You can also ask your existing network for introductions. Many expat parents are happy to meet “a friend of a friend” because they remember exactly what those first months felt like.You don’t need to be outgoing. You just need to be open.
3. Where to Find Your Community in Germany (Without Needing German!)
The language barrier can be overwhelming when you first arrive, but it doesn’t have to stop you from building your expat network.
Some of the most accessible places to connect include:
- Local expat or international parent groups
- International schools and bilingual kindergartens
- Libraries, which often host children’s activities and events
- Sports clubs or Vereine: incredibly common in Germany and often more welcoming than expected.
When I first arrived, playgrounds felt terrifying. I worried constantly about saying the wrong thing or nothing at all.
So I started small. A smile, sometimes a wave or a simple “hello”.
Every connection counts.
4. Making Friends as an Adult (When You’re Already Tired)
Let’s be honest: making friends as an adult is hard. Doing it in another language? It can feel impossible.
I remember visiting a different playground every day with my daughter, my heart racing every time another parent looked my way.
“What if they don’t speak English?” I worried.
Slowly, watching my child connect without hesitation helped me loosen my grip on perfection. I followed her lead.
Simple conversation starters work:
- “We’ve just moved here — do you come here often?”
- “Our kids seem about the same age.”
- “Do you know any good places to go with children around here?”
These conversations don’t need to be deep. They just need to be human.
5. Practical Support: Childcare, Help, and Everyday Relief
Support networks aren’t only emotional. They can be practical too.
In Germany, helpful resources include:
- Expat Facebook groups for babysitter and cleaner recommendations
- Betreut.de for childcare and household help
- Local platforms like Kietzee (city-specific)
Even a few hours of help a week can dramatically change how settled you feel.
Support sometimes buys you breathing room.
6. Online Support for the Tougher Times
Some days, in-person connection feels like too much.
Online support can bridge the gap:
- Parenting-abroad Facebook groups
- Online therapy platforms (international or Germany-based)
- Group coaching or workshops focused on expat adjustment
These spaces can offer understanding without explanation, especially when language or energy is limited.
7. What If I Don’t Live In a City?
If you’re not in Berlin, Munich, or Hamburg, this part matters.
Dresden, for example, has one of the lowest proportions of residents with an international background in Germany. That doesn’t make connection impossible, but it does mean you need to be more intentional.
Ideas that help:
- Starting a small WhatsApp group at school or Kita
- Joining groups in nearby cities
- Becoming the initiator instead of waiting to be invited
Sometimes, you don’t just find community, you create it.
You Deserve a Village — Even Here
Settling into life in Germany isn’t just about paperwork.
It’s about belonging.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, you’re not failing — you’re human.
I’ve created a Germany Companion Guide to support families through these early stages, alongside my Expat Starter Kit and coaching support for mothers navigating this transition with care and clarity.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Let’s build the dream life abroad where you don’t just survive—you thrive.
Sources
* Domènech-Abella and colleagues (2023) explored over 100 studies and found that loneliness is most closely linked to the quality of our relationships, living situation, and mental and physical health—not just age or gender. Read the Domènech-Abella and colleagues literature review.
** InterNations (2023) conducted a survey of expats worldwide and concluded that expats in Germany are among the least happy in the world. Read the 2023 InterNations expat happiness report for Germany.
*** Data from 2023 shows that close to 30% of people residing in Germany have migration background (full report here), while data from 2024 indicates that around 12% of Dresden residents have migration background (full report here).
