Servus an Alle! Happy New Year - The Munich Post is back!

Welcome back to the Munich Post! This newsletter aims to share: 3 bits of news, 2 upcoming events, and 1 amazing restaurant/café for expats living in and around Munich. This way, you have a pulse on what’s going on without scrolling through thousands of pages.

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Happy New Year. Hope you all had a lovely holiday with family and friends and are back in the city. Just when we thought we'd get a gentle start to the new year, winter decided to make a grand re-entrance. As if the return of winter wasn't enough, we've also got train and farmers' strikes shaking things up on our streets.

3 bits of news

Munich's mandatory rent index

For the first time, the city is making it mandatory for selected households to disclose their rental costs for the Munich Rent Index 2025. 

Don’t be surprised if you’re one of the up to 100,000 households receiving a letter from Kantar, the market research institute handling the data collection. They're aiming to gather around 3,000 responses to get a clear picture of the rental landscape in Germany's priciest city.

If you're contacted and don't provide the needed info, you might end up facing a fine of up to 5,000 euros. Yes, you read that right. So, if you find a letter from Kantar in your mailbox, it’s not just another piece of junk mail – it’s something you need to take seriously.

This isn't just about complying with a new rule. The Rent Index is a pretty significant tool, especially in legal matters concerning rental disputes. A well-crafted Rent Index can help ease the heated discussions about rental prices in our bustling city. It’s based on several criteria, including the type, location, size, amenities and condition of the property.

For those who like to stay ahead of the curve, the most current Rent Index for Munich (2023) is available online. 

For more details, read here (in German). 

Did you know KVR offers 146 Digital Services?

Despite this fantastic leap into digitalization, it turns out many of us in Munich are still in the dark about these online wonders. A recent survey revealed that a lot of people visiting the KVR had no clue about the digital services available. 

That's why the KVR has kicked off the “Mehr Zeit für Anderes” campaign. The goal? To spread the word about these nifty online options that could save you loads of time and hassle.

To explore the full extent of these digital offerings, visit this link. From re-registering your residence to dealing with small business or even registering a a business, it's all there, categorized for your convenience. 

Find out more about the news here (in German).

2024: Germany's Year of Change 

Germany is expected to roll out a few new and amended laws in 2024. Here is what we can expect:

• Dual Citizenship Law Overhaul

  • Exciting changes for expats: dual citizenship law possibly in effect by April 2024.

  • New rules reduce residency requirements to five years for eligibility.

  • Special provisions for older residents and children born in Germany.

• Opportunity Card Introduction

  • Simplifying migration: non-EU citizens can now stay in Germany for one to three years, searching for long-term employment.

  • Requirements: vocational training or a degree, and basic German or English language skills.

• Social Security Adjustments

  • Health insurance income threshold increases to 69,300 euros annually.

  • Pension contributions capped differently in East and West Germany.

  • Statutory health insurance's additional cost to rise by 0.1%.

• Parental Benefits and Leave

  • New parents face reduced income thresholds for Elterngeld, starting April 2024.

  • Changes in parental leave division: only one month shared leave allowed.

• Child Maintenance Payment Increase

  • Payments for underage children rise, depending on age and parent's income.

• Citizens’ Allowance Increase

  • Significant boost for single claimants and those caring for children.

• Workplace Changes

  • Minimum wage to rise to 12,14 euros per hour.

  • Minijob income threshold increases, allowing tax-free earnings up to 538 euros per month.

  • New fathers and second parents get 10 days paid paternity leave.

• Tax System Updates

  • Basic tax-free allowance and child tax exemption rates to increase.

• Transportation Adjustments

  • Potential increase of Deutschlandticket cost to 59 euros per month.

  • Berlin reintroduces 29-euro public transport ticket.

  • Electric car subsidies to be cut.

• Consumer-Focused Changes

  • Cannabis legalization: controlled purchase and possession for adults.

  • Gas price cap ends, leading to potential utility cost increases.

  • VAT in cafes and restaurants to increase from 7% to 19%.

  • Charging electronic devices will become significantly easier with uniform USB-C charging standards for smartphones and other devices, required by the end of 2024.

• Environmental Regulations

  • New heating law requires renewable energy for newly installed heating systems.

  • Pfand system extended to include plastic milk bottles. 

Read in detail here (in English), or on The Local’s podcast, which talks about the next steps for dual citizenship law. 

In Partnership with Homemeal

It is our desire to bring our readers the best information about Munich — at zero cost to you. In keeping with this theme, we thank our sponsors for today’s newsletter. By clicking on the link below, you’re supporting this newsletter.

Sick of eating Indian food that tastes like German food?

You know what I mean? We all know that Indian cuisines are adapted to the German palate. It’s like authentic desi food is almost nonexistent unless you cook it yourself.

What if I were to tell you that:

• You can get an authentic Indian/Pakistani or other Asian food without cooking it yourself

• You save time and money instead of eating takeaway

• It is delivered to your door

• There is so much variety, so you’re never bored

Introducing Homedeal. Choose 6 homemade ready-to-eat meals, and Homedeal will deliver them to your home throughout Munich or even throughout Germany.

You can learn about their variety, chefs, and food here. Use code: TheMunichPost to get a 10€ discount.

Check out Homedeal here.

Plus, they have Halal and other varieties such as dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and German-free 😂

2 upcoming events

Cirque du Soleil hits Munich

Get ready, Munich! Cirque du Soleil is pitching its grand tent at Theresienwiese for a whole month. Get ready to dive into ‘Kurios,’ the story of a curious researcher whose wild imagination opens a portal to a bizarre, dream-like world.

Experience a dazzling array of performances from air cycling to chair balancing, brought to life by 50 top-class artists from 17 countries. Munich's run includes 41 performances and is set to add significantly more performances to that number.

Purchase your tickets here. Watch a preview of this magnificent act. 

General information 

📅  Friday, January 26 to Sunday, February 25

⏰  Various time slots

📍  Theresienwiese München

💶  from €58

Moms & Dads’ Disco Night

Munich moms and dads, are you ready to swap your bedtime stories for some dance floor glory? It's time to step out of those comfy slippers and into your dancing shoes because the Helene Disco in Schwabing is hosting the ultimate Parents' Evening.

The DJs will be spinning a nostalgic mix of 90s and 2000s hits, sprinkled with some of today's chart-toppers. It's the perfect recipe for a night of carefree fun.

At 11pm, the doors open for the regular Friday night crowd with the “Nineties vs. Nullties” program, so you can keep dancing the night away if you're not ready to hang up your dancing shoes just yet.

Grab your tickets here. 

📅 Friday, January 12

⏰ 8pm 

📍Helene Disco, Occamstraße 5, Munich

💶  €11 (tickets include coat check service)

Bonus

• Kinderflohmarkt

• Taylor Swift in Munich

• Passport-free travel to return for some Britons

• Nigeria and Germany sign $500 mn renewable energy and gas deal

• Germany is about to make life much easier for foreign workers in 2024

• Germany considers bringing back military service as it seeks to boost troop numbers

• NewTram line through English Garden

1 new restaurant/café to try

MUN Restaurant

What do you think about dipping into a fusion of flavors that bring together the best of Korean and global cuisine? Chef Mun Kim from The MUN Restaurant (near Gasteig) is here to do just that - infused with a dash of international flair. 

Opt for their popular tasting menu, where each dish is not only fresh but also flavorful. While there was a bit of a wait between courses, the quality and taste of the food made every minute worth it. Since autumn 2023, MUN has introduced an à la carte option from Tuesday to Thursday, in addition to their signature tasting menus and the Omakase menu. 

The ambiance at MUN adds to the allure. It's cozy and inviting, creating the perfect backdrop for a delightful evening. The staff's friendly and knowledgeable service adds to the overall experience, making you feel both welcomed and pampered. 

General information

📍 Innere Wiener Straße 18, 81667 München

🥘  Korean Fusion

⏰  Tuesday/Thursday/Friday,  6pm - 11pm

      Saturday, 6pm - 12 Midnight

      Closed Sunday/Monday/Wednesday 

🔗 https://munrestaurant.de

Meme of the week 😂

Thanks for reading and sharing the Munich Post 3-2-1 newsletter.

See ya next week!

Aazar, Arlene, Christina, and Heidi

Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that this newsletter is absolutely free for you to enjoy. We genuinely value your feedback as it inspires us to continuously improve and bring you even more amazing news and content. It would mean the world to us if you could spare a moment to share your thoughts and leave us some comments. Your input is truly appreciated!