- Andrey Vasilyev
Thanks to InterNations, I joined an after-work soccer team of other expatriates even before moving to Hamburg.
Get tips, join events & make friends in Hamburg
Are you an Indian in Hamburg or considering living here? Through the InterNations community, you can easily connect with other Indians in the city and gain essential information about your new home — from English-speaking doctor recommendations to tips on where to find the most authentic Indian food in town.
Read on to find out how you can meet other internationals at our fun events and find people to celebrate Diwali or Holi with. We’ve also collected the answers to your most burning questions about life in Hamburg.
Why you'll love InterNations in Hamburg
and countless possibilities for fun and friendship!
Why Indians move abroad (& how they like it)
Every year, we publish one of the biggest global surveys among expats — Expat Insider — asking respondents about various aspects of their expat life. Learn what motivates our Indian members to move abroad, what keeps them there, and what they struggle with or miss about home.
The pros & cons of expat life in Hamburg
No place is perfect, there’s always the good, the bad and the ugly. Find out what our Indian members love about their life abroad, but also the challenges they face in Hamburg.
Pros:
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Safety: Our Indian members feel much safer walking around at night in Hamburg than in India. Crimes like theft or physical attacks are rare, though you should of course still be cautious, especially in the neighborhoods St. George and St. Pauli.
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Free education: Education in Hamburg and all of Germany is free at public institutions, also for international students. You at most need to pay a small semester fee to cover printing costs and the like. The quality of education here is also high.
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Good healthcare: Germany offers affordable, quality healthcare that’s accessible not only to local citizens but also to foreign residents.
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Clean city: Hamburg is a considerably clean city. The streets and neighborhoods are tidy, and there are many green spaces.
Cons:
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Sunday shutdown: Almost every place, including stores, banks, and government services, is closed on Sundays. It’s even a legal requirement to stay quiet and avoid making loud noises (e.g., mowing your lawn, loud parties), which might take some adjusting to.
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Bureaucracy: Bureaucracy in Germany can be very frustrating (not only for Indians). Most things are still done old-school, with lots of paperwork required to get permits, register your residence, sign up for healthcare insurance, and so on. Getting an appointment (e.g. at the immigration office) can also take a long time.
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Language barrier: Germany does not rank well when it comes to the general friendliness of the population —and not speaking German can make it doubly difficult to make local friends. Official appointments like going to the doctor, city registration, or finding accommodation can also be a struggle with only knowing English.
Meet Indian expats at our events in Hamburg
Reaching out when you don’t know anybody in a new city can be hard. Having experienced the same at one point or another, our members know what that’s like and are a very welcoming bunch exactly for that reason. So at our events, simply introduce yourself — and you’ll make friends in no time!
Our Newcomers’ Events in particular are perfect for people new to the city. Let our organizers (called Ambassadors) greet you with open arms and introduce you to other newcomers and more experienced expats living in Hamburg.
Want to meet other Indians at our events?
Frequent questions about living in Hamburg
India Week Hamburg can be a good place to start. It’s a one-week program featuring a series of events including panel discussions, art exhibitions, dance performances, and concerts. Not only can you meet other Indians, but you can also reconnect with your home country’s culture.
The other 51 weeks of the year, however, you might have better luck with specific events for expats. Luckily, InterNations events allow you to meet international people from India and around the world. Especially our Newcomers’ Events are designed for people new to the community, helping you make your first friends in Hamburg in no time.
Of course, your concrete expenses depend on your personal situation and budget — whether you’re a student, a single person with a full-time job, working part time, have a family with kids, etc.
The average salary for jobs in Hamburg is 4,500 EUR per month. If you’re making at least this amount, you should be able to live comfortably here.
However, if you have a family and kids to support, you might want to aim higher. Between 5,000 and 6,000 EUR is considered a good salary for a family.
But to give you some rough idea, here’s an overview of the cost of living in Hamburg:
| INR per month | Local currency per month | |
Local currency per month | 28,300 INR | 310 EUR |
Rent for a studio apartment | 68,400–94, 000 INR | 750–1,030 EUR |
Rent for a studio apartment | 127,700–182,400 INR | 1,400–2,000 EUR |
Public transportation | 4,500 INR | 50 EUR |
Mobile phone & internet | 5,400 INR | 60 EUR |
Meal at a restaurant (per person) | 1,500–27,000 INR | 15–30 EUR |
Groceries (per person) | 18,200 INR | 200 EUR |
Basic health insurance (public) | Min. 14.6% of gross salary |
Hamburg is a very international city, with about a fifth of its residents having foreign roots. Many people speak at least some English, so getting around or handling basic interactions won’t be too hard.
Still, you’ll hit the language barrier now and then, which can be frustrating. Especially when it’s in tricky situations like when you’re looking for a flat, needing to see a doctor, having to handle official paperwork, and the like.
So ideally, you treat your time in Hamburg as an opportunity to learn as much German as possible — or even practice some basic German in advance. There are various language courses available, or you can try your luck with apps or websites that provide free lessons.
To help you avoid some of these struggles, we’ve also collected some services that cater to English speakers in Hamburg (these services are not affiliated with or endorsed by InterNations):
General practitioner (GP) |
A full-service clinic (Hausarzt) which also caters to English speakers |
Dentist |
The dentists and staffs speak good English; available in many different locations in Hamburg |
Urgent care | University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) One of the largest and most modern hospitals in Europe with multilingual staff |
Immigration assistance |
Relocation and visa support with a full-service approach |
Tax advisor |
Certified English-speaking tax experts |
Instant interpreting service |
Get connected to a native German speaker on your phone and use it to have an instant interpreter with you |
Meet other Indians in Hamburg
Our Global Partners
Find friends who share your hobbies
Whether you want to continue with a hobby or are looking to discover new ones, our InterNations Groups are there for you. Based on a range of different interests, these groups are run by dedicated Consuls who hold at least one activity each month.
They organize everything from dinners in Hamburg restaurants to outdoor activities and excursions. For example, you can discover the city on foot with the Hiking and Walking Group, grab dinner at favorite restaurants with the DinnerNations Group, or go sailing on Hamburg’s famous rivers. We have something for everyone!
Find other Indians to share your hobbies with
Enjoy the international experience with InterNations
We’re not just active in Hamburg! InterNations offers lively communities in most of Germany’s major cities.
So if you’re traveling or moving to another German city, check out our Indian communities in Munich, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Berlin, Stuttgart, Essen, Bonn, Regensburg, or Heidelberg.
And that’s not all. If you’re in the mood for a nice night out while traveling further abroad, simply check the event calendar of your location. We have communities in over 420 cities worldwide. Browse all InterNations Communities.
- Andrey Vasilyev
Thanks to InterNations, I joined an after-work soccer team of other expatriates even before moving to Hamburg.
- Hannah Steele
During my first week in Hamburg, I went to an InterNations event and immediately felt connected. Many members are now close friends of mine.
