Arjun Patel
Senior Backend Engineer
Senior Backend Engineer in Munich. I did the Pune → Amsterdam → Munich move myself — now I write about dev salaries, visas, and the boring relocation stuff nobody warns you about.
Munich, Germany
Arjun, 31, is a Senior Backend Engineer from Pune, these days based in Munich. He moved to Europe back in 2019 — first Amsterdam, then over to Germany in early 2024 with his wife. Since then he did pretty much all the relocation stuff the hard way: chasing flats, dealing with two immigration offices, and figuring out taxes in two countries that do everything different. He writes here about the practical side of moving as a software engineer — salaries and take-home, visas and the Blue Card, cost of living, and the small on-the-ground things nobody really tells you. Works mostly with Python and Postgres, and still misses Dutch stroopwafels more than he expected.
Articles by Arjun
5 articles
Freelancing in Germany as a Software Developer 2026: Rates, Taxes and the Visa
A 2026 guide for non-EU developers going freelance in Germany — day rates by specialty, the §21 Freiberufler visa, tax and VAT, health insurance, and how to keep your Freiberufler status intact.
Getting a Tech Job in Germany From Abroad: A Non-EU Engineer's Field Manual
Cold-applying to German tech from India, Pakistan or Brazil converts at ~1% — but it's winnable. A field manual from someone who did the move: the Lebenslauf, the ATS tricks, Blue Card vs Chancenkarte, and the employers that actually sponsor non-EU engineers.
Germany Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) 2026: Guide for IT Professionals
The honest 2026 guide to Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte): the 6 points, the €13,092, and the degree rule that stops most self-taught devs cold.
Your First 90 Days in Germany in 2026 — The Bureaucracy Marathon Nobody Warns You About 🇩🇪
A 2026 week-by-week checklist for your first 90 days in Germany as a tech worker — Anmeldung, Steuer-ID, banking, health insurance, the Blue Card eAT and SCHUFA.
Germany vs the Netherlands for Tech Workers in 2026: Salary, Visa & Take-Home Compared
The Dutch 30% ruling drops to 27% in 2027 while Germany opens its EU Blue Card to IT pros without a degree. A 2026 head-to-head on take-home pay, visas, cost of living and salaries.