German offices run on paper, and the paper runs on about fifty words. They're the same at the Bürgeramt, the Finanzamt, the Jobcenter and the health insurer. Once you know them, a three-page letter shrinks to two questions: what do they want, and by when?
This page is those words. None of them are in a beginner's textbook, and all of them will be in your letterbox within a month of arriving.
The Three Words Everything Turns On
| Word | What it is | What you do |
|---|---|---|
der Antrag | an application. Nothing starts without one | einen Antrag stellen: fill it in, sign it, hand it in |
der Termin | an appointment. Many offices see nobody without one | book it online, often weeks ahead, and bring every paper they list |
der Bescheid | the written decision on your application | read it, check the deadline, object if it's wrong |
Quick notes:
- A Bescheid is the official answer: yes, no, or how much. A Bewilligungsbescheid approves something. An Ablehnungsbescheid refuses it.
- Bescheid also lives in everyday German. Sag mir Bescheid just means "let me know".
- The fourth word to add is die Frist, the deadline. Every Bescheid has one, and missing it usually closes the door.
Offices and People
government office
das Amt
public authority
die Behörde
case worker
der Sachbearbeiter
responsible
zuständig
opening hours
die Öffnungszeiten
consultation hours
die Sprechzeiten
queue number
die Wartenummer
waiting area
der Wartebereich
counter
der Schalter
file reference number
das Aktenzeichen
deadline
die Frist
fee
die Gebühr
Practice these words
das Amt
Quick notes:
- Zuständig is the word that sends people from door to door. Dafür bin ich nicht zuständig means "that's not my department", and the case worker really can't help. Ask straight away: Wer ist dafür zuständig?
- A female case worker is die Sachbearbeiterin. Her name is on the letter, usually top right, with a direct phone number.
- The Aktenzeichen is how the office finds you. Put it on every letter and email, and have it ready when you call.
Papers
form
das Formular
documents
die Unterlagen
proof
der Nachweis
written certificate
die Bescheinigung
confirmation
die Bestätigung
official certificate
die Urkunde
copy
die Kopie
certified copy
die beglaubigte Kopie
original
das Original
translation
die Übersetzung
signature
die Unterschrift
written authorisation
die Vollmacht
identity card
der Personalausweis
passport
der Reisepass
residence permit
der Aufenthaltstitel
confirmation of registration
die Meldebestätigung
registration certificate
die Meldebescheinigung
tax ID
die Steuer-ID
Practice these words
das Formular
Quick notes:
- Unterlagen is the word in every invitation: Bitte bringen Sie folgende Unterlagen mit. It means all the papers on the list. One missing paper often means a new appointment.
- An Urkunde is a formal certificate: birth, marriage, a degree. Foreign ones usually need a beglaubigte Übersetzung, a translation by a sworn translator.
- With a Vollmacht, someone else can go to the office for you. It has to be written and signed, and they bring your ID or a copy of it.
- The Meldebestätigung is the paper you get, free, when you register your address. Banks, employers and other offices ask for it, so keep it safe. A Meldebescheinigung is a fresh certificate of your address that you order later, usually for a fee, when someone wants a recent one.
What They Ask You to Do
to submit an application
einen Antrag stellen
to apply for
beantragen
to fill in
ausfüllen
to sign
unterschreiben
to hand in
einreichen
to hand in later
nachreichen
to present
vorlegen
to extend
verlängern
to make an appointment
einen Termin vereinbaren
to cancel an appointment
einen Termin absagen
to lodge an objection
Widerspruch einlegen
to register
sich anmelden
to re-register
sich ummelden
to deregister
sich abmelden
Practice these words
einen Antrag stellen
Quick notes:
- Einreichen, nachreichen, vorlegen look alike and mean different things. Einreichen is to hand papers in. Nachreichen is to hand in what was missing. Vorlegen is to show the original and take it home again.
- Anmelden, ummelden, abmelden are the three address moves: registering when you arrive, re-registering when you move within Germany, deregistering when you leave the country.
Sentences From the Letters
within two weeks
innerhalb von zwei Wochen
by the end of the month at the latest
bis spätestens Ende des Monats
with immediate effect
ab sofort
Please bring the following documents.
Bitte bringen Sie folgende Unterlagen mit.
Please hand in the missing documents.
Bitte reichen Sie die fehlenden Unterlagen nach.
Your application has been approved.
Ihr Antrag wurde bewilligt.
Your application has been refused.
Ihr Antrag wurde abgelehnt.
You can lodge an objection against this decision.
Gegen diesen Bescheid können Sie Widerspruch einlegen.
We ask for a reply.
Wir bitten um Rückmeldung.
Yours sincerely
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Practice these words
innerhalb von zwei Wochen
Quick notes:
- A Widerspruch is a formal objection, in writing. The last section of a Bescheid, headed Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung, tells you where to send it and how long you have. It's usually one month.
- The name of the remedy depends on the office. At the tax office it's an Einspruch, and in some states you go straight to court with a Klage. The Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung says which.
- Im Auftrag, often shortened to i. A., stands above the signature. It only means the person signed on behalf of the office.
How German Offices Work
Writing counts, talking doesn't. What a case worker tells you on the phone isn't binding. What's in a letter is. If something matters, ask for it in writing: Können Sie mir das bitte schriftlich bestätigen?
Keep everything. Germans file their letters in a ring binder, an Ordner, and they keep them for years. A Bescheid from two years ago can be exactly the Nachweis another office wants tomorrow.
Your name has to be on the letterbox. Post is delivered by name, and a letter that can't be delivered goes back to the sender. You miss the appointment or the payment in it, and the office may go on without you. Put your name on the letterbox and the doorbell on the day you move in.
A yellow envelope is serious. Courts and some offices use a yellow envelope with the delivery date written on it. That date starts a legal deadline, even if you're on holiday. Open it the same day.
The official language is German. Offices aren't obliged to speak English, and many case workers won't, even if they can. Bringing a German-speaking friend to an appointment is normal and nobody minds.
Reading an Official Letter in One Minute
- Who sent it? The office and the case worker are at the top. Note the Aktenzeichen.
- Find the date and the Frist. Look for bis zum, bis spätestens or innerhalb von. Put the date in your calendar before you read anything else.
- Find the verb. Einreichen, nachreichen, zahlen, erscheinen: that's what they want you to do.
- Look for a sum of money. If you have to pay, the amount and the bank details are usually near the end.
- Check the last paragraph. If it says Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung, the letter is a decision and you can object to it.
- Answer in writing. Quote the Aktenzeichen, keep a copy, and send anything important so that you can prove it arrived.