The Local Germany

What stereotypes do other Europeans most associate with Germany?

Fri, 18 May 2018 12:26:54 +0200

A new survey of 3,000 people across 27 countries in the EU asked what stereotypes their citizens hold of Germans - and you'll never guess what it found.

Munich residents have just been spared Germany’s most annoying bit of bureaucracy

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 18:17:21 +0200

Through a new online service, Munich residents can save themselves a lot of time and hassle by not going to the Bürgeramt.

Berlin district offers foreigners a lifeline by translating online info into ‘easy German’

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 11:25:20 +0100

Foreigners - and some Germans themselves - in Berlin can now take a sigh of relief. The district office of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is offering the possibility to read about several of its services in simple German.

These six fussy laws could've only been made in Germany

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 19:05:47 +0200

Drilling on Sundays? Strengstens verboten (strictly prohibited). Here are Germany's weirdest laws and rules.

Refugees create app to crack German bureaucratic maze

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:48:57 +0200

Interminable queues, impenetrable paperwork, unpronounceable German words - the hurdles for any newcomer to Europe's top economy can be daunting but now there's an app for that, says a team of enterprising Syrian refugees.

Overly generous Munich pays its bills twice

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:43:12 +0100

The city of Munich has paid many contractors twice for work they have done for the town. But the answer isn't to be found in the famously generous Bavarian spirit.

The student dream? Make me a bureaucrat

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 09:59:00 +0200

Students at German universities have shown themselves to be a risk-free lot in a survey by Ernst & Young. The civil service is their most popular choice of future profession, while job security is valued above all else.

Bavaria plans online bureaucracy revolution

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 13:02:00 +0100

Bavaria's Finance Minister plans to kick-start an admin revolution, replacing Germany's notoriously paper-filled bureaucracy with a new online service.

Seven tips to beat German bureaucracy

Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:38:00 +0200

From registering an address to getting health insurance, those new in Germany will quickly discover that it is a country where bureaucracy and paperwork are still king. This week’s Local List offers seven crucial tips to stop it ruining your life.

Coalition set to cut taxes by €4.5 billion

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 12:09:00 +0100

Tax relief of €4.5 billion could be coming the way of German companies and workers, mostly by slashing red tape, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) announced Thursday.

Driver's licences get expiration date

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:59:00 +0200

German driver’s licences are getting an expiration date, according to a media report on Thursday. As of 2013, they will be valid for only 15 years.

Going with Germany's bureaucratic flow

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:36:00 +0200

In the latest installment of Portnoy’s Stammtisch, The Local’s column about life in Germany, Portnoy explains how he learned to cope with the country’s bleating bureaucrats.

The Local's guide to EU elections

Mon, 25 May 2009 15:37:00 +0200

Get out your big red marker! The German election for the European parliament will be held on June 7. If you're an expat European citizen, and you want to use your shred of influence on the only directly-elected body of the European Union, check out The Local's practical guide.

What Germany's new bureaucracy hotline can do for you

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:05:00 +0100

Those struggling to navigate the murky depths of German bureaucracy now have a government-sponsored hotline that promises help for even the most intricate of administrative answers. The Local dialled 115 to check it out.

Baffled Germans get new bureaucracy helpline

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:58:00 +0100

Millions of Germans confused by their country’s often bewildering bureaucracy will soon have help from public authorities through a new hotline – 115 – broadcaster ARD reported on Thursday.

Police call other police to aid injured woman

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:31:00 +0100

Police called to an emergency in a Berlin bar arrived to find the call had come from another set of officers who considered the crime scene outside their jurisdiction, authorities reported on Friday.