https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germany is known for being a bureaucratic nightmare. But just how bad is it? An expert panel says not enough is being done to reduce the culture of unnecessary paperwork. https://www.thelocal.de/20241002/bureaucratic-burden-is-insanely-high-will-germany-ease-its-red-tape-culture Wed, 02 Oct 2024 12:52:27 +0200 bureaucratic-burden-is-insanely-high-will-germany-ease-its-red-tape-culture Finding an appointment at the Bürgeramt to register an address has long been an unwanted chore for new arrivals in Berlin - but from October, this gruelling ritual will be a thing of the past. https://www.thelocal.de/20240919/anmeldung-berlin-to-re-launch-online-housing-registration-in-october Thu, 19 Sep 2024 15:51:06 +0200 anmeldung-berlin-to-re-launch-online-housing-registration-in-october Germany is known for lagging behind on digitalisation. A new law aims to change that by allowing people to do more basic bureaucratic tasks digitally. https://www.thelocal.de/20240730/digitalisation-germanys-plans-to-offer-more-online-services Tue, 30 Jul 2024 14:13:03 +0200 digitalisation-germanys-plans-to-offer-more-online-services Endless waits for appointments and unanswered emails are becoming the norm at immigration offices all around Germany. Unions say the staffing crisis is driving Ausländerbehörden to breaking point. https://www.thelocal.de/20231208/why-german-immigration-offices-are-permanently-in-crisis-mode Fri, 08 Dec 2023 14:12:38 +0100 why-german-immigration-offices-are-permanently-in-crisis-mode From registering a flat to applying for parental benefits, Germany is aiming to make bureaucracy easier to take care of online. It's lagging behind its goal - but new statistics show some states are making significant progress. https://www.thelocal.de/20230915/digitalisation-the-german-states-offering-the-most-online-services Fri, 15 Sep 2023 13:57:16 +0200 digitalisation-the-german-states-offering-the-most-online-services After reporting on an announcement that car registration would be moving online in Germany, journalist Sarah Magill thought she was all set when it came to registering her new car. But she was sorely mistaken. https://www.thelocal.de/20230913/how-using-germanys-new-digital-car-registration-service-turned-into-a-bureaucratic-nightmare Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:50:19 +0200 how-using-germanys-new-digital-car-registration-service-turned-into-a-bureaucratic-nightmare Starting Friday June 30th, people in Germany can access information on their state, private and company pension via the internet. https://www.thelocal.de/20230630/how-people-in-germany-will-be-able-to-check-their-pension-contributions-online Fri, 30 Jun 2023 12:40:31 +0200 how-people-in-germany-will-be-able-to-check-their-pension-contributions-online Signs are emerging that the coronavirus pandemic is finally dragging Germany's notoriously sluggish administrative processes into the 21st century -- albeit one very small step at a time. https://www.thelocal.de/20210119/how-the-pandemic-is-bringing-german-bureaucracy-out-of-the-1980s Tue, 19 Jan 2021 17:46:07 +0100 how-the-pandemic-is-bringing-german-bureaucracy-out-of-the-1980s Germany’s infamously poor internet is about to get a boost to the tune of billions of euros, with digitalisation in schools a top priority. https://www.thelocal.de/20180801/government-to-spend-billions-on-internet-infrastructure Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:10:25 +0200 government-to-spend-billions-on-internet-infrastructure