Official letters from Germany, explained in English

German offices write formal letters with strict deadlines. Most decisions (Bescheid) become final after one month unless you object in writing.

Offices that write to you

Finanzamt — Tax office. Handles your income tax and other taxes.
Hauptzollamt — Customs office. Collects some federal taxes, for example the car tax (Kfz-Steuer), and collects debts for other federal offices.
Jobcenter — Jobcenter. Pays citizen’s income (Bürgergeld) to people who can work but don’t earn enough to live on.
Agentur für Arbeit — Employment agency. Pays unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) and helps you find work.
Ausländerbehörde — Immigration office. Handles visas and residence permits for people who are not German or EU citizens.
Bürgeramt — Citizens’ office. Handles address registration (Anmeldung), ID cards and passports.
ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice — Broadcasting fee office. Collects the public TV and radio fee (Rundfunkbeitrag). Every household in Germany has to pay it, even without a TV.
Krankenkasse — Health insurance. Your health insurance company. It pays for doctors and hospitals.
Familienkasse — Family benefits office. Pays child benefit (Kindergeld).
Deutsche Rentenversicherung — Pension insurance. Runs the state pension. Your work years are recorded here.
BAföG-Amt — Student finance office. Pays BAföG, the state support for students and trainees.
Hochschule — University. Your university or college.
Gericht — Court. A court. Letters from a court are always important — never ignore them.
Bußgeldstelle — Fines office. Handles fines, for example for speeding or wrong parking.
Inkassounternehmen — Debt collection agency. A company that collects money for someone else. Check if the debt is real before paying.
Vermieter / Hausverwaltung — Landlord or property manager. The owner of your flat or the company that manages it.
Energieversorger — Energy supplier. The company that sells you electricity, gas or heating.

Common kinds of letters

Vollstreckung — Enforcement notice. They are about to take the money by force, for example from your bank account or your wages.
Mahnbescheid — Court payment order. A court order to pay. If you do not owe the money, you must object within 2 weeks. If you ignore it, they can take the money by force.
Rückforderung — Request to pay money back. They believe they paid you too much and want the money back.
Bußgeldbescheid — Fine. An official fine. You can object (Einspruch) within 2 weeks after you receive it.
Mahnung — Payment reminder. You have not paid something on time. Extra fees may be added if you wait longer.
Festsetzungsbescheid — Fee decision. An official decision that you owe a fee, usually because earlier payments were missed. A late fee is often added.
Anhörung — Chance to explain. They plan to decide something about you and give you the chance to explain your side first.
Einladung / Termin — Appointment. They want you to come to an appointment. Missing it without a good reason can have consequences, for example less money from the Jobcenter.
Mitwirkung / Unterlagen — Request for documents. They need papers or information from you before they can decide.
Ablehnung — Rejection. Your application was turned down. You can usually object if you think this is wrong.
Steuerbescheid — Tax assessment. The result of your tax return. It shows whether you pay more tax or get money back.
Bewilligungsbescheid — Approval. Your application was approved. The letter shows how much you get and for how long.
Kündigung — Termination notice. A contract is being ended, for example your flat, job, or a subscription.
Nebenkostenabrechnung — Yearly utility bill. Your landlord’s yearly bill for heating, water, rubbish and other shared costs. You may pay extra or get money back. You have 12 months to question it.

German office words

Bescheid, Widerspruch, Einspruch, Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung, Frist, Bekanntgabe, Zustellung, Aktenzeichen, Kassenzeichen, Verwendungszweck, Mahnung, Mahngebühr, Säumniszuschlag, Nachzahlung, Erstattung, Guthaben, Forderung, Vollstreckung — see all 49 words.

Reply templates in German

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in Germany?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “Frist”, “bis zum”, “innerhalb” — they mark the deadline. In Germany, a posted official letter usually counts as delivered on the 4th day after it was sent. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“Einspruch”, “Widerspruch”).

Can I understand a German letter without speaking German?

Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It reads the German text on your device, explains it in plain English, finds deadlines and amounts, and can translate the whole letter.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. Briefly runs completely in your browser. The letter never leaves your device, there is no account, and it works offline after the first visit.