The Einwohnermeldeamt is the office that you have to report to when you come to Germany in order to register your address and apply for your residence permit. It is usually located in the town hall, or Rathaus, but may also be in a Bürgeramt. You should take your passport with you. When you apply for your permit(s) you will need to take other paperwork with you, such as a … [Read more...]
Das Jugendamt
The Jugendamt is an office, usually located in each Kreis or Kreisstadt and sometimes in other large towns. The office is not only responsible for child protection and assisting parents that are unable to cope with their children, but also to arrange courses and activities for children. They are also a point of contact for clubs and societies, eg. to apply for financial … [Read more...]
Das Wahlamt
The Wahlamt is an office, usually located in the town hall, that is responsible for organising elections. It splits a town up into Wahlbezirke and sends out the postcards that tell the people who live in the town where and when they can go to vote. The office is also the place to go if you want to apply for a postal vote, or if someone is ill on the day of the election … [Read more...]
Das Auswärtige Amt
The Auswärtiges Amt is a term that is used to refer to the German Foreign office. It is a term that is often heard in films and news items, the proper name being Außenministerium. Currently it has offices in both Berlin and Bonn and is responsible for the 145 embassies and 59 consulates in other countries around the world. In crisis situations such as hostage dramas, the … [Read more...]
Das Standesamt
Das Standesamt is an office, usually located in the town hall, where births, marriages and deaths are registered. The office also issues the relevant certificates for these occasions. The civil part of the marriage ceremony takes place at the Standesamt itself, often in a room specially decorated and set aside for this purpose. Some towns have rooms, dedicated as a … [Read more...]