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LIVING IN GERMANY

Everything that changes in Germany in November 2020

From new lockdown rules to less taxes, these are the changes you should be aware of in November.

Published: 30 October 2020 17:52 CET
Updated: 2 November 2020 12:49 CET
Everything that changes in Germany in November 2020
A clock in Kempten, Bavaria. Photo: DPA

New airport opens

After a mammoth delay of nine years, the Berlin Brandenburg airport (BER), finally open the doors of its Terminal 1 on Saturday. During the first week of November, air traffic at BER will gradually be ramped up so that the airport can be fully utilised from November 8th.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Berlin's 'cursed' new BER airport

The coronavirus pandemic does not make the airport's take-off any easier: due to the crisis, air traffic is expected to reach a maximum of a quarter of the usual figures.

With the opening of BER, Tegel airport is scheduled to close on November 8th.

The new BER airport on Friday. Photo: DPA

New quarantine rules for travellers

From November 8th, a uniform nationwide regulation will come into force for those returning from risk areas outside Germany. As the handling of travellers from risk areas is the responsibility of the respective federal state, the regulations may vary from one state to another – some states, for example, have already brought in this rule.

The new model quarantine regulation provides for a reduction of the quarantine obligation from 14 to 10 days. The quarantine obligation can be lifted at the earliest five days after entry, provided that a negative coronavirus test is available.

According to the German government, the entry registration form for travellers will be online from November 8th.

New lockdown measures

Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders have introduced a month-long lockdown starting on Monday November 2nd in a bid to get the coronavirus situation under control.

Restaurants, bars, cultural institutions, and sports facilities will all have to close their doors, and only small groups of up to 10 people from two separate households will be allowed to meet in public. Schools and Kitas, however, will remain open. 

A restaurant in Cologne open for a last few days before the lockdown in November. Photo: DPA

Businesses deemed essential such as supermarkets, home appliance and construction stores will remain open but only one customer per 10 square metres will be allowed. 

READ ALSO: Merkel announces new German shutdown for month of November

Start of the Nutri-Score

The Nutri-Score, a nutrition label for food packets, may be printed on packaging of finished products from November onwards. The logo is intended to assess the nutritional quality of the product using a five-point scale. You can read the exact composition of Nutri-Score here.

There is no obligation to label it, its use is voluntary and lies with the manufacturer, reports the trade journal Werben & Verkaufen.

Mobile laboratories for coronavirus tests go into production

The truck manufacturer “MAN” plans to begin manufacturing vans equipped with the technology to perform a reliable and quick coronavirus test in November.

As Wirtschaftswoche reports, the so-called Corona-Mobiles are to be equipped with various analysis devices that enable a test to be carried out using the so-called PCRT method, which is the most reliable corona detection method to date.

Less chemicals in textiles

From November onwards, the use of various chemicals in textile production will be restricted or even banned. A full 33 substances that are known or suspected to be carcinogenic will be subject to stricter limits on their use in textiles – including arsenic, lead, benzene, cadmium, chromium and others.

Clearly marked prescriptions

As of Sunday November 1st, doctors must provide clear information on prescriptions about the dosage of the prescribed medication. If the patient has to take one tablet each in the morning, at noon and in the evening, this will be marked “1-1-1” on the prescription in future.
 
When prescribing narcotics, the instructions for use must also be documented with individual and daily dosages.
 
Building Energy Act

The Building Energy Act comes into force on November 1st. Therefore, the following will apply from November for house renovation: in addition to landlords and sellers, from now on estate agents are also obliged to present the energy certificate and hand it over when the contract is concluded. This means that they must have all information available when they advertise the property.

In future, renovation will also require a consultation. Restrictions on oil and coal heating systems are planned from 2026.

A new building being constructed in Lychen, Brandenburg in October. Photo: DPA

New eID card for EU citizens

To ensure that online services provided by the German authorities can also be used by foreign EU citizens, those concerned will be able to apply for an eID card from November 1st. The new chip card serves as an electronic proof of identity, which was previously only available in combination with an ID card, reports DPA.

Those who did not have German citizenship were therefore excluded from so-called e-government services. This gap is now closed by the eID card, on which a person's most important identification data is stored.

Change of tax class

Married couples or registered civil partners can apply for a change of tax class for the calendar year 2020 by November 30th at the latest. The change is only possible once a year and must be submitted in paper form to the tax office or on the website of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

A lot of sales

No, Singles Day doesn't refer to a new dating website, but rather a day on November 11th, in which many retailers will significantly lower their prices. This is followed by Black Friday on November 27th and Cyber Monday on November 30th.

This year there will be a lot of offers, especially in online shops. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of retailers are expected to go online, several for the first time, with special offers. 

Deadline for motor vehicle insurance change

November 30th is the annual cut-off date for the change of car insurance. This is because notice of termination must be given up to one month before the end of the term, and the vast majority of contracts run until the end of December. Without notice of termination, the insurance is extended by one year.

As part of the coronavirus economic stimulus package, the German government wants to motivate citizens to buy more fuel-efficient cars: Here you can find out which vehicles will be affected by the upcoming motor vehicle tax and become more expensive.

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LIVING IN GERMANY

‘Clunky process’: The steps you need to take to get married in Germany

Getting married in Germany is not for the faint of heart. The Local spoke to a foreign national who recently tied the knot to learn more about the process and the challenges. Here's what you should know before you step up to the altar.

Published: 16 May 2024 11:02 CEST
Updated: 19 May 2024 08:25 CEST
'Clunky process': The steps you need to take to get married in Germany

Whether to a German or another foreign national, getting married in Germany is not a far-fetched prospect for many foreign residents, especially those who arrive single and decide to settle down for the longer term.

But those who dare to propose (or say yes) are promptly met with an ugly reality. The process to legally marry in Germany is a beast.

In fact, just learning about the requirements to do so is enough to send a fair amount of engaged couples packing – literally, they pack and go to Denmark for their marriage.

“It was like the final boss of German bureaucracy,” Liam Kelley, Berlin resident from Canada, told The Local about his experience preparing to be wed in Germany’s capital last year.

But Liam is walking proof that it can be done, and there are certain advantages to marrying within the country that you live – namely not needing to apply to have your foreign marriage recognised in Germany. 

So if you’re recently engaged, or thinking about it, and ready to do battle with the bureaucracy, here’s what you should know about getting married in Germany and the challenges involved:

Start with the paperwork

Before you can apply for a wedding at your local registry office (Standesamt), you’ll need a few documents. Note that some cities require you to first schedule a consultation at the Standesamt, where they’ll explain which documents you’ll need.

Generally the following are required:

  • Birth certificates
  • Valid passports or IDs
  • A registration certificate for your current address in Germany not older than 14 days (Erweiterte Meldebescheinigung). But in some cities the Standesamt can pull this information for you.
  • A certificate of no impediment to marriage (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis). This is usually provided by your home country. Formerly wed and divorced partners can usually present a divorce certificate instead.

Where this all gets a bit complicated is that these documents may need to be translated to German by accredited interpreters, and authenticated or apostilled by official authorities as well.

“The most challenging part was gathering all the documents and having them properly notarised within the various time windows,” Liam told The Local.

As listed above, Liam needed a fresh confirmation of his residence despite already being registered at a Berlin address along with his fiancée. That document needed to be no more than two weeks old.

Simultaneously, Liam needed his birth certificate, notarised by the Canadian government that was no older than six months. The birth certificate also needed to be translated by an accredited interpreter. 

“The process was clunky,” Liam said, “after receiving the birth certificate, I basically had to send it back to get it notarised by the same authorities. All of this by snail mail too, so I was worried about things getting lost in the post.”

Hustle to get an appointment

When you’ve got all of your documents in order, you can make an appointment at the registry office to have your application reviewed, and hopefully collect their approval to be wed. This comes in the form of a certificate, which is only valid for six months. 

Should you fail to perform the ceremony within that time, the document expires and you’d need to start again at the beginning – recollecting some of the documents that would be considered expired by then.

“The Standesamt that gave us our certificate didn’t have any appointments within that window, so we needed to call around for another Standesamt that could service us,” Liam said.

He called quite a few of Berlin’s registry offices before he found one with an opening within the next six months, but in the end he succeeded in scheduling the wedding.

READ ALSO: How Berlin’s immigration office wants to make it easier to get an appointment

In Germany’s bigger cities, registry offices can be fully booked months in advance which can make trying to schedule a wedding within the six month window a challenge. 

Once your marriage certificate has been granted, you are eligible to be wed at any German Standesamt, even in a different city, for example. Smaller towns or other cities may have the advantage of having more availability for weddings, depending where you live. In this case, you will need to make the appointment at the other Standesamt, and then inform the local office where you registered, which sends over the authorisation on your behalf.

Liam and Julie get married

Newlyweds Liam Kelley and Julie Bourgeois pose in front the Berlin registry office where they had just married. Photo provided by Liam Kelley.

A quick and practical ceremony

Note that all legally binding weddings in Germany take place in a registry office. If you are dreaming of a church wedding or an outdoor ceremony, you can do so separately. But the legal marriage must happen in the Standesamt.

On your wedding day, you’ll need to bring your ID or passport to the registry office. In Germany, it is customary for each partner to bring a witness (Trauzeuge), and you can also invite a small group of family or close friends.

If your German is not sufficient, you will need a sworn-in interpreter for the ceremony as well.

You can expect the ceremony to last 15 minutes and to be performed very punctually. 

On the day of Liam’s wedding in Berlin, the registry office’s wedding hall was fully booked, with his wedding being one of four performed that hour. Therefore, it’s important to be on time and well-prepared. He and his fiancée were able to choose a song that was played as they and their guests took their places before the ceremony began.

All’s well that ends well

Liam noted one hiccup occurred when the bride’s witness was asked to sign the marriage document, and he asked the officiant in English if he should put his whole name or initials. Suddenly, the officiant got very serious and paused the ceremony to ask the witness several times in German if he understood everything that had happened thus far.

“She (the officiant) freaked out because she was worried that he didn’t understand what he was signing, and he just kept responding that he did understand, but in English, exacerbating the situation,” Liam said.

For Liam, despite knowing how challenging it would be, getting married in the country where he lives just made sense: “I plan on living in Germany for some time, pay taxes here, contribute to public health care, and my son will attend school here. It’s probably just neurotic, but I am at ease thinking it’s all in the same country.”

READ ALSO: Ehegattensplitting – How did Germany’s marriage tax law become so controversial?

Also, going out of Germany for the wedding would have added some expense for travel and lodging.

In the end, knowing what they were getting into and doing their best to be proactive about paperwork and appointments, made the challenge manageable for Liam and his partner.

Liam also noted that the Standesamt employees were immensely friendly and helpful throughout the process.

READ ALSO: 10 things you need to know about German weddings

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