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LIVING IN GERMANY

Everything that changes in Germany in October 2021

From paid-for Covid testing to a new law aiming to make signing up to contracts in Germany fairer for consumers, here's what's changing in October 2021.

Published: 28 September 2021 17:34 CEST
Updated: 3 October 2021 09:16 CEST
Everything that changes in Germany in October 2021
The clocks go back in October as we enter winter time. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Oliver Berg

End of free Covid rapid tests

The German government is planning to severely restrict access to free Covid rapid tests this month in a move aimed at encouraging more people to get vaccinated. 

From October 11th onwards, people eligible for the Covid vaccination – but who choose not to get jabbed – will have to pay for the antigen tests from their own pocket. They are likely to cost around €15 to €20. 

READ ALSO: Who will still get free Covid tests in Germany

As Germany requires that people show proof of vaccination (geimpft), recovery from Covid (genesen) or a negative test (getestet) – known as the 3G rule – to enter many indoor spaces like restaurants and cinemas, it could get expensive for those who choose not to get vaccinated. 

Some parts of Germany are also only allowing vaccinated or recovered people to enter places like bars and restaurants – but only if the owner of the venue opts for this model.

Meanwhile, vaccinated people who travel abroad and usually get a free rapid test will no longer have that chance. 

Up to this point, the cost of antigen Covid tests have been covered by the state. 

Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Peter Kneffel

Tax return deadline

Don’t forget – the new deadline for self-submitted tax returns is coming up soon.

The previous deadline of July 31st this year was extended by three months due to the pandemic. So those who submit their own tax returns – like freelancers – have to get their paperwork to the tax office by October 31st 2021.

People who prepare their tax return with a tax advisor have a deadline of May 31st, 2022.

The sick note goes digital 

The yellow certificate – or gelbe Krankenschein – which doctors usually use to declare employees in Germany unfit for work, is getting binned. 

Instead, doctors will be able to send the sick note electronically to health insurance organisations. This change will come into force from October 1st, and all medics will have to get on board by the end of the year. 

However, employees will for the moment still have to hand in a paper incapacity to work certificate to their boss.

But this will be a thing of the past soon. By July 1st, 2022 it will also be handled digitally by doctors and health insurers. We’ll keep you posted. 

As we reported in August, doctors in Germany can issue sick notes by telephone for some conditions until the end of the year. 

READ ALSO: The 10 rules you need to know if you get sick in Germany

Reunification Day

Germany will celebrate Reunification Day on Saturday, October 3rd, marking 31 years since east and west came together.

This is a public holiday in Germany but sadly as it falls on a Sunday, most people won’t get a day off for it. 

New law on fair consumer contracts

From October 1st, the first part of the new Fair Consumer Contracts Act will come into force as part of the government’s aim to strengthen the rights of consumers. 

The law is intended to stop companies from tricking people into agreeing contracts over the phone, as well as providing fairer rules for overlong and complicated contract terms and notice periods. It concerns things like energy supply contracts, contracts for fitness studios, newspaper subscriptions or contracts concluded online.

As part of the changes, gas and electricity contracts will have to be concluded in writing from October onwards – not just over the phone. For a contract to be effective, it must be “in text form”, for example by email, SMS or as a letter or fax, says the German government.

READ ALSO: Why households in Germany face even higher electricity bills

Electricity bills in Germany are expensive. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Patrick Pleul

The act also says that companies are no longer allowed to use their general terms and conditions to coerce their customers into assigning claims to money. This would make it possible, for example, to claim for money back in the event of flight cancellations instead of having to settle for a voucher.

Meanwhile, contracts with a minimum term of up to two years will remain possible in future. But consumers should have much more freedom in choosing and structuring their contracts and benefits, the German government says. To protect consumers, stricter rules will apply to termination in the event of an automatic contract extension for an indefinite period. Customers will be able to terminate monthly in these cases from March 2022.

Price comparison rule at service stations

One for the drivers: from October 1st, service stations in Germany with more than six multi-product dispensers will be required to show a comparison of the prices of their available energy sources.

Consumers will then be able to see at a glance what the costs are for different types of fuel per 100 kilometers. The price comparison overview should be displayed either at gas pumps or on the sales floor. The different units used by shops (liters/ kilograms/ kilowatt hours/ cubic meters) have so far made a direct comparison of costs difficult.

Stalkers to be punished more severely

Germany is coming down harder on people who commit stalking offences from October 1st.

Anyone who regularly stalks or repeatedly harasses another person may end up in court sooner than before under the tightened laws.

The penalties will also be tougher: previously a maximum of three years’ imprisonment could be imposed for stalking, but now five years’ imprisonment is now also possible. Furthermore, from October, digital cyberstalking will also be expressly punishable – for example, if someone accesses their victim’s social media accounts or movement data.

Application deadline for bridging assistance III extended until end of year

For companies affected by the Covid pandemic, financial support aid is being extended. Bridging Aid III Plus has been extended to the end of December. The assistance was due to expire at the end of September.

Companies with Covid-related sales losses of at least 30 percent are eligible to apply.

The Restart Assistance Plus for solo self-employed people will also be extended. For the period from October to December, the solo self-employed who are struggling due to Covid can receive additional support of up to €4,500  from the federal government.

The so-called “Restart Premium,” which was intended to ease the transition from lockdown to reopening, will not be continued.

You get an extra hour of sleep or partying

It’s hard to believe we’re already heading into the last part of the year, but here we are.

During the night from Saturday October 30th to Sunday October 31st, clocks in Germany will be set to winter time. At 3am the clock will go back one hour, back to Central European Time (CET).

The good news is that we all get an extra hour of sleep. The bad news is that it’s going to get darker earlier in the evening. 

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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
'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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