Germany: Law & Society

Like almost every new month, February 2023 brings some important changes, including new laws, for people living in Germany. For example, no more compulsory masks on long-distance trains, more drinking fountains in public spaces and 16-year olds will also be allowed to vote in the European Parliament elections in Germany in future. These and other regulations come into force in …

2023 brings new laws and regulations for people living in Germany. For example, price brakes are to reduce energy costs, health insurance will become more expensive and the 49-euro ticket will be launched. These and other changes at a glance. ——– Price brakes for electricity, gas and district heatingFrom 1 March – retroactive to 1 January – the Federal Government’s …

The citizen’s income (Bürgergeld) will be introduced in Germany in January. The Bundesrat, the upper house of the federal parliament, approved the social reform legislation on 25 November after the lower house, the Bundestag, had earlier passed it. The Bürgergeld, which will replace the basic income support for job-seekers (Hartz IV) that was introduced in 2005, is a basic allowance …

The German parliament, the Bundestag, passed amendments to the residence and asylum laws on 4 December. The governing coalition calls the two laws passed the first phase of its plans to reform the country’s migration laws. One of the new laws, named “opportunity for right to stay” (Chancen-Aufenthaltsrecht), which enters into force on 1 January 2023, provides for the grant …

The year 2022 is drawing to a close, but it still brings some changes with it in December. Among other things, gas and district heating customers will receive relief payments, the winter timetable of Deutsche Bahn will commence and the ban on fire crackers ends. Here’s an overview of new laws and regulations that will come into force. —— More …

According to a ruling of Germany’s highest court on constitutional matters, the reduction of benefits for single adult asylum-seekers in group accommodation facilities is unconstitutional. The regulation, according to which asylum-seekers living in group accommodation receive ten per cent less benefits than refugees living in flats, violates the basic right to be guaranteed a minimum subsistence level worthy of human …

Like every month, November 2022 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. Here’s an overview of what the new month brings —– Sales tax on gas reduced Rising energy prices have already become a major burden for many citizens. For this reason, the federal government is temporarily reducing the VAT rate on the supply of gas. This will …

Like every month, October 2022 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. For example, the minimum wage will rise to twelve euros, the value-added tax on gas will go down and new COVID-19 rules enter into force, among other new laws and regulations. Here’s an overview of what will change in the new month ———— Minimum wage rises …

A naturalised supporter of the terror organisation IS can have his German passport revoked if he already was involved in behaviour that is against the free, democratic order of Germany when he was naturalised. This was the decision of a Higher Administrative Court. The court thus approved the decision of the district of Euskirchen to revoke the naturalisation of a …

Some pandemic-related special regulations expire in September while people in paid employment can look forward to receiving the flat-rate energy allowance. Other changes affect e-prescriptions, food ordered online, the number of COVID-19 vaccination doses required for the ‘fully vaccinated status’ and refugees from Ukraine, among others •••• Corona protection measures expire, new ones are coming The Corona protection measures in …

The threatened deportation of a 3-person Vietnamese family is causing protest as the man has lived in Germany since 1987 A Vietnamese man, who has been living in Germany for 35 years, is to be deported together with his wife and five-year-old daughter. The case is causing outrage in the eastern German state of Saxony. Here’s the unusual story: The …

New month, new regulations! There are again changes in regulations and laws taking effect in August. Here’s an overview of what will change in the new month: —— More transparent working conditionsThe EU directive on transparent and reliable working conditions comes into force on 1 August. This stipulates which information and documentation obligations employers must fulfil. According to the directive, …

At the beginning of the second half of the year, new laws, regulations and other changes that should make life easier for people living in Germany enter into force. Here are the changes in July to know about —- Minimum wage rises again in JulyOn 1 January 2022, the minimum wage in Germany increased from €9.60 to €9.82 and it …

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced that he wanted to end all restrictions to multiple nationality in the country’s citizenship law. Speaking at an event to mark the tenth anniversary of the scholarship and mentoring programme GEH DEINEN WEG (Go your way) of the Deutschlandstiftung Integration (German Foundation for Integration) in Berlin on Monday, he said 50 per cent of naturalisations …

A new month is here and we have put together some of the changes you should know about if you live in Germany. On the one hand, the first measures in the 2022 relief package to cushion the effect of rising energy costs enter into effect on 1 June. And there are also other important new regulations and laws. Here …

A number of new laws, amendments to laws and edicts affecting everyday life enter into effect in May and some will affect you too. Beer is to become more expensive and offers on online platforms such as Amazon and eBay to become more transparent for consumers. More on these and other important changes taking effect from May here: —— Submission …

The edict allowing people fleeing the war in Ukraine to enter Germany without a visa and reside in the country without a permit has been extended. The Ukraine Residence Transition Ordinance (UkraineAufenthÜV), issued by the Federal Ministry of the Interior on 7 March 2022, is currently valid until 23 May 2022. An amendment** of the edict was approved by the …

A man in Germany has been arrested and charged with murder more than 30 years after an arson attack on a shelter for asylum-seekers in the city of Saarlouis. A young Ghanaian had died of severe burns and smoke inhalation as a result of the attack. A 50-year-old German national, identified as Peter S., was arrested in the western city …

Some important changes in general regulations and laws enter into force in April. For example, many coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions will finally be abolished, people working in nursing care will receive more money and those who move from one place to the other for job-related reasons will be able to make bigger deductions from their taxes, among others. —— COVID-19 restrictions …

Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Interior has published an edict on the temporary exemption of persons from Ukraine from the requirement of a residence permit due to the war in the country. The edict, dated 7 March 2022 and called Ukraine-Aufenthalts-Übergangsverordnung (Ukraine Transitional Residence Ordinance or UkraineAufenthÜV), allows Ukrainians and third country nationals resident in the country to enter and …