GERMANY · GUIDE · WHEN IT GOES WRONG
It went wrong. Now what?
You missed a date. A letter says you owe money. An office said no. This is the page for that. Almost none of it is as bad as it feels at the moment you open the envelope, and most of it has a way back.
Read this first
German offices are not trying to catch you out. Nearly every deadline has a second chance written into the law, and nearly every decision can be questioned. Being new is not a crime, and it is not rare — offices deal with people who moved here every single day. So: open the letter, find the date, and read on.
An office decided something and you think it is wrong
You do not have to accept it. You have one month to object, in writing, to the same office that wrote to you. Look at the end of their letter: there is a paragraph that tells you this. If that paragraph is not there, or it is wrong, you get a whole year instead. Is objecting worth it in your case? That is a real question, and the free advice centres below are the people who can answer it.
If an office decides something about you and you think it is wrong, you have one month to say so in writing. The month starts the day the decision reaches you, and you send your objection to the office that made it. The letter itself has to tell you this — look for a paragraph at the end headed Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung. Source ↗
If that paragraph is missing, or it was wrong, the one month does not apply to you. You get a year instead, counted from the day the decision arrived. Source ↗
You registered your address late
This is the most common one, and the most survivable. Registering late is an offence, and the law allows a fine of up to 1,000 euros. That is the ceiling the law sets, not a price list — the office decides. Go and register now. Turning up late by yourself is a much better position than being found out.
Registering late, incorrectly, or not at all is an administrative offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit) under the registration law, and can be fined up to 1,000 euros. Source ↗
A letter says you owe money
First, work out who sent it. A reminder from a company is just a letter: annoying, not dangerous. A letter from a court is different — and less frightening than it looks. By law it has to tell you two things. One: you have two weeks to object. Two: the court has not checked whether you really owe anything. Nobody has ruled against you. The form to object comes in the same envelope.
A court demand for money is not a court saying you owe it. A Mahnbescheid arrives from a court, and by law it has to tell you two things: that you have two weeks to object, and that the court has not checked whether the person asking is actually owed anything. The objection form comes with the letter. Source ↗
Your tax return is late
Late filing can cost you a surcharge for each month of delay. But there is a big exception. If it turns out you owe nothing, or you are getting a refund, there is no surcharge at all. That is the situation many people who file voluntarily are in. So file it. The exact amount, if any, is for the tax office to tell you.
Filing a tax return late can cost you a surcharge, counted for every month you are late. There is one large exception: if your assessment comes out at zero, or you are getting money back, no surcharge is charged at all. Source ↗
The bank said no
A bank must give you a basic account. It can only refuse you for a few narrow reasons. If it does refuse, it has to tell you in writing within ten working days and give the reasons free of charge. It must also hand you the details of the two places you can complain to, including the form. Those are your rights, not a favour.
If a bank refuses your Basiskonto application, it must say so within ten business days — and, unless anti-money-laundering rules forbid it, must give you the reasons free of charge in text form, in German unless agreed otherwise. With the refusal it must also point you, again free of charge and in text form, to the BaFin administrative procedure and to the competent consumer arbitration board with their contact details, and attach the application form for the BaFin procedure. Source ↗
Who helps, and for how much
All three are public bodies or non-profits, and none of them pays us anything. The complaint to the financial regulator costs nothing at all.
We take no commission from any of these. They are simply where the listings are. Each link was opened and checked on the date below.
What we will not do here
We tell you what the law allows and how long you have. We do not write your objection, and we do not tell you whether to make one — that turns on your papers and your case, which we cannot see. The addresses above can do both, and several of them cost nothing.
Back to your plan →This is not legal, tax, immigration, or financial advice, and not an official recognition, filing, or application. For decisions with legal or financial consequences, consult a qualified professional. Sources checked 2026-07-08.