Germany · Where to get help
Where to get help
Papertame tames the everyday paperwork. For the steps that need an official body or a professional — visas, tax, contracts, qualification recognition — here is what each is, why we stay out, and the trusted door to knock on. No dead ends.
Visas & residence permits
What it is: Whether you may live and work in Germany — the visa, the residence permit, the Blue Card — and everything that hangs on your residence status.
Why we don't do it: This is case-by-case immigration law with legal consequences — class C, and outside our paperwork-only scope. A wrong steer here can cost someone their right to stay, so we never touch it.
- 01Work out which permit fits — work visa, EU Blue Card, family reunion or study — using the official portal.
- 02Apply at the German embassy or consulate in your country before you move, or at the local Ausländerbehörde once you're here.
- 03Have your passport, proof of purpose (a job contract, university admission) and health cover ready; decisions take weeks to months.
Income tax return (Steuererklärung)
What it is: Filing your annual tax return and answering personal tax questions.
Why we don't do it: We decode the payslip, but filing is tax advice with financial and legal consequences — class C. It needs the official portal or a professional, not us.
- 01File for the previous year online through ELSTER (free), or hand it to a Lohnsteuerhilfeverein or Steuerberater.
- 02Have your Steuer-ID, your employer's Lohnsteuerbescheinigung and receipts for deductible costs to hand.
- 03Mind the annual deadline — ELSTER shows this year's date, and filing through an adviser buys more time.
Kindergeld & Elterngeld
What it is: Child benefit (Kindergeld) and parental allowance (Elterngeld).
Why we don't do it: Eligibility hinges on your residence status and the exact amounts change yearly — an official-only call we don't make. The application goes to the authority on its own forms.
- 01Kindergeld: apply to the Familienkasse with your child's birth certificate and both parents' Steuer-IDs.
- 02Elterngeld: apply to your state's Elterngeldstelle soon after the birth — only a few months are ever paid retroactively.
- 03Both run on the authority's own forms; the Familienportal explains who qualifies.
Contracts & disputes
What it is: Interpreting or contesting an employment or rental contract, a cancellation, or a formal objection (Widerspruch).
Why we don't do it: A contract carries legal effect; interpreting or disputing yours is legal advice — class-C-adjacent. We point you to people who can actually advise, several of them free.
- 01In a union? Their lawyers review your employment contract or dispute for free — worth joining before trouble starts.
- 02For a one-off question, a Fachanwalt (specialist lawyer) gives an initial consultation for a modest, capped fee.
- 03For consumer contracts — phone, energy, online orders — the Verbraucherzentrale advises cheaply.
Official recognition of your qualification
What it is: Getting your foreign degree or professional qualification officially recognised (Anerkennung) — required for regulated professions (doctor, nurse, teacher, lawyer, some engineers) and often useful otherwise.
Why we don't do it: The binding recognition is a legal assessment issued by ZAB / the responsible authority. Our CV tool estimates the grade and level, but only the official route can recognise you — and regulated professions must go there.
- 01Use the official portal to find the body responsible for your profession and Bundesland.
- 02Submit your qualification documents for an equivalence assessment (anabin shows how your degree is rated).
- 03You receive a formal decision (Bescheid) — regulated professions need it before you can work.
Converting your driving licence (Umschreibung)
What it is: Exchanging a foreign driving licence for a German one. If it's from outside the EU/EEA you must convert within six months of registering, and whether you sit a test depends on the issuing country.
Why we don't do it: It's an official process — your local Führerscheinstelle (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) decides the requirements and whether a test applies. We can't do it for you.
- 01Non-EU/EEA licence? Convert within six months of registering — whether you sit a test depends on your issuing country.
- 02Apply in person at your local Führerscheinstelle (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde).
- 03Bring your passport, Meldebescheinigung, your original licence with a translation, an eye test (Sehtest), a first-aid course certificate and a biometric photo.
Kita & daycare place
What it is: Finding a daycare (Kita) place — since 2013 every child over one has a legal right to one, but demand outstrips supply in most cities, so you start early and apply widely.
Why we don't do it: Placement runs through the local Jugendamt and each city's own system (often a Kita-Gutschein voucher or an online portal) — an official, city-by-city process we can't stand in for. The emails to Kitas, though, our correspondence tool writes for you.
- 01Every child over one has a legal right to a place — but you apply yourself, often many months ahead.
- 02Registration runs through your city: a central portal or the local Jugendamt, and systems differ city to city.
- 03Some cities issue a Kita-Gutschein (voucher) that you then take to a Kita of your choice.
A school place for your children
What it is: Enrolling a school-age child. School is compulsory in Germany from about age six, for every child living here regardless of nationality — so this is not optional paperwork, it is the one family step with a legal duty behind it.
Why we don't do it: Education is run by each of the 16 federal states, and the place itself is assigned by your local school authority (Schulamt) once you have an address. There is no national form for us to prepare — the door is your Schulamt, and it opens after the Anmeldung.
- 01School is compulsory from around age six — the exact starting age and school types depend on the federal state you move to.
- 02Register your address first: the local school authority (Schulamt) works from where you live, and usually contacts you or assigns a catchment school.
- 03Contact the Schulamt as soon as you have the address — placement commonly takes days to a few weeks, and newcomer children are often given German-language support classes.
- 04Ask about a Willkommensklasse or equivalent language class if your child does not speak German yet.
Apostille & document legalisation
What it is: Getting a foreign public document (birth or marriage certificate, diploma) authenticated for official use in Germany — usually a Hague apostille, or full legalisation for non-Hague countries.
Why we don't do it: An apostille is issued only by a designated authority in the country that issued the document — a step that happens abroad, before anything in Germany, so it isn't ours to perform.
- 01The apostille is issued in the country that produced the document — arrange it before you come, not in Germany.
- 02Contact the designated authority there (often a court, foreign ministry or notary).
- 03From a non-Hague country? You need full legalisation through the German mission instead.
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.
Where-to-go links last checked 2026-07-20.