There's no doubt that filling out what feels like burdensome paperwork is (unfortunately) a part of everyday modern life for us all.
But Germany seems to have a special affinity for bureaucracy overload. That's shown by its longstanding affection for the fax machine (yes, still!) as well as a general aversion to cashless payments and doing things online.
Yes, there have been some steps forward in recent years. But overall, if you want to get something done in Deutschland, expect a lot of handwritten forms and post to be involved.
It's no wonder that during the recent federal election campaign, politicians across the board vowed to take action against this scourge.
Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, whose conservative alliance won the election with 28.5 percent of the vote, vowed to go to war against what he described as the "bureaucracy monster". In its election manifesto, the CDU/CSU promised to cut red tape, with plans for a new digitalisation ministry to drive German modernisation forward.
The Social Democrats, who are in exploratory coalition talks with the conservatives, also promised "less bureaucracy" to make it easier for skilled workers from outside the EU to come to Germany.
Just how bad is the problem of red tape in Germany? We asked readers to share their experiences and give us their tips for navigating it.
'Endless paperwork'
Most people in Germany have stories of bureaucratic insanity. Many foreign residents say basic administration tasks, such as applying to register or get a visa, are far more long and drawn out than they need to be.
"In a rural 'Landkreis' (district), I waited for more than five months to get an approval for my 'Anmeldung' (registration)," said Berat Ozcelik, 32, who is from Turkey and lives in Offingen.
USA-born Kate, 22, in Baden-Württemberg, said she had to stand seven hours in line at the Ausländerbehörde (Immigration Office), only to "wait for a verification code for an online tax account to be sent by physical mail".
Gaurav, an Indian national in Munich, pointed out the slow process of waiting three-four months to renew visas, the need for all documents to be submitted in paper form and the problems that occurred if a new case worker got involved. Your "application will go to the end of queue," he said.
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A reader from New Zealand based in Hamburg pointed out the "endless amount of paperwork" and "the fact you cannot find any information easily online that is so simple to put there and would save so much time and stress and anxiety".
Most respondents to our survey said that the constant need for sending things by post - and even having to use fax at times - was tiring.
Meanwhile, don't ask 64-year-old Ian who lives near Frankfurt, about the paperwork involved with erecting a garden shed.
"Be patient, take a deep breath and try again," he said.
The issues caused by these complicated and inflexible processes can heavily affect people's lives.
"My wife was threatened with deportation without grounds," said Stephen, 55, who is from Chicago and based in Freiburg.
British national Jesse, who lives near Leipzig, said they took drastic action by moving to a different locality "to be able to apply for citizenship without a 5+ year wait."
READ ALSO: Why do foreigners find Germany such a hard country to settle in?
Prepare, be stubborn and talk on the phone
As frustrating as the long and drawn out processes can be, there are ways to make it that bit easier.
Lots of respondents to our survey said planning - and preparing for all scenarios - was the key.
"Prepare all the documents as per the checklist in the right order," said Gaurav in Munich. "Find out how the appointment system works. Get legal insurance."
Kate in Baden-Württemberg recommended researching "everything before you even attempt to do it".
"Talk to other international friends, if possible from the same country as you," she said. "Ask German friends for language help on forms and documents. Plan for everything to take twice as long as you think it should - then you're not in a rush, or getting too stressed."
"Do everything in advance and check the rules as procedures are often changing," said Kirill, 39, who is from Kazakhstan and lives in Hamburg.
Shon, 47, from the USA and living in Berlin, said over-preparing was the answer.
"My advice is to come over prepared with the understanding they could ask for anything, so look at it from their point of view and over-prepare for every angle they may ask," Shon said. "I’ve never been denied, never used a lawyer and received dual citizenship before it was allowed."
Jesse, near Leipzig, recommends getting on the phone and speaking to someone directly at the various authorities, such as the Finanzamt (tax office).
"They're generally friendly and happy to help you figure out what needs to be done," said Jesse - as long as you speak to them by phone rather than via email. "Write to the same person, expect to get a 'rude' (direct) response."
There are limitations of course. Stephen in Freiburg said he couldn't think of any workaround for German paperwork "other than to just do it".
For US national Sarah, 35, in Rostock, the key is to "be stubborn".
"I really dislike this, but sometimes the best way forward is to argue your point, especially when the issue is stupid," she said. "Refusing to take an application because I didn't bring new copies of the same documents they have in my folder is ridiculous. I argued and they took it and lo and behold it was absolutely fine.
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"Many times the person you are speaking to isn't the person making the decision, and they tend to be the meanest and most stubborn."
Brushing up on your language skills may also help.
"Speak as much German as possible," said Sara. "Your broken German is better than 100 percent English, even if it's just a few words, it still shows you're trying."
An important point to remember is: you are not alone.
Berat in Offingen advised people to keep sharing their experiences with "fellow immigrants who frequently become victims of horrible German bureaucratic monster".
Thank you so much to everyone who completed our survey. Although we weren't able to use all the responses, we read them all and they helped inform our article. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you would like to add any other opinions to the conversation.
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