A Bescheid (official decision) is an official letter from a government office. It contains a decision about your case. For example, the office tells you whether you will receive money, how much you have to pay or whether an application has been approved. A Bescheid is binding. This means the decision applies if you do nothing about it. A Bescheid often comes as a reply to an application. But it can also come without an application, for example when you have to pay something.
Where you will see the word
Many offices send out Bescheide. Typical examples are:
- Tax assessment (Steuerbescheid) from the tax office (Finanzamt) after you file your tax return. For this you also need your tax ID (Steuer-ID).
- A Bescheid from the Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) about child benefit (Kindergeld).
- A Bescheid about the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) if you have not paid.
- A Bescheid from the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) about your residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel).
- Bescheide from the Jobcenter, the housing benefit office (Wohngeldstelle) or the parental allowance office (Elterngeldstelle).
In everyday life you will also hear the word with a different meaning: Bescheid sagen or Bescheid geben simply means to let someone know. Bescheid wissen means to know about something.
What you should do
- Open and read the letter right away. Deadlines often start shortly after the letter is sent.
- Check your details: name, address, amounts and time periods.
- Write down the date and the file number (Aktenzeichen). You will need both when you speak to the office.
- Read the section at the end. It is usually called Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung (information on legal remedies). It tells you how and by when you can challenge the decision.
- If you disagree, file an objection (Widerspruch or Einspruch) in writing. You often have one month to do this. The exact deadline is stated in the Bescheid.
- Pay attention to payment deadlines. Filing an objection does not always mean you can hold off on paying.
- Keep the Bescheid in a safe place. You may need it later for other offices.
The rules are not the same everywhere. In some federal states (Bundesländer), there is no objection procedure for certain matters. In that case, you have to take legal action directly in court. What applies to you is always stated in the Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung. If you are unsure, ask an advice centre, for example a migration advice service (Migrationsberatung). They can often help you free of charge. Learning German also helps when dealing with government offices in everyday life.
Examples
- „Mit diesem Bescheid bewilligen wir Ihnen Kindergeld ab Januar.“ (With this decision, we grant you child benefit from January.)
- „Gegen diesen Bescheid können Sie innerhalb eines Monats nach Bekanntgabe Widerspruch einlegen.“ (You can file an objection to this decision within one month of its notification.)
- „Haben Sie schon einen Bescheid vom Finanzamt bekommen?“ (Have you received a decision from the tax office yet?)
Related terms
- Antrag: Your written request (application) to an office. The Bescheid is often the reply to it.
- Widerspruch: An objection. With it, you tell the office that you disagree with the Bescheid.
- Einspruch: This is what an objection is called at the tax office, for example.
- Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung: The text in the Bescheid that explains how you can challenge it.
- Aktenzeichen: The reference number of your case at the office.
- Bescheinigung: A certificate or confirmation, for example of your residence registration (Anmeldung). It is not a decision and is often confused with a Bescheid.