An official letter arrived and I can't read it
The situation
A formal German letter with long compound words, a reference number and possibly a deadline. Ignore it? Panic? Pay whatever it asks?
The way out
The safe protocol for every official letter:
- Never ignore it. German administration runs on letters; deadlines (Fristen) inside them are real and enforceable. Silence always makes things worse.
- Identify the sender — check our Letter Helper for the common ones (Beitragsservice, tax office, pension insurance, Krankenkasse…). Most scary-looking letters are routine.
- Translate it properly: photo + Google Translate/DeepL handles 95%. For anything legal-sounding, translate the WHOLE letter, not just the bold parts.
- Find the deadline (look for "Frist", "bis zum", "innerhalb von … Tagen") and put it in your phone calendar immediately.
- Check before paying: cross-reference bank details and reference numbers on the official website of the claimed sender — payment-fraud letters imitating the Beitragsservice exist. When in doubt, call the official number from the website, never the one printed on a suspicious letter.
- Need human help? University international offices, Migrationsberatung (free in every city), or a German-speaking colleague — Germans themselves ask each other about letters constantly. It's normal.
General information, not legal advice. If your case has deadlines or legal stakes, free migration counselling (Migrationsberatung) exists in every city — use it.