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Object to a German official decision: a Widerspruch template

Write a Widerspruch (objection) to a German official decision, such as a Jobcenter letter. One month to file, with a deadline calculator. Not legal advice.

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The date on the letter is not the date of Bekanntgabe. If you do not know when the decision was made known to you, this page does not guess. Use the deadline calculator.

Deadline calculator

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Your letter

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[Behörde] [Anschrift der Behörde] [Name] [Straße und Hausnummer] [PLZ und Ort] [Datum] Aktenzeichen: [Aktenzeichen] Betreff: Widerspruch Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, hiermit lege ich Widerspruch gegen den Bescheid [Bescheid] vom [Datum des Schreibens] ein. Ich fechte den Bescheid an, soweit: [Umfang] Tatsachen und Begründung: [Begründung] Beweismittel: [Beweismittel] Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Name]

This is a template, not legal advice. Check every detail before you send the letter. What your decision says comes first.

Translation for you. Send the German version.

[Authority] [Authority address] [Your name] [Street and house number] [Postcode and city] [Date] Reference: [File number] Subject: Widerspruch Dear Sir or Madam, I file a Widerspruch against the decision [Decision] of [Date of their letter]. I contest the decision to this extent: [Extent] Facts and grounds: [Grounds] Evidence: [Evidence] Kind regards, [Your name]

Questions

How long do I have to file a Widerspruch?

Usually one month after the decision was made known to you (VwGO § 70, SGG § 84). In social law the period is three months if Bekanntgabe was abroad (SGG § 84 (1)). Use the deadline calculator when your case is one it covers.

Einspruch or Widerspruch: which one is it?

Tax assessments from the Finanzamt, and most Kindergeld decisions under the EStG, take an Einspruch. Many official and social-law decisions, for example from the Jobcenter, take a Widerspruch. The appeal instructions on your letter come first.

Where does the Widerspruch have to arrive?

Under VwGO § 70 (1), at the authority that issued the decision. The deadline is also met if you file at the authority that will issue the Widerspruchsbescheid. In social law, arrival at another domestic authority, a social insurance carrier or a German consulate can also preserve the deadline (SGG § 84 (2)).

What if the instructions are missing or wrong?

Then you can usually still file within one year (VwGO § 58, SGG § 66), unless the notice said no remedy was available.

Is this legal advice?

No. The template and the calculator are a writing aid. What your decision says comes first. If the case is uncertain, get advice from a consumer centre or a social-law adviser.

A letter from a German authority?

Snap it or upload the PDF. On Guardian, Notenz can fill in the authority name from a saved letter; you add the rest. Your free account includes 3 letter readings. The reminder before the deadline is included with Guardian.

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This is a template, not legal advice. Check every detail before you send the letter. What your decision says comes first.

Sources

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