Apply for access to official information from the federal authorities

You can submit your request for access to information online or in writing by post.

Online application:

• Access the online application form on the Federal Portal verwaltung.bund.de. This will guide you step by step through the necessary information, which you can enter electronically.
• The Federal Ministry of the Interior will send you the corresponding answer by post or e-mail.

Written application:

• You can submit your application informally.
• Please send your postal application to the relevant authority.
• The authority will send you the corresponding answer by post or e-mail.

• Your right to information is restricted, among other things, if the disclosure of the information:
• may have an adverse effect on the
  • international relations
  • military and other security-sensitive matters of the Bundeswehr,
  • internal or external security concerns;
  • control or supervisory tasks of the financial, competition and regulatory authorities;
  • matters of external financial control,
  • measures to protect against unauthorised foreign trade,
  • conducting ongoing legal proceedings, a person's right to a fair trial, or conducting a criminal, misdemeanor or disciplinary investigation;
• would violate obligations of secrecy or confidentiality or professional or official secrecy,
• would undermine the necessary confidentiality of international negotiations or the deliberations of public authorities;
• affect administrative decision-making processes, in particular ongoing administrative proceedings, and which would jeopardise the success of official measures,
• would compromise the protection of personal data of third parties;
• trade secrets and intellectual property would be jeopardized.

You don't need to submit any documents.

Fees of up to a maximum amount of EUR 500.00 will be charged for the processing of an IFG application (depending on the processing effort). The provision of simple information is free of charge.

You don't have to observe any deadlines.

The requested information must be provided to you without undue delay, i.e. without undue delay on the part of the authority. As a rule, this means: no later than 1 month after you have requested the information. If this is not possible, you must be informed of the reasons for the delay and the extended deadline.

Forms: no
Online procedure possible: no
Written form required: no
Personal appearance required: no
Confidence level: low

You can lodge an objection against the decision with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) within one month of notification.

Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community

17.09.2021

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.