Good news – tenants don’t have to fear eviction if they fall into arrears between April and September 2020. The Berlin Senate is set to introduce new protective measures.
Blog
What will happen to my residence permit during COVID19?
This is the burning question. Here’s where to look if you had an appointment that got cancelled, your permit is going to expire soon and you can’t walk in to the foreigner’s office, or you have any other issues. Please be advised we might not have the answer either. This stuff is moving at the speed of light!
Angela Merkel’s New COVID19 Rules for Leaving the House – from 23.3.2020
Here’s a summary of the new rules about leaving your apartment. These are valid from today – 23.3.2020. It’s not an Ausgangssperre (a lockdown) but it’s still serious and you should still make sure you follow the rules. It’s likely you’ll get stopped by the police at some point along your way. … Read More
Companies and corporations affected by COVID-19 in Germany: ways to keep afloat
The German Ministry of Finance sat down with the German Ministry of Economics and put their heads together to figure out how to save the thousands of businesses affected by the Corona virus, quickly and with minimum red tape (should we be offended?). This is what they came up: find out if your business is eligible and how to apply for these programs.
Government grants to help the freelance and self-employed in Germany during COVID19
There are plenty of grants, loans and aid programmes proposed for residents of Germany during this difficult time, but there’s a distinct group of people who might not be eligible for any of them, and also aren’t quite ready to dive into the world of welfare at the speed of light: solo freelancers and small businesses. Recognising this, Bavaria took the lead and introduced “immediate aid” for small businesses and freelancers. NRW, Hamburg, Baden-Württemberg and Thüringen followed suit. Berlin and Niedersachsen are the latest states to offer the grant. … Read More
Corona Updates in English on all things bureaucratic
We are busting our asses talking to people, calling hotlines, reading freshly published articles and emailing officials trying to get answers to your most pressing questions about COVID-19 and how it affects your life and livelihood. Everything from government grants and welfare aid to what you can and can’t do during the pandemic. We will link to all information here and keep this article up to date. If you have pressing questions, please leave a comment and we’ll play detective!
Can I get back into Germany with a Type D visa or residence permit? COVID-19 update
So many people asked whether it would be OK to return to Germany from their overseas trip now that Germany has closed down its borders. We have a somewhat vague answer for you – it’s not bulletproof. There might be hope. But your flight will probably get cancelled anyway.
How to get compensation from the Department of Health during quarantine
Second only to the word “Coronavirus” that gets thrown about in the media is the word “Entschädigung” (compensation). You might have heard that you’re entitled to a compensation if you are not permitted to do your job due to a quarantine or work ban. This information is brand new, it was only published last night. … Read More
I’m an employer in Germany who can’t pay my employees due to COVID-19
Everyone keeps talking about “Kurzarbeitergeld” in the media. What is it? Can I use it to pay my employees in these difficult times? Red Tape Translation has never been so busy playing detective as we are right now. We’re talking to officials, waiting for hours for information on hotlines and publishing everything we know in our blog. We’re now covering compensation for partial unemployment.
How not to go broke as a freelancer in Germany during COVID-19
Lioba from Red Tape Translation is a freelance actor when she’s not working for us, and she has spent the day trying to make sense of the state aid available for self-employed people during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spoke with a case worker at a Job Center in depth this morning. We give her our warmest thanks for taking the time to share her knowledge.
Service changes in light of COVID-19
Is this the 10,000th COVID-19 statement you’ve read today? We’ll try to keep it brief. This is what we’re expecting over the next few months and how we plan to deal with the challenges that might arise in Berlin.
Certified copies vs. certified translations
If you’re ever presenting documents to an official in Germany (and chances are, you will find yourself doing so), you might need to provide certified translations. If it’s your lucky day, your case worker might also request a certified copy of something. Wait… what? What’s a certified translation? How does it differ from a certified copy? Where can I get my hands on one? These are the burning questions we’ll be discussing today.