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Legal Matters

German Laws and Regulations

Where to find information about the laws in Germany. How to report a crime and emergency numbers

German laws and regulations

Where to find information The Bundesamt für Justiz publishes the laws and regulations to a the Gesetze im internet website. The main site is in German, but there are translations available, with the following notice “Translations of these materials into languages other than German are intended solely as a convenience to the non-German-reading public. Any discrepancies or differences that may arise in translations of the official German versions of these materials are not binding and

Estate planning

Wills and Testaments

Wills and Testaments

The intention of this page is to serve as a reminder to make sure your paperwork is in order. It is important to know what laws will apply to you and your heirs or estate when you are deceased and you were a South African citizen

Television Licenses

Paying your television licence, apply for an exemption or a reduction. Use of VPN’s

Television Licenses

Television Licence (der Rundfunkbeitrag/GEZ-Gebühr) The first thing you are likely to get in your new mailbox after registering at the Bürgeramt is a reminder to pay your TV & radio broadcasting fees. The 2023 fees are €18.36 per month and can be paid quarterly  (€55.08)

Police Clearance

Requesting a police clearance certificate from South Africa or a Führungszeugnis in Germany

Police Clearance Certificate

South Africa In South Africa you can apply for a Police clearance certificate at your local police station.The process can take up to six months. The official documentation you can find at the South African Police Service.They have an online application form available. If you

Funerals

Enrol in a German language course. 

Funerals

The last thing you might want to think of while settling into your new home is funeral planning.But this is something you will need to plan for as the rules and regulations

Legalising Documents

Apostille, Notarisation and Legalisation of documents

Legalising Documents

Depending on the situation, you might need to have documentation authenticated, certified, or make certified copies thereof. Document authentication South Africa and Germany are both members of the Hague Apostille Convention, you

Downloading Music, Movies etc

Copyrights and GEMA

Downloading Music, Movies etc

Copyrights in Germany are governed by GEMA, a government-mandated collecting society and performance rights organization. GEMA:  The Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte, or in English, the society for musical performing

South Africa

In South Africa you can apply for a Police clearance certificate at your local police station.
The process can take up to six months.

The official documentation you can find at the South African Police Service.
They have an online application form available.

If you are already outside of South Africa, you can do the following:
“Applicants living abroad may forward the application and required documents directly to CR & CSM for processing. Applications received from abroad will not be returned to the applicant.
The applicant must monitor progress via the SAPS website and upon completion arrange for collection as indicated on the application form.
For security purposes the certificate will only be handed over to the person nominated by the applicant or chosen courier service. Note that certificates not collected within three months after finalisation will be destroyed.”

The following companies are recommended by our Facebook members and can assist you with obtaining a police clearance certificate:

Apostil

Get South African apostilles, police clearances, birth/marriage certificates, legalisations and much more quickly and efficiently through our legal service. We have helped thousands of people obtain and authenticate South African documents. Apostilles Police Clearance Home Affairs

Doc Assist

Embark on a hassle-free journey with our comprehensive document services. Whether you’re planning to travel, work abroad, or need vital documents, Doc Assist is here for you! Explore our services: 📜 Unabridged Documentation: Birth Certificates Marriage

Germany

A similar document can be obtained in Germany. It is called das Führungszeugnis.
This is basically a certificate of good conduct for the time you are in Germany
You need to apply for this at your local Towns office /Bürgeramt, although in some towns it must be done at the Rathaus. The best would be to just search for Führungszeugnis and your town’s name e.g Führungszeugnis Leinfelden.
To qualify for this document you need to be regsitered at the Bürgeramt and live in Germany.

Many companies will ask for a Führungszeugnis  before they make you a job offer.
When looking for a place to rent, you might be asked for a Führungszeugnis as well as a Schuffa (Credit report)

Online option:

Ihr Online-Wegweiser zu Ihrem Führungszeugnis

More information from the Federal office of justice

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Legalising Documents

Depending on the situation, you might need to have documentation authenticated, certified, or make certified copies thereof. Document authentication South Africa and Germany are both

German laws and regulations

Where to find information The Bundesamt für Justiz publishes the laws and regulations to a the Gesetze im internet website. The main site is in

Where to find information

The Bundesamt für Justiz publishes the laws and regulations to a the Gesetze im internet website.
The main site is in German, but there are translations available, with the following notice “Translations of these materials into languages other than German are intended solely as a convenience to the non-German-reading public. Any discrepancies or differences that may arise in translations of the official German versions of these materials are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes.”

For the English translations please visit this page, it covers the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany.
Your main source for the most up-to-date information should always be the website of the Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz.
The site is also available in  English and is called “The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.”

Federal State, districts and towns

Some laws and regulations are governed by the Federal state, the district or town. For more information visit the official sites of the Federal states, districts or towns

Good to know

Insulting someone can lead to fines and even imprisonment. More information here, and in German Abscnitt 14 Beleidigung 

Apps

Scams

Europol

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation is the law enforcement agency of the European Union (EU)  to handle criminal intelligence and combat serious international organised crime and terrorism through cooperation between competent authorities of EU member states.  

Please take note of the notice by Europol regarding scam calls. Europol will never call you directly. There is also a link on their website where you can report such calls

Booking.com

The person receives messages from inside the Booking.com website/app, seemingly from the hotel they booked. The “hotel” tells informs them that their payment didn’t go through. The reasons can be your credit card details are old or are being declined. The scammer then says you have to make a payment within 24 hours else you will lose your booking. They ask for your credit card details and if this is declined, they ask for an IBAN payment or direct transfer (in this case it was a bank in the UK) to confirm the booking. They send you an external e-mail with the banking details. Do not do anything without consulting the hotel directly (not via the chat in Booking.com) or phone Booking.com. To phone them you will need the booking confirmation and pin code related to your booking.
Be very vigilant, everything seems legit.
What might be happening is that the specific hotel has been hacked, so the scammers have access to the chat window in the Booking.com app or website, as well as all your booking details. If this does happen to you, and you made a payment, contact your bank immediately, and I would suggest blocking your credit cards as well. Also, open up a criminal case at the police station and contact Booking.com. Remember your credit card might offer you extra protection in such cases, try not to make direct transfers.

Reporting a crime

In an emergency please use the 110 number to call the police or the 112 number which is the national emergency number. See the links below for a complete list of emergency numbers.
For non-emergencies, call your local police office or visit them. Even petty crimes like scam calls or petty theft should be reported and will be taken seriously by the police.

Most federal states have an “Online-Wache” page where you can report a crime online. 

Vocabulary

Federal criminal police (Central office)das Bundeskriminalamt (BKA)
Federal police forcedie Bundespolizei
Every state also has a federal investigation bureau that help solve crimes on state leveldas Landeskriminalamt (LKA)
Federal State Policedie Landespolizei.
Each federal state has their own police force
Police force that handles public safety, general law enforcement and traffic enforcementSchupo / die Schutzpolizei
Criminal investigation departmentdie Kriminalpolizei / Kripo
Traffic policedie Autobahnpolizei
Emergency number for the police110

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Disaster preparedness

The Federal office of Civil protection suggests that you keep certain items in your house so that you can be prepared in a disaster situation.Such

Emergency Contacts

The following numbers can be dialled in an emergency, either from a landline or mobile phone. 112The national emergency number. This can be used for