Which German office is responsible for what? Overview of the main Ämter

This confuses almost everyone at first: Germany doesn't have one central office that handles everything, but lots of small ones, each with a very narrow area of responsibility. Write to the wrong one and you can wait weeks for a reply, or just get forwarded somewhere else. Here's a rough overview of who handles what.

Bürgeramt (also Bürgerbüro, Einwohnermeldeamt)

Usually your first stop after moving. Handles: registering your address (Anmeldung), issuing ID cards/passports for German citizens, criminal record certificates, changing your registered address. Many other things are NOT handled here, even though it feels like the obvious place to ask.

Ausländerbehörde

Handles everything around your residence permit: extensions, re-registering after moving to another city, changing conditions, questions about permanent residence. Important: Ausländerbehörde and Bürgeramt are two completely different offices, even if they sometimes sit in the same building. The Bürgeramt only registers your address — your residence status is decided by the Ausländerbehörde.

Jobcenter

Handles Bürgergeld (officially renamed to Grundsicherungsgeld on 1 July 2026) (formerly Hartz IV) — basic income support for people able to work. If you can work but currently have no income or too little, this is where you go.

Agentur für Arbeit

Not the same as the Jobcenter, even though people mix them up constantly. The Agentur für Arbeit handles Arbeitslosengeld I (unemployment insurance benefit after previous employment), job placement, and training support.

Sozialamt

Handles basic income support for people who are not able to work (e.g. due to age or illness), and support with living costs in specific cases that don't go through the Jobcenter.

Finanzamt

The tax office. Assigns your tax number, processes your tax return, handles income tax, and sometimes Kindergeld too (though that usually runs through the Familienkasse, see below).

Familienkasse

Handles Kindergeld (child benefit) and Kinderzuschlag (supplementary child benefit). Often physically located at the Agentur für Arbeit, but a separate authority.

Wohngeldstelle

Handles Wohngeld — a rent subsidy for people with low income who receive neither Bürgergeld nor Grundsicherung.

Schulamt

Handles everything around compulsory schooling, school registration, and sometimes assigning a specific school.

Krankenkasse

Strictly speaking not a government office but a health insurer — but letters from there feel just as official. Handles health insurance, sick pay, and certificates.

And if you don't know who's responsible?

Every notice, request, or reminder has the sender listed at the top — usually the full name of the office and a phone number. When in doubt, just call and ask whether you're at the right place, or who else would be responsible. Offices normally point you to the right one themselves.

What to do if a letter arrives from one of these offices?

A letter from an office doesn't automatically mean trouble — often it's just a request for documents or a routine notice. But deadlines are usually tight, and the language in these letters is rarely simple. With BriefMagic you describe your situation in your own language, and it turns into a clearly worded reply in German — with the right tone for that specific office.

Quick summary

• Bürgeramt = address registration, Ausländerbehörde = residence permit — two different offices.
• Jobcenter = Bürgergeld, Agentur für Arbeit = Arbeitslosengeld I — also two different offices.
• Not sure? Check who sent the letter and call them directly.

This article doesn't replace legal advice.