The deciding authorities are the assistance authorities in each federal state. Competence lies with the federal state in which the offence was committed. To save claimants having to look for the responsible body, they can contact the Central Contact Point (Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs), which will forward the compensation claim to the correct authority.
You can, but the competent assisting authorities should also be informed.
- the claim?
In every European language.
- the supporting documents?
In every European language.
Translations are free of charge for the claimant. These costs are usually borne by the deciding authorities.
There are no administrative or other fees for victim compensation claims in Germany.
Travel costs, where they are necessary, are paid by the competent deciding authority.
You have no legal entitlement to an interpreter. However, in practice interpreters are often used when they are needed.
Such certificates are usually accepted.
Travel costs, where they are necessary, are paid by the competent deciding authority.
There is no definitive answer to this question, as the duration of the compensation procedure is closely linked to the circumstances of each individual case.
The decision is usually translated into the relevant national language.
An appeal may be lodged against the decision in the compensation procedure. If the appeal is not upheld, a complaint may be filed with the Social Court.
All claimants can get legal assistance, however the costs cannot be refunded.
There are a number of local, regional and national victim support organisations in Germany that can provide assistance. The following website provides a good overview and is available in both English and Spanish as well: http://www.odabs.org/.
The national language version of this page is maintained by the respective Member State. The translations have been done by the European Commission service. Possible changes introduced in the original by the competent national authority may not be yet reflected in the translations. The European Commission accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to any information or data contained or referred to in this document. Please refer to the legal notice to see copyright rules for the Member State responsible for this page.