PHONE CALL vs. E-MAIL: WHAT IS ADVISABLE TO CONTACT GERMAN OFFICIALS

How to communicate with authorities if your German is not yet fluent

This article is about a specific group of people (foreigners in Germany) and a specific area: official inquiries and consultations.

As long as you are not fluent in German and do not understand official German well, I advise against clarifying important questions by phone. Why? There are several reasons for this.

1. Downsides of telephone calls

1.1: it is quite possible that the person in question does not speak English very well. This person may misinterpret your statements or even use inappropriate words themselves, which can be misleading for your side.

1.2: it is also possible that for some reason you misinterpret what is said, even if you feel you have understood everything correctly.

1.3: In telephone conversations we do not try to write down the information given immediately. Already after a few minutes you are no longer sure if you remember all the details correctly... And so the important information gets lost, forgotten, misunderstood.

2. Upsides of email communication

2.1: You can always read the answers of your caseworker again later. You can always reread your own questions which you asked before. You may notice that you have not formulated the question correctly. Don't be surprised that the answer might not be completely correct.

2.2: You can show the answers to an experienced person, e.g. a friend who is well acquainted with the application process.

2.3: If for any reason your case worker provided false or outdated or incomplete information and you consequently have a problem with it, you can always provide the original (email) letter. People are not willing to admit their mistakes, but many Germans have a strong commitment to justice. Having the previous (email) letters you are in position of power. No one will think a dumb foreigner messed up again.

TIP: it is highly recommended to contact the contact person by name. Surprisingly few people use a personal form of address. You will immediately be noticed positively and get the feedback faster than the other one.

Don't worry that another colleague might read your email (e.g. a secretary). The fact that you did not use "Dear Ladies and Gentlemen" but "Dear Mr Mayer" indicates that you berets you have made the effort to search for the assigned person.

Exception: for submitting the visa application I still recommend to leave your phone number. If embassy calls you it happens as a rule in your native language.

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