Test yourself
The official question catalogue has 16 questions on this topic. In the app you practise them with instant feedback and in the exam simulation.
Volunteering and getting involved
Many people in Germany volunteer. That means they work voluntarily and unpaid, for example in clubs and associations. If you want to get involved locally, you can join a citizens' initiative or start one yourself. This is a way of trying to influence decisions, for example to save a bus route.
A voluntary role can also be compulsory. If you are appointed as an election helper, you must in principle accept the role. You may only decline for an important reason.
Demonstrating
The Basic Law (Grundgesetz) protects freedom of assembly in Article 8. But if you plan a demonstration in the street, you must register it with the responsible authority. The details are set out in the Assembly Act.
Moving, housing and quiet
After moving, you must register with the registration authority. In everyday speech it is often called the residents' registration office or the citizens' office (Bürgeramt). You must register within two weeks of moving in.
Most blocks of rented flats have house rules. They contain rules for living together, for example on quiet hours or cleaning. All residents must follow them.
Night-time quiet usually begins at 10 pm. However, the exact quiet hours are often set by the federal states (Länder) and the municipalities. House rules and the tenancy agreement can also set rules.
Rights and rules for everyone
The secrecy of letters protects letters from prying eyes. It is set out in Article 10 of the Basic Law. If you open a letter that is addressed to someone else, you violate it. That can be a criminal offence. The duty of confidentiality is something different: it concerns confidential information that people learn in certain professions.
Nobody may be disadvantaged because of their origin. If someone is refused entry to a public swimming pool because of their skin colour, their right to equal treatment is violated. Article 3 of the Basic Law and the General Equal Treatment Act protect against this.
From the age of 14, young people are criminally responsible. That means they can be punished for a criminal offence if they are mature enough to understand that it was wrong. Juvenile criminal law, however, is strongly geared towards educating young offenders.
Authorities: complaint, objection and appeal
If an employee of an authority treats you badly, you can complain to the head of the authority. But a complaint is something different from an objection. An objection is directed against an official decision. You also lodge an objection against an incorrect bill from an authority.
You can lodge an appeal against an incorrect tax assessment notice. The deadline is usually one month after you have been notified of the assessment. The information on legal remedies printed on the letter states the right way to proceed.
Business, driving licence and purchases
If you want to open a restaurant, you must register it with the responsible authority. In many federal states you need a restaurant licence for this. Some states have replaced it with a notification, for example Baden-Württemberg since 2026. The exact rules depend on the state and on the type of business.
The theory test for the driving licence is also available in several foreign languages. You can find out which languages are offered from the testing centre.
If a newly bought device is broken, you complain to the seller. The warranty rights under § 437 of the Civil Code apply here. Usually repair or replacement comes first.
These 16 questions are in the test
- 134Man will die Buslinie abschaffen, mit der Sie immer zur Arbeit fahren. Was können Sie machen, um die Buslinie zu erhalten?
- 132Viele Menschen in Deutschland arbeiten in ihrer Freizeit ehrenamtlich. Was bedeutet das?
- 243Maik und Sybille wollen mit Freunden an ihrem deutschen Wohnort eine Demonstration auf der Straße abhalten. Was müssen sie vorher tun?
- 253Wo müssen Sie sich anmelden, wenn Sie in Deutschland umziehen?
- 256Ein Ehepaar möchte in Deutschland ein Restaurant eröffnen. Was braucht es dazu unbedingt?
- 263In Deutschland sind Jugendliche ab 14 Jahren strafmündig. Das bedeutet: Jugendliche, die 14 Jahre und älter sind und gegen Strafgesetze verstoßen, …
- 266Wann beginnt die gesetzliche Nachtruhe in Deutschland?
- 268Eine junge Frau will den Führerschein machen. Sie hat Angst vor der Prüfung, weil ihre Muttersprache nicht Deutsch ist. Was ist richtig?
- 274Sie haben in Deutschland absichtlich einen Brief geöffnet, der an eine andere Person adressiert ist. Was haben Sie nicht beachtet?
- 276Was sollten Sie tun, wenn Sie von Ihrem Ansprechpartner / Ihrer Ansprechpartnerin in einer deutschen Behörde schlecht behandelt werden?
- 279In den meisten Mietshäusern in Deutschland gibt es eine „Hausordnung“. Was steht in einer solchen „Hausordnung“? Sie nennt …
- 280Wenn Sie sich in Deutschland gegen einen falschen Steuerbescheid wehren wollen, müssen Sie …
- 281Zwei Freunde wollen in ein öffentliches Schwimmbad in Deutschland. Beide haben eine dunkle Hautfarbe und werden deshalb nicht hineingelassen. Welches Recht wird in dieser Situation verletzt? Das Recht auf …
- 282Welches Ehrenamt müssen deutsche Staatsbürger/Staatsbürgerinnen übernehmen, wenn sie dazu aufgefordert werden?
- 283Was tun Sie, wenn Sie eine falsche Rechnung von einer deutschen Behörde bekommen?
- 290Sie haben in Deutschland einen Fernseher gekauft. Zu Hause packen Sie den Fernseher aus, doch er funktioniert nicht. Der Fernseher ist kaputt. Was können Sie machen?
Each question with its explanation is on the question pages. You can practise with answers in the app.
SourcesBundesministerium der Justiz: § 17 BMG – Anmeldung und AbmeldungBundesministerium der Justiz: § 202 StGB – Verletzung des BriefgeheimnissesBundesministerium der Justiz: § 355 AO – EinspruchsfristBundesministerium der Justiz: § 437 BGB – Rechte des Käufers bei MängelnUmweltbundesamt: Nachbarschaftslärm
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