Germany’s government agreed a new round of bureaucracy cuts on July 15, 2026, at a second meeting of the so-called “Entlastungskabinett” (“relief cabinet”). Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger said the changes should save businesses and citizens around 600 million euros a year, adding: “This government keeps its word on cutting bureaucracy.”
In the health system, the government is digitizing the last analog referral process: doctor referrals will now be handled electronically. It is also further developing the electronic patient file (elektronische Patientenakte) and removing barriers to hospitals using modern cloud infrastructure.
At the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency), unemployed people will be able to make binding agreements with their Jobcenter by email, and complete mandatory appointments by video call instead of showing up in person.
Two long-criticized rules are also being scrapped. Owners of electric cars will no longer need to apply for the green environmental sticker (Umweltplakette) that allows vehicles to drive in cities’ low-emission zones, even though EVs produce no local emissions. And the mandatory regular safety check on electrical devices — until now required every two years in offices and every year in workshops, covering everything “from the coffee machine to large installations” — will only apply where there is an actual safety risk.
Industry groups welcomed the steps but want faster progress. Holger Schwannecke of the ZDH craft trade association called the record for craft businesses “sobering” so far, and Bitkom president Ralf Wintergerst said many announced measures still need to be fully carried out.
What this means for you: If you drive an electric car in Germany, you should no longer need to apply for or display an environmental sticker to enter a city’s low-emission zone. And if you’re registered as unemployed with the Jobcenter, you may now be able to handle required appointments and agreements by email or video call instead of going in person.
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