On September 25, 2026, the Bundestag held its first debate on a bill to speed up Germany’s administrative courts (Verwaltungsgerichte). The bill is the seventh amendment to the Code of Administrative Court Procedure (Verwaltungsgerichtsordnung, or VwGO).
Administrative courts hear disputes between people and the state. If you’ve ever appealed a rejected permit, your appeal probably went to an administrative court.
German administrative courts have heavy backlogs of cases still waiting for a decision. Asylum and residence-law cases make up a large share of them.
Parliamentary State Secretary for Justice Frank Schwabe defended the VwGO reform as modernization. The federal government wants it in force by January 1, 2027.
NOTE: The VwGO reform is not yet law. The final text could still change in committee before January 2027.
Seven Ways the VwGO Reform Changes Administrative Court Cases
he VwGO reform changes how fast your administrative court case moves and who decides it. The VwGO reform makes seven changes:
- Probationary judges can sit as a single judge after six months instead of one year
- Higher courts can hand more cases to a single judge instead of a full panel
- Courts can more easily disregard facts or documents you submit late
- You may have to pay court costs in advance if the court judges your case “hopeless and abusive”
- You can file administrative objections more simply by email
- Authorities that ignore a court order face repeatable fines of up to €25,000
- Courts get explicit power to issue preliminary protective orders (Hängebeschlüsse) during a case
Preliminary protective orders pause an authority’s action while the court decides an urgent application.
The Bundesrat and Refugee-Support Groups Push Back on the VwGO Reform
The Bundesrat represents the states as Germany’s upper house. It raised three objections to the VwGO reform:
- New rules on when higher courts accept appeals could leave judges unsure how to read and apply them. That works against the goal of faster court cases.
- AI-generated legal submissions could overwhelm courts, especially social courts that handle benefit disputes.
- Repeatable fines on authorities should not apply right away.
The federal government disagrees on the fines. It says the fines must apply fast once an authority “shows from the outset” it will not comply with a court order.
Refugee-support groups have a different worry: paying court costs up front for “obviously hopeless and abusive” cases. The court decides a case looks unfounded before it fully hears the case.
Submit Documents Early If You Have a Pending Asylum or Immigration Case.
If you have a pending asylum or immigration case, submit your documents early. Courts may disregard documents you submit late. Single-judge decisions could still resolve your case faster.
WARNING: Get legal advice early if your asylum or immigration case could be labeled “hopeless and abusive.”
