Germans who live abroad and are not registered in Germany are so-called foreign Germans. You are not automatically entered in a voters’ register. In this case, too, only those who are registered on the electoral roll can vote.

If Germans living abroad wish to take part in the Bundestag elections, they must submit a written application for entry in the electoral roll to their last German municipality of residence. The application must be submitted to the municipal election office (City of Offenburg, Central Services and Elections) by a prescribed deadline of February 2, 2025. The application also serves as an application for a polling card for postal voting.

Detailed information and the application form for entry in the voters’ register can be found on the website of the Federal Returning Officer under the following link Germans abroad – The Federal Returning Officer

You can send the application (scanned and signed) by e-mail (see election office) to or Stadt Offenburg, Zentrale Dienste und Wahlen, Hauptstraße 90, 77652 Offenburg.

We would also like to point out that the application means the simultaneous application for postal voting documents. However, we would like to point out that due to the admission decisions by the election committees, the deadline for complaints and the printing of the ballot papers, the mailing and distribution of postal voting documents cannot take place before February 10, 2025.