For many expats in Germany, the Freedom of Information Act — known in German as the Informationsfreiheitsgesetz (IFG) — is an underused but powerful civic tool. It allows anyone to formally request access to official government documents, data, and records held by federal authorities. Now, the German government is planning reforms that critics say could significantly weaken this right — and in particular, limit or even eliminate access for people who are not German citizens. If these changes pass, expats and foreign residents could lose a key lever for understanding decisions that affect their own lives.
Germany's IFG, introduced in 2006, gives individuals the right to request information from federal public authorities without needing to give a reason. For expats, this has practical uses: checking data held about you by a government body, understanding how a particular policy is applied, or supporting journalism and advocacy work.
Civil society organizations — many of which support migrants and foreign residents — also rely heavily on IFG requests to monitor government conduct and ensure accountability. Platforms like FragDenStaat (Ask the State) have made the process accessible to non-specialists and have filed thousands of requests on behalf of the public.
If the reforms go ahead as described, people without German citizenship could be excluded from filing these requests at the federal level, a change critics describe as a democratic step backward.
The planned reforms would tighten eligibility criteria for who can submit IFG requests. According to critics and transparency advocates, key elements of the proposed changes include:
The government has framed some of the changes as necessary administrative streamlining, but opposition voices — including transparency groups, journalists, and legal experts — argue the reforms go far beyond efficiency and represent a deliberate pullback from open government principles.
The impact would not be felt equally. Non-EU nationals — including residents on work visas, the EU Blue Card, family reunification permits, or humanitarian grounds — stand to lose access entirely if citizenship or EU status becomes a hard requirement. This group already faces more bureaucratic complexity in daily life and often has a greater need to understand how authorities make decisions about their cases.
EU citizens living in Germany would likely retain access under any reform that follows EU standards, but this is not yet confirmed in the proposed text.
Journalists, researchers, and NGO workers who are foreign nationals and rely on IFG requests as part of their professional work would also be significantly affected.
The proposed reforms have drawn sharp criticism from transparency organizations. FragDenStaat and other civil society groups have publicly opposed the changes, warning that restricting access based on nationality is both legally questionable and politically dangerous. Some legal scholars have suggested that blanket exclusion of non-citizens could conflict with European human rights standards.
As of the time of writing, the reforms are still in the legislative debate phase and have not been passed into law. Advocacy groups are urging public pressure and parliamentary scrutiny before any vote takes place.
Yes. Under the current law, the IFG does not restrict requests based on nationality — anyone can file a request with a federal authority. The proposed reforms have not yet been enacted. You can use platforms like FragDenStaat.de to submit a request in English or German at no cost.
Federally held data — including files held by BAMF — could become harder to access if the reforms pass and non-citizens are excluded. However, you still have separate rights under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to request access to personal data held about you. GDPR rights are independent of the IFG and are not affected by these proposed changes.
You can follow organizations like FragDenStaat, Transparency International Deutschland, and the Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte (Society for Civil Rights) for updates. If you want to make your voice heard, consider signing open letters or contacting your local member of the Bundestag.
The proposed reform to Germany's Freedom of Information Act is still moving through the political process, but its direction is concerning for the expat community — especially non-EU nationals who currently use or could benefit from transparency tools. Now is the time to pay attention, use your existing rights before any change takes effect, and support civil society organizations fighting to keep access open.
If you hold any kind of residence status in Germany and have wanted to understand decisions made about your case by a federal authority, consider filing a request via FragDenStaat.de while the current rules are still in place.
Source: DW English
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