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Information for companies and institutions about changes and developments in the postal sector
Details about the market entry procedure (provider register)
The German Bundesrat gave its consent to the Postal Legislation Modernisation Act (PostModG) on 5 July 2024. The Act entered into force on 19 July 2024. The key changes to the market entry procedure under the revised German Postal Act (PostG) are explained below.
The new Postal Act does away with the distinction between a licence requirement and a notification requirement. Providers of postal services now have to apply to be entered in a provider register kept by the Bundesnetzagentur before they start operations. The registering process involves the Bundesnetzagentur checking that each provider has the necessary reliability, resources and expertise. The Bundesnetzagentur has to do this within four weeks of receiving a provider's application with all the necessary supporting documents.
The Bundesnetzagentur will enter an applicant in the provider register by the end of these four weeks unless it discovers anything to indicate that the applicant does not meet the requirements of the Postal Act. If the Bundesnetzagentur decides not to enter an applicant in the register, it will inform the applicant and explain why. The application form for entry in the provider register and further information are available online here.
Providers only operating post offices or self-service kiosks do not have to apply for entry in the register but have to send the Bundesnetzagentur information (current as at 1 January and 1 July) twice a year about their facilities. If post offices or self-service kiosks are operated under contract for another provider, that provider is responsible for sending the information. The Bundesnetzagentur will publish further information about the notification procedure in the second half of 2024.
Transitional arrangements are in place to ensure that all current providers can continue operations. The Bundesnetzagentur will automatically enter all holders of a valid postal licence in the provider register, so these holders do not have to apply. Providers notified to the Bundesnetzagentur can also continue to provide their postal services but have to have been entered in the provider register by 18 August 2026.