Our services for implementing the OZG

The German Online Access Act (Onlinezugangsgesetz, OZG), adopted in August 2017, is the ‘Act to Improve Online Access to Administrative Services’. It originally obliged the federal government, states and local authorities to offer all administrative services digitally via administrative portals by the end of 2022. The amended version, ‘OZG 2.0’, was adopted in February 2024.

OZG aims to make the state more citizen‑friendly, efficient and modern by promoting the digitalisation of public administration. This is the only way to maintain high standards of public service.

• Improved citizen services and higher service quality: Citizens and businesses will be able to submit their requests online instead of visiting a public office in person. This saves time and money and reduces bureaucracy through faster processing.
• Increasing administrative efficiency: OZG aims to save resources through optimised workflows. The electronic collection, processing and storage of data enables faster information exchange and reduces administrative effort.
• Equality and accessibility: OZG also aims to improve equality and accessibility in access to administrative services. Digitalisation breaks down barriers for people with limited mobility or disabilities. Online services enable better accessibility and participation for all citizens.
• Economic stimulus: OZG can also have positive economic effects. Companies can handle administrative processes faster and more efficiently, which can increase competitiveness. In addition, new digital services and business models can emerge that support the digitalisation of administration.
• Modernisation of public administration: OZG is an important step towards a modern, digital administration. It drives the digitalisation of the public sector and lays the foundation for further digital innovations. This makes the state more future-proof and better equipped to meet the challenges of the digital age.

OZG must be implemented by the federal government, the states and local authorities with distributed roles.

• Federal government: The federal government is responsible for defining the technical basis and standards for implementing OZG. This includes, for example, the development of uniform interfaces and the creation of conditions for secure data exchange.
• States: The states implement the requirements of OZG in their respective administrative areas. They develop their own administrative portals, develop EfA solutions and make their administrative services available digitally. The states can also set their own priorities and offer additional digital services.
• Local authorities: Responsible for the practical implementation of OZG at the municipal level, local authorities must digitalise their administrative services and make them available via their own administrative portals. They also need to adapt internal processes to ensure that citizens can access these services online.

For the implementation of the German Online Access Act (OZG) to be successful, reliability and clear perspectives are essential. Planning security and robust budgets are just as crucial as close cooperation between the state and qualified IT partners. If the federal government, federal states, local authorities and IT partners remain in constant dialogue, a modern administration can grow step by step. It is important to focus on the procedures that bring the greatest benefits to citizens and businesses. Politically defined and consistently monitored milestones give the process the necessary commitment.

Open‑source software solutions enable public institutions to adapt the source code to their individual requirements, develop it further and improve it collaboratively. This facilitates the linking of different system environments in line with the ‘One for All’ principle.

Under the ‘One for All’ principle (Einer-für-Alle, EfA), a digital administrative service is developed centrally by a federal state or authority and can then be reused by other administrations nationwide. This avoids duplication of effort, pools resources and provides uniform, efficient solutions nationwide. EfA is a central component of the implementation of the German Online Access Act (OZG).