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Germany |
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| Membership in EU: | 1951 |
| Political system: | Republic |
| Capital city: | Berlin |
| Total area: | 356 854 km² |
| Currency: | Euro (EUR) |
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Statistical Office
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Chamber of Commerce and Industry
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Entrepreneurship in the Country
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Business Directories
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Local Communities
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Business Communication
Germans do not need a personal relationship in order to do business.
They will be interested in your academic credentials and the amount of time your company has been in business.
Germans display great deference to people in authority, so it is imperative, that they understand your level relative to their own.
Germans do not have an open-door policy. People often work with their office door closed. Knock and wait to be invited in before entering.
German business communication is formal.
Following the established protocol is critical to building and maintaining business relationships.
As a group, Germans are suspicious of hyperbole promises, that sound too good to be true or displays of emotion.
Germans will be direct to the point of bluntness.
Expect a great deal of written business communication, both to back up decisions and to maintain a record of decisions and discussions.
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Business Meetings
Appointments are mandatory and should be made 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
Letters should be addressed to the top person in the functional area, including the person's name as well as their proper business title.
If you write to schedule an appointment, the letter should be written in German.
Punctuality is taken extremely seriously. If you expect to be delayed, telephone immediately and offer an explanation. It is extremely rude, to cancel a meeting at the last minute and it could jeopardize your business relationship.
Meetings are generally formal.
Initial meetings are used to get to know each other. They allow your German colleagues to determine, if you are trustworthy.
Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times.
Maintain direct eye contact while speaking.
Although English may be spoken, it is a good idea to hire an interpreter, so as to avoid any misunderstandings.
At the end of a meeting, some Germans signal their approval by rapping their knuckles on the tabletop.
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Business Negotiation
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Do not sit until invited and told where to sit. There is a rigid protocol to be followed.
Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times.
Treat the process with the formality, that it deserves.
Germany is heavily regulated and extremely bureaucratic.
Germans prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small talk. They will be interested in your credentials.
Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German.
Contracts are strictly followed.
You must be patient and not appear ruffled by the strict adherence to protocol. Germans are detail-oriented and want to understand every innuendo, before coming to an agreement.
Business is hierarchical. Decision-making is held at the top of the company.
Final decisions are translated into rigorous, comprehensive action steps that you can expect, will be carried out to the letter.
Avoid confrontational behaviour or high-pressure tactics. It can be counterproductive.
Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.
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President
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Government
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Prime Minister
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Ministries
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Constitutional Court
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Legislation
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Geographical Characteristics
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Germany is a country with the largest population in European Union. Its territory stretches from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea in the north to the Alps in the south. The country is traversed by some of Europe’s major rivers: the Rhine, Danube and Elbe.
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Languages
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German; also german dialects.
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Short History
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After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 the former German Democratic Republic (DDR) was reunited with the Federal Republic of Germany (BDR) and this permitted the accession of the five re-established East German States.
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Time Zone
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International Dialing Code
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Average Temperatures
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July 18 0C, January -1 0C.
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Opening Hours of Banks
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Monday - Friday: 8.30am – 1.00pm and 1.30pm – 4.00pm.
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Opening Hours of Post-Offices
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Monday - Friday: 8.00am – 6.00/7.00pm.
Saturday: 8.00am – 4.00pm.
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Opening Hours of Shops
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Legally permitted opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 9.00/10.00am – 9.00/10.00pm.
Saturday: 9.00/10.00am – 4.00/8.00pm.
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Credit Cards
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The following credit cards are accepted in Germany: Visa and MasterCard–EuroCard. They are accepted in numerous hotels, restaurants and shops. Almost all petrol stations will accept credit cards.
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Foreign Currency Exchange
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Apart from the banks, foreign currency can be also exchanged in exchange offices, hotel receptions, tourist agencies, petrol stations and larger department stores.
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Mobile Telecommunications
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The country is almost entirely covered by mobile telephony signal, since the operators have concluded contracts with larger European and world operators. Mobile phones in the country are designed to function within the network of frequency bands 900 MHZ and 1800 MHZ. You can host in the following mobile networks: E-Plus, O2, T-mobile, Vodafone.
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Anti Smoking Law
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Smoking in Germany is permitted in all public institutions, opened for public, and at work. In 2008 owners of the establishments could decide, whether to have a smoking or non-smoking establishment or to have separate smoking sections.
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Emergency Telephone Numbers
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Population of the State
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Population of the Capital
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Demographics
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Religion
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