Bundesämtern

Bundesämter are federal offices of the German government. They are specialized authorities established by law to perform tasks at the federal level and to implement government policies in specific areas. Typically they act under the direction of a federal ministry and carry out concrete administrative work, such as issuing permits, enforcing regulations, conducting examinations or research, and providing expert services to the government and to citizens.

In the administrative structure of Germany, Bundesämter complement the ministries. They usually have a defined mandate, operate with statutory authority, and are financed from the federal budget. Their leadership and staff are part of the federal civil service and are subject to the relevant rules and oversight mechanisms of the executive branch.

Examples of Bundesämter include the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF), which handles immigration and asylum procedures; das Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle (BAFA), responsible for export controls, energy subsidies and economic regulation; das Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI), which protects information technology and critical infrastructure; das Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), the domestic intelligence service; das Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (BBK), which coordinates civil protection and disaster relief; das Bundesamt für Naturschutz (BfN), focused on nature conservation; and das Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL), handling consumer protection and food safety.