Regierungsstelle

Regierungsstelle is a German term meaning "government office." In German-speaking countries it functions as a generic label for offices or authorities within the executive branch that perform public administration tasks, implement government policy, or coordinate administrative workflow. Because it is not a formal, universally defined institution, the exact meaning of "Regierungsstelle" depends on the jurisdiction and context. It can refer to a full ministry (Ministerium) in common usage, to a government agency (Behörde) or to a smaller office (Amt) that operates under a ministry or directly under the government, and it may denote the seat where government operations are conducted.

The scope of a Regierungsstelle can be federal, regional (state or cantonal), or municipal, and the term is often used in official documents, media reports, or administrative discourse as a convenient shorthand for the body responsible for a particular set of tasks—such as licensing, regulation enforcement, or policy coordination—or simply for the government's administrative headquarters in a given locality.

In many cases, the precise designation of a given body is formally specified by its official name (for example, a ministerial department, an agency, or an office with a distinct title). The usage thus emphasizes function rather than a fixed legal category, aligning with similar terms in other countries that refer to "government offices" or "administrative authorities."