City of Nuremberg Declaration on Electronic Communication 
The City of Nuremberg offers the possibility of digital communication. Article 3a BayVwVfG (Bavarian Law on Administration and Procedures) is the legal basis for digital communication. According to this law, the transmission of digital documents is permissible, if the recipient provides access.
The City of Nuremberg provides digital access, within the technical framework outlined below, for the digital communication of letters not requiring written form (formless letters). Letters which by law must be sent in written form cannot be transmitted via email. Presently, these still need to be sent with your own signature in order to be legally valid.
Email
There is a digital contact form for each department / institution. This safeguards secure and encrypted transmission via the internet. On principle, email addresses are not shown in plain text.
If you get in touch with us digitally, we assume that we may also respond in this way, unless regulations (e.g. formal delivery) prevent this. Please note that because of uncertainty with email communication the transmission cannot be guaranteed.
File Formats
Unfortunately, the City of Nuremberg cannot support all established file formats and applications and will only accept files with the following formats:
- Word for Windows (*.doc, *.docx, version Word 97 to 2007)
- Excel for Windows (*.xls, *.xlsx, version Excel 97 to 2007)
- Portable Document Format (*.pdf)
- OpenDocument Text (*.odt)
- OpenDocument spreadsheets (*.ods)
- Text files in ANSI format (*.txt)
- Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
- Joint Photographic Expert Group (*.jpg)
- Graphics Interchange Format (*.gif)
- Tag Image File Format (*.tif)
- Bitmap Pictures (*.bmp)
Any other format is only permitted with explicit consent of the recipient. None of the permitted formats may include automated procedures or programmed sequences (so-called macros). Files in file formats which cannot be read will be returned to the sender.
Data Quantity
The overall size of an email, including attachments is limited to five Megabytes (MB). If you want to send larger files, please use the City of Nuremberg's data exchange service:
Files in the permitted formats may also be reduced in size using data compression programs. The City of Nuremberg only accepts compressed files in the form of non-self-extracting ZIP-archives (*.zip).
Spam Filter
The City of Nuremberg uses software for filtering undesirable emails (spam filter). This spam filter might reject your emails, if they are erroneously identified as spam due to certain characteristics. To avoid this, you may inscribe yourself on a "positive list" (whitelist) using the web form below :
Online Services, Digital Signature and Encryption
The City of Nuremberg offers dialogue applications and forms on the internet. Please use these where possible; they are available around the clock, and they are always transmitted in encrypted form for your data security.
Applications requiring written form by law (e.g. applications for certificates of good conduct) may not yet be transmitted in digital form. At the moment, in the City of Nuremberg this is not even possible in the context of the provisions of article 3a BayVwVfG, i.e. with a qualified digital signature. In these cases, please use the paper form with a signature.
Likewise, currently no encrypted messages are accepted outside the Virtual Mail Room. Please use the online services provided or the City of Nuremberg contact forms for this. Otherwise, the provisions of article 3a BayVwVfG apply.
For communications concerning the EU Services Directive, please use the internet portal provided.
Article 3a BayVwVfG – Digital Communication
(1) Transmission of digital documents is permitted, if the recipient provides access for this.
(2) If the written form is stipulated by law and unless there are legal provisions stipulating otherwise, it may be replaced by the digital form. In this case, the digital document must be signed with a qualified digital signature, according to the Digital Signature Act. Signature with a pseudonym which does not allow the identification of the signature key owner is not permitted.
(3) If a digital document transmitted to an authority is not suitable for processing by this authority, said authority will immediately inform the sender of this fact, while stating the technical framework conditions applying to this authority. If a recipient asserts that he/she cannot process a digital document transmitted by an authority, this authority must re-send the document in a suitable digital format or as a paper document.
Contact:
We are happy to answer any queries and receive your suggestions concerning the City of Nuremberg's online services:
City of Nuremberg
E-Government-Office
Rathausplatz 2
90403 Nürnberg
Public Transportation
City Map
Telephone: +49 (0) 911 / 231-51 75, -3255, -3254
Fax: +49 (0) 911 / 231-51 14
