Germany progresses on national-Once-Only Technical System
07 March 2025 | 3 minutes read
On 26 February 2025, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) organised a meeting(opens in a new tab) on the “One-Year of the SDG EU Once-Only Technical System - Current Status and Outlook”.
Germany is progressing with the implementation of its national Once-Only Technical System(opens in a new tab) (NOOTS) infrastructure, a notable step forward in wider implementation of the Once-Only Technical System (OOTS)(opens in a new tab) (OOTS) between EU Member States.
As explained(opens in a new tab) by the Federal Office for Administration (BVA), a national Once-Only Technical System means that residents and businesses in a given area in Germany’s federal structure, will not need to submit evidence(s) multiple times to complete administrative procedures. When someone submits their data to a public body ‘Once-Only’ means that other authorities should have the ability to use this already existing data if the person in question wishes. In Germany, this work takes place as part of the wider initiative to digitalise public registers.
Jan Pörksen, head of the Senate Chancellery and the Personnel Office, noted(opens in a new tab) through a press release that “we are delighted that the way is now clear for a more modern administration and that another step is being taken towards the digital transformation of our country". Businesses are already taking note. Vialto partners have observed(opens in a new tab) the potential benefits of ‘Once-Only’ for skilled immigration to Germany.
At a European level, the implementation of a Europe-wide Once-Only Technical System is well underway. A report from the fifth OOTS Projectathon(opens in a new tab) in December 2024 shows the notable progress made by EU Member States in delivering the benefits of “Once-Only” for all EU citizens. This means it is easier for individuals and businesses to live, work, retire or do businesses throughout the EU Single Market.
The German federal government had already completed two rounds of consultation processes on their national Once-Only Technical System in 2024. The successful approach will be continued with the third round(opens in a new tab).
To hear more about how Germany’s national Once-Only Technical System contributes to European interoperability more generally, you can read this interview(opens in a new tab) with the German OOTS implementation team from 2023 on how their national infrastructure fits into the larger EU ‘Once-Only’ initiative.
For more information on the Once-Only Technical System helps create a simpler, more innovative EU Single Market, visit the Once-Only hub(opens in a new tab).