Germany is one of the most fax-reliant countries in Europe. In a 2023 survey by Bitkom, Germany's digital industry association, 82% of companies with 20 or more employees said they still fax, and 33% fax frequently or very frequently — down from 40% the year before. The trend is downward, but the numbers remain high for a country that is otherwise a leader in engineering and technology. For many German businesses and institutions, fax is not a relic — it is an active, trusted part of daily operations.
A major reason for fax's persistence in Germany is the country's strict approach to data protection. The Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (BDSG) and the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO in German) impose rigorous requirements on how personal and business data is transmitted. Many organizations view fax as a straightforward way to meet these obligations, particularly when sending sensitive documents that require a verifiable delivery trail. The transmission receipt that accompanies every fax provides proof of delivery that email cannot easily match, which matters in a business culture that values thoroughness and documentation.
Government agencies are among the heaviest fax users. The Finanzamt (tax office), Bürgeramt (citizens' registration office), and Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) all maintain active fax lines and routinely accept or require fax submissions for official paperwork. Courts, notaries, and public administration offices across the country rely on fax for legal filings, notifications, and correspondence. For citizens and businesses dealing with German bureaucracy, having the ability to send a fax is often not optional — it is a practical necessity.
The legal profession reinforces this pattern. German law firms have long used fax for contracts, powers of attorney, and client correspondence, although lawyers have been required to file with courts electronically since 2022. For individuals, fax remains an accepted way to submit many deadline-bound documents to courts and authorities. A Sendebericht (transmission report) is useful evidence that you sent a document, but German courts do not treat it as conclusive proof that it was received — so send early and keep the report. For tips on preparing legal documents for fax, see our guide on how to fax legal documents online.
Healthcare and financial services round out the picture. Hospitals, clinics, and medical practices use fax to exchange patient records, referrals, and prescriptions — driven by the same data protection concerns that shape the rest of German business communication. Banks, insurance companies, and financial advisors use fax for account documents, claims, and compliance-related correspondence where a secure, auditable transmission method is expected.
Despite this deep institutional reliance, Germany is gradually modernizing. The government's Digitalisierungsstrategie aims to move more public services online, and younger, digitally native companies increasingly prefer email and cloud-based tools. Online fax services bridge this gap by letting people send faxes without a fax machine — maintaining compatibility with traditional fax infrastructure while eliminating the need for physical machines. For details on international number formatting, including how to handle German area codes, see our guide on how to send an international fax online.
JustFax Online makes it easy to send a fax to Germany from anywhere. Upload your document — PDF, PNG, JPEG, or TIFF — enter the German fax number with the country code +49 (dropping the leading zero from the area code), and send. No account, no subscription, no app required. You pay a flat rate for the first four pages, with additional pages priced separately. If delivery fails after all retry attempts, you are not charged. To get started, see our step-by-step guide to sending a fax online.