Owed money? Get a court payment order — in English.
A deposit that never came back, an invoice nobody pays, a loan a friend forgot. German courts will issue a payment order (Mahnbescheid) on a simple online application — but the form is only in German. Answer six questions and we'll show you which court, what it costs, and what to type where.
General information about an official court procedure, not legal advice. We don't look at whether your claim is good or how much you are really owed. Klarlaw is not part of the courts or online-mahnantrag.de, and we never see what you enter there.
How it works
The court checks the form, not the claim. Most debtors pay once a court document arrives.
You apply online
Fill in the Mahnantrag at online-mahnantrag.de, then print, sign and post it — or submit with your ID card's online function. The court issues the order and invoices the fee; pay it before you apply for the enforcement order, which waits for payment. If something is unclear, it writes to you (a Monierung, in German) with a deadline to answer.
The court serves the Mahnbescheid
It arrives by post, in a yellow envelope, and you are told the date of service. From that day they have two weeks to object (Widerspruch) — or to pay.
No objection? Apply for the enforcement order
Once the two weeks are up you apply for a Vollstreckungsbescheid, again online. Don't wait: if you haven't applied within six months of service, the Mahnbescheid lapses (§ 701 ZPO).
Two more weeks, then it's final
They can still object to the enforcement order (Einspruch) within two weeks. After that it works like a court judgment for thirty years: a bailiff (Gerichtsvollzieher) can collect, or their bank account can be attached.
If they object at any point
The case becomes an ordinary lawsuit, but only if you take it forward: you pay the rest of the court fee and set out your claim in writing. This is where a lawyer is worth having.
The form, section by section
What each part of the official form asks for, in English. Answer the questions above to see your own values here.
| On the form | What it means — and what to enter |
|---|---|
| Antragsteller | You, the applicant. Your full name and postal address — or your business's exact name, legal form and address. |
| Antragsgegner | Whoever owes you. Their full name and a German address where post reaches them. For a company, its exact registered name including the legal form (GmbH, UG, AG…) as shown in the Handelsregister, and its legal representative (gesetzlicher Vertreter — for a GmbH, the Geschäftsführer). If two people owe you together, such as two landlords on one lease, add both as joint debtors (Gesamtschuldner). |
| Hauptforderung |
The main claim. Choose the claim type from the list
(Katalog). Add the date of
the contract or invoice, its number if it has one, and the amount.
If nothing in the list fits, use the free-text tab (Sonst. Anspruch) and describe it in German, for example: Rückzahlung der Mietkaution aus Mietvertrag vom 01.03.2023.
The claim has to be identifiable from the order alone. A vague description can mean it doesn't stop the limitation clock — always include the date. |
| Zinsen | Interest — optional. The statutory rate for late payment is 5 percentage points above the base rate (Prozentpunkte über dem Basiszinssatz) against a private person, and 9 when neither side is a consumer — enter the points, not a percentage. It runs from when they went into default (Verzug), typically the day after the deadline in your written payment demand passed. |
| Auslagen, Nebenforderungen | Your costs. Only what you actually spent, such as postage for reminder letters. A flat 40 EUR for late payment (§ 288 V BGB) can only be added when the debtor is a business, not a private person. |
| Gegenleistung | Anything you owed in return. Confirm that the claim doesn't depend on anything from you, or that you've already delivered it (Gegenleistung … erbracht). |
| Prozessgericht, streitiges Verfahren | The court if they object. The form fills it in from the debtor's address and shows it under Prozessgericht in the overview; under Allgemeine Angaben, tick that you want the contested procedure (streitiges Verfahren) if they object. Usually the court for the place where they live or are based — the Amtsgericht up to 10,000 EUR, the Landgericht above that. Disputes over a rented flat always go to the Amtsgericht where the flat is. |
| Geschäftszeichen | Your reference — optional. Anything that helps you recognise the case, such as your invoice number. Letters from the court will quote it. |
Sending it: two ways for most people
Print and post (Barcode)
Works for everyone. Choose the printing option at the start, fill in the form, then print it on plain white A4 — from your PDF viewer rather than the browser, on a printer that prints cleanly, because the court's machines read the barcode. Sign the cover sheet (Deckblatt) by hand, staple all pages together and post them — not fax — to the court the form names.
Online, with your ID card
If your German ID card, electronic residence permit or EU citizen's eID card (eID-Karte für Unionsbürger) has the online ID function switched on, you can sign and submit electronically through the AusweisApp, using an NFC phone or a card reader. Nothing to print or post.
Already use a secure channel to the courts, such as Mein Justizpostfach or beA? The form can also produce a file to send that way. Plain e-mail is not allowed.
Did a Mahnbescheid arrive for you instead?
Then you are on a two-week clock to object, and objecting is free and needs no reasons. If it lapses, an enforcement order follows — and that one lasts thirty years.
Common questions
Court fees per the fee table in force since 1 June 2025; the official form shows the exact amount.