Hessentag in Oberursel – the permit

Regular readers of this blog will by now know that the Hessentag will be taking place in Oberursel this year – in a few weeks in fact – and that I had been having trouble getting a permit to enter the town during that time to by able to visit my IT clients.

Not only has there been a lack of information for business owners in my opinion, but even when I spoke to the town’s mayor it did not change the situation much.

When I first tried to apply for a permit in February, I was told that it would not be possible before 1st April.  I was also told that I would need an ID card to apply – something that I do not have, and my British passport unfortunately does not show my address.  This was my first point of discussion, that someone had decided you needed a German ID card to get a permit.

Then when I tried to apply on 1st April, I was told the date had been moved back to the 18th.

But then things really did start to happen and the local newspapers and even the Hessentag website started carrying details of how to apply – and yes, the 18th was still the date.

So it was early on the 18th that I made my way to the town hall and joined the queue that had already formed by 8.10 to apply for my permit.

The queue was very organised, with residents who only needed access to one area being dealt with quickly on the basis of – you’ve guessed it – their ID card.

As a business owner, I was sent to a different queue and given a 2-page form to fill out, on which I had to say which areas I wanted access to and why.

Finally, it was time for my application to be processed.  After having my passport, residence permit, address registration and my company registration scrutinised, the town hall employee announced that she would have to ask someone else whether I qualified.  Thankfully, her boss was nearby and came over to clear the way for my permit to be issued.

The operation has since been scaled down, but anyone who lives in the town or otherwise qualifies and has not yet applied for a permit to enter the restricted zones can still do so by going to the Einwohnermeldeamt on the 1st floor of the Rathaus, or by filling out a form on the website by 3rd June.