Have personal data deleted in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

As part of your self-determination under data protection law, you can, under certain conditions, demand that bodies that process your personal data must delete your data completely.

As a citizen of the European Union (EU), you can request that any body that collects and processes personal data about you deletes your data completely. However, this is subject to certain conditions.

Irrespective of this, such a body must delete your personal data even without your request if it no longer needs the data for the respective purpose.

Personal data includes, for example

• Online data, such as IP address, location data, e-mail address
• Bank data, such as account balances, account numbers
• Identification numbers, such as identity card number or social security number
• Land register entries
• Health information, such as genetic data, medical data
• certificates
• General personal data, such as name, address, age, marital status
• Physical characteristics, such as gender, skin, hair or eye color, height

You can assert the right to erasure against public and non-public bodies. Public bodies are, for example, authorities, non-public bodies are, for example, commercial enterprises, associations or clubs.

You must request the erasure of your personal data directly from the responsible public or non-public body.

If you wish to submit a written request by post or require general information, please contact the relevant authority with your questions.

The contact details of the relevant authority can be found in the list of authorities on the "service.bund.de - Service Online" portal.

Depending on the circumstances and the authority, additional information may be required to prove your eligibility, for example

• Copy of your identity card
• Copy of your passport with a copy of your registration certificate
• Clear information on the facts of the case

In order for you to have your personal data erased

• the body from which you request erasure must have collected or processed personal data about you
• it is personal data that relates to you personally,
• the data must be personal data,
  • is no longer necessary for the body processing it,
  • which have been processed unlawfully,
  • for the processing of which you have withdrawn your consent in the meantime and there is no other legal basis for the processing
  • to the processing of which you have objected,
  • which must be deleted due to special legal provisions.

Your personal data cannot be erased if it is processed

• for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information,
• in order to assert other legal claims,
• for the performance of a legitimate public task or if the processing is in the public interest,
• for research, scientific or statistical purposes and their erasure would render this impossible or at least seriously impair it.

There are no generally applicable legal remedies.

You can request the deletion of your personal data online or in writing by post.

Request deletion of your personal data online:

• Call up the online application on the federal portal. This will guide you step by step through the necessary information, which you can enter electronically.
• Upload the required documents as a file (in the file formats PDF, DOC, JPEG, PNG, maximum 10 megabytes per file) and send the application. Alternatively, you can also submit the required documents by post.
• The public authority will usually send you the corresponding reply by post to your registration address or, under certain circumstances, by e-mail.

Request the deletion of your personal data in writing:

• You can submit your request informally.
• Send your request with the required documents by post to the public authority.

The public authority will send you the corresponding reply by post.

There is no deadline.

Fee free of charge