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Introduction
The fees for the European small claims procedure are set out in the Court Costs Act (Gerichtskostengesetz, GKG).
The court issues an invoice requesting payment of the fees. The fees are due as soon as the application initiating the procedure is submitted to the court. The procedure will continue even if the costs have not been paid at that time.
The costs must, in principle, be paid by the applicant. At the end of the procedure, the costs must be paid by the person on whom the court has imposed them or who has assumed liability for them as part of a settlement.
What fees are applicable?
The exact fees are set out in the schedule of costs (Kostenverzeichnis, KV) annexed to the Court Costs Act. Point 1210 of the costs schedule sets a fee rate of 3.0 for the European small claims procedure. In the event of early termination of the procedure, the fee is reduced to a rate of 1.0 (point 1211 of the schedule).
The amount of the fee is determined by the amount in dispute, which is usually the same as the value of the claim.
How much must I pay?
The following fees apply:
| Values up to |
3.0 fee rate |
1.0 fee rate |
| 500.00 |
114.00 |
38.00 |
| 1 000.00 |
174.00 |
58.00 |
| 1 500.00 |
234.00 |
78.00 |
| 2 000.00 |
294.00 |
98.00 |
In addition to the fees, any expenses incurred, such as costs of service, witnesses, experts and interpreters, must be paid.
What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?
If the court costs are not paid, the court recovers them by enforcement.
How can I pay the court fees?
Payment must be made by bank transfer to the account indicated on the invoice. The reference number must be included in the transfer.
Payment by credit card is not possible. Nor can the fees be collected from the applicant’s bank account by the court.
No other payment methods are available.
What should I do after paying the fees?
The procedure will continue even if the fees are not paid. The court processes the application once it has been received.
Last update:
15/05/2024
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