Electronic Communication
This page was translated from German using artificial intelligence. The translation may contain errors or inaccuracies. In case of doubt, the German original version prevails.
Emails are a globally established means of communication and are regularly used as an alternative to telephone and written correspondence in many areas. It is often overlooked that standard email communication is not legally binding and data is not transmitted confidentially. Below, we inform you about how to communicate legally binding and securely with the Oberberg District electronically.
Our guidelines apply only to communication with the Oberberg District. They do not apply to references to offers from third parties, such as other authorities or institutions!
Please note:
The electronic communication tools for communication with the Oberberg District are intended exclusively for official communication. Therefore, please do not send private content to the Oberberg District electronically.
In addition to the person to whom your message is addressed, their representative in the office also has direct access to your message. Different regulations apply to professional secrecy holders and special function holders.
By using the access to the Oberberg District via the ways mentioned below, you agree to electronic communication and the storage of your data in the mail system of the Oberberg District.
To process and pay invoices faster, the Oberberg District has switched its accounting system to electronic invoice processing.
To allow you to benefit from this change, we kindly ask you to provide your invoices digitally as a PDF or in X-invoice format in the future.
Further information, especially about the X-invoice format, can be found in the information sheet (PDF).
For general, non-legally binding electronic communication with the Oberberg District, the following email address has been set up:
In electronic communication with the district administration, the following file formats can be processed:
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PDF
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DOCX (Microsoft Word)
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XLSX (Microsoft Excel)
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PPTX (Microsoft PowerPoint)
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Text formats TXT, RTF (Rich Text Format)
Other formats are only permissible with the explicit consent of the district administration; in particular, the exchange formats for graphics (raster and vector formats, ZIP, and JPEG files) must be coordinated individually with the respective departments.
If you use file formats that deviate from the list above, your email cannot be processed.
The total size of incoming emails is limited to 10 MB. Larger emails will be automatically rejected.
If you want to protect your email from access or alteration by unauthorized third parties, you can find information on this in the following sections on "Email encryption with S/MIME certificate" and "Encrypted email transmission without certificate".
De-Mail is considered secure without additional encryption.
Please note the instructions under "Email with qualified signature," "De-Mail with confirmed secure login," or "Special electronic authority mailbox" for letters that must meet the written form requirement when using electronic communication.
Outgoing emails from the Oberberg District that are sent unencrypted are signed with an email certificate issued by a public certification authority. This signature is comparable to a handwritten signature on paper documents.
You can communicate legally binding with the Oberberg District if you sign your email with a qualified electronic signature.
Send your signed email to the central email address:
Signed emails to other email addresses of the Oberberg District will not be recognized as legally binding.
Information about possible file formats that you can attach to emails can be found under "Email without confirmed secure login." The total size of incoming emails is limited to 10 MB. Larger emails will be automatically rejected.
If you want to protect your email from access by unauthorized third parties, you can find information under "Email encryption with S/MIME certificate" and "Encrypted email transmission without certificate".
All outgoing emails from the Oberberg District are signed with a certificate from a public certification authority. Unsigned emails using the domains obk.de, oberbergischer-kreis.de, or a subdomain of obk.de are not from the Oberberg District. Do not open such emails.
Legal basis for the use of email with qualified electronic signature:
A written form required by law can be replaced by the so-called "electronic form." According to Art. 3 No. 12 of Regulation (EU) No. 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of July 23, 2014, on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC (eIDAS Regulation), this means that a document must be provided with a qualified electronic signature.
To ensure the confidentiality of your messages to the Oberberg District, you can encrypt your email. This protects your email from unauthorized access and manipulation.
The Oberberg District supports the S/MIME encryption procedure. The key of the Oberberg District for encrypting your email is available for download below:
Public key of the Oberberg District as .cer file (2 kB)
An email encrypted with this public key should only be sent to: vps@obk.de
If you wish for the Oberberg District to also send you S/MIME-encrypted emails, please attach the public key of your certificate to your email.
Information about possible file formats that you can attach to emails can be found under "Email without confirmed secure login." The total size of incoming emails is limited to 10 MB. Larger emails will be automatically rejected.
Please also note the instructions under "Email with qualified signature" for letters that must meet the written form requirement.
Alternatively, you can use the "special electronic authority mailbox" for legally binding communication.
If your email to vps@obk.de cannot be processed, you will be informed immediately.
The special electronic authority mailbox (beBPo) is a tool for secure communication (as the sender's identity has been verified by the verification office) for authorities or public law entities.
The beBPo is connected to the electronic court and administration mailbox (EGVP), the special electronic lawyer mailbox (beA), the special electronic notary mailbox (beN), and the special electronic citizen and organization mailbox (eBO).
For the Oberberg District, the following beBPo address has been set up:
Oberberg District – The District Administrator DE.Justiz.a1e753b9-8e41-416e-8256-272c33e30236.1fc9
Legal basis for legally binding electronic communication via the special electronic mailboxes:
A message via the special electronic mailbox within the meaning of the regulation on the technical framework conditions of electronic legal communication and the special electronic authority mailbox (Electronic Legal Communication Regulation - ERVV) replaces the written form according to § 3a of the Administrative Procedure Act NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia), § 36a of the First Book of the Social Code, and § 87a of the Tax Code. Therefore, you can communicate legally binding electronically with the Oberberg District via this route.
For the area of administrative procedures, according to § 3a Administrative Procedure Act for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (VwVfG NW), § 36a Social Code – General Part – (SGB I), and § 87a para. 1 sentence 1 Tax Code (AO), the transmission of electronic documents is permitted, provided the recipient has opened an access for this purpose. For private law, § 126a Civil Code (BGB) applies accordingly.
