What is an Einwurfeinschreiben?
With an Einwurfeinschreiben your letter gets a tracking number and is scanned along its whole journey. The difference from standard registered mail: the carrier does not ring the bell but drops the letter straight into the recipient's letterbox and records the drop. There is no recipient signature.
The process step by step
- Posting: You hand the letter in at a post office or have it printed and posted online. You receive a mailing receipt with a tracking number.
- Transport: The letter is scanned in the mail centres — tracking shows the stations.
- Delivery: The carrier drops the letter into the letterbox and confirms the drop electronically.
- Proof: Tracking shows "delivered" with date and time. Save a printout or screenshot of this.
What it proves — and what it doesn't
It proves: that a letter with this tracking number was dropped into the recipient's letterbox on that day. Courts treat this as strong prima facie evidence of receipt.
It does not prove: what was inside the envelope. In theory the recipient could claim the envelope was empty. That is why the standard advice is: make a copy or photo of the letter before sealing it and keep it together with the receipt.
Einwurfeinschreiben or return receipt?
Registered mail with return receipt requires the recipient's signature. Sounds safer, but has a catch: if the recipient is not home, the letter goes to the post office for collection. If nobody collects it, it is often treated as not delivered — and your deadline has passed. The Einwurfeinschreiben, by contrast, reliably lands in the letterbox. For deadline-sensitive letters it is usually the better choice. Details in Send a cancellation by registered mail.
Costs and alternatives
The Einwurfeinschreiben costs a surcharge on top of postage — current prices are in the postage calculator. If you want to send the letter without going to a post office, you can have it printed and posted via the letter editor.