How do you say “Red tape” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is Papierkrieg, which literally means “paper war”. English speakers use red tape to mean official rules and paperwork that cause needless difficulty. An informal German match for burdensome paperwork. It stresses the forms and documents more than the rules themselves. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
Papierkrieg
/paˈpiːɐ̯kʁiːk/
- Literal meaning
- “paper war”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
94 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Der ganze Papierkrieg” conveys frustration with repeated forms and requests. It fits an application that seems unnecessarily complicated.
For a broader complaint about official rules, “Bürokratie” is useful. “Papierkrieg” gives the complaint a more colourful, conversational tone.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Red tape delayed the opening of our little café for months.
German
Der Papierkrieg verzögerte die Eröffnung unseres kleinen Cafés um Monate.
English
We gave up on the permit after weeks of red tape.
German
Nach wochenlangem Papierkrieg gaben wir den Antrag auf die Genehmigung auf.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04