April 2026 will bring far-reaching reforms in family law, child protection and new digital rules for travel. Insured people and consumers also have to adapt to legal changes in health care and in supermarkets.
• Digital border control and uniform USB-C charging standards
• Reform of paternity contestation and stricter protection of minors
• Lung cancer early detection, fee adjustments and wage increases
Digitalization of the borders
The European entry and exit system (Entry-Exit System, EES) has been gradually introduced since October 12, 2025. From April 10, 2026, the EES will be fully operational at all of Germany’s external air and sea borders, as reported by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. For travelers from third countries, this means the end of classic passport stamps. Instead, when entering the country, in addition to alphanumeric data such as the name, biometric data such as facial images and fingerprints as well as the time and place of entry or exit are digitally recorded.
The system is intended to increase security and precisely monitor the duration of short stays – a maximum of 90 days within a period of 180 days. “The entry and exit system is the digital backbone of our new common European migration and asylum framework,” reports Magnus Brunner, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, to the Tagesschau.
German citizens and nationals of other EU states are not affected by this change, but must prepare for a gradual change in the control processes at airports and ports.
Uniform charging standard for small devices
A significant change for all electronics users will come into effect on April 28, 2026. From this date, the EU-wide requirement for a uniform USB-C charging port also applies to laptops. While this regulation has been mandatory for smartphones, tablets and cameras since the end of 2024, all new portable computers brought onto the market must now also be equipped with this standard. Even for powerful devices whose energy requirements exceed the limit of 240 watts that can be delivered via USB-C, the installation of a corresponding socket will be mandatory from the end of April 2026. In these cases it must at least be available as an additional connection in addition to the conventional power plug.
The aim of this legal innovation is to massively reduce electronic waste and make everyday life easier for consumers, as in the future a single cable will be sufficient for almost all mobile devices. In addition, manufacturers must give customers the choice of whether they want to purchase a new device with or without a power supply.
Reform of paternity contestation
On February 26, 2026, the Bundestag passed the draft law “to implement the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court on contesting paternity”. This law will now be implemented on April 1, 2026. Birth fathers will receive significantly strengthened rights to challenge another man’s legal paternity. Previously, this was often impossible if there was already a socio-familial relationship between the child and the legal father.
In the future, it will be easier for the biological father to assume legal status, provided this does not contradict the best interests of the child. DNA evidence is still required. The children’s right to have a say is also strengthened: from the age of 14, they can object to a challenge by their biological father.
Youth protection and addiction prevention
From April 12, 2026, stricter rules for dealing with psychoactive substances will come into force, which were already passed by the Bundestag in November last year. The sale of laughing gas to minors is banned nationwide, as is purchasing it through vending machines or mail order.
The further development of the New Psychoactive Substances Act is a response to the increasing use of laughing gas as a party drug, which can cause serious nerve damage. At the same time, chemicals that serve as the basis for so-called knockout drops, such as gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO), are being regulated more strictly in order to make it more difficult for them to be used improperly in crimes.
Provision and fees
There are two key pieces of news in healthcare in April. Starting this month, heavy smokers are entitled to an annual, free examination for the early detection of lung cancer using low-dose computed tomography (NDCT), which is covered by statutory health insurance companies. Active or former smokers aged 50 to 75 can also take advantage of this service. The aim is to discover tumors at a curable stage. However, according to the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), the appointment could still take some time.
The news is less encouraging for some service providers: fees for psychotherapeutic treatments are falling by 4.5 percent, which has already led to significant criticism from experts. Legal steps have already been announced by the psychotherapists. The health insurance companies, on the other hand, point to the fee increases in recent years.
Broad pay increases in April
There will be more money not only in construction, but in many areas of the world of work from April 1, 2026. One of the biggest waves affects the public service of the federal states (TV-L): For around 925,000 collective bargaining employees, the table salaries will rise by 2.8 percent, but at least by a base amount of 100 euros, as the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) reports. Important for employees in the southwest: The state of Hesse is exempt from this because it is not a member of the Collective Bargaining Association of German States (TdL) and conducts its own collective bargaining. According to the DGB, further increases will follow in March 2027 and January 2028.
At the same time, the next stage of collective bargaining will come into force in the construction industry. Here, wages are rising by 3.9 percent in the West and by 4.1 percent in the East, which means that the leveling of wages in the East has almost been completed. Even in smaller sectors such as the baked goods industry (Aryzta) there is an increase of 2.5 percent from April. These coordinated increases are primarily intended to protect the purchasing power of employees against inflation.
Jennifer Vogel, editorial team at finanzen.net
