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Throughout the year, there are frequent legal updates and revised guidelines. These often apply only to specific groups of people, but in other cases, they are mandatory for all citizens. What will change in August 2025? The following items will be affected.
What will change in August 2025?
As early as August 1, many citizens will have to adjust to the new regulations that directly affect them. What exactly will change in 2025? While pensioners, for example, can expect earlier but lower pension payments, new standards now apply to identity cards and technical devices. But that’s not all.
#1 Earlier pension payments despite contribution deductions
As in July, flat-rate contributions to nursing care insurance for the first half of the year will be deducted in August, depending on the case, 3.6 or 4 per cent of the monthly pension payment. After that, the regular rate will apply again, as explained by the German Pension Insurance Fund. This flat-rate regulation simplifies administration, but ensures constant deductions for the rest of the year.
At the end of the month, however, there is a welcome exception for pensioners: as August 31 falls on a Sunday, the transfer is expected to appear in their accounts on Friday, August 29 – two days earlier than usual.
#2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: New safety labeling requirement
What else will change in 2025? Starting in August, electronic devices with network connections – such as speakers, household robots, or headphones – may only be sold in the EU if they comply with current cybersecurity guidelines. According to the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the CE marking now also covers protection against digital attacks, not just technical operational safety.
#3 Digital passport photos become mandatory
Anyone applying for a new passport or ID card from August 1 onwards will have to submit a digital photo – analog photos are no longer permitted. The images can be taken directly at the relevant authority or by certified photographers, who then send the image digitally to the responsible office.
The regulation has been in force since May, but due to a transition phase for technical adjustments, it has only been applied to a limited extent so far.
#4 Less remuneration for solar power
As the ADAC explains, the feed-in tariff for electricity from photovoltaic systems will also decrease again on August 1. As planned, the remuneration will decrease by one percent every six months and now stands at 7.87 cents per kilowatt hour (for systems between 10 and 40 kW). Those who already operate a system are not affected by this – the subsidy level remains constant for 20 years.
#5 New obligations for AI providers from August
Another change coming in 2025 is the handling of artificial intelligence. On August 2, the EU AI Act will come into force – a package of laws that demands greater transparency. Providers such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini will in future have to disclose how their systems work and what data they have been trained with. In addition, the labelling of AI-generated content is now mandatory.
However, implementation will be gradual: from 2026, the requirements will initially apply to new systems, and a year later to existing ones. Violations can be punished with heavy fines – up to €35 million or seven percent of a company’s global turnover.
#6 Large batteries can be returned free of charge from mid-August
While small batteries have been returnable free of charge for some time, this has not been the case for larger batteries, such as those used in e-bikes or e-scooters. According to Batteriegesetz.de, this will change from August 18, when these energy storage devices can also be disposed of free of charge at recycling centers. The basis for this is the new EU Battery Regulation, which has been in place for two years and is now being implemented in stages.
Sources: EU AI Act, German Pension Insurance, Federal Office for Information Security, ADAC, Batteriegesetz.de, futurezone.at/picture: Image by Wilfried Pohnke from Pixabay
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