Esslingen: Virtual building authority revolutionizes building permits digital!

Esslingen: Virtual building authority revolutionizes building permits digital!

Esslingen, Deutschland - On July 10, 2025, State Secretary Andrea Lindlohr MdL visited the virtual building authority in the Esslingen district office. The district of Esslingen is one of the nationwide leaders in the use of digital building permit procedures. This clearly shows that digitization in building law administration is no longer an end in itself, but is a solid improvement for everyone involved. According to a report by the Esslingen district, the virtual building authority, Viba-BW for short, enables a continuous digital building permit procedure. This eliminates the annoying media fracture - from the application to approval, everything takes place online.

When asked how progress is about progress, Stephan Blank, head of the building law authority, is pleased with the positive balance of the first few months. In 2023, the obligation to submit building applications in Esslingen has already been introduced, and the trend shows in a clear direction: reducing bureaucracy and process acceleration are the main goals. District Administrator Marcel Musolf underlines the importance of modern structures in order not only to preserve the economic strength of the district, but also to expand it.

digital transformation in building law

The state government has undergone an important step towards digitization with the “Virtual Building Office” project. The Landtag Baden-Württemberg passed the draft law on digitization of building law procedures on November 8, 2023, which came into force on November 25, 2023. As mlw.baden-wuerttemberg.de , the changes are now considered exemplary nationwide. From January 1, 2025, the digital submission of building applications is mandatory.

The digital overall solution Viba-BW is completely digitally completed every step of the approval process-from the application to the announcement of the decisions. This enables direct and transparent cooperation between the client, building authority and participating authorities. The digital process is the heart of this innovation. The aim is not only to make the approval process faster, but also easier and more transparent.

modern building law consistently implemented

The accelerated processing of applications and the transparent announcement of the permits should be made this year. This is part of an ambitious reform that Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and Minister of Landes Development and Living, Nicole Razavi, promotes. Razavi announced that all the building rights authorities involved should work digitally by the end of 2024. Dealing with neighboring participations will be regulated differently: In the future, only cases affected will be referred to.

A total of 187 out of 208 building law authorities in Baden-Württemberg have already registered for the project. Baden-Württemberg relies on a uniform concept for the digitization of the administration-the "one-for-all principle". This means that experiences from other federal states, such as the "digital building application" from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, are sensibly integrated.

The virtual building authority is therefore not only a technological progress, but also a significant contribution to strengthening the economic region. With this initiative, the Esslingen district is well positioned for the future. The success of the digital transformation could take on a model character for other regions and thus also fulfill a role model function for all of Germany.