noun
office, government office, authority
B1
Amt: a public office, government office or official authority. Neuter noun: das Amt, plural Ämter (umlaut change). Used in compounds and phrases such as 'im Amt' (in office), 'ein Amt ausüben' (to hold office). Regular declension apart from irregular plural vowel change.
Examples
Wo ist hier das Amt für Migration?
Where is the immigration office around here?
Das Amt hat die Unterlagen überprüft.
The authority checked the documents.
Der Antrag wurde beim Amt eingereicht, obwohl die Unterlagen unvollständig waren, sodass die Bearbeitung länger dauerte.
The application was submitted to the office, although the documents were incomplete, so processing took longer.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a small official building with a plaque reading 'Amt'.
Sounds a bit like 'amount' without the 'ount' — short and official.
das — many short, abstract institutional nouns like 'Amt' are neuter.
Notes
Amt is used for official public offices and governmental authorities. For a private business office, 'Büro' is more common.