red tape

What it means

Red tape refers to the frustrating layers of official rules, forms, and procedures that slow down getting anything done through a government, large company, or institution. It's almost always used negatively, in contexts like permits, visas, customs, healthcare, or grant applications, where simple tasks turn into long bureaucratic ordeals.

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Examples

• Starting a small business here means cutting through endless red tape.
• The aid was delayed for months by government red tape.
• He spent half a year tangled in immigration red tape before getting the visa.
• We need to reduce the red tape that's stopping doctors from treating patients faster.

Where it comes from

From the 16th- and 17th-century English practice of binding important legal and administrative documents with red ribbon or tape — a practical filing system in royal and government offices. By the 1700s the phrase had taken on its figurative meaning of obstructive officialdom.

Related idioms