This paper contributes to e-government research by presenting a conceptual framework of citizens’ needs and goals for bureaucratic encounters. The framework is developed through a qualitative hermeneutic approach involving several different literatures. The framework goes beyond the prevalent focus on substantive needs. It identifies four needs related to the BE process: process-security, relational security, discretion and efficiency and effectiveness; and three outcome-goals: substantive outcome, identity-related outcome, and justice- and fairness outcome. These interrelated needs and goals may guide citizens’ approaches to the bureaucratic encounter and their choice of channel(s) for the encounter. The degree to which these needs and goals are met may have consequences for the efficiency of the service delivery seen from the authorities’ perspective as well as for the citizens’ satisfaction and sense of a fair and just application of authority. The framework can be a useful tool for analysing citizens’ strategies concerning the bureaucratic encounters and their use of self-service systems and the effects thereof for both citizens and authorities. In addition, the framework can be used by researchers and practitioners alike to analyse self-service-systems and multi-channel strategies and service designs to identify how they take the different needs into account.