Berlin
New in Berlin
You can register at any of Berlin's Bürgerämter, whichever district you live in. Residence permits are handled centrally by the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), which now works mainly through online applications and contact forms instead of an open booking calendar.
Last checked
Local instructions for Berlin
- Anmeldung in Berlin: Bürgeramt appointments and local rulesHow to register your address in Berlin: which Bürgeramt to use, how to get an appointment, what to do in an emergency, and who can register online.
- Kita in Berlin: the Kita-Gutschein explainedBerlin's Kita-Gutschein voucher: where to apply, the 9-to-2-month window, the Kita-Navigator search and what parents pay in Berlin.
- Residence permits in Berlin: how the LEA worksBerlin's immigration office (LEA): online applications, contact forms instead of a booking system, emergency appointments and when to apply for an extension.
Key offices
| Address registration | Bürgeramt — Citizens' office — Berlin has more than 60 locations across the 12 districts Book an appointment ↗ |
|---|---|
| Online registration | Partly — only in some cases |
| Immigration office | Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) ↗ |
| Welcome centre | Willkommenszentrum Berlin ↗ Free, multilingual advice for newcomers, including skilled workers, students and families. |
| Public transport | BVG (VBB network) ↗ |
- You can use any Bürgeramt in Berlin, not only the one in your district.
- Book online or through the 115 phone line. Berlin says new extra appointments are added daily when staffing allows, so short-notice slots can appear.
- Genuine emergencies can go to a Bürgeramt without an appointment and explain the case at the information desk.
- Online registration (via BundID and the eID function) is limited to German and EU citizens and does not work for a first registration from abroad.
- The old online appointment system (OTV) has been shut down. Appointments are requested through the relevant contact form.
- Permits for work, study and permanent residence are applied for online, and the LEA gives out appointments after it has checked the documents.
- Extensions can be requested at the earliest 8 weeks before your permit expires.
The national essentials
- Bank account · Girokonto (current account)How to open a bank account in Germany: online vs branch banks, opening without Anmeldung, ID checks, your right to a Basiskonto and why any EU IBAN must be accepted.
- Health insurance · Krankenversicherung (Krankenkasse)Health insurance is mandatory for everyone living in Germany. How public and private cover work, what employees pay in 2026, family cover and visa insurance.
- Tax ID (Steuer-ID) · Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer (IdNr, Steuer-ID)Your German tax ID is an 11-digit number sent by post after your first Anmeldung. When it arrives, how to request it again, and how it differs from the Steuernummer.
- Rundfunkbeitrag (GEZ) · Rundfunkbeitrag (formerly GEZ-Gebühr)Every household in Germany pays the Rundfunkbeitrag broadcasting fee: one fee per flat, not per person. Amount, registration, flat shares, exemptions, leaving.
Not sure what applies to you? Build your Berlin checklist.
Official Berlin sources
Rules can change. These are the pages we checked — they have the final word. How we check facts
- Terminvereinbarung Bürgeramt
- Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA) — Berlin Immigration Office
- Willkommenszentrum Berlin
- Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)
- Wohnsitz — Alleinige Wohnung oder Hauptwohnung anmelden
- Elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung — Häufig gestellte Fragen
- Kita-Gutschein
- Kita-Gutschein beantragen
- Kita-Navigator Berlin
- LEA — Making appointments