Your checklist

Anmeldung in Cologne: Kundenzentren, walk-in days and booking

Last checked

This page only covers what is different in Cologne. The rules, documents and deadlines are the same everywhere — see the national guide: Anmeldung.

In shortIn Cologne you register at a Kundenzentrum. There is one in each of the nine districts, and you can use any of them. On Mondays and Wednesdays you can come without an appointment, but expect to wait. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays you need an appointment. If you move from abroad, you must register in person. Registration is free.
On this page
  1. Where to go
  2. Walk-in days and appointment days
  3. How to book
  4. Cologne rules for new arrivals
  5. Online registration
  6. Cologne at a glance

Where to go

In Cologne the registration office is the Kundenzentrum (customer service centre). There are nine, one in each district: Chorweiler, Ehrenfeld, Innenstadt, Kalk, Lindenthal, Mülheim, Nippes, Porz and Rodenkirchen. You can visit any Kundenzentrum, whatever part of Cologne you live in.

Walk-in days and appointment days

For registration and other resident matters (Meldewesen), Cologne uses a fixed weekly pattern:

Day Access
Monday Without appointment (expect waiting times)
Tuesday Appointment required
Wednesday Without appointment (expect waiting times)
Thursday Appointment required
Friday Appointment required

Cologne publishes current waiting times for its Kundenzentren online. Check them before a walk-in visit and pick the least busy office.

How to book

  • Online: through the city's online booking page.
  • By phone: the citizens' line 115 or 0221 221-0.

Cologne rules for new arrivals

  • From abroad = in person. Cologne states that people moving from abroad must appear personally. People moving within Germany can send a representative with a power of attorney (Vollmacht).
  • Children: children under 16 do not need to come. Young people aged 16 or over must attend or give a power of attorney.
  • Foreign documents need a certified German translation.
  • Forms: Cologne offers fillable forms for the landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung) and the power of attorney via its forms server. A rental contract is not a substitute for the landlord's confirmation.

Online registration

Cologne points to the federal online service (eWA). If you use it, you don't need to visit, and the address sticker for your ID card arrives by post. It needs an activated eID and is for moves within Germany, so it is not an option if you are arriving from abroad. See the national guide.

Cologne at a glance

Topic Cologne
Office Kundenzentrum (nine, any district)
Walk-in Monday and Wednesday
Appointment Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Booking Online, 115 or 0221 221-0
From abroad In person only
Fee Free

Official Cologne sources

Rules can change. These are the pages we checked — they have the final word. How we check facts

More for Cologne