Hamburg
New in Hamburg
Hamburg charges a fee for in-person registration and runs it through the Hamburg Service vor Ort offices. Residence permits are split between the Hamburg Welcome Center (skilled workers), the district 'A' locations of Hamburg Service vor Ort, and the central Amt für Migration.
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Local instructions for Hamburg
- Anmeldung in Hamburg: Hamburg Service vor Ort and the €16 feeRegistering in Hamburg: the Hamburg Service vor Ort offices, how to book, the fee for in-person registration and why arrivals from abroad must attend.
- Kita in Hamburg: the Kita-Gutschein and XL voucherHamburg's Kita-Gutschein: apply 3–6 months ahead, the XL voucher valid until school, the free 5-hour basic care and why applying late costs money.
- Residence permits in Hamburg: which office is yours?Hamburg splits residence matters between the Hamburg Welcome Center, the 'A' locations of Hamburg Service vor Ort and the Amt für Migration. How to find yours.
Key offices
| Address registration | Hamburg Service vor Ort (Einwohnerangelegenheiten) — Hamburg's local customer service centres for resident registration Book an appointment ↗ |
|---|---|
| Online registration | Partly — only in some cases |
| Immigration office | Amt für Migration / Hamburg Service vor Ort (A-Standorte) / Hamburg Welcome Center ↗ |
| Welcome centre | Hamburg Welcome Center ↗ Süderstraße 32b. It advises skilled workers and employers and issues their residence permits. Appointments are required. |
| Public transport | HVV ↗ |
- In-person registration costs €16.00 per person, or per family moving in at the same address. The online service is free.
- If you move to Hamburg from abroad, you and everyone moving in with you must attend an appointment in person.
- Appointments are booked online or through the 115 phone line.
- People who already hold a visa or residence permit, and EU citizens, go to the responsible 'A' location of Hamburg Service vor Ort.
- First permits for work, training, study or self-employment, and skilled-worker extensions, are handled by the Hamburg Welcome Center.
- From 24 July 2026 the Amt für Migration is closed to the public on Fridays.
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 Hamburg checklist.
Official Hamburg sources
Rules can change. These are the pages we checked — they have the final word. How we check facts
- Online-Terminvereinbarung Hamburg Service vor Ort
- Aufenthaltserlaubnisse — Zuständigkeit (Zentrale Ausländerbehörde / Hamburg Service vor Ort)
- Hamburg Welcome Center (English)
- Hamburger Verkehrsverbund (HVV)
- Umzug nach Hamburg aus dem Ausland melden
- Umzug nach Hamburg aus einem anderen Bundesland melden
- Elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung — Häufig gestellte Fragen
- Kita-Gutschein
- Kindertagesbetreuung beantragen — Online-Dienst
- Hamburg Welcome Center for Professionals — Ersterteilungen
- Aufenthaltsangelegenheiten für Fachkräfte — Hamburg Welcome Center
- Amt für Migration
- Online-Dienst Aufenthaltserlaubnis Hamburg