Anmeldung: how to register your address in Germany

Who needs it

Mandatory for anyone who moves into a Wohnung (any enclosed room used for living or sleeping) in Germany. Nationality does not matter: Germans, EU citizens and non-EU citizens all register the same way. The law is § 17 of the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz, BMG).

Exceptions:

• You live abroad and stay no more than three months. If you are not registered anywhere in Germany, you only need to register once your stay goes beyond three months.
• You are already registered in Germany and stay somewhere else for up to six months. For example, a work project in another city.
• Hotels and serviced apartments run as a business. You only register if you stay longer than six months, or longer than three months if you have no other German address.

Moving within Germany is often called Ummeldung (re-registration). It is the same process: you register at the new address. The old address is deregistered automatically. You do not need to go to your old office.

When

You have two weeks from the day you move in. You can only register once you have actually moved in, so a future move-in date is not accepted.

Do it early. Many other steps depend on it:

• your tax ID is sent automatically after your first registration (see tax ID);
• most banks, the immigration office and many contract providers ask for a registration certificate;
• the Beitragsservice will contact you about the broadcasting fee.

What you need

• Valid passport or national ID card for every person you register. Non-EU citizens with a residence permit card (eAT) bring it too.
• Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord's confirmation of move-in), signed by the person who gave you the flat. A rental contract does not replace it. See Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.
• The registration form (Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde), filled in and signed. Many offices can also fill it in at the desk. See the Anmeldung form, field by field.
• Depends: marriage or birth certificates if you register a spouse or children. Some offices ask for translations of foreign documents. Check with your office.
• If someone registers for you: a signed power of attorney (Vollmacht) and your ID documents. You still sign the form yourself.

How to do it

1. Find your office. It is the registration office (Meldebehörde) of the town where you now live, usually called Bürgeramt, Bürgerbüro or Einwohnermeldeamt. You can go to any branch in your city, not only the nearest one.
2. Book an appointment. Most cities use online booking. In big cities slots can be gone for weeks. See the tips below.
3. Go in person with your documents. The appointment itself is usually short. Staff enter your data and may ask about religion (this affects church tax) and marital status.
4. Get your Meldebestätigung (registration confirmation). You receive it straight away, free of charge. Check the spelling of your name and your address before you leave.

Can I do the Anmeldung online?

Sometimes. The federal elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung (electronic registration) works across Germany wherever the municipality has joined. It has strict conditions:

• you must be already registered in Germany and moving within the country (the service loads your data from the existing register);
• you need a German ID card or an EU eID card with the online function activated, the six-digit PIN, a BundID account and the AusweisApp;
• it only covers a main or sole residence.

So most people arriving from abroad cannot use it for their first registration. Berlin, for example, states that the online route does not work with an electronic residence permit (eAT). In that case, register in person.

How do I get an appointment when none are free?

• Check the booking page early in the morning and several times a day. Cancelled slots are released without notice.
• Try every branch in your city. You are not tied to your district.
• Ask whether your office has walk-in hours or a phone booking line.
• Book the first available slot even if it is after your two-week deadline. Keep a screenshot of the booking.

Temporary housing, furnished flats and sublets

• Furnished or temporary flats: you can register if you live there and the provider signs a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Ask before you sign the contract. Some temporary providers do not allow it.
• Sublets (Untermiete): the main tenant who sublets to you is your Wohnungsgeber and signs the confirmation.
• Staying with friends: you register there too if it is where you live. Your friend (or their landlord) signs the confirmation.

What happens afterwards

• Meldebestätigung: keep it safe. Banks, employers and the immigration office often ask for it. Some cities charge a small fee for a later copy (Meldebescheinigung).
• Tax ID letter: after your first registration in Germany, the Federal Central Tax Office sends your tax ID to your address. Put your name on the letterbox.
• Broadcasting fee letter: the registration office passes your move to the Beitragsservice, which will write to you about the Rundfunkbeitrag.
• ID cards: a German ID card, EU eID card or residence permit card gets the new address on the spot or by sticker.

Common problems

Can I register without a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung?

Tell the office if your landlord refuses or you don't have it yet. You must do this. Many offices let you register and hand it in later. Munich, for example, gives you two weeks to hand it in. See Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.

Do I need to speak German?

No law requires it, but staff may only speak German. Fill in the form in advance using our field-by-field guide. You can also bring a German-speaking friend.

I moved to another city in Germany. Do I deregister first?

No. Register at your new address within two weeks. The old registration ends automatically. You only need an Abmeldung when you move abroad or give up a second home.

I have two homes in Germany. Where do I register?

Both. The home you mainly use is your Hauptwohnung (main residence); the other is a Nebenwohnung (secondary residence). Some cities charge a second-home tax on the secondary residence.

I lost my registration certificate. What now?

Ask your registration office for a Meldebescheinigung. Many cities issue one online, sometimes for a small fee. Electronic certificates are free by law.

Costs

The Anmeldung itself is free by law. You pay only for extras, such as a later certificate or a new address in your car documents.