Anmeldung form in English: how to fill in the registration form

Who needs it

Usually required for everyone doing the Anmeldung. By law you sign a registration form (Meldeschein). Offices with digital systems may type your data in at the desk and have you check it instead. Most still ask you to bring the form filled in, and it speeds things up.

Each state and many cities publish their own PDF. The layout differs slightly, but the fields are almost the same everywhere because they come from the same federal law. Download the form from your city's website. The field names below follow the common layout used, for example, by Berlin.

When

Fill it in before your appointment, after you have your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. You need the exact move-in date and the landlord's details.

What you need

• Your passport or ID card (for names, date and place of birth, document numbers)
• Your residence permit card, if you have one
• The move-in date from your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
• Your previous address in Germany, if you had one
• Marriage or partnership details, if you are married

How to do it

Write in capital letters and spell names exactly as in your passport. Use dates in the German format DD.MM.YYYY. Leave a field empty if it does not apply to you.

Part 1: New address (Neue Wohnung)

Part 2: Previous address (Bisherige Wohnung)

Part 3: Personal details (one block per person)

The second block is for a family member moving with you, usually a spouse or child.

The religion field and church tax

The field Religionsgesellschaft asks whether you legally belong to a religious community that is a public-law body in Germany. The main ones are the Catholic and Protestant churches, and some others.

This matters for money. If you enter such a church, the registration office passes this on to the tax system, and your employer deducts church tax (Kirchensteuer) from your salary. It is 8% of your income tax in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, 9% in all other states.

• If you do not belong to such a community, leave the field empty or write "keine" (none). Some forms use abbreviations; ask the office.
• If you are a member, for example baptised Catholic or Protestant and never formally left, write the church. Membership usually starts with baptism and does not depend on whether you practise.

Part 4: Documents (Dokumente)

For each person, list the ID document: Art (type: PA = ID card, RP = passport, KP = children's passport), Ausstellungsbehörde (issuing authority), Seriennummer (document number), Datum (date of issue) and gültig bis (valid until). Non-EU citizens can also list their residence permit.

Signature

Datum, Unterschrift: date and signature of one of the people registering. By signing for others, you confirm you are allowed to receive their data.

What happens afterwards

The office checks the form against your documents and your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, enters it into the register, and gives you the registration confirmation.

Common problems

Is there an official English version of the Anmeldung form?

Usually not. Offices expect the German form. Use this guide or any translation only to understand the fields, then fill in the German version.

Can I object to my data being shared?

Yes. The form or the office will tell you about your objection rights (Widerspruch). For example, you can object to your data being passed to political parties before elections or to address-book publishers. Say so at the appointment. The objection stays in place until you withdraw it.

I have two first names. Which one do I underline?

Underline the name people use for you (your Rufname). If you use more than one, ask the office how to mark them.

My name has letters that aren't in German, or a different transliteration. What do I write?

Use the spelling in your passport. Use the Passname field if the passport spelling differs from the name you use, and ask at the desk if you are unsure.