How to register your address in Germany

Last update: February 2018

German Address Registration (in German: Anmeldung)

What is the Anmeldung?

Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde (Anmeldung process for the Bürgeramt office): you are required by law to register your residency within 14 days of relocating to your new German address. The exception to this deadline is if you are a "visitor" in Germany for stays up to 2 months.

The registration process is called Anmeldung or Bürgeramt Anmeldung and it’s mandatory if you want to live legally in Germany (even as a student).

It applies to everyone who lives in Germany, citizens and foreign residents alike. Without official registration of your local address, you cannot get a residence permit, nor can you complete your enrollment at the university or do other official things that require proof of residence. In German, the proof of residence is called Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung (see image below).

Example of an Anmeldebestätigung from Berlin

In all Germany, including in Berlin, you have to register at your local Bürgeramt in its Einwohnermeldeamt (resident registration office). In the suburbs, the Einwohnermeldeamt can vary from town to town.

In some city, the Bürgeramt will be called Bürgerbüro or Kundenzentrum. For Munich addresses, you need to register at the Kreisverwaltungsreferat (KVR).

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In November 2015, the German law for the registration process changed.

Read our new updated Anmeldung Guide by following the link HERE.

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What can I do with my proof of residence?

When doing your so-called Anmeldung, you get automatically a German tax ID (you will get it within 2-3 weeks at your registered German address). Your employer will need that number.

~~When doing your Anmeldung, you can also request a tax number (called Steuernummer in German) by ticking the appropriate box on the form~~. That Steuernummer (tax number) is different from the Steuer-ID (tax ID) as it changes every year and/or whenever your marital status changes.

Employees have their income tax deducted from their salary at source. If you don't have a tax ID (by doing your Anmeldung), you will be taxed at the maximum rate possible and will not be able to claim any tax back in the future. ~~In case of an extra job, you need to apply for an additional tax number.~~

With your proof of residence (Anmeldebestätigung), you can:

open a bank account;
get German health insurance;
enrol at a German university;
obtain a residence permit;
get a mobile phone contract;
subscribe to a fitness club;
and so on.

Address Registration Checklist

You will need:

a registration form called an Anmeldung form;

The Anmeldung form is free and available online in your preferred language here.

a valid passport (non-EU citizens) or an ID card (EU/EEA citizens);

the so-called Landlord Letter signed by your landlord, or by the main tenant subletting the flat [if authorized by the landlord];

a visa [if required for entry into Germany].

~~Rental agreement, lease or confirmation letter (if hotel/hostel or apartment-hotel type);~~

If you have children in Germany:

a birth certificate (translated in German by a sworn translator);

If you are married and your partner or spouse is in Germany:

a marriage certificate (translated in German by a sworn translator).

Important:

You also need to re-register if you change your address or name while you’re in Germany.

When leaving Germany, you need to notify the Bürgeramt as well (the process is called Abmelden). The Abmeldung process can be done in person or, sometimes, even in writing.