How to get registered in Germany when all Anmeldung offices are closed?
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Aakash stumbled upon our website after looking for information about the so-called Anmeldung(1) and the tax ID(2).
(1) The Anmeldung is the process of registering your address at the citizen's office (Bürgeramt). The Anmeldung is necessary for getting tax ID, health insurance, residence permit, etc.
(2) The Identifikationsnummer, IdNr or SteuerID is your unique & permanent tax identification number. Your employer needs your tax ID to calculate your income tax. The only way to get a tax ID is to do the Anmeldung.
He emailed us asking one very good question that he couldn’t find an answer to: “How am I going to get my first salary if I cannot register my address and get a tax ID?”. “I can’t even get German health insurance without the Anmeldung! (3)”
(3) Health insurance is mandatory for everyone living in Germany. You cannot get health insurance without first doing your Anmeldung.
Indeed, that was a very good question! What’s going on?
Basically, in order to keep the risk of infection with the Coronavirus as low as possible, German authorities have decided to shut down their administrative offices in the entire country. Depending on where you are in Germany, either all, or some, of the Bürgerbüros(4) must remain closed until further notice. Also, all appointments booked for the Anmeldung expire!
(4) Depending on where you live in Germany, the citizens' office where you need to register your address is called differently. It could be named Bürgeramt, Bürgerbüro or Kundenzentrum.
But let’s back up a little bit... After 3 weeks of intense home searching, Aakash finally managed to find a flat using the largest search engine for furnished apartments in Germany (upon our advice). The flat-hunting wasn’t easy. Not only because the demand was higher than the number of offers, but also because some landlords won’t rent out their apartments to prospective tenants with an Anmeldung. Luckily, most of the landlords listing on our partner’s website were accepting it. Just to make sure, as we recommended him to do, Aakash sent the landlord a message to know if the Anmeldung was permitted... and the answer was YES! Success... Apartment booked online!
So here he is, just moved into his new home... His landlord handed him a letter(5) that he completed and signed for the registration office. Aakash also filled in the registration form(6) for Munich in English using our free digital and multilingual registration form; and within 5 minutes, received the original PDF form totally translated into German.
Meanwhile, a friend announced to Aakash that all citizens' offices in Munich were closed because of the Coronavirus! Bad luck! Not having a clue what to do, he asked us for some help... so here we go!
(5) The “landlord letter” (in German: Wohnungsgeberbestätigung or Vermieterbescheinigung) is mandatory to get registered in Germany. It is a document given by the landlord or the main tenant to prove that you are allowed to live at that address.
(6) To register your address in Germany, you must fill the so called Anmeldung form (in German: Anmeldeformular) and bring it to any Bürgeramt in your city, unless you speak perfect German and can answer questions in German.
So Aakash is in Munich where all the offices for the Anmeldung and the tax ID are closed! What now? His employer asked him for a tax ID which he can only get if he does the Anmeldung, but how can he do the Anmeldung if all citizens' offices are closed? How can he get his salary paid without a tax ID?! How can he get health insurance without the Anmeldung? How can he get his work permit without an address registration? All good questions we had to investigate further with the German authorities.
So we made a few calls & sent a few emails and here is all the information we managed to gather...
Despite all, or some, offices being closed in your city, you can sometimes take advantage of a temporary service for registering your address and getting a tax ID online or by post. However, in most cases, your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. In other words, your Anmeldung needs to be URGENT! For reasons of data protection law, the registration certificate(7) can ONLY be delivered by post and, in most cases, you would also receive an invoice with an admin fee to be paid. Here below we explain how to get your Anmeldung and your tax ID in some of the largest cities in Germany.
Despite all, or some, offices being closed in your city, you can sometimes take advantage of a temporary service for registering your address and getting a tax ID online or by post. However, in most cases, your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. In other words, your Anmeldung needs to be URGENT! For reasons of data protection law, the registration certificate(7) can ONLY be delivered by post and, in most cases, you would also receive an invoice with an admin fee to be paid. Here below we explain how to get your Anmeldung and your tax ID in some of the largest cities in Germany.
(7) The registration certificate (in German: Meldebescheinigung) is the registration proof you will get at the end of the Anmeldung process at the Bürgerbüro. Keep this certificate safe as you will need it for many bureaucratic matters.
If the Anmeldung by post or email is possible, written applications must be sent to the respective residential district to which you have moved!
The following documents must be submitted in full: a signed & completed registration form, a move-in confirmation letter signed by the homeowner (aka landlord letter) and a valid ID or passport (incl. visa if applicable).
Anmeldung in Berlin:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent! Unfortunately, there is no centralized point of contact for the Anmeldung.
Phones & Emails: mygermanexpert.com/go/buergeramt-berlin
Anmeldung in Hamburg:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent! Unfortunately, there is no centralized point of contact for the Anmeldung.
Phones & Emails: mygermanexpert.com/go/kundenzentrum-hamburg
Anmeldung in Munich:
The residence registration can be done by post (until further notice). There is no guarantee your request will be handled if it is not urgent! You will need a completed & signed Anmeldung form, a completed & signed landlord letter and a copy of your ID or passport. All those documents need to be sent to:
Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Bürgerbüro
Ruppertstraße 19
80466 München
Anmeldung in Cologne:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!
Phone number: 0221 / 221-26070
Email: buergerbuero@stadt-koeln.de
Anmeldung in Frankfurt am Main:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!
Phone number: 069 / 212-31600
Email: buergeramt.zentrale@stadt-frankfurt.de
Anmeldung in Stuttgart:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone or email. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent! Unfortunately, there is no centralized point of contact for the Anmeldung.
Phones & Emails: mygermanexpert.com/go/buergeramt-stuttgart
Anmeldung in Düsseldorf:
The residence registration can be done by email (until further notice). There is no guarantee your request will be handled if it is not urgent! You will need a copy of a completed & signed Anmeldung form, a copy of a completed & signed landlord letter and a copy of your ID or passport. All those documents need to be sent to: einwohnermeldeamt@duesseldorf.de.
Phone number (for questions): 0211 - 89 99111
Anmeldung in Dortmund:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!
Phone numbers: 0231 50-29831 and 0231 50-29837
Anmeldung in Essen:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!
Phone number: 0201 88-33222
Anmeldung in Leipzig:
The citizens' offices in Schönefeld, Otto-Schill-Straße, Ratzelbogen, Paunsdorf Center, Wiedebach-Passage and Gohlis-Center are still open for very urgent matters and only available by appointment. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed.
You can schedule an appointment by phone: 0341 123-0 or on this page.
Anmeldung in Bremen:
The residence registration can be done by post (until further notice). There is no guarantee your request will be handled if it is not urgent! You will need a completed & signed Anmeldung form, a completed & signed landlord letter and a copy of your ID or passport. All those documents need to be sent to:
Bürgeramt
Stresemannstrasse 48
28207 Bremen
Phone number (for questions): (0421) 115
Anmeldung in Dresden:
The Bürgeramt Altstadt in Theaterstraße 11 is still open for very urgent matters and only available by appointment. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed.
You can schedule an appointment by phone: 0351-4886070
Anmeldung in Hannover:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!
Phone number: 0511 / 168-32000
Anmeldung in Nuremberg:
You need to contact your local citizens' office by phone. It’s a case by case situation. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed. Your request needs to be very urgent!
Phone number: 0911 / 231-0
Anmeldung in Bonn:
citizens' offices are still open for very urgent matters and only available by appointment. Your request will only be handled if it cannot be postponed.
Phone number: 0228 776657 (Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
If your city is not listed above, go to this website to search for your city’s administration website.
Once on that page, insert “Bürgeramt” in the first field and, in the second field, insert your postcode (ZIP code). Try to search for the registration service and see if there are news about the process.
Good Luck & Stay Safe Wherever You Are!
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