Register Your Address

How to Register Your Address (Wohnsitzanmeldung) in Germany

Residence registration or address registration is mandatory for everyone in Germany. You must register your residence (address) within two weeks of moving in by prior appointment. Registration is done in Citizens’ Registration Office (Bürgeramt).

Your registration address is only possible for apartments and houses where you live. Registration under a PO box is not permitted.

If you are moving from abroad, you must to come to the application office in person.
If you are moving from another place in Germany, you can authorize another person to submit the completed registration form and receive confirmation of your registration. But it is always better to go to the registry office in person to apply.

Children and young people under 16 cannot register without their representatives.

Content

• You Will Need These Documents
• When You are Moving from Abroad
• Address Registration Certificate

You Will Need These Documents

• ID – Identity Card: For German citizens and foreign nationals without obligation to have a visa.
• Passport: For German citizens. If you have one or in case you do not have an identity card, then a passport is mandatory. The address will be written in the passport too.
• Passport with residence permit or visa: If you are a foreign citizen. For citizens from the European Union, a passport is sufficient because you don’t need permit or visa.
• Registration Form with signature of the person subject to registration: applies if you authorize someone to register you. Don’t forget to sign this document.
• Declaration of consent (Einverständniserklärung) for children and young people up to 16: if only one parent is present at the time of registration, then permission in writing from the other parent is required for the registration of minors.
• Confirmation of moving in (Einzugsbestätigung) from the landlord: your landlord must issue the verification within two weeks of moving into the apartment. It is not enough to present the rental agreement.
• Document from the land register (Grundbuchauszug), a contract made by Notar (Notarvertrag), or the last property tax assessment (aktueller Grundsteuerbescheid) instead of the landlord confirmation: when you move into your own home. It is sufficient if you submit a copy. When you move into your residential property you can fill out the confirmation yourselves.

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When You are Moving from Abroad

If you are married or in a civil partnership, bring your marriage certificate (Eheurkunde) or civil partnership certificate (Lebenspartnerschaftsurkunde). If you have children, you need the birth certificates (Geburtsurkunden) of your underage children who are also moving in.

In the case of foreign (outside the European Union) documents, a translation by an interpreter is also required. These must be publicly appointed or sworn in Germany. Here is the List of court-approved translators. Both documents and translations must be submitted in the original.

When registering you and your family, the identity documents of all persons.

For your info:

Citizens in Germany	31.03.2023	30.06.2023
Germans	71,942,394	71,891,352
Foreigners	12,490,276	12,590,915
Total	84,432,670	84,482,267

Address Registration Certificate (Meldebestätigung)

You will receive an Address Registration Certificate after registering your residence. The German name for Address Registration Certificate can be Anmeldebescheinigung, Meldebescheinigung, Meldebestätigung, or Anmeldebestätigung, depending on the part of Germany where you are.

You will need Address Registration Certificate in case you need to deregister your address in the country you are moving from.

When you are not the owner of a German ID or Passport, this certificate will be required for a lot of processes in Germany, such as:

• Health Insurance application
• Opening a Bank account
• University Application
• Permanent residence permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) application

When you are registering in the Citizens’ Registration Office (Bürgeramt) for the first time after moving from abroad, they will forward your data to the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) to assign the tax identification number. You will get your tax identification number by letter to your registered address.

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