Anmeldung: residence registration – simply explained.
Who knew that one of your first encounters with German bureaucracy could be so terrifying? This step is so essential to landing on both your feet. It’s however not so easy when arriving here without help, German skills or proper context.
This small guide is explaining how to do the Anmeldung in English in Germany. It also aims at giving you tips to save time, stress & money. And if everything fails, you can always ask a question in the comments.
Table of contents
- What is the Anmeldung in Germany?
- How to do the Anmeldung in Germany:
- Things you should know
- FAQ about the Anmeldung in Germany
What is the Anmeldung in Germany?
In English: Anmeldung is Germany is registering your current address with the local authorities. This is one of the most important administrative steps for anybody moving to Germany. Anmeldung comes from “An/melden“, to register in German. This needs to be done in person.
When doing so, you will be given the “Meldebescheinigung“, a residence registration certificate. This innocent piece of paper will be necessary in many aspects of your life in this country. You will be asked for this if you want to sign-up for health insurance, open a bank account, set up an internet connection or simply obtain a tax ID number.
Update Jan 2021: Corona is still here to stay folks, the Anmeldung can often not be processed in person. Some cities in Germany will accept to do this via email/post/phone but other might not. You will need to contact your local Bürgeramt in your own district and see what ways they offer. Good luck!
How to do the Anmeldung in Germany:
1- Secure an appointment
In larger cities, it is strongly recommended to book an appointment to avoid long waiting times. In some cities like Berlin, it is even compulsory to book an appointment before-hand.
- Book an appointment in Berlin here.
- Book an appointment in Munich here
- Book an appointment in Frankfurt here.
- Book an appointment in Hamburg here.
- Book an appointment in Stuttgart here.
- Book an appointment in Dortmund here.
- Book an appointment Düsseldorf here.
- For any other city try to Google, “Meldebehörde Anmeldung City Termin”
You will be given an appointment number, unique to you. Make sure to store it safely. Without it, you won’t be able to attend.
2- Bring the right documents with you
As you could expect, Germany loves a long list of documents. Bring these to the appointment with you:
- The form called “Anmeldung bei einer Meldebehörde“. You will find it on your city website or use Appmeldung instead to fill it in easily in English. This form lists your personal details, addresses, document details, etc.
- The form called “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung“. This document is a statement from your landlord that you have moved in at the address. The main tenant can also fill this in, in case of sublet or flatshare. You can use this.
- A valid ID card or passport.
- Your tenancy or sublet contract for good measure. If you are simply temporarily staying at a friend’s or a relative’s while looking for something more permanent, have them write and sign a letter stating that you are staying with them. Here is a draft you can use.
- A birth certificate
You may also need the following documents:
- If you are in Germany on a visa, bring your residence permit with you.
- If you are married/in a partnership, they will also want see a relevant marriage certificate, translated in German.
3- Attend the appointment
Armed with your trusty stack and your appointment number, show up on time. A few elements to remember and/or consider:
- Most city workers won’t be speaking English to you. It’s not because they can’t, it’s simply because they are liable if they mistranslate or misrepresent something to you. You can bring someone with you, if you need assistance with the language.
- Registration includes giving away your religion. It’s completely normal as there is a church tax in Germany.
- If you come here to work, it’s best to mention it during the appointement. The worker will then request a German tax ID for you.
- You can usually request 1-2 extra copies of your registration certificate for free. Extra copies will cost you 5-10 euros. Cash only usually.
If everything is in order, the city worker will give you your registration certificate, complete with stamp. Store your Meldebescheinigung safely.

Things you should know
Who needs to do the Anmeldung in Germany?
Everyone who becomes a German resident must register their address with the local authorities, as stated by law (§17 of the Bundesmeldegesetz). The reason of your stay in the country or your nationality makes no exception to this rule.
This is also a requirement if you simply change addresses, it is then called the Ummeldung.
Visitors staying in Germany for less than 3 months:
Another piece of law (§27 BMG) states that visitors do not need to register in the following cases:
- You are visiting the country for less than 3 months, typically tourists.
- You are registered somewhere else in Germany, and stay in another city for less than 6 months.
In this case, be aware that you will be deprived of some possibilities. You won’t be able sign up with a mobile phone provider, so make sure you can sort that out through other ways.
About registration deadlines, and possible fines
The German law states that the Anmeldung must be done within 2 weeks after your move-in date (§54 BMG). Anyone failing to do that exposes themselves to fines up to 1000€.
This can cause some stress because newcomers are sometimes faced with one of those situation:
- They didn’t know the Anmeldung was compulsory and failed to register.
- They can’t find any appointment to register within the time limit.
However, there is no cause for concern because there is no usually no harsh consequences involved. Fines are very rarely applied when it’s a honest mistake or if there were no appointment slots available. You might get a harsh look but that’s about it.
Also, do know that the deadline is extended further in the future when using short-term accommodations, considered “commercial” as per German law (§29 BMG). It is then 3 months after move-in date.
Who can fill-in the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
It’s a legal duty to provide the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung to anyone who signs a tenancy contract (§19 BMG). The following people are able to provide/sign this document:
- A landlord: that can be a private person or the estate management company (Hausverwaltung). This is the most common case.
- A main tenant: this is common in flat shares or in sublets. However, do make sure that the landlord is aware of it.
- A friend lending their couch: Even if you don’t pay rent, your friend can also do that. Again, in theory, the landlord must be aware of it. This applies also if you move in with your partner/husband/wife.
- Yourself: when you own your place, you are the landlord. So you do it yourself.
Bürgeramt, Bürgerbüro, Rathaus, or Kundezentrum?
This post was originally meant to be read by Berliners only, thus only the term Bürgeramt was used here. However, since people from everywhere in Germany are reading this, it’s worthwhile to say that it’s called differently in other parts of the country. So check the local lingo. 🙂 Those terms can be used interchangeably in this post.
Filling-in the Anmeldung forms online in English, is that possible?
If you really don’t know any German and don’t know anybody who can help, this simple task can be hard to achieve. There are so many things to think about when moving to Germany, so it’s sometimes nice to take a little shortcut! To make your life easier, you can turn to Appmeldung, which lets you fill in the Anmeldung form in English for Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. Disclaimer: Appmeldung was built by the guy behind this blog.
How to get an appointment at the Bürgeramt, fast
The demand for appointements is so high that the first available slot is usually weeks away. This can be a real challenge, especially if you need to get your life in order now. You can use those 2 tips to increase your chances:
- Check the booking system at 8 a.m. This is when the whole system is refreshed and it often shows open slots when it didn’t a few minutes before. Especially on mondays.
- Keep refreshing the page, or else use a browser extension that can detect changes on the page. It can warn you when a new slot is available. Try this for Chrome.
- In larger cities, you can often go to any Bürgeramt in the city. Offices located outside the city center tend to be less busy. Sometimes, you can even get something for the same day!
- Use your phone. Larger cities have setup dedicated hotlines to book appointments. This may help too.
- Call 030 115 in Berlin.
- Call 040 115 in Hamburg.
- Call 069 115 in Frankfurt.
- Call 089 23396 000 in Munich.
- Other cities, try googling “Anmeldung hotline [cityname]”
Et voila, you are on the fast track.
FAQ about the Anmeldung in Germany
The German administration wants landlords to fill in that document to confirm that you moved in. This also makes sure that the landlord is aware of the sublet, which is required by law. It also seems that the Bürgeramt employees don’t care and/or don’t check. It’s up to you to take that risk.
This probably means that they are not allowed to sub-rent their room. They maybe live in a WBS flat (where rent is subsidized by the city) or they haven’t let the landlord know about it. This is a bad bet if you need to register to start working and stuff.
It’s obvious, to register your flat with the Anmeldung, you need to have found one. But for many of us, we haven’t found one yet. A simple letter from a friend letting you stay at their place will be enough to register. Same goes in case of a sublet situation. Bear in mind that in theory, the landlord should always be aware of who is living in the place, providing a written confirmation that you have moved in there.
Each Bürgeramt seems to have its own policy regarding appointments. The best is maybe to call one to check with them. If they do accept walk-ins, go queue there 30min before opening time to make sure you have a ticket. You may also want to go to less busy offices. Read onto the next question for more details.
You can register at any Bürgeramt in Berlin but check for other cities. This is especially useful if you need to register fast. You can travel to a less popular Bezirke that has less traffic to get an appointment sooner. You’d need to check about that for other cities than Berlin.
It depends on a few factors and on where you live. In Berlin, the law says that for each adult person, there should be at least 9 sqm, and for kids only 6 sqm. In Bavaria, that is 10 sqm per person over 6 years old, 6 sqm per person under 6 years old.
Absolutely. Someone can represent you and do all this for you provided this person has all the required documents together with your ID/Passport and a Vollmacht (a procuration) for this person.
No, you will be fine. If you could have been considered a temporary visitor until now but your plans have changed simply book an appointment asap.
Most cities do not require a tenancy contract anymore to do the Anmeldung. Check your local city’s policy. It’s still a good idea to bring it with you for good measure.
This document is required to be able to do the Anmeldung. However city workers usually don’t have the time or resources to check who filled-in that document during the appointement. Keep in mind that it is illegal to produce a fraudulent version of that document.
No. Welcome to Germany.
I hope this guide about the Anmeldung in English helped to answer some of your questions. Feel free to ask more in the comments.
Bastien
Thanks so much for the info! I am moving into a new flat with my partner, and the landlord has given us the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Unfortunately we’re finding it hard to find an anmeldung appointment that suits us both (different working shifts). Do you know if we can have separate anmeldung appointments even though both of our names are on the same Wohnungsgeberbestätigung? Thanks again
Hey Sam. Yes no problem.
Hi, thanks for the informative article!
If I’m moving to a shared apartment where the current roommates are already registered, do I need them to show up with me to the appointment/provide their IDs/sign something?
Hey Aya. No, it’s not needed. Just you and your ID, with the rest of the documentation mentioned in the post.
Hello,
Happy New Year. Hope you are all well.
I recently started a new job in Berlin (1st of Jan). I secured an apartment already but it is unfortunately not ready yet (under construction delays due to covid). It will be ready in March (1st week). My initial thought would be to stay at friends’ houses while my apartment is not ready to move in and I would like to know what the implications of that are for me getting my Tax ID and registration. Is this doable in your opinion? most airbnbs and temporary accommodations do not allow address registration. also some temporary accommodations force a minimum 3 month stay which isn’t doable for me as I will be paying rent at my new accommodation.
Thank you for your help
Hey Nicia. Yes that would be ok, provided it’s possible at your friend’s place.
Hello, I moved to Berlin in December from the UK and registered before the end of the transition period. The landlord gave me the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, but we hadn’t yet signed a contract. Anyway, shortly after registering, the landlord asked for more money than we had verbally agreed and, to cut a long story short, the whole situation became rather unpleasant. As of the beginning of January, I am no longer renting the apartment. My question is this: can the landlord deregister me, and thus invalidate my registration that I did in time for the end of the Brexit transition period? I sincerely hope not! Thanks so much.
Hey Essie. It is a possibility that they notify the authorities that you no longer live there, yes. Hard to tell if they would take the steps to do it though. However, I don’t know whether or not that would invalidate your residence registration as a whole. Since the whole Brexit thing is unprecedented, I also don’t know who could tell you for sure, even at the Bürgeramt. Best is to find something ASAP for the short term, even if too expensive/inconvenient, and register there again. Worst case scenario in case of disputes, make sure you keep copies of email conversations with the landlord to support your case (if it ever comes to that). Good luck with it all.
Thank you very much.
Hi,
I am moving in an apartment along with my friend. Do we need to book 2 separate appointments for anmeldung ? or one appointment on anyone’s name is fine and we can both get registered ?
Hey Rahim. One appointment is enough. just mention you need to register 2 people.
Hey, thanks a lot for the informative article. I am living in Berlin for the last 2 years with my wife. I signed a contract for another apartment and now going to move soon. Also, I have taken an appointment for registration, now my wife is not in Germany for some months and her name is mentioned in the apartment contract. Do I need to register my wife as well? if yes how do I have to do it?
Cheers,
Yogesh
Hey Yogesh. You can represent your wife when register her as well during the appointment as mentioned in the last question here.
Hi,
I need some help with the Anmeldung process if possible.
I moved to Dortmund from Albania with a working visa. The head office of the company is in Dortmund but my working place is in Kamen.
I want to know where to make Anmelgund process?
Because I have heard that for the first time I should do Anmeldung in the place where I have visa (Dortmund).
For the moment I leave to my friend’s house.
Best regards!
Hey Valmir. You need to register residence at your current address. Your employer’s office is not relevant here.
Hi. It’s a wonderful article of valuable information.
I am from non-eu country. I hold a residence permit. My spouse and my kid will join me soon under family reunion visa. My question is: for their Anmeldung, can I provide Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, as the main tenant? Or must the main house owner provide it still? It is not a sub-lease, is it?
Please clarify for Berlin and also for Cologne and Bonn City, of possible.
Thanks
Sam
Hey Sam. As mentioned in the post, the landlord is suppose to fill this in by law as they must be aware of who is living on their property at all times. this is valid nationwide.
Hi, There is a 6week gap between when I move out of one apartment and into another. The main tenant at the first apartment does not want me to keep my anmeldung for the 6 week gap after I move out because she is worried there will be too many people registered at her place (a new tenant is moving in as soon as I leave). Would it be a bad idea for me to just do an admeldung and then do another anmeldung when I move into the new flat 6 weeks later? (I recently got a residency permit but have not yet registered for my tax number. I don’t need to apply for a job or internet contract or anything).
Thank you for you inputs!
Sorry, not admeldung, abmeldung*
Hey Tara. It looks like you already know what your options are in your case, I can’t advise you on what to do.
Hi,
I am living in Germany but I had to leave my previous room since contract ended and I only found a sublease without contract !
Does anybody knows what is the maximum time you can stay without anmeldung before they fine you ?
Of course I am looking for long term rent and then I will be sure to do the anmeldung.
Thanks
Hey Chfakht. As mentioned in the post, the law states you should register within 14 days. So in theory, a fine can be applied from that point in time. In practice, fines are rarely applied that strictly.
Hi great information.
I am main tenant, contract is on my name. I am subletting the apartment. Printed an online sublet contract and filled it. I also have permission from the landlord in email for sublet.
Do I need to give wohnungsgeberbestätigung for Anmeldung? If yes where I get that.
Hey Hina. Yes, the landlord stills need to provide that document, even if it is a sublet. Look in the post, there is an example for that.
Hello! I’ve been in Berlin 18 months now. I’ve got anmeldung at my current address and am planning to move out into a temporary sublet for 3-6 months. I am not sure if I will be able to keep my anmeldung at the flat (the person who has the lease is still holding the lease). If it’s a case of me losing my anmeldung here, will it be okay to not have one for 3-6 months until I move into my own apartment with a lease. My visa is not an issue (it’s valid until 2022), I have a steuer ID and job, bank acc, cellphone contract, health insurance etc so for the short time I don’t think anything should come up with insists of seeing my anmeldung. I realise it’s not ideal but unfortunately the reality sometimes of subletting in Berlin.
Hey AC. You described your situation perfectly, it looks like you know the law and know the possible consequences.
Hey. Very good information on your post. Hope you can help me. My spouse is a German citizen who is living in Berlin and I’ll be moving to Germany to live with him of course. He already has his anmeldung for that apartment since he was single. So when I go to Burgeramt for my Anmeldung, first and foremost must I include his name both on the wohnungsgeberbestätigung and the anmeldung form? Because it might be a bit of problem to add his name as the move in date for me and him are different. And say I don’t add his name him and get my anmeldung, when i go to the ausländerbehörde to apply for my residence permit, must he also bring his anmeldung together with mine to prove that we indeed stay together at the same address? Hope to hear answers from you. Thank you.
Hey Michelle. You don’t need his name on the wohnungsgeberbestätigung and the Anmeldung forms. Why would it matter if your move in dates are different? Also which type of visa/residence permit are you talking about?
I came to Germany on a 3 month Tourist visa so I did not register myself. I was supposed to return to my home country (South Africa) after my stay, so that I could apply for my spousal visa in order to join my husband who got a job in Germany. However, due to the pandemic, I was unable to return to South Africa, and my Schengen visa became excerpt until Sept 30. During that time, I managed to appeal to the Meldeamt to try issue my Spousal visa from Germany, as I could not do this in South Africa. They finally agreed and I received my residence permit card. Once I received the card, I registered myself and got a tax number. My question is…my husband has been paying higher tax since January, because he was not on the system as being married (due to me having to get my residence permit). Now that I’m finally on the system, and we’re in the correct tax brackets, can he claim back the tax? Someone asked why I didn’t register sooner, and this could affect him claiming back tax. But we were under the impression that I could only register myself once I had a valid visa and was on the German system. Similarly, surely they could not have changed my husband‘s tax bracket before I, as his wife was on the system (ie. got my residence permit and then registered with the Meldeamt)?
Hey Coralee. It’s probably too late. More info on this dedicated post here.
Hi, thanks for the great article!
I came to Germany from the U.S. a month ago to study at a music conservatory here. Yesterday I got registered for my Anmeldebestätigung at the Bürgeramt. I had thought this constituted a residence permit, but now I am not so sure. Do I now need to apply for a student visa/residence permit?
Hey Julia. Super confused about your comment… Did anybody in your conservatory or back home told you anything about this? As a US citizen, you don’t need a visa to enter the country and can stay while without one, but you do need to apply for a student visa if you are to stay longer. Is there something i’m missing?
Hi Julia, It sounds like you’ve got a registration with the city of Berlin (Anmeldung) telling them that you are living in an apartment (this is not a visa). You also need to have a student/residency visa with the German state, if you are staying longer than as a tourist.
Hope that helps.