Arrival
Anmeldung: registering your address in Germany
The mandatory address registration. How to book it, what to bring, what goes wrong, and how to survive the wait in Berlin and Munich.
Anmeldung is mandatory within 14 days of moving in. You need your passport, a signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord, and an appointment at your local Bürgeramt. It is free. Without it, you cannot open most bank accounts, get health insurance, or start a regular job.
Anmeldung (pronounced AHN-mel-dung) is the legal registration of your German address. You have 14 days from moving in to do it. Without it, you cannot open most bank accounts, sign a long term phone contract, start a regular job, get health insurance, or register as a student. It is the first domino that tips over all the others.
The paperwork
Book an appointment at your local Bürgeramt (Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf) or Kreisverwaltungsreferat / Einwohnermeldeamt (other cities). Bring:
- Your passport (and all family members' passports if registering together)
- Your signed Mietvertrag (rental contract) is useful but not strictly required
- Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. This is a one page confirmation your landlord or main tenant signs, saying you moved in on a specific date. Without this, the officer will refuse to register you.
- Marriage certificate (if registering with spouse, apostilled and translated if from India)
- Birth certificates for any children (same apostille + translation rule)
- The Anmeldung form (Anmeldeformular), which you fill out on the spot or download and fill in advance. It is in German but all fields are obvious.
Walk into the appointment, hand over your stack, answer two or three questions about when you moved in and your religion (you can say "ohne" meaning none; this matters because the Kirchensteuer church tax is collected automatically if you declare Christian).
What you get
A stamped paper called the Anmeldebestätigung (confirmation of registration). Scan it. Save it in three places. Every administrative interaction for the next few years will ask for it.
A few weeks later you get your Steueridentifikationsnummer (tax ID) by post. Do not lose this either. Your employer needs it on your first payslip.
Booking an appointment
This is where Germany shows its teeth.
Berlin: service.berlin.de. Appointments get released in waves around 07:00 CET and midnight. They go in under 60 seconds. People write scripts that watch and auto-book. If you are moving to Berlin, start checking the site three weeks before your move date. Set alarms.
Munich: termin.muenchen.de. Easier than Berlin, but still book two to three weeks out.
Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf: generally 1 to 2 week waits. Check the city website directly.
Smaller cities: often walk-in or same-week appointments.
If you cannot find any appointment in your city, two legitimate workarounds:
- Book in a neighbouring town (a 30 minute train is fine; the Anmeldung is federal, not city-gated)
- Show up at the Bürgeramt at opening time and ask for a same-day slot. Some locations reserve a handful for walk-ins.
Common problems
Your landlord will not give you the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. This is illegal on their part, not yours. Paragraph 19 of the Bundesmeldegesetz requires them to give it to you within two weeks of move-in. Show them that paragraph. If they refuse, report to the Bürgeramt and they can still register you.
You are in temporary housing (Airbnb, hotel, corporate flat). You can usually still register at the temporary address, but only if the host is willing to sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Most Airbnb hosts will not. Hotels legally cannot. This trap affects a lot of people in their first month. Before you book long term accommodation, confirm the landlord will sign the Anmeldung form.
Your name on the Mietvertrag does not match your passport exactly. Bring both documents and explain. Officers are usually pragmatic about this.
You are sub-letting without the main tenant on the contract. The main tenant needs to sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung as the Wohnungsgeber (accommodation provider). They become legally responsible for confirming you live there.
What to do while you wait
- Bank account: N26 and Revolut will open accounts without Anmeldung using just your passport. Use one of those as a bridge.
- SIM card: Prepaid SIMs (Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect, Lebara) require activation that often accepts just passport. Contract SIMs need Anmeldung.
- Doctor: You can see a doctor as a private patient and pay out of pocket if needed. Insurance comes after Anmeldung.
One tip for new arrivals
The day your Anmeldung is confirmed, forward the scan to yourself via email and save it in a dedicated folder alongside your passport scan, Mietvertrag, and any visa documents. Every German bureaucracy interaction for the next three years will need some subset of these.
Related guides on this site
Frequently asked
What documents do I need for Anmeldung in Germany?
Your passport, a signed Mietvertrag (rental contract), a signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord, and marriage or birth certificates (apostilled and translated) if registering with family. The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is non-negotiable.
How long do I have to register my address in Germany?
German law gives you 14 days from moving in to complete Anmeldung. In practice, appointment availability in Berlin and Munich can push this to 4 to 6 weeks. The delay is understood; just book the earliest slot you can find.
Can I register at an Airbnb or hotel address?
Usually no. Airbnb hosts almost never sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, and hotels legally cannot. You can only do Anmeldung at an address where the provider will sign the confirmation form.
What happens if my landlord refuses to sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung?
It is illegal on their part, not yours. Paragraph 19 of the Bundesmeldegesetz requires landlords to provide it within two weeks of move-in. Report refusal to the Bürgeramt; they can still register you.
Is Anmeldung free in Germany?
Yes, Anmeldung is free. If any website asks you to pay to book an appointment, it is a scam reseller. Always book directly through your city's official Bürgeramt or Kundenzentrum portal.
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