When you move out of your apartment and leave Germany, you must deregister your address at the Bürgeramt. This is called the Abmeldung.
This guide explains why and how to do your Abmeldung in Berlin.
Who needs to deregister
You must do your Abmeldung if:
- You move out of Germany, and you will not return to your current address.
- You leave one of multiple homes. For example, if you have two registered apartments, and you sell one of them.
You don't need to do your Abmeldung if:
- You temporarily move out of Germany, and you will return to the same address later. For example, if you study in another country for a semester.
- You move to another address in Germany. When you register your new address, your old address is automatically deregistered.
- You have not registered your address.
Why you must deregister
When you do your Abmeldung, you officially stop living at your old address.
You can use this to:
- Stop paying the TV tax
- Stop paying for health insurance (if you move out of Germany)
- Cancel your phone, internet and electricity contracts
Moving out ➞ Cancelling your contracts
How to do your Abmeldung
You can deregister your address in person, by post or by email. It's free.
You can deregister 7 days before you move out. You must deregister maximum 14 days after you move out.1
After you deregister, you get an Abmeldebescheinigung. This document confirms that your address is deregistered. If you deregister by email or by post, they sometimes send it to your new address.2
In person at the Bürgeramt
Here is how you can do your Abmeldung in person:
- Book an appointment for Abmeldung einer Wohnung. You can choose any Bürgeramt in Berlin. Sometimes, there are no appointments available. Check again every few minutes, and you will find one.
- Fill the Abmeldung form
- Go to your appointment. Bring the Abmeldung form with you. You can do it alone, even if you don't speak German. It takes around 10 minutes.
During your appointment, you will get an Abmeldebescheinigung.
By registered mail
Send these documents by registered mail to any Bürgeramt in Berlin:
- The filled and signed Abmeldung form
- A copy of your passport
Don't forget to write your new address in the form. If you use a German address, and your name is not on the mailbox, use "c/o" or "bei" on the address form. You will get an Abmeldebescheinigung at this address around 4 weeks later.3 It will be sent by regular post, not registered mail. Some Bürgeramt locations don't send an Abmeldebescheinigung to addresses in other countries. If you need this document, it's better if you deregister in person.
How to mail a letter — from your computer, without a printer
By email
You can deregister by email,4 but it's not a good idea. You might not get a confirmation email3 or an Abmeldebescheinigung.3 They don't always send your Abmeldebescheinigung to another country. It's better if you deregister in person.
You can deregister by email at any Bürgeramt, but they all have different rules:
- Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf – buergeramt@charlottenburg-wilmersdorf.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post, in Germany or in another country.5 - Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg – buergeramt@ba-fk.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post, not by email.6 - Lichtenberg – post.buergeramt@lichtenberg.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post7 and by email.8 - Mitte – buergeramt@ba-mitte.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post to an address in Germany, and sometimes in another country.9 - Neukölln – buergeramt@bezirksamt-neukoelln.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post to an address in Germany or in another country, and by email. - Reinickendorf – buergeraemter@reinickendorf.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by email, or to an address in Germany.10 - Spandau – buergeramt@ba-spandau.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post to an address in Germany, but not in another country.11 - Steglitz-Zehlendorf – buergeramt@ba-sz.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post to an address in Germany or in another country.12 - Treptow-Köpenick – bued.backoffice@ba-tk.berlin.de
They will send your Abmeldebescheinigung by post to an address in Germany or in another country.13 - Other Bürgeramt locations
Other locations might let you deregister by email. They did not confirm it.
To deregister by email, send this message to the Bürgeramt:
Title: Abmeldung einer Wohnung
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
Hiermit möchte ich nach einem Auszug meine Wohnung abmelden. Beigefügt sind das ausgefüllte Formular "Abmeldung bei der Meldebehörde", sowie eine Kopie meines Personalausweises.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[an image of your signature, and your name]
Attach this to your email:
- The filled and signed Abmeldung form
- A copy of your passport
- An image of your signature, in the email message. It must look like the signature on the Abmeldung form.14
Write your new address in the form. If you use a German address, and your name is not on the mailbox, use "c/o" or "bei" on the address form.
You will get an Abmeldebescheinigung at this address around 4 weeks later.3 It will be sent by regular post, not registered mail. Some Bürgeramt locations only send the Abmeldebescheinigung to German addresses.
If you really need the Abmeldebescheinigung need this document, deregister in person.
What happens when you deregister
When you deregister, you don't live in Germany anymore. This has consequences.
Health insurance
When you deregister, you can lose your German health insurance.15 German health insurance is only for German residents. If you want to keep your health insurance, you probably should not deregister.
If you have private health insurance, you can ask for Anwartschaftsversicherung. You pay a little money every month while you are outside of Germany. When you return to Germany, you can get your old health insurance back.16 It guarantees that you will get the same health insurance for the same price.
Social security
When you deregister, you could lose access to ALG I, ALG II, and other social services.17 Those services are only for German residents.
Bank account
You can keep your German bank account. If the bank sends you a letter, and it can't be delivered, they might freeze your bank account.18 If they freeze your bank account, you can't withdraw money, use your credit card, or make bank transfers.
Residence permit
There is no simple answer.19
You do not automatically lose your residence permit when you deregister your address.24 You only lose your residence permit if you leave Germany "not temporarily". This is decided case by case.
Your residence permit can also expire. If you leave Germany for more than 6 months (12 months in some cases), your residence permit expires.20 You can ask the Ausländerbehörde to leave for a longer period.25
Without an address in Germany, you can't renew your residence permit.21 You must have a lease and a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung to renew your German residence permit. If you lose your health insurance, it can also be a problem.22 You need valid health insurance to renew a residence permit.
Useful links:
- Expiration of a residence permit during a stay abroad (in German) – Berlin.de
Vehicles
You can't own a vehicle registered in Germany if you don't live in Germany.15 Some people had a different experience, so there are exceptions to this.
Other services
When you deregister, you can cancel your cellphone, internet and electricity contacts without any penalties.17 You might need a Abmeldebescheinigung to cancel your contracts.
If you own a business in Germany, you might also need deregister it,17 or transfer it to another person.
What to do next
How to move out of an apartment ➞
2 years after you leave Germany, you can get a refund for your public pension payments. You can get thousands of euros back.
