How to change your address in Germany

When you move into a new apartment, you must change your address. It’s not automatic. This guide shows you how to do it.

Put your name on your mailbox

German apartments rarely have apartment numbers. Everyone in the building has the same address. Each person has a mailbox with their name on it. If there is no mailbox with your name on it, you will not receive your mail.

Ask your landlord or Hausverwaltung to put your name on your mailbox and doorbell. Your landlord can’t charge you a fee for this.⁵ If your name is not on the lease, your landlord can refuse to put your name on the mailbox.⁴ If you put the name yourself, your landlord can remove it.⁸

If you can’t put your name on your mailbox, add “c/o” or “bei” to your address.

Learn to write your new address

How to address letters in Germany

Register your address

Register your address at the Bürgeramt. This is called the Anmeldung. If you can’t put your name on the mailbox, add “c/o” or “bei” to your official address.

How to register your address

The Bürgeramt will tell these people your new address:

• Your church
  If you pay the church tax, your church will know about your address change.
• The Ausländerbehörde
  Bring your residence permit to your Anmeldung appointment. They will put a sticker on it with your new address. You don’t need to go to the Ausländerbehörde to update your residence permit.
• The Kfz-Zulassungsstelle
  Bring your vehicle registration papers to your Anmeldung appointment. They will put a sticker on them with your new address. It costs 10.80€ per vehicle. You can also change your vehicle’s address online.

Notify everyone

Use umziehen.de to tell over 1000 companies your new address. It’s a free service from Deutsche Post. They only share your new address with businesses that already know your old address.

You should also tell…

• Your bank
  You can change your address on your bank’s online portal, or by asking your financial advisor.
• Your car/home insurance
  If you have vehicle or home insurance, tell your insurer about your address change. You can usually do it on their website. You can also contact your insurance broker.
• Your health insurance
  You can change your address on your health insurer’s online portal, or by asking your insurance broker.
• The Agentur für Arbeit
  If you get ALG I, tell the Agentur für Arbeit your new address.
• The Jobcenter
  If you get Bürgergeld, tell the Jobcenter your new address.
• The Finanzamt
  • If you have a business
    If you use your home address as your business address, tell the Finanzamt about your address change.² Fill the Änderung der Adresse form in ELSTER, or ask your tax advisor to do it. If your new address is served by a different Finanzamt, you will get a new Steuernummer.¹
• The TV tax (Rundfunkbeitrag)
  The ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice collects the TV tax. You can update your address online.
• The Kfz-Zulassungsstelle
  If you did not bring your vehicle papers to your Anmeldung appointment, you must update your registration papers. You can do this online, or at the local Kfz-Zulassungsstelle. You will get a new Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil 1, or a sticker with your new address.³
• The Kita-Gutscheinstelle
  If you send your children to a Kita, request a Kitagutschein for your new address.
• The Hunderegister
  In Berlin, if you have a dog, update your address in the Hunderegister. In other places, you might need to tell the Finanzamt.
• The Ordnungsamt
  If you have a dog of a dangerous breed, you must register it at the Ordnungsamt every time you move. If you live in Berlin, start here.
• The Ordnungsamt
  If you have a business, and your business address changes, you must tell the Ordnungsamt.
• Your website
  If you have a commercial website, put your new address in your Impressum.

Forward your mail

You might still receive letters at your old address. You can pay to forward mail from your old address to your new address. Register for this service before you move.

Deutsche Post – 30€ for 6 months

Mail forwarding is unreliable. Official mail from the Bürgeramt, Finanzamt and Ausländerbehörde is not always forwarded.⁶ Forwarded mail can take a week longer to arrive.⁷ Packages are not forwarded.

Sources and footnotes

1. umzugsportal.de ⤴

2. umziehen.de ⤴

3. berlin.de ⤴

4. reddit.com/r/berlin, mietrecht.org ⤴

5. haufe.de ⤴

6. reddit.com, reddit.com, Oliver Frankfurth at Deregistration.de (October 2023), verbraucherzentrale.de, paketda.de ⤴

7. Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (October 2023) ⤴

8. vermietet.de (2022) ⤴