After you move to Berlin, find a place to live and move in, you must register your address at the Bürgeramt. This is called the Anmeldung. This guide explains how to do it.
Why you must register your address
All residents must register, it’s the law.27 If you can’t register, it makes your life harder.
You must register your address to…
- Use government services
Without a registered address, you can’t start a business, get child benefits or get a daycare voucher.1 These services are only for official Berlin residents. - Get a registration certificate (Meldebestätigung)
You sometimes need it to prove your address, open a bank account, get a SIM card, and a few other things. - Get a tax ID
You get a tax ID by post around 4 to 6 weeks after your first Anmeldung. The tax ID is very important. You can get a tax ID without an Anmeldung.- Get paid correctly
Your employer needs your tax ID to calculate your salary tax. If you don’t have a tax ID, you pay more salary tax, so your paychecks are much smaller. You don’t lose that money, but you must make a tax declaration to get it back. – More information
- Get paid correctly
- Apply for a residence permit
The Ausländerbehörde asks for your Anmeldung. The lease and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung are not always enough.15
You don’t need to register your address to…
- Start working
Your employer needs your tax ID, but it can wait. You can also get a tax ID without an Anmeldung. - Open a bank account
There are banks that don’t require an Anmeldung.
People who don’t need to register
You do not need to register if…
- You visit for less than 3 months
If you visit from another country, and you stay in Germany for less than 3 months, you don’t need to register your address.29 - or you will move in the next 6 months
If you are already registered somewhere else, and you will stay at your new address for less than 6 month.29 For example, if you are registered at your parents’ house, and you live with a friend for a few months.
How to register your address online
Since October 2024, you can do your Anmeldung online. The online process is a little complicated, but it’s faster than going in person.
To register online, you must…14
- Be a EU citizen
- Have an EU passport
- Have an eID
- Have a BundID account
- Move from one German address to another German address
If this is your first Anmeldung, or if you are not a EU citizen, you must do your Anmeldung in person.
How to register your address in person
1. Get a Bürgeramt appointment
If you can’t do your Anmeldung online, you must do it in person at the Bürgeramt. You can go to any Bürgeramt in Berlin. You need an appointment. It must be after your move-in date.2 You have 14 days to register, but in Berlin nobody cares. You can do it months later.19
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You can also check Berlin.de, call 115 or email your Bürgeramt.
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This happens often. There are more appointments on weekdays between 8:00 and 17:00. Check Berlin.de, call 115 or email your Bürgeramt. It might work better. You can also do your Anmeldung online.
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Other ways to get an appointment
If you can’t find an appointment, try again later. New appointments appear during working hours, mostly in the morning.3
You can register multiple people with one appointment if you lived together and move together. For example, you can do the Anmeldung for your whole family at the same time.
You will get an appointment number (Vorgangsnummer). You need it when you go to your appointment. If you lose it, ask for it at the Bürgeramt reception, or call 115.25
2. Prepare your documents
Bring these documents to your appointment:
- Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
You get it before you move in. You can’t register your address without it.4 Bring the original if you can, not a copy.5 You can get this document from…- Your landlord
- The main tenant of your sublet or WG. They need permission from the landlord.6
- Your spouse if you move in with them.
- Your boyfriend or girlfriend if you move in with them. They need permission from the landlord, but the landlord can’t really refuse.7
- Anmeldung form
Fill the form online, print it and sign it. To register more than 2 people, use multiple forms. - Passport or EU national ID
You can use a Personalausweis from any EU country.8
You might also need these documents:
- Residence permit
If you have a residence permit, bring it. Your residence permit has your old address on it. They will put a sticker on it with your new address.9 That sticker is not important.16 - Vehicle registration papers
If you have a vehicle, and it’s registered at your old address, bring your Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil 1. They will put a sticker on it with your new address. It costs 10.80€ per vehicle. - Cash or a Girocard
The Anmeldung costs nothing, but if you have vehicles, it costs 10.80€ per vehicle. You can only pay with cash or a Girocard. Some Bürgeramt locations accept Visa and Mastercard.10
If this is your first Anmeldung, you must also bring:
- Your marriage certificate
Bring the original or a notarized copy.11 If it’s not in German, you might need a certified translation.30 Certificates in English are usually accepted.
When you register an underage child’s address, you might need a letter of consent from their legal guardian.12
- Letter of consent from the legal guardians (Einverständniserklärung)
- If you are separated, and your child is moving with you, you need a letter of consent from the other parent. For example, if the child lived with their mother, and is moving with their father.
- If the child does not live with their legal guardian, you need a letter of consent from their legal guardian.
- Your child’s birth certificate31
Bring the original or a notarized copy.11 If it’s not in German, you might need a certified translation.32 Certificates in English are usually accepted.
If you don’t speak German, bring a friend or a translator. Some Bürgeramt employees only speak German. The Anmeldung is simple, but sometimes they ask more questions.
You can also pay someone else to do it. They will book your appointment, collect your documents, and go to the Bürgeramt for you. It costs 250€. The Anmeldung is easy. You probably don’t need this service.
When you send someone else to do your Anmeldung, they must bring:
- A signed Vollmacht
Use this template. The signatures on your passport, on the Anmeldung form and on the Vollmacht must look the same.
3. Go to your Bürgeramt appointment
Go to your Bürgeramt appointment. Bring all your documents. Arrive early.
At the Bürgeramt, find the correct waiting room. When they call your number on the screen, go to the office number on the screen.
Sit at the desk, give your documents, and get your Anmeldebestätigung. They will put a sticker with your new address on your Personalausweis, residence permit and vehicle registration papers. That sticker is not important.16
The appointment takes 5 to 15 minutes.
4. Verify your documents
Check the information on your Anmeldebestätigung. Bürgeramt employees often make mistakes.13 If you find an error, email the Bürgeramt.
5. Wait for your tax ID
If this is your first Anmeldung, you will get a tax ID by post 2 to 5 weeks later. You can also get a tax ID without registering your address.
If you did not get your tax ID after 6 weeks, ask for it again. It happens to a lot of people.
If you can’t register your address
When you look for an apartment, check if they let you do your Anmeldung. Some places don’t give you a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, and don’t let you register your address. This is usually illegal, but you can rarely fight it. Find another place.
HousingAnywhere shows you if you can register your address. Those furnished apartments are very expensive, but they let you move in and focus on other problems. That gives you more time to find a better, cheaper apartment.
When you register your address for the first time, you get a tax ID. If you can’t register your address you can still get a tax ID.
Can the landlord refuse to let me register?
No. The landlord must let you register your address, but there are exceptions:
- You don’t have permission to live there
For example, someone sublets their apartment to you, but they don’t have permission from their landlord. If the landlord learns this, they can kick you out with a 3 month notice.37 - It’s a commercial accommodation
The rules are different for hotels and commercial apartments.28 Some hotels and Airbnb apartments don’t let you register.
The landlord can refuse to let someone sublet their apartment. There are exceptions:
- Spouse, parents and children
They do not need the landlord’s permission to move in.35 - Boyfriends, girlfriends and life partners
They need the landlord’s permission to move in.34 The landlord can’t refuse without a good reason.40 For example, because the apartment is too small. - Guests and visitors
You have the right to have guests.33 Your landlord can’t forbid guests. Your guests can’t register their address at your apartment, because they don’t live there. - Legitimate interest
You can rent part of your apartment if there is a legitimate interest. The landlord needs a good reason to refuse. Examples of legitimate interest:
If you have questions, talk to a tenant association, or use your legal insurance to talk to a lawyer.
If your name is not on your mailbox
German apartment buildings rarely have individual door numbers. You have the same address as everyone in your building. If your name is not on your mailbox, you won’t get mail addressed to you.20 You must add “c/o” or “bei” to your address. Write your address like this:
[your name]
bei [name of person on the mailbox]
Musterstraße 123
10115 Berlin
When do your Anmeldung, add “c/o” or “bei” to your registered address.21 My Anmeldung form filler helps you do it. The name on the mailbox must be a real person, not a business.22
If your name is not on the lease, your landlord can refuse to put your name on the mailbox.26 This often happens with temporary apartments.
Questions and answers
Do I need to deregister my old address?
No, you only need to do deregister when you leave Germany. If you just change your address, your old address is deregistered automatically.
Do I need to speak German?
Maybe. Some Bürgeramt employees speak English, but many don’t. You should bring a translator or a friend who speaks German.
The Anmeldung is easy, but the Bürgeramt employee can ask you a few questions in German. For example, which floor you live on, or how many people live with you.
Translators like Red Tape Translation can go to the Bürgeramt with you.
Do I have to pay church tax?
It depends. When you register for the first time, they ask you what your religion is. Depending on your answer, you might start paying church tax.
Church tax is 8% or 9% of your income tax (not 8-9% of your income).23 It’s taken directly from your paycheck. A single person earning 50,000€ a year would pay 800 to 900€ per year in church tax.23
If you were baptised in your home country, they might collect church tax even if you register as an atheist. Watch your paychecks for unexpected church tax payments.
How to stop paying church tax – Settle in Berlin
How much does the Anmeldung cost?
It’s free. If you must update your vehicle registration papers, you must pay 10.80€ per vehicle. You can only pay with cash or with a Girokarte. Some Bürgeramt locations accept Visa and Mastercard.10
How many people can register at the same address?
In Berlin, every person needs 9 m². Children up to 6 years old need 6 m². For example, 10 people can register in a 90 m² apartment. Two adults and a 5 year old child need at least 24 m².24
What to do next
Change your address
You must tell everyone about your new address. When you register your address, the Bürgeramt tells some people, but not everyone.
Other steps
When you register your address, the Bürgeramt tells the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice. They will collect the TV tax at your new address.
You should get liability insurance for your new apartment. After health insurance, it’s the second most important insurance. Most Germans have it.
How to choose liability insurance
When you move into an apartment, you must do a few things: lower your rent, get your name on your mailbox, deduct your moving costs, and more.
Sources and footnotes
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Confirmed by multiple Bürgerämter (April 2023), reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴
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promietrecht.de, toytowngermany.com, marialupandina.com (2021) ⤴
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Kathleen Parker, relocation consultant (March 2024), Elliot Herman, relocation consultant (October 2023), multiple relocation consultants (October 2023) ⤴
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Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (March 2024) ⤴
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frag-einen-anwalt.de, blog.wunderflats.com, gesetze-im-internet.de ⤴
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community.withairbnb.com, blog.wunderflats.com, gesetze-im-internet.de ⤴
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§17 Abs. 1 BMG, Senate Department for the Interior, Digitalization and Sport, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (March 2024), multiple relocation consultants (February 2024) ⤴
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nomadenberlin.com, iamexpat.de, email to the Bürgeramt (May 2023), Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (May 2023), reddit.com ⤴
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Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (October 2022), reddit.com, Facebook, Facebook ⤴
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nomadenberlin.com, iamexpat.de, email to the Bürgeramt (May 2023), Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (May 2023), reddit.com ⤴
