The Anmeldung - How to register an address in Berlin

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.

Why you need to register

It’s required by law.³⁴ When you register your address, you get:

• A registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung)
  It proves that you live in Berlin. You need it to access many government services. You sometimes need it to get a bank account, a SIM card, an internet contract and health insurance.
• A tax ID (Steuer-ID)
  Your employer needs this to calculate your salary tax. You need it to start a business. You need your children’s tax ID to get a daycare voucher and child benefits.¹ If you can’t register your address, you can still get a tax ID.
• A registered address
  The government sends all important letters to your registered address, not anywhere else.

The Anmeldung is not a residence permit. It does not give you the right to live and work in Germany. If you need a residence permit, you must apply for it.

How to register your address

Step 1: Get a Bürgeramt appointment

Get an appointment to register your address online. Your appointment must be after you move in.² You can go to any Bürgeramt in Berlin, but not in Brandenburg.

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Other ways to get an appointment ➞

If there are no appointments, look again in a few minutes. New appointments appear during working hours, mostly in the morning. You don’t need to look really early in the morning.³

When you book your appointment, you get an appointment number (Vorgangsnummer). You need this number when you go to your appointment. If you lose it, ask for it at the Bürgeramt reception, or call 115.²⁹

Step 2: Prepare the required documents

Bring these documents to your appointment:

• Your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
  You get this document before you move in. You can’t register your address without this document.⁴ If you can, bring the original, not a copy.⁵
  • Your landlord can give you this document.
  • If you rent a room or a sublet, the main tenant (Hauptmieter) can also give you this document. They need the permission of the landlord.⁶
  • If you move with your spouse, they can give it to you. They don’t need permission from the landlord.
  • If you move with your boyfriend or girlfriend, they can give it to you. They need the permission of the landlord, but the landlord can’t really refuse.⁷
• The filled Anmeldung form
  Fill the form online. To register more than 2 people, use multiple forms.
• A valid ID document
  Bring your original passport, not a photocopy. You can also use a EU national ID.⁸ If you have a national ID (Personalausweis), bring it with you. They will put a sticker on it with your new address.
• Your residence permit
  If you have a residence permit, bring it with you. Your residence permit has your old address on it. They will put a sticker on it with your new address.⁹
• Your 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 Girokarte
  The Anmeldung is free, but if you have vehicles, it costs 10.80€ per vehicle. You can only pay with cash, or with a Girokarte. Some Bürgeramt locations accept Visa and Mastercard.¹⁰

If this is your first Anmeldung, you must also bring:

• Your marriage certificate
  It must be the original certificate or a notarized copy.¹¹ If it’s not in English or German, you might need a certified translation.³⁷

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 certificate³⁸
  It must be the original certificate or a notarized copy.¹¹ If it’s not in English or German, you might need a certified translation.³⁹

Step 3: Go to your Bürgeramt appointment

Go to your Bürgeramt appointment. Bring all your documents.

If you don’t speak German, bring a friend or a translator. Some Bürgeramt employees only speak German. The Anmeldung appointment is simple, but sometimes they ask more questions. Red Tape Translation or Booka Local can go with you. Don’t worry: if you go alone, it will still be okay.

You can also send someone else. Red Tape Translation can book your appointment, take your documents, and go to the Bürgeramt for you. It costs 250€.

Arrive a few minutes before your appointment. Find the correct waiting room, and wait until they call your appointment number on the screen. The screen tells you which office to go to.

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. This only takes a few minutes.

Check if the information on your Anmeldebestätigung is correct. The Bürgeramt employees often make mistakes.¹³

Step 4: Wait for your tax ID

If this is your first Anmeldung, you will get a tax ID by post 2 to 4 weeks later.¹⁴ If you don’t receive it, ask for it again.

You can also get a tax ID without registering your address.

How to get a tax ID ➞

If you can’t register your address

Sometimes, you can’t do you Anmeldung at your current address. If you don’t have a registered address, you can’t access certain government services. If you just moved to Germany, it can make your life harder.

HomeLike, HousingAnywhere and Wunderflats show you if you can register. Those furnished apartments are very expensive, but they let you move in and focus on other problems. They give you more time to find a good, cheap apartment later.

Can the landlord refuse to let me register?

Yes, but not always.

There are two reasons why you can’t register your address:

1. You are not allowed to live there
   For example, someone sublets their apartment to you, but they don’t have permission from their landlord. This is very common, but it’s not legal. If the landlord learns this, they can kick you out with a 3 month notice.⁴⁵
2. It’s a commercial accommodation
   The rules are different for hotels and commercial apartments.³⁵ This is why some hotels and Airbnb apartments don’t let you register.
   • If you are already registered in Germany
     If you live there for more than 6 months, the accommodation must let you register.¹⁹
   • If you are not registered in Germany
     If you live there for more than 3 months, the accommodation must let you register.²⁰

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.⁴³
• Boyfriends, girlfriends and life partners They need the landlord’s permission to move in.⁴² The landlord can’t refuse without a good reason.⁴⁸ For example, because the apartment is too small.
• Guests and visitors
  You have the right to have guests.⁴¹ 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:
  • To replace a roommate who moved out⁴⁷
  • To rent your apartment while you work or study in another country⁴⁶
  • Because you really need the money⁴⁴

If you have questions, talk to a tenant association, or use your legal insurance to talk to a lawyer.

Can I get a job without an Anmeldung?

Yes. Your employer only needs your tax ID. If you can’t register your address, you can request a tax ID directly from the Finanzamt.

How to get a tax ID ➞

Can I get a tax ID without an Anmeldung?

Yes. See how to get a tax ID.

Questions and answers

Do I need to register my address?

Yes. You must register your address.³⁴ It’s the law.

There are exceptions:

• 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.³⁶
• 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.³⁶ For example, if you are registered at your parents’ house, and you live with a friend for a few months.

Do I need to register within 14 days?

You should register within 14 days of your move-in date,³¹ but this rule is not enforced in Berlin.²¹ It’s hard to get an appointment in only 14 days. If you take a few weeks to register, you will not get a fine. Just register as soon as you can.²²

Do I need to deregister my old address?

No, you only need to do deregister if you leave Germany.

If you just change your address, your old address will be deregistered automatically.

Who needs to deregister? ➞

Can someone do the Anmeldung for me?

Usually, yes. Red Tape Translation offers this service. If this is your first Anmeldung, the Bürgeramt might ask you to go in person. This rarely happens, but it happens.³²

When you send someone else to do your Anmeldung, they must bring:

• A signed Vollmacht. Use this template.
• Your original passport, not a photocopy.

The signatures on your passport, on the Anmeldung form and on the Vollmacht must look the same.

Can I do my Anmeldung if my name is not on the mailbox?

Yes. If your name is not on the mailbox, add “c/o” or “bei” to your address when you register:²³

[your name]
bei [name of person on the mailbox]
Musterstraße 123
10115 Berlin

If your name is not on the lease, your landlord can refuse to put your name on the mailbox.³³ This happens often with temporary apartments.

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.²⁴ You must add “c/o” or “bei” to your address.

The Bürgeramt allows you to use “bei” in your registered address.²⁵ They sometimes require the name on the mailbox to be a real person, not a business.²⁶

Can many people register with one appointment?

Yes. You can register with the same appointment if:

• you already live together
• and you move together to the same address

For example, you can do the Anmeldung for your whole family in one appointment.

Do I need to speak German to do my Anmeldung?

Probably. Some Bürgeramt employees speak English, but many don’t.

The Anmeldung is very simple, 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 and Booka Local 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).²⁷ 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.²⁷

Church tax calculator ➞

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, but 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 one 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 m².²⁸

How can I do the Ummeldung?

The Ummeldung and the Anmeldung are the same thing.

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.

How to change your address ➞

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.

What is the TV tax? ➞

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, put your name on the mailbox, deduct your moving costs, and more.

Moving into a new apartment ➞

Sources and footnotes

1. t-online.de ⤴

2. Confirmed by multiple Bürgerämter (April 2023), reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

3. nicolasbouliane.com ⤴

4. promietrecht.de, toytowngermany.com, marialupandina.com ⤴

5. facebook.com ⤴

6. promietrecht.de, berliner-mieterverein.de ⤴

7. berliner-mieterverein.de ⤴

8. reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

9. facebook.com, facebook.com, facebook.com ⤴

10. reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

11. reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

12. berlin.de ⤴

13. reddit.com ⤴

14. Screenshot ⤴

15. reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

16. berliner-mieterverein.de ⤴

17. reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

18. reddit.com/r/berlin, gesetze-im-internet.de, reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

19. frag-einen-anwalt.de, blog.wunderflats.com, gesetze-im-internet.de ⤴

20. community.withairbnb.com, blog.wunderflats.com, gesetze-im-internet.de ⤴

21. reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin, reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

22. reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

23. reddit.com/r/berlin, frag-einen-anwalt.de ⤴

24. giga.de, focus.de ⤴

25. Screenshot ⤴

26. Screenshot, Screenshot ⤴

27. steuerberater.com ⤴

28. §7 WoAufG Bln ⤴

29. reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

30. §19 BMG ⤴

31. §17 Abs. 1 BMG ⤴

32. reddit.com/r/berlin, Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation ⤴

33. reddit.com/r/berlin ⤴

34. §17 BMG ⤴

35. §29 BMG ⤴

36. §27 Abs. 2 BMG ⤴

37. nomadenberlin.com, iamexpat.de, email to the Bürgeramt (May 2023), Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (May 2023), reddit.com ⤴

38. Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (October 2022), reddit.com, Facebook, Facebook ⤴

39. nomadenberlin.com, iamexpat.de, email to the Bürgeramt (May 2023), Kathleen Parker at Red Tape Translation (May 2023), reddit.com ⤴

40. §553 Abs. 1 BGB ⤴

41. Kuhlen Rechtsanwälte, Berliner Mieterverein ⤴

42. Kuhlen Rechtsanwälte, Berliner Mieterverein ⤴

43. Kuhlen Rechtsanwälte, Berliner Mieterverein ⤴

44. VIII ARZ 2/84 ⤴

45. Kuhlen Rechtsanwälte ⤴

46. Berliner Mietergemeinschaft ⤴

47. Berliner Mietergemeinschaft ⤴

48. VIII ZR 371/02 ⤴