Ultimate Guide – How to Register your Residence in Germany

Wohnsitz anmelden – available for Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg & Munich

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Step by step guide

The Problem(s)

What does ‘Anmeldung des Wohnsitzes' (residence rregistration) mean?
You do not know how to to register your German address / residence.
You have moved to Germany permanently and forgotten to inform the authorities.
The registration form is only available in German.

The SOLUTION

Simply fill out the German registration form on this website in English. Pay.
Receive instantly all necessary forms and documents. Follow our detailed instructions.
Book an appointment.
Get your residence registration confirmation.

Fill out registration form now FAQ

FAQ Residence Registration / Wohnsitz anmelden

1. How to register in Germany?

When you move to Germany permanently you must register your residence (Wohnsitz anmelden). You need a residence in Germany for many things (social security, contracts etc.)

So, how do you register?

First you need to fill out the official registration form of your destination city.

You can do this right here on our website.

It takes 1-3 minutes. No need to speak German.

Why pay and fill out the form on this website?

1. EASY: We give you detailed instructions on how to register in Germany.

2. ONLINE: You can fill out the registration form in English. Online. We will translate it and send you the German version via email instantly.

3. ENGLISH SUPPORT: You have our 24/7 support team to guide you through the steps.

What happens after you fill out the form on this website?

Simple. We send you detailed instructions.
These include:

1. You print out the form.
2. You sign the form.
3. Make an appointment at your local registration office.
4. Go to the appointment with the registration form filled in by us and the other necessary documents (you will receive the list from us). To make sure you have no problems we will send you our German Language Guide: “At the Registration Office”.
5. You will receive the registration certificate.

Done.

Note: Of course you do not have to use our service. You can also download the German version of the registration form on your local German registration website and fill it out by hand. However, if you do not speak German, you can pay a small fee to use the registration form in English on our website. The fee helps us to continue running our website, so we can continue to help English-speakers navigate in the German world of bureaucracy. Please note that we cannot do the registration FOR you. We simply provide the form and explain the steps to you. We have so many happy customers that we offer a money-back-guarantee, see the next section.

More than 15.750+ happy customers // Our ‘Money-Back-Guarantee¹’

There is a lot of confusing information about German registration online. How do I know that I can rely on the answers provided on here?

Our information is based on the experiences of +15.750 happy users, and personal interviews conducted with German officials in 16 different registration offices all over Germany (last updated in Februar 2020).

We are here for you. You can always reach us either by email or live chat, if you have any questions.

We also have colleagues users feeding us with live information about changes in bureaucratic procedures all the time. Of course, there is no guarantee for anything when it comes to the German ‘living organ’ called bureaucracy.

That’s why we offer you our money-back-guarantee.

Our guarantee to our users: You only pay once you are actually registered*. You can find out if you are successfully registered by receiving a registration confirmation letter.

*If you have not successfully registered or received the required confirmation from the German registration office at your appointment you can claim your money back (proof needed). Please get in touch with us by providing your name, email address, customer/invoice number, a short explanation of the situation and attachment of the proof/documents.

If you had problems and want to claim your money back, please visit this page.

Warranty terms:
The guarantor is Expat Services UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Almstadtstr. 25, 10119 Berlin. The guarantee period is 45 days after purchase. If you do not get your registration confirmation at the local Bürgeramt. The guarantee is valid in Germany. The payment will be refunded within 7 days, the credit on the account/credit card can take several weeks and depends on the payment processor. The legal rights of the consumer remain unaffected by the guarantee and are not limited by the guarantee.

2. Who must register?

If you want to study, work or live in Germany in general, everybody have to register yourself in the city you are living in. By that, the German government wants to ascertain the identity of all German residents and their housing. Therefore, one of the first steps after your arrival in Germany is to go to the local registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) or to the citizen service center (Bürgeramt) in your city. Both serve the same purpose: to allow people who want to stay in Germany to register themselves. Below everything is explained that you will need to know about registration.

3. When to register my residence?

The nationality of the citizen does not matter when it comes to registering, which means anyone who wants to stay longer than 3 months in Germany must declare if they are moving in or out of an apartment in any city.

All Germans, EU citizens and non-EU citizens must comply. Regardless of whether you are studying, working or just doing an internship, everyone has the same duty. Normally you must register your residence within 14 days after moving in.

If you don’t yet have a fixed address, registering can be tricky, as one of the documents required to register is a confirmation of residence signed by your landlord. In some municipalities, it may be possible to have this filled out by the proprietor of your temporary accommodation, but usually you will be unable to register until you have a rental contract. If you are uncertain, check with your citizens' office.

4. How to register, if you don’t speak German?

No worries, that is exactly why we have created our registration package. Using our online form, you do not need to be able to read the German official registration form. To date, there are no official English translations of these forms. If you use our service, we will automatically translate everything for you. In short, you fill out the form in English and we will send the German original version to you – with your data on it. You will also receive instructions and this guide to help you.

In theory, all German officials should have basic English skills. This is not always the case.

Some tips from previous users include: If you call an information hotline and the official does not speak English, simply call again, hoping someone else will pick up. You can also ask to be transferred to someone who speaks English (“Könnten Sie mich bitte mit jemandem verbinden, der Englisch spricht?”). Alternatively, ask a friend to call them on your behalf.

You can always go to your local registration office in person to ask for help. However, be aware that there may be long waiting times, if you have not made an appointment. Make sure to bring all necessary documents. And, ideally, bring a German-speaking friend.

5. Why do I need to register my residence?

Registering is compulsory for all citizens by law. Remaining unregistered, giving incorrect details or registering late are not permitted. If you do not register correctly, you could be fined up to 1.000 euros. Once you register, you receive a document that confirms your registration (‘Anmeldebescheinigung‘ or ‘Anmeldebestätigung‘).

You need this document to sign contracts in Germany, applying for residence permit, study at a german university, opening a bank account ,ect.

6. Where do I register? How to find my registration office?

If you use our registration form on this website, you will get the address of your responsible German registration office in our step-by-step guide.

To find out, which German registration office is responsible for you, do this:

To find out where your nearest registration office is located in your city:
Google ‘your city (+ district) + Bürgeramt’ or ‘your city + district + Einwohnermeldebehörde’.

Bürgeramt and Einwohnermeldebehörde are both two official terms that mean the same thing, namely ‘registration office’ or ‘municipal office’.

Once you google it, the address should immediately appear on Google, or in one of the first few search results.

If you want to deregister in Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt a.M., Hamburg, or Munich use our reregistration form. Then you don’t need to look up the registration office. We have already printed the address on our step-by-step guide.

Here is a list of major German registration offices / municipal offices (Einwohnermeldeämter)

‘Aachen'

Verwaltungsgebäude Bahnhofplatz

Hackländerstraße 1

52064 Aachen

‘Bonn'

Stadthaus Bonn

Berliner Platz 2′

Bonn

Tel. 0228 770

‘Bremen'

Pelzerstraße 40

28195 Bremen

Tel. 0421 36188666

‘Cologne’

Bürgeramt

Ludwigstraße 8,

50667 Köln,

Tel. 0221 / 221-0

‘Dortmund'

Dienstleistungszentrum (EWO)

Südwall 2-4

44135 Dortmund

Tel. 0231 5013331

‘Dresden'

Hoyerswerdaer Str. 3

01099 Dresden

Tel. 0351 4886655

‘Dusseldorf'

Abteilung Standesamt – 33/2

Inselstraße 17

40479 Düsseldorf

Tel. 0211 89-91

‘Frankfurt am Main'

Zentrales Bürgeramt Frankfurt am Main

Zeil 3, 60313 Frankfurt am Main

Tel. 069 115

‘Hamburg'

Bezirksamt Hamburg-Mitte – Kundenzentrum

Caffamacherreihe 1-3, 20355 Hamburg

Tel. 040 428280

‘Hannover'

Bürgeramt Bemerode – Hannover

Bemeroder Rathauspl. 1, 30539 Hannover

Tel. 0511 16833102

‘Heidelberg

‘Bürgeramt Altstadt – Abmeldung Wohnsitz

Bergheimer Str. 69

69115 Heidelberg

Tel. 06221 58-17000

‘Karlsruhe'

‘Bürgerbüro K8 – Karlsruhe'

Kaiserallee 8, 76133 Karlsruhe

Tel. 0721 115

‘Leipzig'

Bürgeramt Leipzig Südwest-Zentrum

Bismarckstraße 39 04249 Leipzig

Tel. 0341 123-0

‘Mannheim'

K7 – Bürgeramt

‘Fachbereich Bürgerdienste

68159 Mannheim'

‘Munich'

Landeshauptstadt München – HA II Bürgerangelegenheiten

Ruppertstr. 19

80337 München

Tel. 089 23396000

‘Mönchengladbach'

Vitus-Center Eingang E

Goebenstraße 4-8

41061 Mönchengladbach

Tel. 02161 250

‘Nuremberg'

‘Einwohneramt Nürnberg

Äußere Laufer G. 25

90403 Nürnberg

Tel. 0911 2310

‘Saarbrücken'

‘Bürgeramt City'

Gerberstraße 4

66111 Saarbrücken'

Tel. 0681 9050

‘Stuttgart'

‘Bürgerbüro Mitte – Schwabenzentrum B4'

‘Eberhardstraße 39'

‘70173 Stuttgart'

Tel. 0711 21693740

‘Wiesbaden'

‘Bürgerbüro Wiesbaden

‘Dotzheimer Straße 6-8'

‘65185 Wiesbaden'

Tel. 0611 313344

Various Registration Offices in Berlin, central telephone hotline 030 115

‘Charlottenburg – Wilmersdorf'

Wilmersdorfer Str. 46,

10627 Berlin

in den Wilmersdorfer Arcaden

‘Lichtenberg'

Bürgeramt 2 (Lichtenberg)

Normannenstr. 1 – 2′

10367 Berlin

‘Marzahn – Hellersdorf'

Bürgeramt Marzahner Promenade

Marzahner Promenade 11

12679 Berlin

‘Mitte'

Bürgeramt Rathaus Mitte

Karl-Marx-Allee 31

10178 Berlin

‘Neukölln'

Bürgeramt Rathaus Neukölln

Donaustr. 29′

12043 Berlin'

‘Pankow'

Bürgeramt Pankow

Breite Str. 24A – 26

13187 Berlin

‘Reinickendorf'

Bürgeramt Rathaus Reinickendorf

Eichborndamm 215

13437 Berlin

‘Steglitz-Zehlendorf'

Bürgeramt Steglitz-Zehlendorf

Kirchstr. 1/3

14163 Berlin

‘Tempelhof-Schöneberg'

Bürgeramt Tempelhof-Schöneberg

Tempelhofer Damm 165

12099 Berlin

‘Treptow-Köpenick'

Bürgeramt I in Köpenick

Alt-Köpenick 21

12555 Berlin

7. What documents do you need for your residence registration in Germany?

To successfully register in Germany you need the following documents:

1. The filled-out registration form (Anmeldeformular)

2. Your passport or ID

3. Visa (if applicable)

4. Proof of residence certificate (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)

5. Marriage certificate (if applicable)

Note: if you are registering multiple people at the same time (i.e. your partner or children), make sure to bring all of their documents as well. It is acceptable to have one proof of residence certificate for more than one person.

Can you register without using the German registration form?

No, you need the relevant form from the residents' registration office for your city. There is no standard form in Germany. Each city uses its own. We use the correct forms for the cities of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurth am Main, Hamburg and Munich and fill them out for you.

8. How do I get my ‘Anmeldebestätigung’ (registration confirmation)?

‘Anmeldebestätigung, Meldebescheinigung, Anmeldebescheinigung ‘ is an official German document that confirms that you have registered in Germany. This document is very important because it is written proof that you are resident in Germany.

Note that the registration certificate does not automatically grant expats the right to live and work in Germany. You may also need to apply for a residence permit. Please note that you do automatically receive a registration confirmation at your appointment at the local Einwohnermeldeamt.

If all of your documents are in order, you will be provided with a registration certificate straight away. Your tax ID, a different document which you need to start a job or take out a pension, will be posted to you separately.

9. I am moving to a new address in Germany. Do i need to register again?

If you move to another place within Germany, you simply have to register again. To process of ‘registering again’ is called ummelden in German.

Am I automatically deregistered from my old address if I register again in Germany?

When you fill out the registration form, make sure that you list your old address in Germany on the registration form (‘old address’). This way your previously registered address will be automatically deregistered and replaced by the new one. If you want to keep the old address as a second residence, you can indicate this on the registration form

10. How much cost your service at residence-registration.de? Which cities are supported?

We offer our service for a single payment of 19,90€ for singles and 24,90€ for families. We currently offer our service for

Berlin
Cologne
Düsseldorf
Hamburg
Munich

on. For other cities the service can be booked for an additional fee of 75,00€.

Our goal is to make your residence registration as easy as possible. We are always available to answer your questions.

Note: Of course you do not have to use our service. You can also download the German version of the deregistration form on your local German registration website and fill it out by hand. However, if you do not speak German, you can pay a small fee to use the deregistration form in English on our website. The fee helps us to continue running our website, so we can continue to help English-speakers navigate in the German world of bureaucracy. Please note that we cannot do the deregistration FOR you. We simply provide the form and explain the steps to you. We have so many happy customers that we offer a money-back-guarantee, see the next section.

Go to registration form Our service

since 2014

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satisfied users

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from 19 €

WHAT OUR USERS SAY

This website is the most extensive resource with regards to Residence Registration in Germany I've come across. Big thumbs up for the research that went into this project, guys. In short, what happened: I filled out the registration form on this website, made the payment, received the PDF with the official German registration form via email, printed it, and follow the step-by-step guide. My opinion? Finally a project that serves a need!

Thomas CabotFormer software engineer in Munich

Being Dutch I always felt my German skills were alright. That being said, filling this official document out in English was a great help. I was missing a printer though – important detail! Make sure you can print the form somewhere. I printed the form at work, signed it. Bring my Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. The Meldeamt was next to my workplace in Cologne, so I just dropped the documents off in person. This was good actually, because I got the registration confirmation right away.
All in all, this is a fantastic website and I wish there were more projects like this, for other bureaucratic procedures, too.

Elisabeth van de VenFormer barista in Cologne

What I really liked about this online form is that you are able to save the form and return to it later, in case you do not have time to fill it out in one session.
Little note: Filling in all the fields of the anmeldung-form took me a little longer than I thought. I have to enter whole family details & need all passports.
So my advice to other users would be: Be sure to have these details at hand when you fill out this form.

Stefano PecoraFormer physiotherapist in Göttingen

In their accordion, they explain how you can register without using this paid online form – which I think is kind of awesome. You only pay, if you want to support the project and/or want to make use of the translation service.
As for my own experience with using the paid registration form on here: I received all official forms and a detailed step by step guide. That's what I call smooth sailing.

Diego SanchezFormer English teacher in Berlin