City Registration (Anmeldung)

Bank account

Every German bank requires your Anmeldebescheinigung to open an account. N26 is slightly more flexible but most banks need it.

Tax ID (Steuer-ID)

Your Steuer-ID is mailed to your registered address 2–3 weeks after Anmeldung. Without it, your employer cannot process your salary correctly and you get taxed at the maximum emergency rate.

Visa / residence permit

The Ausländerbehörde (immigration office) requires your Anmeldebescheinigung to convert your entry visa into a residence permit. Without it, your appointment cannot proceed.

Health insurance activation

Your Krankenkasse (health insurer) uses your registered address for all correspondence and to confirm your residency in Germany.

Rundfunkbeitrag (radio bill)

Your address is automatically shared with the Beitragsservice after Anmeldung. Registration letters arrive within weeks.

Legal requirement

Under the Bundesmeldegesetz (Federal Registration Act), you must register within 14 days of moving into a new residence. Fines for late registration exist but are rarely applied to first-time registrants.

Valid passport

Bring the original passport with your current Germany entry visa. Copies are not accepted. If you have a national ID (EU/EEA citizens only), that also works.

Anmeldeformular (registration form)

A one-page form available at the office or to download in advance from your city's Bürgeramt website. Fill it in beforehand to save time. Available in German only — bring a translation app.

Wohnungsgeberbestätigung ⭐

A form your landlord must fill out and sign confirming you have moved in. This is mandatory since the Bundesmeldegesetz reform in 2015. Without it, registration is not possible. See the dedicated section below.

Rental contract (optional but useful)

Not legally required, but some offices ask for it to confirm your move-in date. Bring it anyway.

For families

Bring passports for all family members being registered. Children must also be registered. Bring birth certificates for children under 16.

For subletting / WG

If you are subletting from the main tenant (not directly from the landlord), bring both your sublease agreement and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung signed by the main tenant (not the property owner).

What it confirms

The landlord's name and address, the property address, your name, your move-in date, and a signature. A standard one-page form, not a long document.

Who provides it

Your landlord if you rent directly, or your main tenant if you are subletting (WG / room rental). If subletting in a WG, the flatmate who holds the main contract fills out the form.

Where to get the form

Download the template from your city's Bürgeramt website and send it to your landlord to fill in. Most landlords know this process — it is routine.

What if the landlord refuses?

Under §19 of the Bundesmeldegesetz, landlords are legally obliged to provide the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung within 2 weeks of move-in. Refusing is an administrative offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit) punishable by fines up to €1,000.

AirBnB / temporary accommodation

AirBnB hosts are often unwilling to provide the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. This is a genuine problem for new arrivals staying temporarily. Some offices will accept a hotel or hostel confirmation letter for a preliminary registration.

Without permanent accommodation

If you have not yet found a flat, some cities allow registration at a friend's address (with their permission and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from that address). This gets you the Anmeldebescheinigung so you can start other processes.

How to book

All major cities offer online booking (Terminvereinbarung) via their official city website. Search "[your city] Anmeldung Termin" for the direct link. Some cities also accept walk-ins (without appointment) during morning hours.

Walk-ins

Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt, and many smaller cities accept walk-ins. Berlin and Munich almost always require an appointment. Arrive early (before opening) for the best chance of same-day service.

At the appointment

Hand the officer your passport, Anmeldeformular, and Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. The officer enters your details into the system. You sign the form and receive the Anmeldebescheinigung on the spot.

Language

Officers speak German. In major cities, many also speak English. If you are unsure, bring a German-speaking friend or use a translation app. The forms are in German but the process is visual — point and sign.

Anmeldebescheinigung

You receive this document immediately. It is a single printed page showing your name, registered address, and date. Keep multiple copies, banks, the Ausländerbehörde, and the Rundfunkbeitrag all want one.

Cost

Anmeldung is completely free. No fees, no stamps, no charges.

Steuer-ID (Tax Identification Number)

Arrives by post within 2–3 weeks. This is your permanent German tax number (11 digits). Keep it forever — you will need it for every employer and every tax return for the rest of your life in Germany.

Rundfunkbeitrag letter

The Beitragsservice sends a registration invitation within a few weeks. Follow up to register (or register online proactively beforehand).

Bank account

Now that you have your Anmeldebescheinigung, open a German bank account. N26 (online, fast), DKB (free credit card), and Sparkasse (branch-based) all require it.

Visa / permit conversion

Book your Ausländerbehörde appointment to convert your entry visa into a residence permit. You can now book this with your Anmeldebescheinigung.

Health insurance

If on public health insurance, submit your Anmeldebescheinigung to your Krankenkasse to activate coverage and update your records.

Address on all accounts

Update your employer, Indian bank accounts, and any online services with your new German address.

When to do it

Within 14 days of moving into your new flat. Same legal requirement as initial Anmeldung.

Documents

Same as Anmeldung: passport, Anmeldeformular (filled in with new address), and Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from the new landlord.

Process

Book a new Bürgeramt appointment (or walk in) at any Bürgeramt, you do not need to go to the one closest to your new address. The system is city-wide.

Old address

Your old address is automatically deactivated in the Meldedatenbank (registration database). You do not need to separately deregister from the old address within Germany — Ummeldung handles it.

After moving

Update your Rundfunkbeitrag address, bank account, employer, Ausländerbehörde, Krankenkasse, and any other institutions with your new address.

Moving across Bundesländer (states)

Same process, Ummeldung at the new city's Bürgeramt. Important: if you change states, your tax office (Finanzamt) also changes. Inform your Finanzamt.