Anmeldung: how to register your address in Germany

Registering your address (Anmeldung) is the first piece of German bureaucracy you'll meet — and the one everything else depends on. Without it there's no tax ID, which means your first payslip is taxed at the highest rate.

When

You must register within two weeks of moving into a flat (§ 17 Federal Registration Act). It's free of charge.

What to bring

• Passport or national ID card (and your visa, if you have one)
• Wohnungsgeberbestätigung — a short confirmation from your landlord that you moved in. The landlord is legally required to give it to you.
• The registration form (Anmeldeformular), usually downloadable from your city's website
• Marriage or birth certificates if you register family members (sometimes with translation)

Getting an appointment

In most cities you register at the Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro. In big cities appointments can be weeks away:

• Check the online booking system early in the morning — cancellations appear then.
• Try other Bürgerämter in the same city; you can usually go to any of them.
• Some cities now offer online registration. Check your city's website.

If you can't get an appointment within two weeks, book the earliest one you can and keep the confirmation. In practice that's accepted.

What you get

• The Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate). Keep it safe: banks, employers and the immigration office ask for it.
• Your tax ID (Steuer-Identifikationsnummer) arrives by post a few weeks later. Give it to your employer as soon as it arrives.

Temporary or furnished flats

You can only register where you actually live, with the landlord's confirmation. Hotels and many short-term rentals can't provide one. If you start in a temporary place, pick a furnished rental that offers registration — many mid-term platforms say so in the listing.

When you leave

Moving to another flat in Germany: simply register at the new address. Leaving Germany: de-register (Abmeldung), so taxes and broadcasting fees stop.

Next steps after the Anmeldung: your first 30 days after a job offer.