If you plan on living more than 3 months in Germany, then you need to know some basic things. In this guide, we brought a whole guide of how to do Anmeldung aka City Registration in Germany. As you are in Germany, keep that in mind that the initial days are not as easy as it looks. Be ready to see a ton of paperwork.
The first step is to get your Anmledungsbescheinigung (City Registration certificate) from the city registration office (Bürgeramt or Rathaus). The mandatory protocol includes the compulsory registration for every resident. It doesn't matter if you are a local or foreigner. You need to get yourself registered with your city so they know who is living where and how many residence are living in the city.
Let's understand what Anmeldung is and why is it so important
What is Anmeldung (City Registration) in Germany?
City registration in Germany is the city's way of providing evidence of an address. It's compulsory for residents to register their address with city authorities. Complete your city registration in the first two weeks, otherwise, it causes an extra delay in your other process which we will mention in a moment.Who Needs City Registration in Germany?
In Germany, city registration is compulsory for everyone who lives there – German citizens and non-citizens alike. Even those who only plan to live in Germany for a short time (e.g. exchange students) need city registration for their address during their stay. As you are new in Germany or in your city, there are some basic needs like your may need mobile phone contact, or a Sim card, Internet for your home, Personal bank account, and an accomodation, which are essential to get settled. In order to get these services, it is important to get Anmeldung in your city. After this, the question arises.How to do Anmeldung in Germany
You can begin with booking a registration's appointment, once you have got your Anmeldebescheinigung aka registration certificate. You can use it for doing Anmeldung, getting a contact number, or a bank account while you wait for your residence permit and tax ID. After applying for Anmeldung, the citizens' office will give you a confirmation call (Meldebescheinigung). After some weeks later, you will receive your receive bunch of letters like Tax Number, Social Security Number and you will also receive famous Radio Tax letter of Germany. In case, you need your Tax ID, as your employer needs it. For this, you can simply go to the tax office yourself with your passport and Anmeldebescheinigung. The tax office will issue you your Steuer-ID in no time. You don't have to wait 2 weeks for it. If you're new in Germany and don't know about Finanzamt (tax office) near you. Then go to the official page of the Federal Central Tax Office and enter your postal code to locate the nearby office. Another way is to google “Finanzamt + your city name”.Tax reduction and Tax ID
Once you get your Steuer-ID which means Tax ID in English. Submit it to the place of work immediately. Otherwise, you will have to pay 42% tax, which is the highest income tax in Germany for people without registration. We have written two separate guides for Tax Id and Number in Germany.Link to the Topic Tax Class in Germany – All you need to know
City Registration in Germany in just few Easy steps
1. Book an Appointment at Local Citizen Office (Bürgeramt or Rathaus)
As mentioned above, you need to get an appointment at your city's Bürgeramt. After registering, you will get your “Registration certificate” which means Anmeldebescheinigung in German.
In case you're a foreigner with a slight to no understanding of German, you can apply online for the appointment depending on your city. After COVID, many cities started their online portal where you can register yourself without going to the City registration office. If you want to go for the conventional way then you can also get yourself an appointment by going in person, by phone, or by their online portal.
If you're applying online, use Google Translate to translate the page some words you should look for are Anmeldebescheinigung, Anmeldung, Wohnsitz, or Meldeangelegenheiten.
After you have browsed your near registration office, look for available appointments. These appointments are updated usually in the mornings.
Some Conditions of Registration in Germany
Keep that in mind, that If you're planning on settling in Germany with your family, remember to book a separate appointment for each member. As mentioned before, book an appointment in time to avoid unnecessary delays in your other processes. You need a permanent address if you want to register yourself in Germany. You can get into serious trouble without it. However, in some cases, it can be possible to get a temporary address by the proprietor for the time being. Primarily, there are no registration charges, but some municipalities might charge you fees, usually in cash. If you cannot get an appointment via phone or online, you should go to the office to get an appointment. You can also get your registration without getting an appointment if you don't live in Berlin! If you can't afford to wait two weeks and are having difficulties in getting an appointment, there's a hack for you. Get to the city office before its opening time in the morning and get a ticket number while you wait for your turn. Remember to reach there at least 30 minutes prior to opening time and take all your required documents with you.2. Preparation of Documents for Anmeldung in Germany
Some documents that are mandatory for registration are:
- Passport
- Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (letter of confirmed residence from the landlord)
- An Anmeldung Form
- Temporary Visa
- Marriage Certificate
- Documents of Other Family Members
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
It is a letter of confirmation from your landlord that give proof of your permanent residence address. You can get register without this Wohnungsberbestätigung. In case of no permanent residence, you will have to give the temporary residence address. Your landlord or the owner of the place should sign this letter. In case you're sharing it with your friends, you need permission from the landlord to get it signed by others residing there longer than you. It is advisable to get it signed by your landlord. Because according to the federal government, it has been made compulsory after 2015 to attach this certificate with your registration documents. You can also get an English translation copy of this letter of confirmation (Wohnungsberbestätgung): HereAnmeldung Form (City registration form)
Each city in Germany has a different form and you must fill it in according to their format. It is compulsory to submit a completely filled form with the documents of registration. There is one additional form, Beiblatt zur Anmeldung for the family members who are not in Germany with you and to know your registration status for other residential areas or apartments. It is not mandatory to fill out this form with the Anmeldung form.Marriage Certificate
If you're a married couple who is applying for city registration, make sure to bring your original marriage certificate with you for your registration. You must also bring a German Translation copy of your marriage certificate with you.Documents of Other Family Members
To register your family members, you are required to bring original documents of each family member with you including passport, and birth certificates along with their German Translation copies. If you have a family of more than four, it will require more than one person to come to the registration appointment.3. Registration Process After getting an Appointment
It takes around 10-15 minutes till you get your token number. Once they call your token number, you can go to the designated booth. The official officers check the completion of your documents while doing some paperwork alongside.
After they have checked your documents, you will get a certificate of registration with a state stamp on it. You will wait another 2 weeks for the Tax ID.
If you can't speak German, you can always send your German friend on your behalf by signing an authority letter. Remember to give your friend all the documents ready.
You can also attend the appointment yourself and take a translating device with you.
In your appointment, the officers will ask about your religion. If you are a Christian, you will have to pay a certain amount of tax for the church. To dodge the tax, you can always go with no religious identity. However, if you go with no religious identity, it will not be permissible to use their services such as marriage services at a church.
Penalties For Delay or no Anmeldung in Germany
It is advisable to register for an appointment within the first two weeks of moving to Germany, until you get your appointment and registration, you will be living without registration. At this time, you can live with friends or family or even Youth Hostels or Airbnb. Although it can be really tough to get a bank account without a registration certificate, this one bank, mobile bank N26, gives you access without the Anmeldung. By law, it is mandatory to get an Anmeldung in Germany. If not abided by or if delayed, you can get a penalty of over 1,000 euros.Ummeldung (Change of Residential Address) and Abmeldung (Re-registering) in Germany
In case you have changed your residence, you are required to get yourself registered again via the same process as Anmeldung. For getting an appointment, you will have to check the Ummeldung office instead. Change of address also needs to be done in the first two weeks of changing the address. If you are moving out of Germany for good, you are required to de-register yourself just as you registered yourself in the first place. This is called Abmeldung. You should Abmeldung 1-2 weeks prior to leaving. If you leave without informing the state, you will keep getting charged for various monetary services such as health insurance, church tax, gym services, or any other services you were previously taking. You can check the state's official websites for the provision of Anmeldung Form, and Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.Conclusion
We hope this guide helped you in getting all the the information you need for your city registration in Germany. Like what you need for your appointment and as it is necessary because you need this Anmeldebescheinigung for number of things like your Residence Permit, SimCard, Internet, Insurance and Banks. If you don't do it in 2 weeks then late registration penalty could be costly, so it is better that you do it in time. If you need further assistance then check out our other guides which helps with your first days in Germany.Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
How Long I can stay without city registration?
You might get away for not doing Anmeldung in Germany. The problem arises when your need services like bank opening, Simcard or internet. Without Anmledung, you can't open an German account. Without a German account, you can't get a sim or internet connection for your home.
Is it possible to register using Holiday Apartments & Airbnb booking?
You cannot register yourself by using Holiday Apartments or Airbnb booking because they usually don't allow it and will not provide you with a confirmation letter from the landlord.
How city registration works if live in a Shared Flat, House or Apartment
If you share the city registration for a flat, house or apartment with other people, city registration will be split between you. You will still get a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung either from your Vermieter (Owner of the shared apartment) or from the Hauptmieter (Main tenent). Main tenant is the person, which subleases the other rooms in the apartment.
