Residence registration

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Everybody who lives in Germany exceeding three months has to be registered with the city they live in. This regulation applies to Germans and international residents alike.

You have to register with a registration office (Meldestelle) at a ‘Bürgeramt’ within the 14 days  upon your arrival. The necessary form can be obtained directly at your ‘Bürgeramt’ or here. This form needs to be signed by your landlord or you have to bring your rental agreement.

This means that you are able to register with the city only after you found a permanent place to stay. If you stay in a dorm, the form can be signed by the admin staff. If you are living in a privately rented flatshare, the main tenant has to sign the form.

Apart from the signed form you will have to bring a valid passport/ ID card. Presenting all the necessary documents you will receive a registration confirmation ‘polizeiliche Anmeldebestätigung’, which you will need for your residence permit if you are a non-EU citizen.

Note: Openings Hours are the same at all 'Bürgerämter'. On the websites of the 'Bürgerämter' you can make an appointment in order to avoid unnecessary waiting time!

Should you move and change addresses during your stay you have to re-register and inform the 'Meldestelle' of your new address. It is also advisable to carry a photocopy of the ‘Anmeldebestätigung’, along with your passport, with you at all times.