Everyday money · Germany

Anmeldung in Germany: register your address

Moving in starts an important administrative step. Learn what Anmeldung does, which documents to prepare and how it connects to your tax ID and financial setup.

Fabian BeiningFinanz2Go · English finance guide

Sources checked: 26 October 2026

The general registration deadline2 weeks

After moving into the dwelling. Specific temporary-stay exceptions exist.

Move inUse the actual move-in date

RegisterFollow your local authority’s process

Start with these three checks.

Find the right local office

Use the official service for the municipality where you actually live.

Get the housing confirmation

The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung confirms the move-in; a lease serves a different purpose.

Keep the confirmation

Check the registration details and organise the next tax and banking steps.

What does Anmeldung mean?

Anmeldung is the registration of your home address with the local registration authority, often called the Meldebehörde, Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt. After completing the process, you receive confirmation of registration. This is a useful document to keep with your moving records. [1]

It is a separate administrative process from immigration permission. Registering an address does not itself grant a visa, residence title or permission to work. If your situation requires immigration formalities, organise them separately with the responsible authority. [2]

Term	What it refers to
Anmeldung	Registering the home address you have moved into
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung	Confirmation of move-in from the housing provider
Meldebestätigung	Confirmation issued after address registration
Steuer-ID	A separate personal tax identification number

Use the starting-in-Germany overview to keep registration, health insurance, banking and tax administration on one practical list.

When do you need to register?

The general rule in § 17 BMG is to register within two weeks after moving in. The relevant event is occupying the dwelling, not simply signing a lease or landing at the airport. The rule also matters when you move to a new home within Germany. [3]

For an ordinary move within Germany, register the new home; a separate deregistration is generally for leaving a dwelling without taking another home in Germany. If you move abroad and no longer have a home in Germany, the general deregistration deadline is two weeks after moving out, with filing possible at most one week beforehand. [3]

Plan the appointment early. Check your municipality’s booking and filing options as soon as the move is definite. If no suitable appointment is available, contact the registration authority promptly and keep evidence of your attempts. Do not assume a booking automatically changes the statutory deadline.

What about temporary accommodation?

There are specific exceptions. A person already registered in Germany who takes another dwelling for no longer than six months generally need not register that temporary dwelling. People who normally live abroad and are not registered in Germany have a separate three-month rule; the law also contains exceptions to these exceptions. [4]

The temporary-stay rule is not a blanket three-month grace period for everyone relocating to Germany. A hotel, serviced apartment or short sublet also needs to be assessed in its actual circumstances. Ask the local authority which rule applies to your stay and what to do if the expected duration changes.

For your own planning, distinguish the address where you actually live from a mailing address. Keep the dates of each move and the corresponding accommodation records.

Get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung

The housing provider, or an authorised representative, confirms your move-in in writing or through the prescribed electronic route. The confirmation identifies the housing provider and, where different, the owner, the dwelling, move-in date and people moving in. Request the official local template so the required fields are covered. [5]

A rental contract records the tenancy agreement; it does not replace confirmation that you moved in. Berlin’s official registration service explicitly requires the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and does not accept the lease as its substitute. [1]

If the housing provider refuses or fails to supply the confirmation on time, § 19 BMG requires you to notify the registration authority without delay. The same provision prohibits offering or supplying an address for registration when actual occupation is neither taking place nor intended. [5]

For a sublet, arrange in advance who is responsible for issuing the confirmation. Do not sign the housing-provider section yourself unless you are entitled to do so under the applicable process.

What if the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is missing?

Section 19(2) BMG requires you to inform the registration authority without delay if the housing provider refuses the confirmation or you do not receive it in time. Contact the authority responsible for your actual address and explain the situation. A lease alone is not a substitute for the required confirmation.

Before contacting the Bürgeramt

Record the actual move-in date and the address you need to register.
Ask the housing provider or authorised representative for the official confirmation.
Keep a record of the request and any response.
Tell the authority what is missing and ask which documents and filing route it accepts in your circumstances.

Use the authority’s own contact channel. Do not buy a registration address for a home you do not occupy or intend to occupy.

Source: § 19 BMG, especially paragraphs 2 and 6. This checklist organises the next steps; it does not promise that an incomplete application will be accepted.

Prepare your appointment documents

The federal government’s moving guide points to identification and the housing confirmation as core requirements and directs applicants to their town or city’s official website for the forms and office details. [6]

Prepare	Check on the local service page
Identity documents	Which original passport, ID or residence documents are required for each moving person
Housing confirmation	Correct address, move-in date, names and authorised issuer
Registration form	Whether a form is needed in advance and who must sign it
Family or representation documents	Any consent, civil-status evidence or written authorisation required for your case
Appointment details	Correct office, service type, time and booking reference

This is a preparation list, not a replacement for the authority’s complete requirements. Make the spelling of names and the dwelling address consistent across your paperwork. Keep originals and the copies requested by the authority together.

Anmeldung document checklist

Use your municipality’s current service page as the final checklist. Before the appointment, check:

People: required identity documents for everyone moving, with names matching the forms.
Home: the correct dwelling address and actual move-in date on the housing confirmation.
Issuer: housing-provider details, owner details where required and the required signature or electronic confirmation.
Application: the local registration form and any requested family, consent or representation documents.
Appointment: the correct service, office, time and booking reference.

For a worked local example, use Berlin’s official requirements and forms. Other municipalities can require a different filing route or additional evidence.

Can you complete Anmeldung online?

Online availability depends on your municipality and your situation. For example, Berlin currently describes an online route for adults who are German or EU citizens moving within Germany, using BundID and an enabled German ID or EU eID card. Its online route does not currently accept the electronic residence permit as the identification document. [1]

That example is not a nationwide promise that first-time arrivals can register online. Read the eligibility section before creating an account or uploading documents. Use the in-person or other official route your local authority provides when the online service does not cover your case.

Start from the municipality’s official website, not an advertisement offering to “activate” your address. Check the authority’s published fees and distinguish them from optional commercial assistance.

What happens after Anmeldung?

Check the names and address on the confirmation and retain it. For a first registration in Germany, the tax identification number is normally assigned automatically. It remains the same for life, including after moving or changing your name. The BZSt provides a re-notification process if the letter has not arrived within three months of the first registration. [7]

Read the German tax ID guide to distinguish the Steuer-ID from a Finanzamt tax number. Do not invent a number or assume the registration confirmation itself is the tax ID.

Banks commonly request identity, residence and address evidence, although the documents depend on the provider and account. Confirm the current requirements with the bank you intend to use. [8] Our bank-account guide helps prepare that step.

Review which organisations need your new address, including your employer and financial providers.
Keep track of separate electricity, internet and other contracts for the home.
Add rent, deposits and moving costs to your budget before treating the setup as complete.

Use the cost-of-living guide for the financial side of moving and the money-transfer guide if you are funding the move from another country.

Common questions about Anmeldung in Germany

Can I register using only my rental contract?

The housing confirmation is a separate document. Follow the local registration checklist; a lease alone is not a substitute for the required confirmation.

Does Anmeldung give me permission to live or work in Germany?

No. Address registration and immigration permission are separate. Check any visa, residence and work requirements that apply to your situation.

Do I get a new Steuer-ID every time I move?

No. The personal tax identification number remains the same. If you already have one, keep using it and follow the address-update process.

What if there is no appointment within two weeks?

Contact the registration authority promptly, explain the timing and keep evidence of your booking attempts. Ask what accepted filing route is available; do not assume that a later appointment automatically removes the deadline.

Sources and scope

Checked on 26 October 2026. This guide explains the general federal registration framework and uses Berlin only as a clearly identified example of local procedures. Your municipality’s current service requirements and your circumstances govern the process. It is not an immigration or legal assessment.

See our editorial policy for research and correction principles and About Finanz2Go for the operator behind this guide.