Tell any German resident that you are about to do your Anmeldung and you will get a knowing look. It is the rite of passage of the country: a short appointment at the town hall that opens almost every other door. Doing the Anmeldung in Germany (the "Anmeldung Germany" process) well, and on time, saves you weeks of trouble.
What is the Anmeldung Germany requires, and who must do it?
The Anmeldung is the registration of your address with the local registration authority, the Meldebehörde (also called Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt). Everyone who moves into a home in Germany must do it, whatever their nationality, including Germans. The rule is in the Federal Registration Act: within two weeks of moving in (§ 17 BMG). You register for a main home, or for a second one if you keep a main home elsewhere.
Registration does not give you a right to live here. EU citizens have that anyway (residence in Germany for EU citizens explains). What registration gives you is an official address, a Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate) and, a few weeks later, your tax ID.
What documents do you need?
- A valid ID card or passport for each person registering.
- The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: a form signed by your landlord stating the address, the landlord's name (and the owner's, if different), your move-in date and the names of everyone moving in (§ 19 BMG). The law obliges the landlord to give it to you. Berlin says clearly that a rental contract does not replace it.
- The registration form, which you fill in before or at the appointment.
- For families, birth or marriage certificates may be asked for at the first registration. Cities differ, so read your city's page.
Foreign documents sometimes need a translation. If you are unsure, ask the office by email which are required.
If your landlord refuses to sign, or you are moving in with a partner who rents, or you are not sure which address counts as your main home, the details matter. Moovy can explain the options in plain English and point you to the exact rule. It cannot attend the appointment for you.
How do you book an Anmeldung Germany appointment?
Most cities work by appointment, and the federal portal states that registration is in principle done in person. In Berlin you book through the 115 service line or on service.berlin.de. In Munich you book from the city's "Termin vereinbaren" page, and there are several citizens' offices across the city.
Big-city slots can run out for weeks. A few tips that experienced residents give:
- Book as early as you can. Munich says registration with a future move-in date is not possible, so aim your appointment at the first days after you get the keys.
- Check several offices. Berlin allows booking at any Bürgeramt, so look beyond the one nearest to you.
- Look for the online option. Berlin offers online registration for adults who are German or EU citizens, with a BundID account, an ID card with online function and its PIN, and the AusweisApp. Munich lets you register online for a main home. Not every city does.
If the earliest slot is after your two weeks, keep the screenshot or confirmation. It shows you tried.
What happens at the appointment?
The clerk checks your ID and your confirmation, asks a few questions, and enters your data. You are asked for your marital status and your religion. The register holds your membership of a church or religious society that levies tax (§ 3 BMG), and that data feeds the electronic wage-tax deduction. Church tax (Kirchensteuer) follows actual membership, so answer accurately and ask the clerk if you are unsure.
At the end you receive the Meldebescheinigung. In person, in Berlin, you get the confirmation immediately; online, you are emailed when the digital certificate is ready. Keep several copies: banks, employers, insurers, schools and the vehicle registration office all ask for it.
How much does it cost, and what is the penalty?
Berlin and Munich list no fee for the registration in 2026. Munich charges €12.60 only if you also change the address on your vehicle papers at the same time. Other cities may differ.
The Federal Registration Act treats a missing, incorrect or late registration as an administrative offence, with a fine up to €1,000 (§ 54 BMG). That is a ceiling, not a tariff. Giving a false address, or providing one, is treated far more seriously, with a ceiling of €50,000 for the person who provides it.
What happens after the Anmeldung?
Three things follow quickly:
- Your tax ID. The registration office passes your data to the Federal Central Tax Office, which posts the Steuer-ID to you. See Steuer-ID.
- Your bank account. The certificate is the key document for a bank account in Germany.
- Your broadcasting contribution. Once registered, you also need to register your home with the Rundfunkbeitrag service, covered in our Rundfunkbeitrag article.
Put your name on the letterbox as soon as you get the keys. The tax ID letter and many other official letters will not be redelivered if the postman cannot match a name.
Do you also need to deregister?
If you leave Germany for good with no home left here, you must deregister (Abmeldung) at the same registration office, within the same two weeks (§ 17 BMG). If you move to another place in Germany, your new registration takes care of the old one in most cases. Munich states that you do not need to deregister at the former place.
How does Anmeldung Germany work for couples, families and flatshares?
Everyone who moves in must be registered, and one person can register the others if they bring the right papers. The Berlin page lists a signed power of attorney plus the form signed by the person being registered, and Munich asks for the original IDs of everyone concerned. For minors, a consent form may be required, for example when only one parent attends. Your own office will say which forms apply.
Flatshares need a little attention. The landlord's confirmation must list the names of everyone moving in (§ 19 BMG), so if a new flatmate joins later, a new confirmation is needed for them. In a sublet, ask the person who gives you the right to use the flat, and make sure the owner's name appears if it differs. If anything is unclear, ask the registration office before the appointment rather than after.
What if the landlord will not sign the confirmation?
This happens more often than it should, especially with informal sublets. The law is on your side: the landlord must give you the confirmation within the two-week period (§ 19 BMG). If your landlord stalls, write to them (an email is enough), quote the law, and tell the registration office. Munich accepts a declaration about the missing confirmation as a fallback, so the office can follow up with the landlord.
Do not agree to be registered at an address where you do not live, however convenient it sounds. The federal law treats the provision of a fictitious address as an offence, with a ceiling of €50,000 for the person who provides it. A friend's address as a favour is a risk for both of you.
What changes after the Anmeldung for Swiss citizens and Britons?
The obligation is the same for everyone. What differs is what happens next. EU and EEA citizens have nothing more to do with the immigration authorities. Swiss citizens do not need a permit, but can ask the Ausländerbehörde for a document certifying their right to stay. British citizens became third-country nationals after Brexit: they can enter without a visa and apply for a residence title from inside Germany within 90 days of entry (§ 41 AufenthV), at the foreigners' office of their city. Those who were living in Germany on 31 December 2020 are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and receive a separate residence document. See moving to Germany from the UK.
Which questions come up again and again?
- Can a hotel or holiday-rental address be used? The registration needs a home you actually occupy, backed by the landlord's confirmation. Giving an address where you do not live is an offence.
- Can I register before I arrive? Not with a future move-in date, as Munich states plainly. Book the appointment for the first days after you get the keys.
- Do I get a new tax ID if I register in another city later? No. The number is for life, even after you move or leave and come back.
- Can I register in one city and live in another? No. You register where you live. The registration is the basis for local services and for the tax office and the other bodies that deal with you.
- What do I do when I leave? Deregister at the same office within two weeks if you have no home left in Germany.
What should you do in the days after the appointment?
Make digital and paper copies of the Meldebescheinigung. Send a copy to your employer and your bank. Put your name on the letterbox and the doorbell. Register for the broadcasting contribution, and if you own a car, ask the vehicle registration office what it needs. Then wait for the tax ID letter, which should arrive without any action on your part. If you have children, contact the school office or the youth office about places, since many of them rely on the address you have just registered.