Checklist of things you need
In order to register your residence in Germany, you need the following items:
- Signed and dated rental contract with the landlord.
- Signed and dated landlord confirmation form (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). You can only obtain this form once you have moved in. Landlords / rental agencies may not hand this out until you ask for it – so make sure to ask for a copy. This is a new requirement that has been in effect since late 2016.
- Identification documents (ie passport, any other identification documents you need)
- Registration Form (Anmeldeformular). It is possible to fill this form out and translated using Google Translate.
- Your confirmed appointment at the Bürgeramt. Simply choose the Anmelden einer Wohnung option to register your residence then select a date that suits you. You need to register within two weeks of arrival, but I was only able to get an appointment after three weeks which was fine.
Day of the appointment
Bring your emailed confirmation with you to show to the reception and they can motion you to a waiting area.
Inside the waiting area is a screen where you wait for your transaction number to come up alongside the name of the desk number to go to for the form registration.
Then you provide the documents to the staff member. It takes about 10-15 minutes to add everything in the system (depending on how slow they type, really), then you’re all set!
Make sure to double check your details and that they provide you with a registration certificate (called “Meldebescheinigung”)
They will print out a couple of pages, one page will be handed to you. After I stepped out the Bürgeramt, I decided to double check my details and they had my birth of date wrong.
When I got back, I tried to communicate to reception in bad German/English, but they could’t understand what I was trying to say, though luckily the staff that did my details saw me, then understood the issue.
After they finished up with another client, they sorted out my paperwork to the right birthday. Then, he handed me a different piece which is the registration certificate (called “Meldebescheinigung”).
Can you get your Identifikationnummer on the same day?
I initially was planning to get my Identifikationnummer on the same day since I have read that once you register, you can go to the Finanzamt and try to obtain it. I asked the Bürgeramt, and they said that I need to wait a couple of weeks for the letter.