How to Register Your Address in Germany: The Anmeldung in 6 Steps
The Anmeldung is your mandatory address registration at the Bürgeramt — the first official step that unlocks your bank account, tax ID and health insurance.
The Anmeldung is the mandatory address registration you complete at your local Bürgeramt (citizens' office). It is the first official step after moving into any German home, and the Meldebescheinigung you receive unlocks your bank account, your tax ID, your phone contract and your health insurance.
What the Anmeldung actually is
Legally you have two weeks from your move-in date to register. In practice, appointment availability decides the real timeline — in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg you may wait longer for a slot than the law allows, and that is accepted as long as you booked as early as possible.
Documents you must bring to the Bürgeramt
Bring your passport, the completed Anmeldeformular, and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung signed by your landlord. Without that landlord confirmation the office cannot register you, no matter how complete the rest of your file is. For a field-by-field English translation of the form, see our guide to filling out the Anmeldung form in English.
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation)
This is a short signed form confirming your landlord has given you the flat. It must include your name, the address, the move-in date, and the landlord's signature. A scanned copy is usually accepted, but keep the original until you are registered.
Booking your Bürgeramt appointment online
Book your appointment the moment you have a signed lease. Slots in major cities are often released early in the morning, and cancellations appear throughout the day. Refresh the booking page a few times and you will usually find something within a week.
At the appointment: the 6 steps
Check in at the terminal, hand over your passport and form, confirm your address on screen, sign the printout, receive your Meldebescheinigung, and ask for a stamped copy for your employer. The whole visit takes under ten minutes once you are called.
After registration: your tax ID arrives by post
Your Steueridentifikationsnummer arrives separately by post within two to three weeks and goes straight to your employer. Give your bank a copy of the Meldebescheinigung the same week and your account is fully unlocked. Students arriving on a student visa should also check how to open a blocked account for a German student visa before they travel.