What is the Residence Registration / "Anmeldung"?

Anmeldung means registration in German and is the most important first step when moving to (or within) Berlin or anywhere in Germany. Anyone intending to stay in Germany for a longer period of time is required to register their residency. You are required to get registered within 14 days from the moment you officially move into your residence.

Why do I need to register my residence and what happens if I don't?

Generally, registration is crucial for being able to settle in Berlin. You need the registration to open a bank account, obtain health insurance etc. If you fail to comply to the the 14 day deadline, there can be fines.

Documents required to register a residence in Berlin

Before making an appointment for you registration, make sure you have all your documents ready.

Here is what you will need to bring:

Passport

Bring your valid passport or identification card. 

Anmeldeformular (registration form)

Don't forget your completed registration form (Anmeldeformular).

This can be found on our website.

Landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)

By law, your landlord has to provide you with a confirmation of your residency within 14 days of signing your rental contract. If you are the owner yourself, you need to provide the corresponding pages from the "Grundbuch" (land register) that prove that you are the owner.

Possibly: ​Marriage Certificate

Only if you have one and your partner registers with you; also bring children's birth certificates if they register with you  - they are optional, but will help to make sure you get the correct income tax bracket.

Where do I bring all the paperwork for my residence registration?

Once you have all required documents ready, you will need to take them to a local registration office called Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt. It is advisable to make an appointment before you go in order to avoid long waiting times or worse, being denied service and sent home. In Berlin you can make appointments online (see down below).

Unfortunately there is no option to register your residency online. However, in case you are busy, you can send a friend, family member or one of our experts from Amtio on your behalf to have a care-free registration process. 

How to find the right location

There are several locations you can visit. We recommend you to research for the nearest location before you make an appointment to avoid long travel time.

Note: Remember to double check opening times and read individual policy of your chosen location, as some offices work on an appointment-only basis.

How do I get an appointment at the registration office?

Booking an appointment

You have the option to attend without an appointment, however we strongly advise you to book an appointment, since waiting times are usually very long and some offices will reserve the right to decline service without an appointment. You will find the adresses of some of the bigger offices below.

As aforementioned, you can book an appointment online  here. We have answered the most important questions concerning the residency registration appointment below:

Do I need to attend the appointment myself?
You do not need to go there by yourself. If you don´t feel comfortable with your German yet or simply don´t want to deal with German bureaucracy and spend your time at the registration office, you can ask someone you know to go for you or use our care-free service. Click below for more info:

How do I make an appointment online to register in Berlin? ​

Step by Step Instructions

• To book an online appointment go to Berlin Bürgeramt Service

• Click on your preferred Bürgeramt location - you can either choose from the map or scroll down through the list of locations

• On the next page, scroll down again to Angebotene Dienstleistungen ("offered services") and select Anmeldung einer Wohnung ("Residency registration")

• On the next page you should find a button that says Termin hier buchen ("Book appointment here")

Note: It is very common in Berlin that appointments for Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt are booked out for several weeks or months in advance. If  the location you want is booked, remember that you can go to any Bürgeramt, so in case you urgently need one, you can choose any free appointment, regardless of the location. Worst case you can also go early in the morning without an appointment. If neither is possible for you, reach out to us at Amtio, we are experienced experts in the field of residency registration in Berlin, we will try to help you or personally get your residency registration done as quickly as possible.

What do I get at the end of the residence registration?

The official registration document

You will get a proof of residency registration in Berlin, Germans call Meldeschein or Anmeldebestätigung. Keep this document safe, since you are most likely going to need it for many official matters such as a German bank account , health insurance, library card and more.

Income-tax card called Steuer-ID

If you are eligible, you will also receive an income-tax card with your tax ID (Steuer-ID).

The federal tax office (Finanzamt) will automatically send it to your newly registered German address within a few weeks. Let your employer know your tax ID so they can use it to deduct applicable taxes regarding your income and social security.

Note: Do not confuse the tax ID (Steuer-ID) with the tax number (Steuernummer), which is a tax number necessary for freelancers only. (The tax number has to be requested from the tax office separately - Read "Getting A Freelance Steuernummer" from Finanzamt in Berlin.)

Extra Info: What is Kirchensteuer and do I have to pay it?

On your registration form, you will be requested to state your religion, a field you can also just leave blank. Nevertheless, if you want to be officially registered as Catholic, Protestant or any other Christian religion, you are required to pay a religious tax on their annual income tax bill called church tax ("Kirchensteuer") which is normally around 9 percent of the annual income tax.

Note: If choosing not to pay  church tax in Germany you will not be eligible to receive communion, confession or get married in a German church.

Click to view all Bürgeramt locations in Berlin

Click to view Meldegesetz (German Registration Law in German)

Main Addresses for Bürgeramt Locations in Berlin

Bezirksamt Charlottenburg/Wilmersdorf

Bürgeramt Halemweg (Außenstelle)

Halemweg 18
13627 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 9029-25222

Fax: (030) 9029-2522

Bezirksamt Friedrichshain - Kreuzberg I

Bürgeramt 1 (Kreuzberg), Yorckstr.

Yorckstraße 4-11
10965 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90298 - 3165

Bezirksamt Friedrichshain - Kreuzberg II

Bürgeramt 3 (Friedrichshain), Frankfurter Allee

Frankfurter Allee 35/37
10247 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90298 - 4690

Bezirksamt Lichtenberg

Bürgeramt 1 (Neu- Hohenschönhausen) Egon-Erwin-Kisch-Straße

Egon-Erwin-Kisch-Straße 106
13059 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90296-777819

Bezirksamt Marzahn - Hellersdorf

Bürgeramt Biesdorf - Center

Elsterwerdaer Platz 3
12683 Berlin

Postanschrift

Bürgeramt

12591 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90293-5515

Bezirksamt Mitte

Bürgeramt Rathaus Mitte

Karl-Marx-Allee 31
10178 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030)9018 23060

Bezirksamt Neukölln

Bürgeramt Blaschkoallee, Neukölln

Blaschkoallee 32
12359 Berlin

Postanschrift

Karl-Marx-Str. 83

12040 Berlin

Tel.: 115

Fax: (030) 90239-1369

Bezirksamt Pankow I

Bürgeramt Pankow

Breite Str. 24A - 26
13187 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90295-2576

Bezirksamt Pankow II

Bürgeramt Prenzlauer Berg

Fröbelstr. 17
10405 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90295-6888

Bezirksamt Reinickendorf

Bürgeramt Rathaus Reinickendorf

Eichborndamm 215
13437 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90294-2994

Bezirksamt Spandau

Bürgeramt Spandau - Bürgeramt Rathaus Spandau

Carl-Schurz-Str. 2/6
13597 Berlin

Tel.: 115

Fax: (030) 90279-2828

Bezirksamt Steglitz - Zehlendorf

Bürgeramt Steglitz

Schloßstraße 37
12163 Berlin

Tel.: (030) 115

Fax: (030) 90299-3370

Bezirksamt Tempelhof - Schöneberg

Bürgeramt Schöneberg

John-F.-Kennedy-Platz -
10825 Berlin

Tel.: 115

Fax: (030) 90277-7021

Bezirksamt Treptow - Könighof

Bürgeramt I in Köpenick

Alt-Köpenick 21
12555 Berlin

Tel.: 115

Fax: (030) 90297-2845

Click to view all Bürgeramt locations in Berlin