Register your address (Anmeldung) in Germany

Your Anmeldung — also called address registration, city registration or town hall registration in English — is the first official step after moving to Germany: you register your home address at the Bürgeramt and walk out with a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung). You're legally meant to do it within 14 days of moving in, and almost everything that follows — tax ID, bank account, residence permit, even a phone contract — depends on it.

⏱️Free. The appointment itself takes ~10 minutes; the wait to get one is the hard part.

Good to know — wherever you live

• ✓You can only register once you've physically moved in — you need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (move-in confirmation) signed by your landlord, who is legally obliged to provide it.
• ✓Fill in the registration form (Anmeldeformular / Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde) before you go — most cities let you download and pre-fill it, which speeds up the counter visit. On supported city websites, the free TiG Pilot extension explains each field and fills in your saved details.
• ✓No fixed address yet? Some people register at a temporary or friend's address first, but only with that person's signed confirmation — never invent one, it's a punishable offence.
• ✓Book the appointment the moment you have a move-in date; in the busiest cities the next free slot can be weeks away. Check the booking portal early in the morning — some cities release same-day slots then.
• ✓Bring the original Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and the passport of everyone you're registering — one missing document can mean coming back another day.