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In Germany, irrespective of the nationality, one must register his or her place of residence with your current address at the citizen office (Bürgerbüro) in the town-hall (Rathaus)and is one of the most important and foremost things to be done when moving into Germany.
Why is it important
According to German Law, one must register in Germany as mentioned in Section 17 of the German Federal Registration Act. You have a timepreiod to register yourself within the firsr 14 days of moving to Germany or to a new address. In case you don’t get yourself registered a legal action can be taken against you and regardless of that you can’t get a mobile sim, health insurance or any services at the bank without first registering yourself at the new place. So it’s because of these reasons that a lot of emphasis is done on finding a place as early as possible and then registering yourself to this new address.
How long does it take?
Depending on the city you’d probably have to wait a few hours to get to your turn and present the person at the desk with your documents. Including your rental contract and identity such as your passport. The officer enters this details in their record and gives you a certificate for registering (Meldebescheinigung or Anmeldebestätigung) to that particular address. To avoid the waiting, it is possible to get an appointment with the citizen office of your city by googling ‘Meldebehörde Anmeldung Termin’ with the name of your particular city.
Who needs to Register?
- Everyone who are living in Germany more than 3 Months
- Anyone changing address within Germany.
- Anyone who are planning to work or Study in Germany
- Anyone who wants to open a Bank account, Health Insurance, TAX ID, Mobile Connection.
What you need to register yourself?
To prepare for your visit for registering at the Rathaus
- you need to make sure you have a contract in your name from the landlord and a confirmation ‘Wohnungsgeberbestätigung’ from the landlord.
- In case you are subletting the place again you need a confirmation ‘Wohnungsgeberbestätigung’ from the original tenant or the landlord .
- If you’re staying with a friend or some family members temporarily while looking for a place for yourself, you would need a signed letter stating that you are staying with them.
- You would require to fill the registration form (Anmeldung bei einer Meldebehörde) which can be found in the waiting area of the town-hall or could also be downloaded from their website.
- Proof of your ID is required in the form of passport or ID card along with proof of valid visa or residence permit if you’ve already gotten it.
If you are living in Germany for less than 3 months, then you don’t need to get yourself registered. In that case your valid visa is enough for to get some things done but you can’t get an internet or electricity contract and for a mobile contract you would have to rely on a pre-paid one.
What happens after registering your residence in Germany?
Once you are officially registered in Local Rathaus, you will also have to pay fees for German broadcasting in the future. This needs to be paid every month irrespective you own a Television or Radio. Fees do not vary based on the number of Households rather the amount is for the complete House. More Details, check the below link www.rundfunkbeitrag.de .
If you are moving to new city, then Kindly update he new address to the Rundfunk service.
