Change of main residence

Prerequisites

• You have several apartments inland.
• Your previous main residence is used by you as a secondary residence, or your previous secondary residence as your main residence.

Documents required

Please bring an identity document (e.g. identity card or passport as proof of identity and to change the apartment details) with you.

Deadlines

You are obliged to notify the responsible office for resident affairs of the change in the status of your apartment within two weeks.


The period begins on the day on which the previous residence was changed.

Procedure

The personal appearance at the responsible location for resident affairs is mandatory.

Processing time

None (the change of status is entered directly by Hamburg Service in the population register)

Fees

There are no costs.

Payment methods available

• Girocard
• Cash payment

Legal remedies

no

Legal basis

§ 21 Federal Registration Act (BMG)

§ 22 Federal Registration Act (BMG)

If you have several apartments in Germany and the status of your apartment has changed (the main apartment is now used as a secondary apartment or the secondary apartment is now used as the main apartment without moving into or moving out of a new or previous apartment), then you are You are obliged to inform the responsible location for residents' affairs.

main residence is:

• If you are married or living in a civil partnership: the main home used by the family or civil partnership. This also applies if you are only temporarily separated from your family or partner.
• If you are married or living in a civil partnership and permanently living apart: Your main residence.
• If you are a minor: the home your parents or foster parents primarily use. If they live separately, the main residence is the residence in which you mainly live.
• Only when it is not possible to determine the dwelling that is primarily used without any doubt should the main focus be placed on the life relationships. Clues for this are, for example, the type of apartment, personal ties, social and local political activities as well as membership in clubs and other organizations.

At the same time, you are obliged to inform Hamburg Service which other apartments (secondary apartments) you have in Germany in addition to the main apartment.

Secondary residence is any additional residence in Germany. You can therefore have a main residence and several secondary residences.