Register your main residence

Prerequisites

• You have moved into an apartment as your main residence.

Documents required

• Documents of all persons to be registered:
  • Identity card and - if available - passport
  • Children (up to their 18th birthday): ID card and/or passport if available, otherwise birth certificate; personal presence is not required –
• landlord confirmation
• When moving into residential property, the purchase contract or extract from the land register
• Holders of an electronic residence permit (eAT) should bring the eAT along with their documents.

The following data or documents are also required by

• persons being cared for: written power of attorney or carer ID
• Persons who cannot appear in person: written authorization and identification documents of the person to be registered (this only applies if the person is already registered in Germany)

In addition, the following documents must be brought with you if you are moving from outside:

• Married/partnered:
  • Original marriage certificate
  • Both IDs (unless they live separately)
• divorced:
  • final divorce decree (original)
• widowed:
  • original death certificate
• Unmarried and shared apartments:
  • Presentation of the identity cards of all persons as well as additional written authorizations of the persons who are not present

Please note

• There are no hints or special features.
• From the age of 16 you can register without the consent of the legal guardians.

Deadlines

You are obliged to register with the registration office at your place of residence within two weeks of moving in. Late registrations can be punished with a fine.

Procedure

• If you have several apartments in Germany, one of these apartments is your main residence.
• You must register your place of residence within 2 weeks of moving into the new apartment.

Processing time

• Registration takes about 12 minutes

Fees

• EUR 12 per adult or under 18 auditioning alone.


• EUR 12 per family (parents including underage children with the same arrival dates).


• EUR 12 for a married couple (without children with the same arrival dates).

Legal remedies

none

Legal basis

• Section 17 (1) and (3) of the Federal Registration Act (BMG)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__17.html


• § 21 Para. 4 Federal Registration Act (BMG)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__21.html


• § 22 Federal Registration Act (BMG)
  http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__22.html


• § 23 Federal Registration Act (BMG)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__23.html


• Section 24 (1) of the Federal Registration Act (BMG)
  https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__24.html


• Numbers 17.1, 17.3, 22 and 23 General Administrative Regulations for the Implementation of the Federal Registration Act (BMGVwV)
  https://www.verwaltungsverbindungen-im-internet.de/bsvwvbund_28102015_VII22010414012.htm

If you have several apartments in Germany, one of these apartments is your main residence.
main residence is:

• if you are married or living in a civil partnership: the home mostly used by the family or the civil partnership. This also applies if you are only temporarily separated from your family or partner.
• if you are married or in a civil partnership and permanently living separately: 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.

Each time you register, you must inform the registration office whether you have any other apartments in Germany and, if so, which ones, and which of these apartments is your main residence.
When registering with the registration office, you must submit written confirmation from the landlord or a person commissioned by him (landlord confirmation). Your landlord or a person commissioned by him can also confirm your move-in directly to the registration office.
The confirmation from the landlord must contain the following data:
1 Name and address of the landlord and if he is not the owner, also the name of the owner,
2 move-in date,
3 address of the apartment as well
4 Names of persons subject to registration under Article 17 Paragraph 1 of the Federal Registration Act (BMG).
If you are under the age of 16, registration is the responsibility of the person whose apartment you are moving into. If you are of legal age and a caregiver has been appointed for you who can determine where you are staying, he or she is responsible for registering.
A registration or re-registration of minors from a common parental home requires the consent of both legal guardians.
A dog must be re-registered with the Consumer Protection Office or via the online service.