How to fill in the German Anmeldung

The Anmeldung is the form (Meldeschein) you hand in at your local registration office (Meldebehörde) to register the flat you have moved into. You must register within two weeks of moving in, with your passport or ID and a confirmation from your landlord.

Last checked against the official form: October 14, 2026

Form: Anmeldung
Edition: Meldeschein, § 17 BMG
Issued by: Meldebehörde
Form language: Deutsch

Where it goes: The registration office (Meldebehörde, often called Bürgeramt) of the town where the new flat is
Deadline: Within 2 weeks after you move in (§ 17 of the Federal Registration Act, BMG)
What to bring: The completed form, your passport or ID card, your residence permit if you have one, and the landlord’s confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
Cost: Free of charge
Fine for registering late: Up to €1,000 (§ 54 BMG)
Proof you receive: A confirmation of registration (Meldebestätigung); the tax ID is sent by post

What this form is

In Germany everyone who lives in a flat has to be registered at that address. The Anmeldung is the form for it: it tells the registration office who you are, where you lived before, when you moved in and which of your homes is the main one. There is no single national form. Each town issues its own, so the order and wording of the boxes differ, but they all collect the data that the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz, BMG) lists.

The data you give is kept in the municipal population register and passed on to the tax office (your tax ID), to the churches that collect church tax and to other authorities. The confirmation you get is the proof of address you need for a bank account, a phone contract or a residence permit.

This guide follows the wording and order of a typical official form. If your town’s form words something differently, look for the same meaning. Some towns let you register online or through a representative; the data asked for is the same.

Who has to fill it in

You register if:

You have moved into a flat or house in Germany, as a tenant, owner or subtenant, whatever your nationality.
You are a newcomer from abroad, or you moved within Germany to another town or another address.
You live in a second flat besides your main home: it needs registering too.

You do not need this form if:

You are only deregistering because you leave Germany: that is the Abmeldung, a different form.
You are staying in a hotel or similar for a short time and not moving into a flat.

Field-by-field instructions

Personal details

On the form	What it means	How to fill it in
Familienname (Ehename)	Your current last name, including every part of it.	Write the full name as it is in your passport, with all name parts. A married name goes here; the name you had before goes in the next box.
Frühere Namen (z. B. Geburtsname)	Earlier names, for example your name at birth.	Fill it in if you had a different name before, for example after marriage. If you never had another name, leave it blank or write a dash.
Vorname(n) (Rufname unterstreichen)	All your first names.	Write every first name as it is recorded in your civil-status documents, and underline the one you are normally called by (the Rufname).
Doktorgrad	Your doctoral degree, if you have one.	Write only “Dr.”, without an addition such as “med.”. A doctorate earned abroad is entered only if you may use the title “Dr.” in Germany; the office may ask for the original certificate and a certified German translation. Other degrees do not go here.
Familienstand	Your marital status in the civil-status sense.	Choose ledig (single), verheiratet (married), verwitwet (widowed), geschieden (divorced) or eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft (registered civil partnership). Forms also have entries for an annulled marriage or partnership and for a deceased partner.
Geschlecht	Your sex as in your documents.	Use the entries of your form. A typical form uses M (männlich, male), W (weiblich, female), D (divers) and o.A. (ohne Angabe, no entry).
Geburtsdatum	Your date of birth.	Write day first, then month, then year: 3 July 1990 is 03.07.1990.
Geburtsort (Gemeinde, Landkreis; falls Ausland: auch Staat angeben)	The town where you were born, its district, and the country if you were born abroad.	Write the municipality and the district. If you were born outside Germany, add the country as well, for example “Lahore, Pakistan”.
Ordens-/Künstlername	A religious-order name or a stage name, if you officially use one.	Leave it blank unless it is part of your name in your documents.
Staatsangehörigkeit(en)	Your citizenship or citizenships.	List all your citizenships. If you are stateless, give your last citizenship if you had one.
Religion	Whether you belong to a public-law religious community, which matters for church tax.	Enter your membership only if you belong to one, for example römisch-katholisch or evangelisch. If you belong to none, enter the dash or the entry for “none” that your form’s notes give. This is what decides whether church tax is taken from your pay.
Datum und Ort der Eheschließung / Begründung der Lebenspartnerschaft	The date and place of your marriage or registered partnership.	Fill it in if you are married or in a registered partnership. Take the date and place from your marriage certificate.

The move and the flat

On the form	What it means	How to fill it in
Tag des Einzugs	The day you moved into the flat.	Write day, month and year in that order. Use the day you actually moved in; it must be the same as on the landlord’s confirmation.
Neue Wohnung (Straße/Platz, Hausnummer, Stockwerk)	The address of the flat you are registering.	Write street, house number and floor, then the postcode and town. Copy it from your lease or the landlord’s confirmation.
Bisherige Hauptwohnung / Letzte Anschrift im Inland	Where you lived before, and your last address in Germany if you come from abroad.	Write the full address of your previous main home. If you come from abroad, give the country as well, and your last address in Germany if you ever had one. If you had no home before, say so.
alleinige Wohnung / Hauptwohnung / Nebenwohnung	Whether the flat is your only home, your main home or a second home in Germany.	Tick alleinige Wohnung if it is your only home in Germany. Tick Hauptwohnung if you have several homes and live here most of the time. Tick Nebenwohnung for every further home. If you do not tick alleinige Wohnung, you also fill in a second form for the other homes.

Family members

On the form	What it means	How to fill it in
Angaben über nicht mitzuziehenden Ehe-, Lebenspartner*in	Details of a husband, wife or partner who is not moving in with you.	Fill it in only if your spouse or partner stays elsewhere: name, date of birth, sex, place of birth and address. Skip it if they move in with you.
Leben Sie dauerhaft getrennt von Ihrer/m nicht mitzuziehenden Ehe-, Lebenspartner*in?	Whether you live permanently apart from that spouse or partner.	Tick ja or nein. The office needs it to decide which of your homes is the main one; it is not stored.
Gesetzliche Vertreter	The parents or guardian of a minor who registers.	Fill it in only when you register a child or a person under guardianship. Leave it out when parents and children register together on one form.

Documents and signature

On the form	What it means	How to fill it in
Pass- und Ausweisdaten (Art, Seriennummer, Ausstellungsbehörde, Ausstellungsdatum, Gültig bis)	The identity document you show at the office.	Write the type (for example Personalausweis or Reisepass), its serial number, the authority that issued it, the issue date and the date it is valid until. Copy this from the document itself.
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (separates Formular)	A separate form your landlord fills in to confirm that you moved in.	Ask your landlord for it and bring it signed. A lease does not replace it. It shows the landlord’s name and address, the owner if that is someone else, the move-in date, the flat’s address and the names of the people registering.
Ort, Datum / Unterschrift der meldepflichtigen Person	The place, the date and your signature.	Fill in the form truthfully, sign it with the name in your passport on the day you register, and add the place and date.

Key terms

Term on the form	What it means
Anmeldung	Registration of the place where you live, with the local registration office.
Meldebehörde	The registration office of a town (also Einwohnermeldeamt, Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro).
Alleinige Wohnung	Your only home in Germany. It is then not called a Hauptwohnung.
Hauptwohnung	The home you mainly live in, when you have more than one home in Germany.
Nebenwohnung	Every further home you have in Germany besides the main one.
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung	A form from your landlord that confirms you moved in, with the date and the flat’s address. It is required by law (§ 19 BMG).
Meldebestätigung	The confirmation of registration you receive from the office; you use it as proof of address.
Rufname	The first name you are normally called by.
Öffentlich-rechtliche Religionsgesellschaft	A church or religious community that is a public-law body and may collect church tax from its members.
Kirchensteuer	Church tax: a tax that members of certain churches pay, usually deducted from their pay.
Steueridentifikationsnummer (Steuer-ID)	A personal tax number of 11 digits that stays the same for life and is sent to you by post.
Abmeldung	Deregistration when you leave Germany. You do not deregister when you move within Germany.

Common mistakes

1
Registering too late
The deadline is two weeks after you move in, and a late registration can mean a fine of up to €1,000. Appointments can be scarce in big cities, so book early.
2
Coming without the landlord’s confirmation
Without the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung the office cannot register you, and a lease does not replace it. Ask your landlord for it before you move in. If they refuse or are slow, tell the office without delay.
3
Ticking Hauptwohnung for your only home
If it is your only home in Germany, tick alleinige Wohnung. Hauptwohnung is for the main one of several homes.
4
Names that do not match your documents
Write every name as in your passport and civil-status documents, in the same order and spelling. A difference can cause problems with the tax ID and the bank.
5
Leaving out a former name or a citizenship
Add a former name and all your citizenships. A missing entry is a common reason for the office to send you back.
6
A move-in date that differs from the landlord’s confirmation
The date on the form and on the confirmation must match. Use the day you actually moved in.
7
Adding more than “Dr.”
Only the abbreviation “Dr.” is entered, without “med.” or other additions. A foreign doctorate is entered only if you may use the title in Germany.
8
Thinking the Anmeldung tells every authority
It does not replace telling other bodies about your move, for example the vehicle registration office.

Questions and answers

How long do I have to register after moving in?

Two weeks after the day you move in, under § 17 of the Federal Registration Act. This applies to everyone, including newcomers from abroad and people moving within Germany.

Do I register online or in person?

The usual way is in person at the registration office of your new address, often with an appointment. Some towns also offer online registration or accept a representative with a written power of attorney; ask your office what it accepts.

What documents do I bring?

The completed form, your passport or ID card, your residence permit if you have one, and the landlord’s confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). For a spouse or children, add their documents; some offices also want a marriage or birth certificate. Bring originals.

What if my landlord will not give me the confirmation?

The landlord is required to give it to you under § 19 of the Federal Registration Act. If they refuse or it does not arrive in time, tell the registration office as soon as possible; some offices have a declaration for a missing confirmation.

How much does the Anmeldung cost?

The registration itself is free of charge. Ask your office about fees for extra certificates.

What fine is there for registering late?

Up to €1,000 under § 54 of the Federal Registration Act. That is the maximum; the office decides the amount.

Do I get a tax ID after the Anmeldung?

Yes. Your data goes to the federal tax office, which sends you a personal tax ID by post. It stays the same for life, including after a move.

Do I have to deregister when I move within Germany?

No. Registering at the new address is enough. You only deregister (Abmeldung) when you leave Germany or have no new flat.

Can I stop my data being passed on to third parties?

In some cases yes. The notes to the form list data transfers you may object to, for example to political parties before elections and to address-book publishers. Ask the office for the objection form.

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