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Register a change of address (Ummeldung)

Bürgeramt · registration authority

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The Ummeldung (change of address) is required when you move within Germany. Legally, it is an Anmeldung (residence registration) at the new address: under § 17 of the Federal Act on Registration (Bundesmeldegesetz, BMG), you must register with the competent registration authority – usually the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) – within two weeks (14 days) of moving in. This applies to a move within the same city just as much as to a move to another municipality. The Ummeldung is free of charge.

During the Ummeldung, your new address is updated in the population register (Melderegister), the address on the chip (eID) of your identity card (Personalausweis) is changed and an address sticker is applied to the back of the identity document. The identity document remains valid and is not reissued. You receive a new Meldebestätigung (official confirmation of registration), which you need for your bank, your employer, vehicle registration and a resident parking permit, among other things. If you miss the deadline, you risk a regulatory fine of up to €1,000 (§ 54 BMG).

Last updated3 October 2026
Legal basis§ 17, § 19, § 54 BMG
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Bürgeramt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. Procedures and fees can vary depending on the federal state (Bundesland) and the local authority. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
CostsFree of chargeNo fees
Processing timeImmediatelyNew Meldebestätigung issued immediately
MethodIn personAppointment required
Deadline14 daysFrom the moving-in date
Required documents

What you need to bring

Identity card or passport

Every person whose address is being changed needs a valid identity document in the original – identity card, passport or, for foreign nationals, the electronic residence title. The children’s passport (Kinderreisepass) was abolished on 1 January 2024; for children without their own identity document, the birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) is sufficient. Copies, photos on a mobile phone or expired documents are not accepted; in that case, the appointment falls through. Presenting the document is mandatory because the registration authority stores the new address directly on the chip of the identity card and applies the address sticker to the back. If your identity document has expired or been lost, apply for a new one at the same Bürgeramt – the obligation to register under § 17 BMG remains unaffected and continues to run.

Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation, § 19 BMG)

The confirmation in writing that you have moved in, from your new landlord or owner or – in the case of a sublet – from the main tenant. It must contain the name and address of the person providing the accommodation (Wohnungsgeber), the actual moving-in date, the full address of the new home and the names of all persons moving in. Under § 19 BMG, the person providing the accommodation is obliged to issue it free of charge within two weeks of moving in; if they refuse to do so or issue a false confirmation, they themselves commit a regulatory offence. A tenancy agreement expressly does not replace the confirmation – if this document is missing, you must submit it later. If you move into a property you own, you are at the same time the person providing your own accommodation and issue the confirmation yourself. You can find an official sample form on your local authority’s website or obtain one directly at the Bürgeramt.

Completed registration form

Your local authority’s registration form, often called “Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde” (registration with the registration authority). Almost all cities provide it as a PDF for download; you bring it to the appointment completed and signed, while at other offices you receive it on site. Among other things, it asks for your previous address, the moving-in date, your marital status and your religious affiliation – which is relevant for church tax (Kirchensteuer) – as well as whether the home is classified as a principal or secondary residence. If you only fill in the form at the office, this noticeably lengthens the appointment and, where time slots are tightly scheduled, can mean that you have to come back.

Proof for children and family

If children under 16 move with you, they are registered under § 17 Abs. 3 BMG by the person into whose home they are moving – the children do not have to appear in person for this. Many registration authorities also require the Geburtsurkunde and, if the parents live apart, proof of parental custody or the approval of the other parent. Married couples are occasionally asked for the marriage certificate (Eheurkunde), especially if the family name has changed. Newborns who are taken into their parents’ home do not have to be registered separately – the Standesamt (registry office) transmits the birth to the registration authority.

Information on principal and secondary residence

If you have more than one home in Germany, you must state on the form which of them will be your principal residence from now on. Under § 21 BMG, this is the predominantly used home; for married persons and families, the home predominantly used by the family is deemed the principal residence. This information is not a formality: it determines which authorities have jurisdiction, your eligibility to vote locally and whether a local second home tax (Zweitwohnungssteuer) is payable. You should therefore have the address of the other home and the date of the change of status to hand.

Power of attorney if someone represents you

If you cannot attend the appointment yourself, the authorised person needs an informal power of attorney signed by you, your identity document in the original, the registration form signed by you, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation) and their own identity document. With these, the address in the population register can be changed and the Meldebestätigung collected. Which proof is sufficient in the individual case and how the identity document is then updated depends on the competent authority – so ask the Bürgeramt beforehand, before you send someone.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Find the competent office and book an appointment

    Only the registration authority of your new place of residence is competent – in larger cities the Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro (citizens’ office), in smaller municipalities the Einwohnermeldeamt (residents’ registration office) of the municipal administration. In many large cities, you can choose any Bürgeramt in the city area, not just the one for your district. Book the appointment through the local authority’s online appointment portal as soon as the moving-in date is fixed, ideally before the move: in metropolitan areas, appointments are regularly booked up several weeks in advance, and time slots that become available at short notice often appear in the portal early in the morning. Some offices also offer open consultation hours without an appointment; expect considerable waiting times there. Save or print the appointment confirmation – it proves that you made timely efforts to complete the Ummeldung.

  2. 2

    Obtain the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung

    Ideally, request the confirmation directly when the keys are handed over, from the new landlord, the property management company or – in the case of a sublet – the main tenant. Under § 19 BMG, the person providing the accommodation is legally obliged to issue it free of charge within two weeks of moving in. Check the document for completeness straight away: if a person moving in is missing, the moving-in date is wrong or the signature is missing, the registration authority will reject the confirmation, and you must submit a corrected one later. If the landlord does not respond despite being asked, inform the registration authority – it can require them to issue the confirmation and will usually provide you with a sample form.

  3. 3

    Prepare your documents and the form

    Have the identity documents of all persons whose address is being changed ready in the original, and fill in the registration form completely and sign it. Clarify beforehand whether a special case applies: a move with children under 16, the Anmeldung of a secondary residence, a change from secondary to principal residence or representation by an authorised person. Also note the exact moving-in date – not the date of the tenancy agreement – as it triggers the deadline and is recorded in the population register. For the appointment itself, you should allow about 15 minutes, and correspondingly longer for several persons.

  4. 4

    Attend the Bürgeramt in person

    Arrive on time for your appointment with all documents in the original. The clerk records the new address in the population register, updates the address on the chip of the identity card or eID card and applies the address sticker to the back. Your identity document remains fully valid and is not reissued; for the electronic residence title, too, only the address is updated. If several persons move together, they are recorded in the same procedure – the identity documents of everyone involved must be available for this. If you cannot attend yourself, an authorised person takes over the appointment with a power of attorney in writing; alternatively, more and more local authorities offer the electronic registration of residence (elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung).

  5. 5

    Receive your new Meldebestätigung

    Under § 18 BMG, the registration authority confirms the Anmeldung to you in writing and free of charge; you usually receive the document during the appointment. Check it immediately for spelling mistakes in your name, address and moving-in date – a later correction means a new appointment. Keep the confirmation in a safe place: banks, employers, insurance companies, the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle (vehicle registration office) and applications for a resident parking permit regularly require it as proof of residence. The more detailed extended registration certificate (erweiterte Meldebescheinigung) must be distinguished from it and must be applied for separately and for a fee.

  6. 6

    Complete the follow-up steps after the Ummeldung

    With the Ummeldung, the obligation to register is fulfilled, but the move is not yet complete in organisational terms. The new address is essentially only passed on automatically within the administration, for example to the tax authorities via your tax identification number (Steuer-ID, IdNr.). You must arrange everything else yourself: a change of address with your bank, employer, health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) and insurance companies, updating your registration for the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting licence fee), a change of address in the vehicle documents at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle, a new resident parking permit and a mail forwarding order with Deutsche Post. Ideally, deal with these points in the first two weeks after your appointment at the office, while you have the Meldebestätigung to hand anyway.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Fees

Ummeldung (Anmeldung under § 17 BMG)Free of charge
Change of address on the identity documentFree of charge
Meldebestätigung (under § 18 BMG)Free of charge
Electronic registration of residenceFree of charge
Extended Meldebescheinigungelectronic: €0 (§ 18 Abs. 3 BMG), in writing approx. €5–€16
Means of paymentDepends on the competent authority

The Ummeldung itself is free of charge nationwide – at the Bürgeramt just as with the electronic registration of residence. The address sticker, the update of the address on the chip of the identity card and the Meldebestätigung that the authority issues to you under § 18 BMG are also free of charge. Fees only arise if you need additional documents: a simple or extended Meldebescheinigung, as required for example for a marriage, for pension and social benefit applications or by foreign bodies, is subject to a fee. Each local authority sets the amount in its own fee by-law (Gebührensatzung), which is why the amounts differ across Germany; a range of about €5 to €16 is usual (Bavaria €5, Cologne €9, Berlin €10, Hamburg €16). If the Meldebescheinigung is issued electronically, it is free of charge nationwide under § 18 Abs. 3 BMG; the fee by-law of your city or municipality tells you the binding amount for the copy issued in writing. Which means of payment are accepted – EC card, cash or bank transfer – also depends on the competent authority; many offices now expressly no longer accept cash. The second home tax must be distinguished from the fees: if you register a secondary residence, you may become liable to pay it. Whether it is levied, and at what rate, is decided solely by the municipality concerned in a by-law – many cities levy it, others not at all.

Good to know

Important notes

Start of the deadline: The two-week deadline under § 17 BMG runs from the day you actually move into the new home – not from the date of the tenancy agreement or the handover of the keys. If the end of the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, it is moved to the next working day.

No Abmeldung (deregistration) needed: If you move within Germany, you do not have to deregister at your old address – the new registration authority automatically informs the previous one. An Abmeldung under § 17 Abs. 2 BMG is only required if you move abroad and do not keep a home in Germany; it is possible one week before moving out at the earliest.

What happens automatically – and what does not: Your new address is passed on within the administration, including to the tax authorities via your tax identification number; a separate change of address at the Finanzamt (tax office) is therefore not necessary. Your bank, employer, Krankenkasse, insurance companies and the Rundfunkbeitrag, on the other hand, are not reliably informed – you must notify these bodies yourself.

Vehicle and parking permit: A resident parking permit is tied to the registered address and ceases to be valid when you move – you must apply for a new one, presenting the new Meldebestätigung. The address in the vehicle documents must also be changed; if you move to another registration district, the vehicle’s registration is transferred at the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle. Since 1 October 2019, a new licence plate is no longer necessary for this: you may take your existing licence plate with you anywhere in Germany and keep it.

Online instead of an appointment at the office: The electronic registration of residence (elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung) via BundID and the online ID function (eID) is possible without an appointment and without fees. As of 13 November 2025, all 16 federal states and around 2,000 registration authorities are connected; the service can therefore be used by around 55 million residents. The requirements are an identity card or eID card with an activated online function and PIN, an NFC-enabled smartphone and a BundID account. Whether your municipality already takes part depends on the competent authority and can be seen on its service portal.

Children and newborns: For persons under 16, the Anmeldung is carried out under § 17 Abs. 3 BMG by the person into whose home they are moving; the children do not have to come along. Newborns who are taken into their parents’ home do not have to be registered separately – the Standesamt reports the birth to the registration authority.

Foreign nationals: The obligation to register applies regardless of nationality; the new address is also updated on the electronic residence title. If a procedure is running at the same time – such as the extension of your residence title, a visa procedure or a naturalisation procedure – you should also inform the competent Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority) of the new address yourself, so that official notices (Bescheid) and summonses reach you.

Principal or secondary residence: If you have more than one home in Germany, the principal residence under § 21 BMG is the predominantly used home, and for families the home predominantly used by the family. The classification affects jurisdiction, your right to vote locally and a possible second home tax – so also report a change of status within two weeks.

Objecting to the disclosure of data: Under § 50 Abs. 1 and 2 BMG, registration authorities may transmit certain data to political parties and voter groups before elections and referendums, and to elected representatives, the press and broadcasters on the occasion of milestone birthdays or wedding anniversaries. You can object to these transmissions under § 50 Abs. 5 BMG – most easily directly during the Ummeldung, on the registration form. If there is a danger to life, health or liberty, an information block (Auskunftssperre) under § 51 BMG may also be considered.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Missed deadline. Anyone who does not register within two weeks commits a regulatory offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit) under § 54 BMG; the regulatory fine can be up to €1,000. Many offices are lenient if the delay is minor, but there is no entitlement to this. There are also practical consequences: without an up-to-date registered address, official letters do not reach you, and you lack proof for your bank, employer or Kita (child daycare centre).

Asking the old landlord instead of the new one. The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung must come from the person providing the new home, not from your previous landlord. A tenancy agreement or a handover certificate is not sufficient either. The consequence of a wrong confirmation: the authority rejects the Ummeldung at the appointment, the next available appointment is often weeks later – and the deadline keeps running in the meantime.

An informal notification instead of the Anmeldung. An email to the Bürgeramt, an informal letter or a mail forwarding order with Deutsche Post do not replace the Ummeldung. Under registration law, you are then still regarded as not registered, the deadline expires and the risk of a regulatory fine remains. Only an appointment in person, representation with a power of attorney or the official electronic registration of residence are permitted.

Not re-registering every person. Every person moving with you must be re-registered – children and family members count individually, and for minors under 16 the persons with parental responsibility are liable. An incomplete Anmeldung is also a regulatory offence under § 54 BMG and leads to follow-up problems with Kindergeld (child benefit), Kita and school registration and with the Krankenkasse.

Wrong moving-in date or sham registration. A moving-in date backdated “to fit” or an Anmeldung at an address you are not actually moving into is not a trivial matter but a regulatory offence with a regulatory fine of up to €1,000. The person providing the accommodation who issues an incorrect confirmation or makes an address available without it actually being used as a home is also held accountable.

Principal residence stated incorrectly. Anyone who declares the home they actually use predominantly as a secondary residence in order to avoid the second home tax risks a back-payment demand for the tax for past periods. In addition, the registration authority can determine the principal residence on its own initiative and initiate regulatory fine proceedings.

Bringing an expired identity document. An expired identity card or passport is not accepted as proof of identity – the appointment is then void and must be booked again. Check the validity dates of all documents before the appointment and, if necessary, apply for a new identity document in the same process.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

What is the difference between Anmeldung and Ummeldung?

Legally, the Federal Act on Registration only recognises the Anmeldung under § 17 BMG. “Ummeldung” is the colloquial term for the case in which you move within Germany and register at the new address. The procedure, the two-week deadline and the documents required are essentially identical to a first-time Anmeldung.

Do I have to register my new address if I move within the same city?

Yes. As soon as you move into a different home, you are obliged under § 17 BMG to register with the registration authority within two weeks – regardless of whether the new home is in the same city or in another municipality. Only if your address does not change, for example when you move within the same building without a new address, does the obligation not apply.

Is my identity card changed during the Ummeldung?

Your identity card remains valid and is not reissued. The authority updates the address on the chip (eID) and applies an address sticker with the new address to the back. This process is free of charge. The same applies to the eID card and the electronic residence title.

What regulatory fine can be imposed for a late Ummeldung?

Anyone who does not register, does not register correctly or does not register in time commits a regulatory offence under § 54 BMG (Federal Act on Registration). The regulatory fine can be up to €1,000. Many registration authorities are lenient if the delay is minor – however, there is no legal entitlement to this.

Can I complete the Ummeldung online?

Yes, the electronic registration of residence (elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung) is possible in a growing number of local authority areas. The requirements are an identity card or eID card with an activated online function, a BundID account and an NFC-enabled smartphone. The new address is transferred to the chip via an app, and the address sticker then arrives by post. The service is free of charge online too.

Can someone else do the Ummeldung for me?

Yes. An authorised person can carry out the Ummeldung with a power of attorney signed by you, the completed registration form, your identity document in the original, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and their own identity document. This makes it possible to change the entry in the population register and to hand over the Meldebestätigung. Which proof is required in the individual case and how your identity document is then updated depends on the competent authority – clarify this beforehand with your Bürgeramt.

Do I have to deregister with the old registration authority?

No. If you move within Germany, the Anmeldung at the new address is sufficient; the new registration authority automatically informs the previous one of your moving away. An explicit Abmeldung (deregistration) under § 17 Abs. 2 BMG is only required if you move abroad and do not keep a home in Germany. This Abmeldung is possible one week before moving out at the earliest and must take place within two weeks of moving out.

What do I do if I cannot get an appointment within the deadline?

Book the earliest possible appointment and keep the appointment confirmation – it documents that you made timely efforts to complete the Ummeldung. Also check whether your local authority offers open consultation hours without an appointment, appointments at other Bürgeramt offices in the city area or already the electronic registration of residence (elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung). Whether a resulting delay is regarded as excused is decided by the competent authority in the individual case.

How much does the Ummeldung cost?

The Ummeldung itself is free of charge nationwide, as are the update of the address on the identity card and the Meldebestätigung under § 18 BMG. Fees only arise if you also need a simple or extended registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), which is subject to a fee. The electronic Meldebescheinigung is issued free of charge nationwide under § 18 Abs. 3 BMG; for the copy issued in writing, each local authority sets the amount in its own fee by-law – a range of about €5 to €16 is usual (Hamburg €16).

Related official procedures

Registration (Anmeldung)
When moving from another city
Free of charge
Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
Proof of residence
€0–€16
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation)
Landlord’s obligation
Free of charge

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