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Deregister your address (Abmeldung)

Bürgeramt · registration authority

In personBy postPartly online

Deregistration of your address (Abmeldung) is only required in two cases: when moving away to another country or when giving up a home without moving into a new one in Germany – this includes, in particular, deregistering a secondary residence. If you move within Germany, by contrast, you do not have to deregister; the Anmeldung (residence registration) at your new place of residence is sufficient. The relevant provision is § 17 Abs. 2 of the Federal Act on Registration (Bundesmeldegesetz, BMG).

The Abmeldung must take place within two weeks (14 days) of moving out and is possible one week beforehand at the earliest. It is free of charge and – unlike the Anmeldung – can also be done by post or, when moving away to another country, often online. As proof, you receive a confirmation of deregistration (Abmeldebestätigung), which you need for the Finanzamt (tax office), the health insurance fund (Krankenkasse), the pension insurance fund and your landlord. If you miss the deadline, you risk a regulatory fine of up to €1,000 (§ 54 BMG).

The registration authority for your previous home is responsible; if, on the other hand, you give up a secondary residence, you deregister it with the registration authority for your principal or sole residence. For persons under 16, the Abmeldung is carried out by the persons whose home the child is moving out of – usually the parents. This page explains step by step which documents you need, how to calculate the deadline, which bodies you must inform yourself after the Abmeldung and which mistakes cost money in practice.

Last updated3 October 2026
Legal basis§ 17 Abs. 2 BMG · § 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 the availability of the online Abmeldung 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 chargeIncluding the confirmation
Processing timeImmediatelyA few days by post
MethodIn person, by post, onlineNo visit in person required
Deadline14 daysFrom moving out; possible 1 week before
Required documents

What you need

Identity card or passport

Every person aged 16 or over who is being deregistered proves their identity with a valid identity card or passport. If you go in person, you present the original; if you apply by post, a clearly legible copy of the front and back is sufficient. An expired document regularly leads to queries – in that case, it is better to apply for a new identity document before the Abmeldung, because afterwards you are no longer registered in Germany and issuing the document becomes considerably more complicated.

Completed deregistration form

Your local authority’s deregistration form is usually called “Abmeldung einer Wohnung” (deregistration of a residence) or “Abmeldung bei der Meldebehörde” (deregistration with the registration authority). You download it from your city’s administrative portal, fill it in beforehand and sign it; it is also available on site. It requires the name, date of birth, the address being deregistered, the exact moving-out date and the signature of every adult. If more than three persons are deregistered together, many local authorities require an additional sheet.

Future address abroad

If you are moving away to another country, enter your new address abroad on the form. It is stored in the population register (Melderegister) and is what allows any authority to reach you later – for example the Finanzamt, the pension insurance fund or the electoral authority. If your final address is not yet certain, give a reliable postal address and provide the final address after the move. A missing address abroad has no effect on the validity of the Abmeldung itself.

Proof for children under 16

If children are moving with you, the parents deregister them on the same form; under § 17 BMG, the obligation to register falls on the persons whose home the child is moving out of. A passport, an identity card or the birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) serves as proof – there has been no children’s passport (Kinderreisepass) since 1 January 2024. If the parents live apart, in some municipalities the registration authority also requires the approval of the other parent with custody – clarify this beforehand, otherwise the child’s Abmeldung will be put on hold.

Landlord’s confirmation (not required)

The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation) only exists for the Anmeldung: under § 19 Abs. 1 BMG, the person providing the accommodation confirms only the move-in, and the Federal Act on Registration does not provide for a confirmation of moving out. Even so, it is worth checking the information sheet of your Bürgeramt (citizens’ office): it takes two minutes and prevents your Abmeldung from being returned as incomplete and the two-week deadline from expiring.

Power of attorney if someone represents you

If you cannot attend yourself, an authorised person can carry out the Abmeldung with an informal power of attorney in writing, the signed form, a copy of the identity document of the person being deregistered and their own identity document. The power of attorney must state the name, the address and the purpose (“Abmeldung der Wohnung”, deregistration of the residence) and be signed by you. Since deregistering by post is permitted anyway, you usually only need representation if you want to hold the Abmeldebestätigung in your hands immediately.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check whether you must deregister and which office has jurisdiction

    First, check whether you are under an obligation to deregister at all. It applies only when moving away to another country or if you give up a home without moving into a new one in Germany – for example when deregistering a secondary residence. If you move within Germany, you do not have to deregister; the Anmeldung at your new place is sufficient. The registration authority for your previous home is responsible; if you give up a secondary residence, § 21 Abs. 4 BMG gives you a right to choose – you can carry out the Abmeldung either with the registration authority for the secondary residence or with the registration authority for your principal or sole residence. This is particularly practical if the second home is several hundred kilometres away.

  2. 2

    Gather your documents

    Have the identity card or passport of every person being deregistered ready, and for children under 16 also a passport, identity card or Geburtsurkunde (the children’s passport was abolished on 1 January 2024). For the postal route, make clearly legible copies. You do not need a confirmation from your landlord that you have moved out, because the Federal Act on Registration does not provide for one. The information sheet of your Bürgeramt states which documents your local authority requires in detail. Allow about ten minutes for this step; it prevents the most common cause of delays: an incomplete Abmeldung that is returned shortly before the deadline expires.

  3. 3

    Fill in the deregistration form

    Download the deregistration form from your local authority’s administrative portal or pick it up on site. Enter the exact moving-out date – it determines when the deadline starts and will later appear on the confirmation – and, if you are moving away to another country, your future address abroad. Check that every person being deregistered is included, and sign the form; every adult signs for themselves. An incorrect moving-out date can only be corrected later through a correction in the population register.

  4. 4

    Submit your Abmeldung on time

    Submit the Abmeldung in person at the Bürgeramt, by post or – where offered – online via BundID and the online ID function. The Abmeldung is possible one week before moving out at the earliest and two weeks afterwards at the latest; the deadline starts on the day you move out. For a visit in person, most Bürgeramt offices require an online appointment booking, and in metropolitan areas appointments are often only available after several weeks – so book early or choose the postal route. If you apply by post, enclose the copy of your identity document; what counts is receipt by the authority, not the date of sending.

  5. 5

    Check and safeguard your Abmeldebestätigung

    You receive an Abmeldebestätigung in writing, free of charge – usually immediately if you go in person, and within a few working days by post. Check your name, date of birth, the deregistered address and the moving-out date for accuracy straight away, and have any errors corrected before you leave. Keep the original and also save a scan in your cloud storage: the confirmation is the key proof for the Finanzamt, the Krankenkasse, the pension insurance fund, the Beitragsservice (contribution service of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio) and your landlord, and it is difficult to replace from abroad.

  6. 6

    Inform other bodies yourself

    The Abmeldung only updates the population register – no other body is informed automatically. You should therefore inform the Krankenkasse, the pension insurance fund, the Finanzamt, the Familienkasse (Family Benefits Office), private insurance companies, your employer, banks and the Beitragsservice for the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting licence fee), enclosing the Abmeldebestätigung in each case. Also cancel electricity, gas and internet contracts in compliance with the notice periods, and set up a mail forwarding order with Deutsche Post so that your post reaches the new address. Allow half a day for this step – it prevents contributions and payment reminders that would otherwise keep running.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Fees

AbmeldungFree of charge
AbmeldebestätigungFree of charge
Abmeldung by postPostage only
Replacement certificate / Meldebescheinigungelectronic: €0 (§ 18 Abs. 3 BMG), in writing approx. €5–€16
Regulatory fine for missing the deadlineup to €1,000 (§ 54 BMG)
Means of paymentEC card or cash, depending on the office

The Abmeldung and the first Abmeldebestätigung are free of charge – this applies equally to visits in person, the postal route and the online Abmeldung. Deregistering several family members on one form does not incur any additional fees either, and nothing is charged for representation with a power of attorney. If you deregister by post, you only pay the postage; a registered letter (Einschreiben) is not required, but it gives you proof of delivery in case the authority later disputes that it was received on time.

Costs only arise later and only upon application: if you need a replacement certificate or a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) for your previous address, the local authority charges an administrative fee for it. The amount is not uniform nationwide but is set by the relevant local fee by-law (Gebührensatzung) and is usually around €5 to €16 (Bavaria €5, Cologne €9, Berlin €10, Hamburg €16); extended or multilingual certificates can be more expensive. If the Meldebescheinigung is issued electronically, it is free of charge nationwide under § 18 Abs. 3 BMG. Only the competent authority can tell you the binding amount – if in doubt, expect the upper end of the range. If you need a certificate for bodies abroad, you should also budget for translation or an apostille; these costs also depend on the competent body.

Good to know

Important notes

Moving within Germany: no Abmeldung. If you move within Germany, there is no Abmeldung at all – the registration authority at your new place of residence notifies your previous municipality as soon as you register there. Instead, pay attention to the two-week deadline for the Anmeldung after moving in (§ 17 Abs. 1 BMG); missing it is also subject to a regulatory fine.

Secondary residence and second home tax. Under § 21 Abs. 4 BMG, you can deregister a secondary residence either with the registration authority for the secondary residence or with the registration authority for your principal or sole residence – so you do not have to travel to the place where the second home is. If the local authority concerned levies a second home tax (Zweitwohnungssteuer), the tax liability usually only ends on the registered moving-out date – so a late Abmeldung costs you real money, and the municipal tax department must also be informed separately.

Temporary stay abroad. If you go away for a semester abroad, a posting or a longer trip but keep your home in Germany, you do not have to deregister – your home continues to exist. If, on the other hand, you give up your home and only return after months, the Abmeldung is an obligation; after your return, you register again within two weeks.

Children and persons under legal custodianship. For persons under 16, the Abmeldung is carried out by the persons whose home they are moving out of – usually the parents (§ 17 BMG). For persons under legal custodianship, the legal custodian (Betreuer) acts, provided their scope of duties covers housing matters. In both cases, proof of identity of the person being deregistered must be presented.

No automatic notification of any other body. The registration authority does not inform the Krankenkasse, insurance companies, banks, employers, the Familienkasse or the Beitragsservice. If you are moving away to another country, you must deregister from the Rundfunkbeitrag yourself and provide proof that you have moved out; otherwise, contributions continue to accrue and are later claimed together with late-payment penalties.

Taxes, Kindergeld and social insurance. Moving away to another country usually ends unlimited tax liability, provided you keep neither a residence nor a habitual abode in Germany; a tax return usually still has to be filed for the year you move away. Your entitlement to Kindergeld (child benefit) from the Familienkasse and membership of a statutory Krankenkasse also depend on having a residence in Germany – clarify both before you leave, not afterwards.

Your identity card remains valid. Your identity card or passport does not lose its validity as a result of the Abmeldung; the identity document authority merely records that you no longer have a principal residence in Germany. If a document is about to expire, apply for a new one before moving away if possible – abroad, applications can only be made through the competent German mission abroad and take considerably longer.

Voting rights and crisis preparedness. After the Abmeldung, you are no longer automatically entered in the electoral register. If, as a German living abroad, you want to continue taking part in Bundestag elections, you must submit an application for entry in the register to your last municipality of residence before each election. It is also advisable to register on the crisis preparedness list of the Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt), so that the embassy can reach you in an emergency.

Foreign nationals. The obligation to deregister applies to all residents, regardless of nationality. When moving away permanently, however, residence titles do not expire automatically through the Abmeldung, but according to the rules of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG) – usually after a stay abroad of more than six months. If you want to return, you should apply to the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority) for a longer re-entry period beforehand.

No confirmation sent abroad. The Abmeldebestätigung is sent by post, but in many places the registration authority does not deliver it to addresses abroad. If possible, therefore, deregister in person in the last week before moving out and take the document with you immediately, or name a postal address in Germany – for example with family or friends.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Unnecessary Abmeldung when moving within Germany. No Abmeldung is provided for when you move within Germany – the office rejects the application and the appointment was wasted. Worse still: anyone who thinks this has taken care of everything misses the two-week deadline for the Anmeldung at the new place of residence and risks a regulatory fine there.

Missed deadline. Anyone who does not deregister within two weeks of moving out commits a regulatory offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit); the regulatory fine (Geldbuße) can be up to €1,000 (§ 54 BMG). The deadline starts on the day you move out, not on the day the home is handed over or the keys are returned – anyone who confuses these is quickly too late.

Deregistered too early. An Abmeldung more than one week before moving out is not permitted and will be rejected. Anyone who attends the appointment long beforehand is left without a confirmation and has to come a second time – in the worst case only after moving away, when this is hardly possible any more.

Incomplete Abmeldung by post. If the signature, the copy of the identity document or the moving-out date is missing, the authority does not process the application but sends a query. By the time the letters have gone back and forth, the two weeks have often passed – and the delay is your responsibility, because what counts is receipt by the authority.

Forgetting the Abmeldung of the secondary residence. If you give up a second home, you must deregister it – otherwise the second home tax continues to run, for as long as the home is listed in the population register. The municipal tax departments rarely grant a retroactive refund, because the registered moving-out date is decisive.

Confirmation not kept. Without the Abmeldebestätigung, you have no proof for the Finanzamt, the Krankenkasse, the Beitragsservice and your landlord. A replacement certificate is subject to a fee and can only be obtained from abroad through a power of attorney or a German mission abroad – plan for weeks, not days.

Not informing anyone after the Abmeldung. The Rundfunkbeitrag, insurance policies, memberships and subscriptions continue to run if you do not cancel or deregister them yourself. Payment reminders go to the old address, can in some circumstances be deemed delivered, and outstanding claims can later be enforced – an expensive mistake that can be avoided with an afternoon of paperwork.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I have to deregister if I move within Germany?

No. If you move within Germany, you do not have to deregister – the Anmeldung at your new place of residence within two weeks of moving in is sufficient (§ 17 Abs. 1 BMG). The registration authority at your new place of residence transmits the data to your previous municipality, so that the old address is deregistered automatically. A separate Abmeldung is only necessary if you move abroad or give up a home without moving into a new one in Germany.

By when do I have to deregister?

The Abmeldung must take place within two weeks of moving out; the deadline starts on the day you move out (§ 17 Abs. 2 BMG). The Abmeldung is possible one week before the planned moving-out date at the earliest, so that the population register is not changed too early. Anyone who misses the deadline commits a regulatory offence under § 54 BMG.

Can I deregister by post or online?

Yes. Unlike the Anmeldung, the Abmeldung does not strictly require you to attend in person. You can send the signed deregistration form together with a clearly legible copy of your identity document by post to the registration authority for your previous home. In addition, the online Abmeldung via BundID and the online ID function (eID) is offered in more and more local authority areas – your city’s administrative portal shows whether this is possible where you live.

How much does the Abmeldung cost?

The Abmeldung and the associated Abmeldebestätigung are free of charge. Costs only arise if you later need a replacement certificate or a Meldebescheinigung; each local authority sets the amount in its fee by-law, and it is usually around €5 to €16 (Hamburg €16); if the Meldebescheinigung is issued electronically, it is free of charge nationwide under § 18 Abs. 3 BMG. If you deregister by post, you only pay the postage.

What regulatory fine can be imposed for a missed Abmeldung?

Anyone who, contrary to § 17 Abs. 2 BMG, fails to deregister or does not do so in time commits a regulatory offence under § 54 BMG, which can be punished with a regulatory fine of up to €1,000. The authority sets the actual amount at its discretion, depending among other things on how long the delay was. In practice, the registration authority in many municipalities is lenient if the delay is short, but there is no legal entitlement to this.

Do I need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung for the Abmeldung?

No. The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is only required for the Anmeldung of a residence: under § 19 Abs. 1 BMG, the person providing the accommodation confirms only the move-in. The Federal Act on Registration does not provide for a confirmation from the landlord that you have moved out. You can find out in advance on your city’s administrative portal which documents your registration authority requires for the Abmeldung in detail.

Who deregisters children under 16?

For persons under 16, the Abmeldung is carried out by the persons whose home the child is moving out of – as a rule the parents (§ 17 BMG). The children are entered on the same form, and you prove their identity with a passport, identity card or Geburtsurkunde; the children’s passport has not been issued since 1 January 2024. The same applies to persons under legal custodianship for whom a legal custodian with the relevant scope of duties has been appointed.

Where do I deregister a secondary residence?

Under § 21 Abs. 4 BMG, you can deregister a secondary residence either with the registration authority for the secondary residence you are giving up or with the registration authority that is competent for your principal or sole residence. So you do not have to travel to the city where the second home you are giving up is located. The Abmeldung is particularly important where a second home tax is levied, because without the Abmeldung the tax liability continues.

What happens if I do not deregister at all?

If there is no Abmeldung, the population register continues to list you at the old address; official post is sent there and can be deemed delivered even if you never receive it. If the authority notices that the home is no longer used, it can record you ex officio as “moved, address unknown”. In addition to the risk of a regulatory fine under § 54 BMG, this later makes it harder to obtain a Meldebescheinigung, to do your banking and to register again in Germany.

What happens to health insurance, tax and the Rundfunkbeitrag after the Abmeldung?

The registration authority does not automatically deregister you with any such body. You must inform the Krankenkasse, the pension insurance fund, insurance companies, your employer, banks, the Familienkasse and the Beitragsservice for the Rundfunkbeitrag yourself; the Abmeldebestätigung serves as proof. For tax purposes, moving away to another country usually ends unlimited tax liability, provided you keep neither a residence nor a habitual abode in Germany – your Finanzamt will clarify the details.

Can I also receive the Abmeldebestätigung abroad?

The Abmeldebestätigung is issued in writing and delivered by post, but in many places the registration authority does not send it to addresses abroad. If possible, therefore, deregister in person in the week before moving out and take the confirmation with you immediately, or give a postal address in Germany. If the document is lost, a replacement certificate can only be requested from abroad with difficulty and for a fee.

Related official procedures

Registration (Anmeldung)
For your new place of residence
Free of charge
Change of address (Ummeldung)
Within the same city
Free of charge
Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
Get a final one before the Abmeldung
€0–€16

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