Quick answer: If you move to Germany and move into a home here, you normally need to register your address within two weeks of actually moving in. A furnished temporary apartment can be your first registered address; you do not have to wait for a long-term rental. Before paying, establish who provides the accommodation, who will issue the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and whether every family member can genuinely live there. Short visits and hotels are subject to separate rules. The general requirement is in section 17 of the Federal Registration Act (BMG).
A first move from a CIS country often starts with a furnished apartment for a month or a room with friends. The photographs look right, but after payment you discover that nobody intends to provide the registration document, the children are missing from the booking or the stay cannot be extended. These are questions to settle before transferring money.
This guide explains how German address registration works, which temporary accommodation may be suitable and how to coordinate your actual move-in with the paperwork.
What Anmeldung means and when the deadline starts
address registration means registering where you live with the local registration authority, the Meldebehörde. Depending on the municipality, the service may be provided by a Bürgeramt, Bürgerbüro or another council office. Russian-speaking newcomers sometimes refer to it as “propiska”; in Germany, the procedure is address registration.
The relevant event is Einzug: actually moving into the accommodation. The clock does not automatically start when you cross the border, sign a contract or pay for a booking. If the contract begins on 1 November but you actually move in on 5 November, the confirmation should show the real move-in date. See section 17 BMG.
A short rental term does not, by itself, remove a registration obligation. If you have relocated to Germany and a temporary apartment is your first home here, you cannot simply wait until you find somewhere to rent for several years. Any exemption depends on the facts, not on the word “temporary” in an advertisement.
Anmeldung records an address. It does not grant a right to enter Germany, work or remain under immigration law, and it does not replace a visa or residence permit. Third-country nationals must deal with those requirements separately. Registration also does not turn premises that are not authorised for residential use into lawful housing.
Your address and registration confirmation will be useful for many next steps. Banks, insurers and other providers nevertheless have their own requirements. It would be too sweeping to say that absolutely every account or insurance policy is unavailable without Anmeldung.
When short-stay exceptions apply
Section 27 BMG distinguishes several situations:
- You are already registered in Germany. If you occupy another home for a stay of no more than six months, you generally do not need to register or deregister that accommodation separately. If you remain after six months, registration is required within the following two weeks. This is not a general six-month grace period for every permanent change of address.
- You normally live abroad and are visiting temporarily. For someone who otherwise lives abroad and is not registered in Germany, the corresponding obligation arises after three months. This should not be turned into blanket advice that every new immigrant can do nothing for the first three months. If you are relocating your home to Germany and moving into ordinary residential accommodation, start with the general registration procedure and ask the Meldebehörde if an exemption is uncertain.
- You are housed through a special admission procedure. The exemption in section 27(2) does not apply, among other cases, to ethnic German late resettlers and their family members being allocated under section 8 BVFG, or to certain foreign nationals moving into reception facilities or assigned accommodation. Their particular admission and registration arrangements must be followed.
Being exempt from address registration during a short visit does not extend your permission to stay. Immigration permission and the population register serve different purposes.
Temporary apartment, a room with friends or a hotel?
Furnished apartments and sublets
Furniture, monthly payments and booking through a platform do not determine the registration rules on their own. Ask what accommodation is actually being provided and who is responsible for confirming the move-in. “Apartment” can describe different contractual and accommodation arrangements.
You can genuinely move in with friends. The absence of an ordinary paid tenancy does not automatically prevent registration. Identify the housing provider and check their right to let you use the accommodation. Anmeldung is not a substitute for any necessary consent to subletting.
Hotels and commercially operated apartments
Commercial accommodation establishments, or Beherbergungsstätten, are covered by section 29 BMG. A stay arranged for longer than six months gives rise to the general registration obligation. A guest who is not registered for a home in Germany must register within two weeks once their stay exceeds three months.
Foreign guests also complete a separate hotel registration procedure on arrival. The special guest registration form, or its legally permitted electronic equivalent, is not the same as registering a residential address at the Bürgeramt. Signing the hotel’s Meldeschein does not mean that you have obtained Anmeldung.
If you intend to stay in a hotel for several months, ask about its accommodation arrangements and documents for the Meldebehörde in advance. “We register all guests” is not a sufficiently precise answer: establish which registration is meant.
Seven checks before paying for temporary accommodation
Keep written answers with the rental or booking terms. Verbal assurances are harder to establish later, particularly when an intermediary handles the conversation.
- The exact address and ability to move in. Obtain the address, a description of the premises, your dates and key handover arrangements. Identify the contractual party and their authority to provide the accommodation. A promise to supply a document showing an address is not enough.
- Every occupant. Agree the number of adults and children and each person’s arrival date. A booking for one person does not establish permission to house the whole family. Discuss relatives arriving later separately.
- The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Ask who will issue confirmation of the actual move-in, when you will receive it and which occupants it will cover. Make sure you are discussing that document, rather than a hotel invoice or booking printout.
- The full cost. Separate rent, deposit, utilities, internet, cleaning and paid extras. Check payment dates and deposit refund conditions. Do not assume ordinary residential tenancy rules automatically apply to every hotel accommodation contract.
- Extensions and cancellation. What happens if your search for permanent housing takes longer, or your travel dates change? Ask about extending the stay, moving out, cancellation and repayment of advance payments. An extension is not guaranteed unless agreed.
- Receiving mail. Can the occupants’ names be placed on the letterbox? How is mail delivered, and who will pass on letters arriving after you leave? This matters during the first months of a move.
- A verifiable payment recipient. Compare the contractual details, accommodation provider and payment information. Ask for an explanation if they differ. Pressure to “pay now and receive documents later” increases the risk of a costly mistake.
A useful written question is: “We intend to actually live at this address from [date]. Please confirm who will issue the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung for all named occupants and when we will receive it after moving in.”
Looking for your first home before relocating? We help with finding, renting and buying property in Germany and also offer stays in our own properties with support for registration at the address where you actually live. Tell us your city, dates and family size. Suitable availability, accommodation terms and the scope of assistance are agreed individually.
Who issues the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung?
The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is the housing provider’s confirmation that you have actually moved in. A tenancy agreement records the parties’ contractual arrangements but does not replace this document. It may be issued by the Wohnungsgeber or someone authorised by them. The housing provider is not necessarily the property owner. See section 19 BMG.
In a sublet, the main tenant is normally the housing provider. They may also be the provider when allowing a friend to live in part of the apartment free of charge. A property management company may act for the owner. These situations are explained in paragraph 19.1 of the administrative guidance on the Federal Registration Act.
Under section 19(3), the confirmation must contain:
- the housing provider’s name and address;
- the owner’s name if the owner and housing provider are different;
- the actual move-in date;
- the address of the accommodation;
- the names of the people required to register.
A written confirmation must be signed by the issuing party. The law also provides for electronic confirmation sent directly to the registration authority, using an identifier for the registration process. An ordinary scan sent in a message should not automatically be treated as that statutory electronic procedure.
Check name spellings against passports and make sure children are included. If family members move in on different days, the documents must reflect the facts. Do not accept an invented date simply because it makes an appointment easier to arrange.
A mail-handling service, post-office box or company address does not establish a residential move-in. Section 19(6) BMG prohibits providing an address for registration when an actual move-in neither occurs nor is intended. An “address for registration only” is not a lawful replacement for your first home.
What if the housing provider will not supply the confirmation?
If the provider refuses, or the confirmation is late for another reason, you must inform the Meldebehörde without delay. This obligation is expressly stated in section 19(2) BMG.
Write to the accommodation provider, give your actual move-in date and request the document. Keep the correspondence, contract and any evidence of moving in. At the same time, contact the registration authority to establish how to submit the registration and outstanding information in your circumstances.
Paragraph 19.0 of the administrative guidance provides for accepting a registration even when the housing provider’s confirmation is missing, with the confirmation to follow. This does not remove the document requirement; it means you should not postpone contacting the authority indefinitely.
Do not sign for the provider or replace your real address with someone else’s. If the problem is already apparent before payment, resolve the accommodation and registration terms first. Through our Anmeldung support service, we help you understand the requirements and prepare. The precise assistance depends on your address and the relevant authority’s procedure.
Registering the whole family at the Bürgeramt
Use the official website of the municipality where the accommodation is located. Look for Anmeldung einer Wohnung or Wohnsitz anmelden. Check the responsible office, appointment system, current forms and document requirements. Local instructions matter more than a generic checklist shared in a chat.
You will usually need passports or other accepted identity documents for everyone moving in, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and the information required for the registration form. Depending on the family circumstances, marriage and birth certificates, evidence of parental responsibility and consent declarations may also be needed. Check requirements for originals and translations in advance.
For children under 16, the registration obligation falls on the people into whose home they move. Parents should organise the child’s inclusion and check the details rather than assume that one adult’s passport automatically completes the process for everyone. See section 17(3) BMG.
For example, Berlin’s official guidance asks for the necessary original documents for all people moving. A first registration may also require civil-status documents; consent from the other parent is specified for certain family situations. These are Berlin’s rules, not a substitute for checking another municipality.
The family’s immigration route remains a separate issue. Our guides explain the first move for the family of an EU Blue Card holder and the family of an entrepreneur under section 21.
If no appointments are available, contact the authority promptly through an official channel and retain evidence of your attempts to book. A shortage of appointments does not automatically cancel the obligation or guarantee that late registration has no consequences.
Can you register online or through an authorised representative?
These options exist, but they are not available for every first move. Check the particular service, nationality requirements, previous registration and permitted means of proving identity.
Under the checked Berlin online registration requirements, the service is for adult German and EU citizens moving within Germany who have a suitable electronic identity document and a BundID account. An electronic residence permit, or eAT, cannot be used for this online procedure. A person arriving for the first time from a CIS country should therefore not be promised that a BundID account alone is sufficient.
For registration through a representative, Berlin specifies written authorisation and a registration form signed by the applicant. Check another city’s rules on representation, documents and personal attendance separately. A power of attorney does not replace actual residence or make registration before moving in permissible.
What to check after registration and your next move
Obtain your official confirmation and check the names, dates and address. The amtliche Meldebestätigung is issued as part of registration. A separate Meldebescheinigung, a certificate drawn from the register, may be requested later for a particular purpose. See section 24 BMG.
Once you find a permanent apartment, register the new address under the applicable rules. For an ordinary move within Germany, separate deregistration of the old address is generally unnecessary. The deregistration obligation in section 17(2) BMG applies when you leave without moving into another home in Germany. If you retain several homes, tell the authority so their status can be recorded correctly.
Update your address with the organisations you deal with and arrange for mail sent to the former address. Registering the new home does not replace every notification to a bank, insurer, employer or the authority handling your immigration case.
Coordinating accommodation, registration and the next organisational steps is also part of our support after relocation. The assistance provided depends on your circumstances and the agreed services.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A short rental period does not itself prevent registration. What matters is actual residence, the applicable accommodation arrangement and correct documents. A short contract also does not automatically exempt you from a registration obligation.
No. Ordinary registration requires the housing provider’s confirmation or the electronic confirmation provided for by law. A rental agreement does not replace the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.
Yes, if you actually move in. A housing provider can confirm accommodation supplied free of charge. Permission to use the home and any necessary approvals must be checked separately.
No universal rule applies to every move. Section 27 covers specified temporary stays, while section 29 separately governs hotels and similar establishments. For an ordinary move into a home, the general two-week deadline applies unless a relevant exemption does.
You can prepare documents, choose accommodation and research appointments in advance. Registration must reflect an actual move-in. Paying rent or signing a power of attorney does not replace moving in.
Yes. We help with finding, renting and buying housing and offer accommodation in our own properties with support for registration where you genuinely live. Availability, conditions and suitable options are discussed individually.
Prepare your first move-in before you pay
A smoother start requires clear accommodation terms, documents for all occupants and a plan for Anmeldung. Check these before transferring money, then record the real move-in dates and follow the applicable procedure.
This article provides general information. For an individual situation, consult the applicable law and your municipality’s current instructions.
RelocationDE / FIRMDER UG (haftungsbeschränkt) helps with finding, renting and buying housing. We also offer accommodation in our own properties together with registration support at the actual residential address. Contact us with your dates, city, family size and budget so that we can discuss available options and the assistance you need. The competent authority decides on registration.
