8 Things you should know about the Anmeldung
Moving to Berlin can be stressful when you don’t speak German and need to register your address with the city. Here you will find everything you need to know about the registration, so-called “Anmeldung” in Berlin.
Why
does it apply to me?
If your situation is one of the following, you need to register.
- Moving to another apartment in Berlin
- Going to Berlin from another city in Germany
- Coming to Berlin from abroad
should I register?
This registration is needed for most of the administrative things you will have to do here, such as opening a bank account, paying your taxes etc.
Not registering your address is illegal and you can get a fine for it. Not the most noteworthy thing you will do in Berlin for sure but mandatory and easy to do when you know how it works.
What
do I need?
To avoid having to go back and forth to the city hall several times, come prepared with everything that you are required to bring. Here is a checklist of what you need:
❐ Proof of identity (passport, ID, visa if you need one) Note: check if they are still valid!
❐ Rental agreement (a sort of letter that your landlord gives you to prove that you are staying as a tenant in their apartment) The legal format can be found here.
❐ Civil status certificate if it is the first time you are registering (certificate of marriage, birth certificate)
❐ Anmeldung Form (most important document and hardest to complete when you don’t understand German) help over there ?
is the Anmeldung Formular?
This form will be mandatory for your life here in Berlin. To complete it, we created a chatbot, AiRelo, which asks you questions and is available in over 10 different languages, and delivers the form as a pdf in German. You just have to print it and bring it with you to the Burgeramt/city hall and that’s it!
Where
to register?
To register you need to go to the Bürgeramt which is the equivalent to the city hall and every district in Berlin will have one. You need to book an appointment to go there to avoid waiting time up to 3 hours or more. You can also decide to go without an appointment and take a ticket with a number and wait. Once your number is called you go to a room where they will ask you your proof of identity, confirmation of arrival by your landlord, and the Anmeldung form.
In the end, they will give you a paper that looks like the picture below, do not lose it it is important for your taxes, opening a bank account, your German health insurance (Expat, Public or Private), etc.
to take an appointment?
Booking an appointment is the best way to save time during the registration process. You can pick among one of the 40 Bürgeramt/city halls. Also selecting one in the district you live in is not mandatory so you can choose whichever one is the most convenient for you!
Here is the link to book an appointment “Termin” in German. Tips: If you don’t see any slots available that suits you, refresh the page a few times and most of the time a new slot will appear.
