Registering your address in Germany (Anmeldung)

When the duty starts, and when it does not

The rule attaches to occupation, not ownership. § 17(1) BMG says that whoever moves into a dwelling (Wohnung) must register within two weeks after moving in. The Act defines a dwelling widely: “any enclosed room used for living or sleeping” (§ 20). A buyer who owns a flat in Germany but lives abroad and does not occupy it has no registration duty for that flat. A buyer who moves in, even for a few months, falls under the rule.

If you move out and take no new dwelling in Germany, you must deregister within two weeks (§ 17(2)); deregistration is possible at the earliest one week before the move-out date. Someone leaving Germany for good, for example after selling, needs that step.

Main residence and second residence

When a person has several dwellings in Germany, one is the Hauptwohnung (main residence), the one mainly used; every other is a Nebenwohnung (§ 21(1)-(3)). At each registration you must say which other dwellings you have and which is the main one, and a change of main residence must be reported within two weeks (§ 21(4)). For a married person living with the family, the main residence is the dwelling mainly used by the family (§ 22(1)); in cases of doubt it is where the centre of life is (§ 22(3)).

The distinction has consequences beyond the town hall. Some states levy a tax on second homes, covered in the second-home tax guide, and the Hessian Hessengeld first-home subsidy requires the buyer to move in with a main residence within three years of applying, proved by a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), according to the Ministry’s FAQ.

The confirmation from the person providing the dwelling

To register you need the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Under § 19 BMG the person providing the dwelling (Wohnungsgeber) must cooperate: they confirm your move-in in writing, or electronically to the registration office, within the same two-week period. The confirmation states the provider’s name and address, the owner’s name if different, the move-in date, the address, and the names of the people registering. You must give the provider the information needed for it.

If the provider refuses or does not issue it in time, you must tell the registration office without delay (§ 19(2)). A provider who does not confirm, or confirms wrongly or late, also commits an offence (§ 54(2)). A buyer who moves into their own flat is in a particular position: the Act does not spell out here how an owner-occupier proves the move; ask your registration office which form it wants.

Offering an address for registration to a person who will not really live there is forbidden (§ 19(6)); that offence carries a fine of up to €50,000 (§ 54(1) and (3)). Do not lend your address for registration purposes.

What registration triggers for tax

Registration is how most residents get their personal tax identification number. The Federal Central Tax Office says it assigns the number once the registration office has sent it the required data, and that a resident who has had no number three months after registering can send a copy of the identity document and the registration confirmation to the office. See the guide on the tax ID.

Registration also tells you something about timing for a later sale. Under § 23 of the Income Tax Act a gain on a home sold within ten years of purchase is taxable, unless the property was used exclusively for the owner’s own residential purposes between purchase and sale, or in the year of sale and the two previous years. The Act speaks of own use, not registration, so a registration certificate is useful evidence but not the legal test itself. The matter is explained in the guide on the ten-year rule.

Practical steps

1. Book an appointment or check whether your municipality accepts walk-ins or online forms; procedures differ by municipality.
2. Bring your passport or identity card, the landlord or owner confirmation, and the form your office uses.
3. Keep the registration certificate; banks, tax offices and subsidy programmes may ask for it.
4. When you leave, deregister within two weeks.

Which professional to consult

Registration is a form you complete yourself. For the consequences, a tax adviser can explain how residence status affects income tax, and the notary can say what proof of residence a purchase needs. A real estate lawyer can help if your landlord refuses to confirm the move-in.