Registering your address (Anmeldung)

Compulsory within two weeks of moving in: Bürgeramt Berlin, landlord confirmation, tax ID, what the registration is not.

What you need

• Passport or ID card (the Polish dowód osobisty is enough; no visa or permit exists to show).
• The landlord's confirmation of move-in (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). The landlord or a person they authorise must issue it, in writing or electronically, within the two-week period (§ 19 (1) BMG). If the landlord refuses or does not provide it in time, tell the registration authority without delay (§ 19 (2)).
• Registration forms of the Bürgeramt (see the service page).

Things to know

• Do not buy an address. It is forbidden to offer or provide an address for registration if nobody actually moves in (§ 19 (6) BMG). "Registration addresses" for money are a typical trap: Scams.
• Your tax ID is sent by post after registration: Taxes.
• Moving out of Germany: deregister within two weeks (§ 17 (2) BMG).
• Registration is a duty of the registration law. It is not a residence permit and not proof that you meet any residence condition. Whether the Berlin registration office forwards data to the immigration authority in individual cases was not checked. Under § 5 (2) FreizügG/EU the registration office can accept documents proving your right to residence and pass them on.
• Waiting times for Bürgeramt appointments vary by district; check the current online booking.