Anmeldung Berlin! Studio Apartments Including Address Registration in Berlin
A comprehensive guide to completing your address registration (Anmeldung) in Berlin in 2023. From booking an appointment at a Berlin Bürgeramt (town hall) and completing the relevant address registration paperwork to receiving your address registration certificate and tax ID, this guide aims to ensure your Anmeldung in Berlin goes smoothly.
Need accommodation in Berlin with Anmeldung?
While we outline the Anmeldung process below, this is all irrelevant if you do not actually have an apartment in Berlin that you can register at.
🏠 If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation in Berlin and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
What is Anmeldung?
✅ Anmeldung is the process of registering at a specific address in Berlin to confirm that you live there. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, while the administrative process is simple enough, finding a property to register at in Berlin is becoming harder by the day due to an increasingly competitive rental market and more stringent requirements by the authorities.
While often referred to as Berlin city registration, address registration or apartment registration by non-German speakers in Berlin, these all refer to the same Anmeldung process laid out below.
Why do you need to complete your Anmeldung in Berlin?
Registering at an address in Berlin is a legal requirement and is the first thing you should aim to complete when relocating to the German capital. After completing your Anmeldung in Berlin, you will be issued with two essential documents:
📄 Address registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung).
Your address registration certificate confirms that you are registered at a specific address in Berlin. You require this certificate to sign up for most bank accounts, sign up for a phone/internet contract, register at a gym, etc.
However, most crucially, you require your address registration certificate to apply for a visa at the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in Berlin, whether this is a Work Visa, Working Holiday Visa, EU Blue Card, Job Seekers Visa, Freelance Visa, Student Visa, German Language Visa or Au Pair Visa.
In short, a delay in completing your Anmeldung in Berlin will lead to a delay in applying for a visa, which will ultimately lead to a delay in starting work or a study programme in Berlin.
📄 Your German tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer).
Your Steueridentifikationsnummer is your German tax identification number that is automatically generated and sent in the mail once you have registered at an address in Berlin. In short, your employer needs your tax ID when you start working in Germany – you will be taxed at a much higher rate if you are unable to provide this (EEK!).
After registering your address, it takes approximately 2–4 weeks to receive your tax ID in the mail so it is important to complete your Anmeldung as soon as possible to avoid any delays in getting your German tax ID to your employer.
Who needs to complete their Anmeldung in Berlin?
If you plan on staying in Berlin for more than 3 months, then you must register your address at one of the city’s Bürgerämter (town halls).
🛑 In recent years, Berlin has gotten stricter with regard to Anmeldung. You are no longer able to register at most hostels or hotels. Added to this, there is a lot of speculation whether you can simply register at a friend’s place. Firstly, you should be aware that it is against the law to register somewhere that you are not actually living. Secondly, doing this without the landlord’s knowledge can lead to considerable issues for the tenant as the landlord will be notified when people register at their property – the landlord may accuse the tenant of illegally subletting the property to you, which can be grounds for eviction. The same applies for subletting in general.
Our advice is to always check with the landlord that address registration is possible before signing any sublet agreements or handing over a deposit/rent.
So, now to the juicy stuff!
How to complete your Anmeldung in Berlin
Here are the 6 key steps to completing your Anmeldung in Berlin:
1️⃣ Book or arrange accommodation in Berlin that allows Anmeldung
Quite simply, if you do not have an apartment lined up where you can complete your Anmeldung, then you will not be able to register your address in Berlin.
🏠 If you are struggling to find suitable accommodation, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation in Berlin and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
2️⃣ Book an Anmeldung appointment at a Bürgeramt in Berlin
To register an address in Berlin, you need to book an Anmeldung appointment at a Bürgeramt (town hall) in Berlin. The appointment type is called Anmeldung einer Wohnung and you can attend an appointment at any Bürgeramt in Berlin, not just the one in your local district.
💻 By far the best way to secure an Anmeldung appointment at a Bürgeramt in Berlin is to book one online. To book an Anmeldung appointment online, follow this process:
Access the appointment booking platform via this link.
Once on the appointment booking platform, click Termin berlinweit suchen to see a calendar with all the appointments that are currently available in Berlin:
Once you have booked your Anmeldung appointment, you will be emailed a confirmation that will include the location, time and date of your appointment as well as your appointment number (Vorgangsnummer).
📅 The booking period for Anmeldung appointments in Berlin is 4 – 6 weeks. For further tips, check out our extended appointment booking guide or YouTube video on booking an Anmeldung appointment in Berlin.
Still struggling to find an appointment? Here is a great tool from All About Berlin that automates the Anmeldung appointment-hunting process.
3️⃣ Get your landlord or lead tenant (Hauptmieter) to complete and sign a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form.
📄 A Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form is a simple form that grants you permission to register at the address in Berlin. You must bring the original Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form that has been completed and signed by your landlord to your address registration appointment. A photocopy will likely not be accepted.
It is most common for the landlord to complete the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form but the lead tenant (Hauptmieter) can also do this if permitted by the landlord.
4️⃣ Complete and sign an Anmeldung form for Berlin
📄 The Anmeldung form (Anmeldeformular) is a one-page form where you detail the address you will be registering at as well as some of your personal details. The form must be completed in German.
Completing your Anmeldung form (Anmeldeformular) incorrectly can lead to a number of complications for your relocation to Germany. These range from not being permitted to register and not receiving your tax ID to being put in the wrong tax bracket and even being signed up for additional German taxes that you are not aware of.
Here is a blank copy of the Anmeldeformular for Berlin that you can use when registering your address.
5️⃣ Attend your address registration appointment at the Bürgeramt in Berlin
🏛️ Once your landlord has completed a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form and you have completed an Anmeldung form, it is time to attend your Anmeldung appointment at the Bürgeramt in Berlin.
For a smooth Anmeldung appointment, you should:
Arrive at the Bürgeramt in Berlin 15 minutes prior to your appointment. If you miss your Anmeldung appointment number (Vorgangsnummer), they will simply move on to the next appointment and you will need to book a new appointment.
Wait in the waiting area until your appointment number (Vorgangsnummer) is shown on the electronic board. When your number is show, go to the designed room and processing desk:
Hand over your completed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form, Anmeldung form and passport to the Bürgeramt worker.
The Bürgeramt worker will now process your Anmeldung, a process that takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
You will receive your address registration certificate (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung) at the end of your appointment. Cherish this piece of paper as you will frequently need to present it as you work your way through the rest of your relocation.
🎉 Congratulations! Once you reach this stage, you are a registered Berliner.
6️⃣ Receive your German tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer) in the mail
Approximately 2–4 weeks after completing your Anmeldung in Berlin, your German tax ID (Steueridentifikationsnummer) will arrive in the mail at the address where you have just registered.
❗ Top tip! Ensure your name is on the letterbox of the address you are registering at. Otherwise, your tax ID may not be delivered. For further information about receiving mail in Germany, see our blog post on Germany’s postal service.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anmeldung in Berlin
Below, we have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions we receive regarding address registration (Anmeldung) in Berlin.
✅ Where can I complete my Anmeldung in Berlin?
You can complete your address registration at any of Berlin’s 40+ Bürgerämter (town halls). You do not need to go the Bürgeramt in your local district.
✅ How much time do I have to complete my Anmeldung in Berlin?
Legally, you are supposed to register within 14 days of moving in to a new apartment in Berlin. However, as appointments can be tricky to secure within this two-week period, many people register at a later date and are rarely penalised for this.
However, not registering quickly will delay your tax ID being received, which may disrupt your employment in Berlin. Notably, without a tax ID, your pay will be taxed at a much higher rate until you are able to receive it.
✅ Do I need an appointment to complete my Anmeldung in Berlin?
In general, we highly recommend that you book an appointment at a Bürgeramt to complete your Anmeldung in Berlin.
Some Bürgerämter may be able to register you without an appointment if they are not busy (this is rare!), although this will likely require you to waste at least half a day waiting to be seen by a Bürgeramt caseworker.
✅ Do I need a German speaker with me at my Anmeldung appointment in Berlin?
While some Bürgeramt workers will speak English, most will not. This may leave you unable to convey important information regarding your address.
✅ Can I complete the Anmeldung form (Anmeldeformular) in English?
The Anmeldung paperwork should be completed in German.
✅ Why is it so hard for newcomers to complete their Anmeldung in Berlin?
Like most European capitals, Berlin currently has a housing shortage with demand outstripping supply.
On top of this, many Berlin residents choose to hold on to long leases and sublet their apartments when they move, instead of freeing it up for the rest of the market. It is often not possible to register at these sublet flats as the landlord rarely knows that their property is being sublet by the lead tenant.
But this does not mean that you cannot find long-term property to register at in Berlin. In fact, many long-term apartments offer Anmeldung in Berlin. The issue for newcomers is that these long-term places are almost impossible to lock down if you are not already in the city and able to attend flat viewings or require that you have a work contract and payslips.
As a result, it often takes newcomers a while to find suitable long-term accommodation to register at, a delay that means you cannot apply for a work visa in Germany and cannot receive a tax ID, meaning your work start date gets pushed further and further back. This can put a massive strain on savings, can irritate your employer and generally places a massive dampener on your relocation to Berlin.
If you need to quickly register at an address in Berlin, then you may be interested in booking a furnished apartment with Smartments. Smartments provide well-located, studio accommodation and offer Anmeldung so long as you book for at least 14 nights. By opting for Smartments, you can get registered within days of arriving in Berlin.
✅ Can I complete my Anmeldung at a hostel or hotel in Berlin?
Very rarely. While this used to be fairly common there are very few hostels or hotels still offering address registration.
However, this certainly does not rule out the possibility of registering at short-term accommodation.
✅ Can I complete my Anmeldung at a friend's house or apartment in Berlin?
We recommend not completing your address registration at a friend's house or apartment for two main reasons:
It is not legal in Germany to register at an address that you are not actually living at.
The landlord receives a notification when someone registers at their property. If the landlord has not given their prior consent, this is likely to land your friend in hot water and can even be grounds for eviction as the landlord may accuse your friend of illegally subletting their property.
✅ Can I complete my Anmeldung online or by post?
No. To register, you must attend an Anmeldung appointment in person or authorise someone else to attend the appointment on your behalf (see below).
✅ Can someone else complete my Anmeldung in Berlin on my behalf?
If you are unable to attend your Anmeldung appointment in Berlin in person, then you can authorise someone else to attend the appointment on your behalf.
To do this, you must include a signed power of attorney (Vollmacht) in your application.
✅ Can I apply for a visa in Germany without having completed my Anmeldung in Berlin?
Strictly speaking, it is possible to apply for a visa without having completed your address registration. However, if you cannot present an address registration certificate at your visa appointment then you must instead show a rental contract and a written confirmation of occupancy (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form) from your landlord. If you have these documents, then you are able to register your address anyway so there would be little reason not to register prior to your visa appointment.
Providing an address registration certificate is by far the most common method of showing proof of residency at your visa appointment, and will ensure you do not have issues with this aspect of your visa application.
In addition, in order to get a tax ID in Germany (an essential document when starting work in Germany), you need to register at an address so it is best to try and get this step ticked off as soon as possible in your relocation process.
✅ Can I start working without Anmeldung?
Yes, although you need to complete your Anmeldung to receive your tax ID. Without your tax ID, you will be taxed at a much higher rate until you can provide your tax ID.
This can decimate your pay cheque so we recommend ensuring that you definitely have your tax ID prior to your first payroll in Germany.
✅ Can I register an address at a sublet in Berlin?
Rarely. Most sublets in Berlin are done without the prior consent or knowledge of the landlord. They are mostly short to mid-term sublets to cover the rent while the main tenant is away or living elsewhere, and the landlord is rarely aware you are living at their property.
✅ Can the main/lead tenant complete the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form or does it have to be completed by the landlord?
Yes – the main/lead tenant can complete the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung form if the landlord has permitted them to do so. If the main/lead tenant completes the form without the landlord's permission, this could be grounds for eviction.
✅ My name is not on the letterbox, can I still complete my Anmeldung?
Some Bürgeramt workers are reluctant to let you complete your Anmeldung if your name is not on the letterbox at your apartment. The reason for this is that they assume you will not be able to receive your tax ID (which is automatically posted to you after registering your address) and other official letters from the authorities.
If your name is not yet officially on the letterbox where you are living, then we recommend securely affixing a post-it note to your letterbox clearly showing your name. This will be sufficient for your official post to be delivered to the address while you arrange to have your name officially added to the letterbox. In your Anmeldung appointment, you should say that your name is on the letterbox to avoid any scepticism from the Bürgeramt worker.
✅ I am married, should I complete my Anmeldung with my husband/wife/partner?
Yes. Both you and your partner should register at the same time and you should also enter your partner’s details on your Anmeldung form (Anmeldeformular).
Registering together will ensure you are put in the correct tax bracket as a married couple. In general, married couples pay a lower level of income tax so it is worth being in the correct tax bracket.
If completing your Anmeldung as a married couple, remember to bring your marriage certificate to the appointment as well as a certified German translation of your marriage certificate.
✅ I am moving apartments, do I need to redo my Anmeldung?
Yes, you need to re-register at each address that you officially live in in Germany. The process for re-registering is the same as for your initial Anmeldung in Berlin.
✅ I am leaving Germany, do I need to de-register my address?
If leaving Germany permanently, you must de-register at your address. The process of de-registering is called Abmeldung.
Here is our step-by-step guide to de-registering from an address in Berlin.
Following de-registration, you will receive a document called an Abmeldebescheinigung or Abmeldebestätigung, which you can use to cancel any contracts, insurances, gym memberships, etc., in Germany.