Registering with the City While Living in Germany
When you move to Germany, or to another city within Germany, you are obligated to register at the Meldeamt, registration office, of whichever city that you have moved to, informing them that you are living there. For students who may be taking a short term language course for a few weeks somewhere other than the city that they will be studying in, it's generally fine to wait until you've signed your housing contract in your end city, unless you happen to have signed a proper lease already.
Registering with the city in Germany is an important step to take when you do you have your signed lease in hand, as German law generally requires that you register with a week (or two, if you are living in Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony, Brandenburg, or Berlin). Regardless, I would highly recommend that you register as quickly as you are able, as failing to register on time will result in you receiving a Strafe (fine) for failing to do so in a timely manner (and the offices are not known for being forgiving on this count).
You will need:
- Your passport and visa (both the card and green Zusatzblatt)
- Your signed and dated lease
Where you can actually register can vary in name based on where you are studying and the size of the city, but typically, looking for the local Bürgeramt/Bürgerbüro (citizen's office) or Einwohnermeldeamt/Meldeamt (registration office). Regardless of where you need to go, you will need to fill out a form that varies by city, but includes demographic information about yourself and your German address.
Once you've registered, you will receive a form that is known as an Anmeldebestätigung, which you will need to provide a copy of to your bank, university, and insurer (if you obtain insurance within Germany, instead of external traveler's insurance), as proof that you are living in the City that you are studying in.
If you are unsure where you should register, and you've already confirmed that your local city hall doesn't have a Meldeamt, then here is a link to a website which lists the Meldeamt website for every city in Germany.
Notes:
- You will often have to take a number at these offices, and wait for the next available person to be available. As with getting your visa without an appointment, arriving as close to when the office opens as possible should help speed up the process.
- You can typically find someone working at the office who can speak English, but it will help to speed up the process if you make sure that your form is filled out as completely as possible.