--- title: An expat's guide to Bürgeramt – How to get Anmeldung in Berlin (2021) description: Wondering how to get Anmeldung in Berlin? To start your new expat life in Germany, here's the inside scoop on how to save time at the Bürgeramt | Holvi 2021 image: https://blog.holvi.com/hubfs/CM_Blog_Header_Burgeramt_EN.jpg --- [Holvi](https://www.holvi.com/) [Subscribe](https://blog.holvi.com/guide-burgeramt-mastering-anmeldung-berlin#subscribe) [Workaround](https://blog.holvi.com) - [Holvi spotlight](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/holvi-spotlight) - [Internationals](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/internationals) - [Life](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/life) - [Work](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/work) - [Open mic](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/open-mic) - [Financial administration and bookkeeping](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/financial-administration-and-bookkeeping) - [Founding a company](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/founding-a-company) - [News about entrepreneurship](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/news-about-entrepreneurship) - [business account](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/business-account) [Expats in Germany](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/expats-in-germany), [Internationals](https://blog.holvi.com/topic/internationals) # An expat's guide to Bürgeramt – How to get Anmeldung in Berlin (2021) 02/11/2020, 10:18 | By [Daniel McLeod](https://blog.holvi.com/author/daniel-mcleod) 8 minute read [![Share on facebook](https://blog.holvi.com/hubfs/assets/social-facebook.jpg)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://blog.holvi.com/guide-burgeramt-mastering-anmeldung-berlin&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook) [![Share on linkedin](https://blog.holvi.com/hubfs/assets/social-linkedin.jpg)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.holvi.com/guide-burgeramt-mastering-anmeldung-berlin&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin) [![Share on twitter](https://blog.holvi.com/hubfs/assets/social-twitter.jpg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https://blog.holvi.com/guide-burgeramt-mastering-anmeldung-berlin&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&url=https://blog.holvi.com/guide-burgeramt-mastering-anmeldung-berlin&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&source=tweetbutton&text=) ![](https://blog.holvi.com/hubfs/CM_Blog_Header_Burgeramt_EN.jpg) Moving to a new country is one of the most exciting and fulfilling things you can do in life. Suddenly a new world opens up, with fresh opportunities and challenges. One of the first hurdles you’ll face as an expat arriving in Germany is attending an Anmeldung appointment. But you might have noticed that finding official guidance on moving to Berlin is difficult. The best advice tends to be anecdotal, from friends or strangers online, in expat Facebook groups and Reddit threads. Personal and timely success stories.  So, to make life easier for you, we got in touch with a local Bürgeramt expert to hear the inside story, top-secret tips, and tricks on how to get your Anmeldung within hours, not months.   | #### Read our no BS Business Starter Guide: [How to start a business in Germany (2021)](https://blog.holvi.com/how-to-start-a-business-in-germany-freelance-starter-guide) Subscribe to Workaround for more articles on how to freelance in Germany. Stay in the know, and keep work life balance in check. [![Read guide](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2327458/7ee8f662-ca1a-4495-a5a1-0d5ab2a24f4f.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2327458/7ee8f662-ca1a-4495-a5a1-0d5ab2a24f4f)    [![Subscribe](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2327458/194d28a5-91ca-4fa6-81c2-d04934aaf694.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2327458/194d28a5-91ca-4fa6-81c2-d04934aaf694) ✔️ 100% English    ✔️ Up-to-date info    ✔️ For freelancers    ✔️ Bypass bureaucracy | | --- |   ## What is Anmeldung? Everyone living in Germany needs to officially register their address. And as an expat, this will be a top priority after arriving in Berlin. To get it, you’ll need to visit a *Bürgeramt*, or ‘citizens’ office’. > Anmeldung is the process of registering your address at the Bürgeramt. During your *Anmeldung* you’ll get a piece of paper confirming your official address in Germany. This is called your *Anmeldebestätigung*, or 'registration certificate'. If you’re attending your first *Anmeldung*, you’ll also receive your Tax ID (*Steueridentifikationsnummer*).  For more info on tax numbers and the Finanzamt, read our ‘[Expat’s Guide to the Finanzamt – Steuer-ID, Steuernummer and Umsatzsteuernummer (2020)](https://blog.holvi.com/expats-guide-finanzamt-steuernummer-vs-steuer-id)’.   | #### **Tip – *Anmeldung and Bürgeramt* go by many names** What everyone commonly refers to *Anmeldung* can also go by *Anmeldebestätigung, Anmeldebescheinigung* or *Meldebescheinigung*. They all mean essentially the same thing: registering your address in Germany. Likewise, *Bürgeramt* might be called something else – like *Kundenzentrum* or *Kreisverwaltungsreferat –* if you're outside Berlin. | | --- | ## How to get an Anmeldung appointment at the Bürgeramt The days of going to a Berlin *Bürgeramt*, taking a ticket and waiting in line for hours are over. Instead, you now have to make an *Anmeldung* appointment in advance. (Or at least, so they say – but keep reading to learn about a loophole.) In Berlin, the wait times can be long – up to a few months. Berlin is popular, so in other cities the wait times may be shorter.  Under German law you’re technically obliged to register your address within 14 days of moving to a new flat, but as the demand for appointments has increased dramatically, the *Bürgeramt* relaxed this rule. **Now, you need to make an appointment to register within 14 days of moving**. If this is enough to help you sleep at night, you can relax. All you need to do now is sit down in front of your computer and refresh the [Bürgeramt website](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/120686/) every 5 seconds to see if any appointments have become available. Usually appointments are updated around 10:00–12:00. When you see a little blue date bolded, that’s your cue to act fast!   | #### **Tip – Be ready to travel** **It doesn’t matter which Berlin *Bürgeramt* you visit!** You can live in Mitte and register in Köpenick. Here’s the [page to check for Bürgeramt appointments across all Berlin.](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/120686/) | | --- | ## How to get Anmeldung without an appointment If you need confirmation of an official address ASAP, don’t rely on the *Bürgeramt* website. You might have been told that this is the only way of getting an appointment. It’s not. Instead, try **ringing 115** at around 8:00–9:00 on the day to ask if there are appointments available. Often you can get an appointment for that same day. Be aware that you might have to travel to an obscure *Bürgeramt* somewhere further away from where you actually live. This is because the appointments given out through 115 are available due to last-minute cancellations.   | #### **Top-secret tip – Show up and hope for the best** If it’s super urgent and you can’t wait, wake up early and just show up at the *Bürgeramt*. Not every *Bürgeramt* accepts surprise guests, but many do. The website for the ***Bürgeramt* in Prenzlauer Berg** (Fröbelstr.) says ‘*nur mit Termin*’ (‘by appointment only), but by showing up *at least* one hour before they opened worked for me not once, but twice. The focus is on EARLY. | | --- | ## What documents do I need to bring for Anmeldung? Unfortunately, Berlin’s *Bürgeramter* haven’t arrived in the paperless future yet, so to get your *Anmeldebestätigung*, you need some good old-fashioned documents. There’s no way around it. You’ll need to make sure you have everything prepared before making your way to the *Bürgeramt*. On the day, bring the following documents: - Passport - *Anmeldeformular* – completed ‘Registration Form’ - *Wohnungsgeberbestätigung* – signed by the owner or landlord - Rental agreement or letter confirming accommodation - Children’s identification documents or birth certificates (for children moving in) - Residency Permit (for non-EU citizens) - Marriage Certificate (if applicable) ### What is Anmeldeformular? The ***Anmeldeformular*** is the *Anmeldung* registration form. You can print it at home or pick it up at the *Bürgeramt*. It’s simple, but unfortunately only available in German. If you have trouble filling it out, don’t be shy about asking someone for help.   | #### **Tip – Google ‘*Anmeldung* form in English’** You can find the *Anmeldeformular* translated into English easily online. A PDF is all you need – be wary of any sites asking you to fill in personal details online. | | --- | ### What is Wohnungsgeberbestätigung? The ***Wohnungsgeberbestätigung*** is a confirmation of your move, signed by your landlord. Your landlord should give you the form with the keys to your new flat. If you’re living in a flatshare as a sublessee, you might have to get this form from the flat’s main tenant (provided they have permission to sublet!). Your *Wohnungsgeberbestätigung* contains: - Your residential address - Details of the owner (*Wohnungseigentümer)* - Details of the landlord (*Vermieter)* - Details of the tenant (*Hauptmieter)* - The move-in date   | #### **Careful – Bring a complete set of documents** **Your rental contract does not replace the *Wohnungsgeberbestätigung***, and you can’t register without having a complete set of documents. | | --- | ## After you’ve gotten Anmeldung German bureaucracy might be scary at first, but with a few tricks you can avoid unnecessary stress and save time and sanity.  One of the nicest things about moving to Berlin is the sense of community. Not necessarily from true Berliners, but from newcomers. The lack of official guidance means people moving to Berlin need to figure things out on their own – and with some digging online you can almost always find support! Getting *Anmeldung* is the first step in your new life in Germany. Once you’ve registered your address, you’ll be ready to register your freelance business, [open a business account](https://www.holvi.com/de-en/business-account/) and get a phone contract – so you can start calling clients. ‘*Entschuldigung, brauchen Sie noch etwas zu tun?*’ And once you’re registered, you can start enjoying that most wonderful of German words when settling into a new home: *Gemütlichkeit.*   | #### Want to learn more about freelancing as an expat in Germany? We hope this article helps simplify *Anmeldung* – one of the first essential steps into your new German work life. If you want to explore more expat questions, check out:  - [Guide to *Bürgeramt* – How to get *Anmeldung*](https://blog.holvi.com/guide-burgeramt-mastering-anmeldung-berlin) - [Guide to self-employed company types – *Freiberufler* vs *Gewerbe*](https://blog.holvi.com/expat-guide-to-freelancing-freiberufler-vs-gewerbetreibender) - [Guide to a business account in Germany](https://blog.holvi.com/expat-business-account-mastercard) - [Guide to *Gewerbeanmeldung* – How to register a business in Germany](https://blog.holvi.com/how-to-register-your-business-in-germany-2021) - [What to do when the IHK send you a letter](https://blog.holvi.com/ihk-letter-freelancer) - [Guide to *Fragebogen zur steuerlichen Erfassung*](https://blog.holvi.com/fragebogen-zur-steuerlichen-erfassung-2021) - [Guide to self-employed funding in Germany](https://blog.holvi.com/german-grants-and-loans-for-self-employed) - [Guide to the *Finanzamt* – Tax numbers](https://blog.holvi.com/expats-guide-finanzamt-steuernummer-vs-steuer-id) - [How to set prices – Freelance rates and value-based pricing](https://blog.holvi.com/tips-for-beginners-how-to-set-prices-for-products-and-services) - [Guide to business insurance and pensions](https://blog.holvi.com/expat-guide-to-business-insurance-for-freelancers) - [Guide to health insurance for self-employed](https://blog.holvi.com/expats-guide-health-insurance-in-germany-freelancers?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=why-go-holvi) - [Guide to self-employed taxes in Germany](https://blog.holvi.com/german-taxes-for-the-self-employed) | | --- |   ### Simplify your work life Holvi is your business’ new financial home. 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