Registering your address in Hamburg (Anmeldung)

Before you start

• You have moved into the flat or room you are registering.
• A signed landlord confirmation (*Wohnungsgeberbestätigung*) from your landlord, property manager or main tenant.
• An appointment at a Hamburg Service location for residents' affairs (*Einwohnerangelegenheiten*), booked online or through 115.

Documents you need

• Valid passport or other identity document for everyone you register

  Bring originals. If you have an electronic residence permit (eAT) or an EU eID card, bring it too.

  required

• National ID card (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens)

  Can be used instead of a passport.

  optional

• Residence permit card or visa, if you have one

  optional

• Landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)

  Must show the landlord's name and address, the owner's name if different, the move-in date, the address and the names of everyone moving in. A rental contract does not replace it.

  required

• Registration form (Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde)

  Available as a PDF from hamburg.de; fill it in before your appointment.

  required

• Original civil-status documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, name declaration)

  Required when you register after moving from abroad. Foreign documents may need an apostille or legalisation and a translation by a sworn translator.

  required

• Marriage certificate, if married

  optional

• Children's birth certificates

  optional

• Purchase contract or land register extract

  Only if you own the flat.

  optional

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Check that you need to register, and the deadline

   You must register within two weeks of moving into a home that is your only home or your main home. Hamburg's service page for moving from abroad applies when you will stay in Hamburg for more than three months; if you are already registered elsewhere in Germany, the rules apply when you stay more than six months.

   Registration is tied to actually living at the address. Register after you move in, and register again whenever you move within Hamburg. You do not need to deregister at your old German address when you move within Germany; you only deregister (Abmeldung) when you move abroad.

2. 2

   Step 2: Get the landlord confirmation

   Your landlord, their property manager or, in a sublet or shared flat, the main tenant must confirm your move-in in writing. This Wohnungsgeberbestätigung must contain the name and address of the landlord, the owner's name if the landlord is not the owner, the move-in date, the address of the flat and the names of everyone moving in. Hamburg states clearly that a rental contract cannot replace it.

   Hamburg publishes a landlord confirmation form you can hand to your landlord. If you own the flat, bring the purchase contract or a land register extract instead. See the guide to the landlord confirmation for what to do if your landlord does not respond.

3. 3

   Step 3: Fill in the registration form

   Download the registration form (Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde, in German). It asks for your new address and move-in date, your previous address (or, if you come from abroad, the country you came from), and personal details for each person: names, date and place of birth, nationalities, marital status, religious affiliation and identity document.

   The religion field matters for tax: if you belong to a church that levies church tax, your employer will deduct church tax from your salary. Answer accurately.

4. 4

   Step 4: Book an appointment

   All services at the residents' affairs offices are by appointment only. Book through the appointment link on the Hamburg service page or by calling 115 (Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 19:00; from abroad +49 40 115).

   Practical tips from the city:

   • Search all locations. You can book at any office, regardless of where you live.
   • Check at the right time. New slots are released every day at 7:00 and 10:00, for the same day, for the next 14 days and for the following five weeks.
   • Cancel if you cannot go. About one in ten booked appointments is not used, which lengthens waiting times for everyone.

   Booking is free. Do not pay third parties for appointments.

5. 5

   Step 5: Go to the appointment

   Bring the signed form, the landlord confirmation and the original identity documents and civil-status certificates of everyone you are registering. When you move from abroad, Hamburg asks for original birth or marriage certificates (and name declarations, if any); certificates from abroad may need an apostille or legalisation and a translation by a sworn translator.

   When you come from abroad, everyone moving in must attend in person. The processing at the counter usually takes 15 to 20 minutes. Children under 16 who are registered without both parents with custody need advance arrangement with the office; call before your appointment.

   At the end you pay the fee (€16 in 2026) and receive your registration confirmation (Meldebestätigung). If you have a German ID card, the address on it is updated. Check that names and dates are spelled correctly before you leave.

6. 6

   Step 6: Know what comes next

   • Tax ID by post. The Federal Central Tax Office sends your tax identification number only by letter. Put your name on the mailbox. See the tax ID guide.
   • Broadcasting fee. Registration offices pass data on new residents to the broadcasting fee service, which writes to people it cannot match to a contribution account. If you do not reply, you are usually registered automatically, backdated to your move-in date. See the broadcasting fee guide.
   • Residence permit. If you are a non-EU national, your registration confirmation is one of the documents for your residence permit application; see the guide to residence permits in Hamburg.
   • Later proof of address. If you need proof later, you can request a registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) for €16 per certificate (2026) at any residents' affairs office.

Registering online

Fees in 2026

Where to go

Fines and why the deadline matters

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Bringing copies instead of original passports and civil-status certificates.
• Coming alone when you move from abroad with your family; the service page says everyone moving in must attend.
• Forgetting apostilles or translations for foreign birth and marriage certificates.
• Trying to register before you have moved in.
• Not putting your surname on the mailbox, so the tax ID letter cannot be delivered.

Tips

• Look for appointments at 7:00 and 10:00, when new slots are released, and search all locations at once.
• Fill in the registration form at home and print it.
• Scan your Meldebestätigung as soon as you receive it; later certificates cost €16 each.
• If you live in temporary accommodation, ask the landlord before booking whether they will sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Register your address (Anmeldung)Add to plan
• Book your appointment for registering your addressAdd to plan
• Get your landlord's move-in confirmationAdd to plan
• Collect originals, apostilles and translationsAdd to plan
• Book a first place to stay where you can registerAdd to plan
• Apply for the Kita voucherAdd to plan
• Receive your tax ID and pass it onAdd to plan
• Check what free movement means for you as an EU citizenAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Feb 2027.