10 Tips for Registering Your Address at the Berlin Bürgeramt

The Bürgeramt. You’ve heard the stories and rumors through the grapevine — that you’re supposed to register your address within 14 days of moving, and there are often no appointments available online. Or maybe you’ve heard that a particular location won’t take you without an appointment unless you’re living in that neighborhood. The process of registering your address in Berlin can bewilder even the most prepared expat. So what do you do?

The Bürgeramt has had a rough past year — the current staff and opening hours just haven’t been sufficient to handle the boom of new arrivals to the city. In the face of complaints from frustrated citizens and heavy criticism in the German press, the Bürgeramt’s gotten the green light for more staff, expanded opening hours and investment in improvements to their customer service and appointment booking systems.

It will take months to feel the effects of these planned improvements. In the meantime, Berlin-based relocation agency/German school Expath is here with an update on the best tips for success at the Bürgeramt.

1. Try the ‘Bürgertelefon’ to check for short-term appointments.

The 115 number (dial 030 first if you are calling from a mobile phone) is the city’s central administration hotline that allows you to make appointments not only for registering your address but also for swapping your driver’s license for a German one, applying for a marriage license, etc..

The number is active Monday-Friday from 7–18:00, and it’s a good idea to have a German speaker on hand. (Note: As of 19. Aug. 2016, calling the special appointment hotline set up over the summer at 030 9024990 simply directs you to visit service.berlin.de).

2. Don’t forget to bring the new ‘Wohnungsgeberbestätigung’ form.

Starting in November 2015, to complete your Anmeldung you’ve needed an extra paper with the signature of the landlord or person subletting to you, in addition to the landlord’s name and address, move-in date, address of the flat you’re renting and your full name. A downloadable form for this ‘Einzugsbestätigung des Wohnungsgebers’ can be found here along with the registration form or ‘Anmeldung.’

3. Don’t book online (for now).

As of August 2016, the Bürgeramt’s website will not allow you to book an appointment online to register your address. (The ‘Anmeldung’ page directs you to the special hotline 030 9024990 which is currently inactive and just directs you to service.berlin.de.) Stay tuned, because this is likely to change again in the near future!

4. Go in person.

As of August 2016, the city’s website confirms that it IS still possible to show up in person without an appointment to do the registration, in urgent cases. The standard advice still applies — go first thing in the morning to get a good place in line (an hour before opening is a good idea in busy neighborhoods).

It’s a good idea to be prepared with explanation of why it’s urgent — for example, that you’ve just moved to the city and need the Anmeldung to open a bank account, get a flat, and get paid at your new job. Your company should be able to write you a letter to take with you to the Bürgeramt to explain the situation and ensure you’ll be seen even without an appointment. As always, it’s a good idea to take a German speaker with you. You never know if the Beamter you see can or will speak English, and if there are any problems you’ll want to ensure you can both fully understand each other.

5. Try an office outside the city center.

The city also confirms that you can go to any Bürgeramt in the city, not just the one in your Bezirk. Try heading a bit outside of busy Kreuzberg/Neukölln/Mitte/Prenzlauer Berg to a neighborhood where there’s less likely to be a crush of people (though we’ve had many good experiences with same-day appointments at Rathaus Neukölln).

6. Don’t forget the Ummeldung and Abmeldung.

Remember that whenever you move to a new place in Berlin (or elsewhere in Germany) you’ll have the pleasure of repeating the experience — switching your address to a new flat is called Ummeldung. And don’t forget to de-register your address — the Abmeldung — if you move away from Germany. Keep the Abmeldung paper handy as you may need it in order to cancel insurance, phone or gym contracts, prove you don’t need to pay taxes, etc.

7. Check that your registration data is correct before you leave the appointment.

You don’t want to make any unnecessary Bürgeramt visits, so read over the Anmeldebestätigung paper carefully before you return home after your appointment. Ensure your name, address and other details are correct. If there are any mistakes, go back to the Beamter before leaving and ask for a correction. You’ll need this little piece of paper over and over for things like phone contracts, library cards, not to mention any other German bureaucratic steps — so be sure everything is correct, and keep it in a safe and familiar spot once you arrive home.

8. Give feedback.

Yes, we’ve all heard Bürgeramt horror stories — but there are heartwarming stories, too, of the Beamter who go out of their way to be helpful, kind and patient with your bad German. So if you’ve had a bad experience, and especially if you’ve had a very good one, you can leave feedback about your experience here.