Resident Registration | Registration Office
Everyone living in Germany is required to register their address within two weeks after moving in if you will stay in Germany for more than three months.
Please note: This does not apply if you are only staying temporarily with friends or “living” in a hostel.
You will register your residence in the registration office of your current/new place of residence respectively.
For your registration you will need:
- your passport,
- the rental agreement for your new apartment and
- a confirmation of your landlord or landlady Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
Confirmation of Registration (Meldebescheinigung)
You will receive a confirmation of registration from the citizen service center which you need for your residence permit or to open a German bank account.
Registration in Potsdam
Registration in Berlin
Rundfunkbeitrag (Television and Radio License Fee)
It is a legal requirement in Germany to pay a monthly fee of currently 18.36 EUR to the public broadcasting service's license fee office. In addition to apartments, the license fee must also be paid for rooms in student residence halls. Flat shares (WG) can divide the fee amongst themselves.
The radio and TV license fee must still be paid even if there is no device such as a computer, radio, or television in the household to receive these broadcasts.
After registering your place of residence with the relevant authorities (“Anmeldung einer Wohnung” with the Bürgerservice/Bürgeramt), you will receive a letter with the registration form for the Rundfunkbeitrag. You then have to register your account or let them know who in your household/WG is already registered and paying the fee.
Instead of waiting for the notification, you can also register your account proactively.
After that, the license fee office will decide whether you have to pay and will send an invoice, if applicable.
What happens if you do not pay? The radio and TV license fee is required by law. A refusal to pay can therefore result in legal actions taken against you.
Once your stay in Germany is over, please remember to cancel your registration.
Information about the Rundfunkbeitrag for students as well as answers to frequently asked questions (such as exemptions from the fee) are provided on the following website.