Das Einwohnermeldeamt
Today in German Words Explained we explain the word “Einwohnermeldeamt“.
This is the office that you have to report to when you come to Germany in order to register your address and apply for your residence permit.
It is usually located in the town hall, or Rathaus, but may also be in a Bürgeramt.
You should take your passport with you. When you apply for your permit(s) you will need to take other paperwork with you, such as a rental contract for your flat or your employment contract.
To hear a simple explanation and a short discussion in German, listen to the podcast:
(Press the “play” button to listen to the podcast)
Download the MP3 file | Subscribe to the podcast
Tags: offices, Rathaus, registration
January 4th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I liked this because it was very practical, including information such as where the Meldeamt is etc. It would have been nice to have even more information, such as who is permitted to register.
January 4th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
The Einwohnermeldeamt is the place that everyone who wants to live in Germany has to go to register.
For EU citizens, this may be the only place that you need to go as you can often apply for your residence permit there as well, although that does depend on the town you are in. It may be necessary to go to an Ausländeramt to finalise your residency.
The exception may be for asylum seekers, as there is a separate registration process for them. I am not aware of at which stage they also would have to visit the Einwohnermeldeamt. If anyone would like to know that I can try and find out.