Whoever moves into an apartment
in Germany must register themselves in the municipality and it's
useful to be informed about some regulations. Here are some tips
to get the administrational things done quickly:
- Get your passport registered
Where? Foreigner registration office ("Auslandsamt")
in the Town Hall
- Car/motorcycle registrations: Motor vehicle ("KFZ")
registration
- For relocation inside your county ("Landkreis"):
Further information at the central information desk in
the Town Hall
- For all other relocations: Registration office for motor
vehicles ("KFZ-Zulassungsstelle") - further information
at the Town Hall
- Garbage collection /garbage can: Further information at the
Town Hall or at the city homepage (click on the keyword "Abfallwirtschaft"
(waste management) / "Entsorgung" (disposal or waste
disposal))
- Television / Radio: You must register your television or
radio: Registration or any changes are to be addressed to the GEZ ("Gebühreneinzugszentrale" -
central registration fee office ) - further information at
the Town Hall
- Energy supply: Electricity, water and gas.
Where? Normally at the city energy utility ("Stadtwerke")
- further information at the Town Hall
- Telephone (fixed-line network) / Internet: Deutsche
Telekom or other telecommunication companies such as
O2, D2, E plus, Acor
- Businesses: Registration at the "Gewerbeamt" / "Amt
für Wirtschaft" (business registration office) in
the Town Hall
- Dogs: At the tax office ("Steuerabteilung") in
the Town Hall
- Newspapers: In order to be well informed about current local
and national events, we recommend that you subscribe to a local
newspaper. Generally you can get a free subscription ("Probeabonnent")
for two weeks. There are also several small free newspapers
distributed in every building. However, there is not much information
beyond advertising in these publications.
- Note: Don't forget to provide your new address to banks,
insurance companies and others if you should move and then
reregister your telephone, newspaper, postal service subscriptions
etc.
Details regarding all of these points, and other valuable information
concerning a relocation to Germany (e.g. events, associations, organisations)
are generally available in the city Town Hall or at the official
homepage of the town in question. It might be a good idea to take
some time (maybe a morning or afternoon) to get informed. You should
also note that government offices in Germany often open very early
(e.g. 7:30-8:30 a.m.) and also close early (around 4:00 p.m.).
Here is our link collection regarding "relocation"*:
* mostly only in German language
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