You’ve found your dream flat and survived the move. Now the bureaucracy begins – because the residents‘ registration office is not the only one that insists on being told your new address promptly. We explain who you should notify of your new address straight away, or even before you move.
Before you start furnishing your new flat, as a new tenant you should not forget to record the condition of the flat on moving in in a handover report. But that is not the end of the paperwork – quite the opposite: various authorities, service providers and insurers should be informed of your change of address promptly.
Residents‘ registration office – the legal obligation to register your address
First things first: in Germany, every tenant is required to register their place of residence with the relevant residents‘ registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt). As a rule, you only have one to two weeks after moving to do this – otherwise you risk a fine.
If you don’t have time yourself, you can send a representative. This requires a written power of attorney. Whether you go to the registration office yourself or send a representative, you should always take the landlord’s written confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) with you. It has been mandatory since 2015 and, in addition to the landlord’s name and address, contains the moving-in date as well as the tenant’s name and new address.
Insurers and the like – it makes sense to update your address before you move
Processing a change of address can sometimes take a while. It is therefore worth notifying the change before you move wherever possible. This ensures that any payments are not delayed. In addition to insurers, tenants should also inform the job centre or the BAföG office (student finance) if they receive benefits from them.
Re-registering your car and updating your vehicle documents
When moving, you should also remember to re-register your vehicle. If the move involves changing towns, the car must be re-registered with the vehicle registration office. To do this, you need to inform your motor third-party liability insurer and have your vehicle registration certificate parts I and II (Fahrzeugschein and Fahrzeugbrief) updated at the registration office. For this, car owners who have just moved need an electronic insurance confirmation (Versicherungsbestätigung), which is issued by the motor liability insurer. If you are only moving within the same town, you don’t need this confirmation, but you still have to notify the registration office. Good to know: you no longer have to apply for a new number plate. So if you move from Hamburg to Stuttgart or Munich, for example, you can keep your beloved HH number plate.
Registering, updating or cancelling the broadcasting licence fee
As well as your car, the broadcasting licence fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) should not be missing from any moving checklist. Tenants who have not paid the licence fee so far but will have to in future – for example when moving into their first flat of their own – can simply register online at www.rundfunkbeitrag.de. Updating your address there is also easy if you already pay the fee and are about to move. If you no longer have to pay because, for example, your partner or flatmate is covering it for
the new flat, you can contact the Beitragsservice and cancel.
Where does it make sense to switch providers?
Moving is also a good opportunity to check whether you are still happy with your providers for phone, internet, electricity and so on. Consider which providers you want to take with you and where you would like to switch. You need to check the respective notice periods carefully, so it makes sense to look into this a few weeks before you move. We have put together some tips on switching providers here.
Mail forwarding with Deutsche Post
One last tip: to make sure your post reaches your new flat, it is a good idea to set up mail forwarding (Nachsendeauftrag) with Deutsche Post. The service can be booked for 12 or 24 months, either online or at a post office branch. You should apply for mail forwarding at least five working days in advance; it costs between €26.90 and €34.90.