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253Registering your address after a move

After moving, register with the residents’ registration office.

This means the registration authority responsible for the new home. Locally, it is often part of a Bürgeramt or citizens’ service.

About 4 min readReviewed: 20 October 2026
AI-generated small moving box with a plain set of keys on a wooden table.
Federal Registration ActSection 17 · Registration after moving in
Fictional moving still life without an address, contract or official certificate.
The short answer

At the residents’ registration office.

The registration authority records where a person lives. Someone moving into a home generally has to register within two weeks after moving in. The relevant event is actually moving in, not merely signing the tenancy agreement.

Try it for yourselfExam question · No. 253
Where must you register if you move in Germany?

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The question is about the authority’s function.

“Einwohnermeldeamt” combines two clues: residents and registration at their place of residence. Local organisation can vary. A citizens’ office may offer several services; after moving, the relevant service is address registration.

Ordinary registration requires proof of identity and confirmation from the housing provider. Berlin’s official instructions expressly state that the tenancy agreement does not replace confirmation of moving in. Online procedures have their own eligibility conditions, which must be checked with the local service.

Two fictional adults with long dark and short grey hair plan a move.
AI-generated everyday scene, not an actual registration or official consultation.

The other three answers

The other office names refer to different administrative functions.

at the registry office

The civil registry office handles civil-status matters such as marriage. An ordinary change of home is registered with the registration authority.

at the public order office

The public order office is not the office name sought for address registration here. The relevant function is residents’ registration, even if a municipality combines departments.

at the trade office

A trade office deals with business registration. A person’s move calls for address registration, not business registration.

Apply deadlines and documents to the actual situation.

The two-week deadline describes the general case of moving into a home. This guide does not cover every special case in registration law. The responsible registration authority is the right contact for the particular procedure.

Housing-provider confirmation is not itself registration with the authority. It confirms that the person moved in and supports the registration process.

Section 17 · Registration after moving in · Federal Registration Act ↗
Your memory cue

New home → address registration → registration authority.

Distinguish an address from a marriage or a business. That identifies the correct office among the four answers.

Three words for this question

der Einzugmoving in
Actually beginning to live in a home.
die Meldebehörderegistration authority
The authority responsible for registering a person’s residence.
die Wohnungsgeberbestätigunghousing-provider confirmation
Confirmation that a person has actually moved in.
Bundesmeldegesetz · § 17 ↗

Similar office names do not mean the same function.

265Where must you go first in Germany if you want to get married?
Catalogue answer

to the registry office

The civil registry office handles marriage.

256A married couple wants to open a restaurant in Germany. What do they absolutely need?
Catalogue answer

a restaurant license from the responsible authority

A restaurant business involves different administrative procedures.

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Sources & context

An independently written study guide, not an official BAMF publication or advice for an individual case. The sources below were reviewed on 20 October 2026 for the claims explained here; the test question comes from the existing question bank.

  • Bundesmeldegesetz · § 17 ↗Generally requires registration within two weeks of moving in. Official indexed Act checked; direct retrieval of the individual provision unavailable.
  • Bundesmeldegesetz · § 19 ↗Governs the housing provider’s cooperation and confirmation that the resident has moved in. Official indexed wording checked; direct retrieval unavailable.
  • Service Berlin · Wohnsitz anmelden ↗Describes registration at a citizens’ office or online under specified conditions; a tenancy agreement does not replace housing-provider confirmation.
  • BAMF · Gesamtfragenkatalog ↗Question 253 from the existing question bank, stated catalogue date 7 May 2025. The PDF could not be retrieved during this review; the existing questions and translations were not replaced.

The two editorial pictures are AI-generated illustrations. They do not document real events or official proceedings.