Resident Registration Office
Everyone who moves into a house or flat in Germany is obligated to register. Therefore, you and any accompanying family members must register with the Resident Registration Office (“Einwohnermeldeamt”) responsible for the area you live in within two weeks of entering the country. At the Resident Registration Office you will be given a:
- Registration certificate / “Meldebescheinigung”: This is a document confirming your registration. You will need this official proof of registration if you wish to extend your visa or open a bank account
- “Steueridentifikationsnummer”: This is your tax ID and you will need it if you have an employment contract with a university and intend to draw a salary
- Police clearance certificate (“Polizeiliches Führungszeugnis”): You require this if you have an employment contract with the university.
In Bochum
To be able to register with the Resident Registration Office you require:
- Landlord's certificate
- Passport or equivalent document
- for children: birth certificate in german translation
Transferring / cancelling registration
If you move house during your stay you will have to go to the local Resident Registration Office in your new place of residence to transfer your registration and register your new address.
In this case you need the Landlord Certificate
When you leave Germany at the end of your research period you must cancel your registration with the Resident Registration Office. In order to do that you need the deregistration form .
Partly translated by: Dr. Lynda Lich-Knight, ResearchComm Ltd.
Please find further information in chapter 6 of our guide:
Guide for International Researchers
(9.9 MB)
