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Registration
Article Administrative reform
Registration refers to the obligation of citizens moving into a residence to register with the registration authority of their municipality.
Registration requirement
Anyone who moves into a residence in Germany must register within two weeks of moving in. To register, you have to go to the registration authority of your municipality and present a valid ID card, passport or passport substitute document and a certificate issued by the person providing the residence.
Persons moving abroad must deregister with the registration authority of their municipality, while those moving within Germany only have to register their new residence. It is not necessary to deregister the former residence.
Both Germans and foreigners are required to register. Violations of the registration re-quirement are subject to fines.
Exemptions from the registration requirement
Persons who enjoy diplomatic or consular privileges or who are exempted from the registration requirement on the basis of agreements under international law (e.g. NATO Status of Forces Agreement) do not have to register.
Exemptions from the registration requirement also apply in the case of short-term stays: Anyone who is registered at a residence in Germany and moves into a different residence for up to six months does not have to inform the registration authority of this move. Persons who usually live abroad and are not registered in Germany do not have to register if they stay in Germany for less than three months. Whether a person has to register always depends on the period of time he or she lives in a residence and not on the overall duration of his or her stay in Germany.
Purpose of the registration requirement
The population registers constitute the informational backbone of a modern administration which responds to the needs of its citizens. The authorities use the registration data for many administrative procedures, e.g. in the field of fiscal and social services administration. Without the registration requirement , the efforts of citizens to provide authorities with evidence would be much greater.
In municipalities, the registration data serve as an important basis for planning. Thanks to these data, the municipalities know, for example, how many kindergarten and school places are needed. The registration data are also used to prepare elections and votes. The number of residents of a municipality, which determines the amount of state funds a municipality receives, is calculated on the basis of the registration data. Private persons and businesses may use the registration data of persons they know within the scope defined by law.
Legal basis of registration
The Federal Act on Registration and the associated statutory instruments serve as the legal basis of registration. To ensure the harmonized interpretation and application of the Federal Act on Registration in the approximately 5,100 municipal registration authorities, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community adopted a General Administrative Regulation on the application of the Federal Act on Registration. The Federal Act on Registration can be downloaded by clicking on the link on the right hand side.
