Online Anmeldung Expected From December 1: Can Expats Use It?

Registering your address (Anmeldung) online is set to become possible in every German town. On 4 November 2026, the federal cabinet adopted the IT Components Ordinance (IT-Komponentenverordnung, ITKV). It obliges every registration office (Meldebehörde) to offer the online service at wohnsitzanmeldung.gov.de. According to the Digital Ministry, it is expected to take effect on 1 December 2026.

For many expats, the catch is who can use it. The service is for people who move within Germany. You also need a German ID card or an EU/EEA eID card with the online function switched on. If you are moving to Germany from abroad, or you only have an electronic residence permit card (elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel, eAT), you will most likely still need an appointment at the citizens’ office (Bürgeramt).

Here is what matters:

• What changes: the online service already exists in many places. According to the Digital Ministry, more than 3,800 of the roughly 5,000 registration offices already offer it, covering 74.2 million people. The ordinance makes it mandatory for all of them.
• Who can use it: adults who moved from one address in Germany to another. One adult can also register a spouse or registered partner and minor children who move with them, if they were already registered together.
• Who cannot (for now): people moving to Germany from abroad. The official portal names only the German ID card and the EU/EEA eID card, and the City of Hannover says the service currently does not work with an electronic residence permit card (eAT).
• Deadline unchanged: you must still register within two weeks of moving in.
• Cost: registering online is free.

NOTE: The ordinance has been adopted by the cabinet but, as of 14 November 2026, it has not yet been published in the Federal Law Gazette. It takes effect on the first day of the month after it is published, which is why 1 December is described as “expected”. If it is only published in December, it would take effect on 1 January 2027. Even then, the government has not said when the very last office will be connected. Check the portal for your town before you skip booking an appointment.

What Do You Need to Register Online?

According to the official portal, you need:

• A German ID card (Personalausweis) with the online ID function activated, or an eID card for EU/EEA citizens, plus your six-digit PIN.
• A BundID user account, linked to your online ID.
• An NFC-capable smartphone with the AusweisApp, or a contactless USB card reader.
• A digital copy of the landlord’s confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Upload this form, not your rental contract.

Forgot your PIN? The Digital Ministry relaunched its free PIN reset letter service in October 2026, for a limited period. You can order a new PIN by post for your German ID card at pin-ruecksetzbrief-bestellen.de instead of going to the office.

Can Expats With a Residence Permit Use It?

Not yet, in most cases. The portal names only the German ID card and the EU/EEA eID card. The City of Hannover states it directly: the online service currently cannot be used with an electronic residence permit (eAT), and it does not cover moves from abroad. Hannover also asks you to book an appointment in these cases.

There is one sign this could change. The ordinance’s explanatory notes mention updating the eAT as part of the process. For now, though, if you are a non-EU citizen whose only ID document in Germany is a residence permit card, plan to register in person.

Moving to Germany for the first time? The online service works by pulling your data from the registration office of your previous German address (§ 23a of the Federal Registration Act). If you have never been registered in Germany, there is no previous record to pull from, so your first Anmeldung happens at the office.

How Does the Online Registration Work?

• Log in with your BundID and identify yourself with your online ID. The service shows the data the registration office already holds about you.
• Enter your new address and move-in date, say whether you keep your old home, and upload the landlord’s confirmation.
• The registration office checks your request. The portal says this usually takes about three working days. You then get an email.
• Update the address on your ID card chip in the AusweisApp, using the six-digit card access number (CAN) printed on the card. A German ID card holder then gets an address sticker by post. An eID card does not need a sticker.
• Download your registration certificate (Meldebestätigung). It carries an electronic seal and a visible digital seal that can be checked with the free ZeSI mobile app.

WARNING: If the registration data shown online are wrong, you cannot fix them online. You have to sort this out at your local registration office. If there is a problem with your landlord’s confirmation, the office may post a code to your new address that you then enter online.

What Should You Do Now?

• Moving within Germany with a German ID or EU/EEA eID card: activate the online function, check that you know your PIN, and set up a BundID account before you move.
• Ask your landlord for the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung as soon as you move in. You need it online and in person. You can create the form here.
• Moving from abroad, or only holding an eAT: book a Bürgeramt appointment early. The two-week deadline still applies.
• Not sure? Check your town on wohnsitzanmeldung.gov.de or call the public service number 115.

Your registration certificate also helps when you open a German bank account. Online banks such as N26* and C24* are compared in our guide to the best bank accounts in Germany.

How to register your address in Germany, step by step ->