Getting Registered for Residency in Germany

You, and everyone else, including the Germans, for that matter needs to register with the Meldeamt at town hall or city hall. The German name of the latter has caused many an English speaker to smile when they first saw it: Rathaus.

You have about ten days or so after arrival to hit the waiting line at this office in the morning. Bring your passport and other supporting documents. If you happen to have a German spouse, you will sail through the process in mere minutes.

If you came on a work visa arrangement, your employer knows what you need to bring.

If you rent, bring a paper by the landlord saying that you live at that address.

There is no big centralized INS or USCIS in Germany. If you think, of course, they are not an immigrant country, you will want to reconsider. The lastest statistics peg the number of people in Germany from what they call "a migration background" at some 20 percent.

Not that different from the United States.

Back to that waiting line at town hall. In our case, it was a line of one. Once you are done with this, you'll need an appointment with the Ausländerbehörde, the German mini version of that INS.

You can be certain that these folks have learned a lesson or two and will generally treat you well. Notable exceptions not excluded.

I have been there before, at the very same county office as this time around. The tone and demeanour of their present crew were so different from many years ago, it was hard to believe.

Way back, the conversation went something like this:
"How big is your residence"?
"Two thousand square feet."
"Do you have a paper that shows that?"
"I own it."
"Well, anybody can make that claim."

I am sure, they did not have me on file anymore as the person who quietly left the office 20 years ago, went home, typed a letter of complaint, handed that letter in at the county commissioner's office, and returned 24 hours later to the Ausländerbehörde to accept their official apology.

Not so this time around. Friendly and professional. Left with a stamp valid for two years, just like the U.S. would do, including a work permit.