Decided to leave Germany and move abroad? That’s ok. After living in Germany for a while you probably won’t be surprised that leaving also involves a bit of bureaucracy! 

Remember when you arrived and every time you moved into a new apartment within Germany you had to do Anmeldung (registration)? When leaving Germany, you have to do the opposite: You need to deregister at the local German citizens office (“Bürgeramt”, “Bürgerbüro” or “Einwohnermeldebehörde”, in each city it’s called differently) so they’ll know you no longer live in Germany, which means you don’t need to pay the local health insurance, taxes in Germany, and other providers you’ve been paying for. This de-registration is called “Abmeldung” (de-registration). 

Note that temporary stays abroad, e.g. for study purposes, travel, do not require you to de-register.

When to do it?

The de-registration can be made 7 days before but must be done up to 14 days after moving out of the place where you had your permanent address.

How to?

To do your de-registration, you need to contact your local citizens office and follow their instructions. In each state the procedure is a bit different. Here are two examples of how it’s done in Berlin and Frankfurt: 

In Berlin, for example, there are 3 different ways;

Personal appointment

1. Schedule a meeting at the local citizens office (“Bürgeramt”). If living in Berlin you can schedule an appointment here.

2. Fill out this Abmeldung form (each state has its own form).

3. Bring your identity card or passport for your appointment.

4. They will issue you a deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) on the spot.

Registered mail

1. Fill out the Abmeldung form and send it to one of the Berlin citizen's offices (Bürgerämter).

2. Attach a copy of your identity card or passport.

3. If there are more than 3 people that need to be de-registered, please fill out additional de-registration forms.

4. They will send your deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) to the address you filled out in the form (also abroad).

Email

1. Send the Abmeldung form and a scan of your identity card or passport to buergeramt@ba-sz.berlin.de. 

2. They will send your deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) to the address you filled out in the form (not by email!).

For more details on Abmeldung in Berlin, take a look at this guide by All About Berlin.

In Frankfurt, there are currently two ways:

Personal appointment

1. Schedule a meeting at the local citizens office (“Bürgeramt”) here.

2. Fill out this Abmeldung form.

3. Bring your identity card or passport.

4. It can also be done by a representative, he/she needs to have a signed power of attorney, and a copy of your identity card or passport.

5. They will issue you a deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) on the spot.

Registered mail

1. Fill out this Abmeldung form and send it to one of Frankfurt citizen's offices.

2. Attach a copy of your identity card or passport.

3. They will send your deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) to the address you filled out in the form (also abroad).
   

Fees: None. 

Good luck!

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Important note: Our HalloGermany articles are written with utmost care to explain careers and paperwork in Germany. However, please note that the content presented here does neither constitute nor replace any form of legal advice. We highly recommend consulting a lawyer for any legal concerns you may have.