Compulsory registration

According to the German Registration Act (Meldegesetz) all students are required to register at the local registration office within one week of arrival. This also applies to students moving in to additional accommodation as their secondary residence. Likewise, students must also notify the registration office if they change address within the local area or move out of a room or flat within the same period of time.
Anyone who fails to fulfil this obligation will have to pay a penalty.
Registration forms are available free of charge from the registration authorities.