At the Bürgeramt
When you move into a flat in Germany, you register your address at the Bürgeramt (citizens' office), usually within two weeks. This is the Anmeldung. You fill in a form, and the clerk may ask you to spell things.
Useful questions
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie ist Ihr Name? | What is your name? |
| Wie ist Ihr Vorname? | What is your first name? |
| Wie ist Ihr Familienname? | What is your surname? |
| Wie schreibt man das? | How do you spell that? |
| Können Sie das bitte buchstabieren? | Can you spell that, please? |
| Wie ist Ihre Adresse? | What is your address? |
| Wie ist Ihre Telefonnummer? | What is your phone number? |
| Wie ist Ihre E-Mail-Adresse? | What is your email address? |
How German addresses work
A German address has the street first, then the house number. The postcode comes before the town:
Lindenstraße 8 20095 Hamburg
- die Straße (street) and die Hausnummer (house number)
- die Postleitzahl, short PLZ (postcode): always five digits
- der Wohnort (town or city where you live)
Many street names end in -straße, -weg, -platz or -allee.
Email addresses
- @ is said „ät"
- . is said „Punkt"
- - is said „Bindestrich"
mei.chen@beispiel.de → „mei Punkt chen ät beispiel Punkt de"
Forms
Forms in Germany often use these words:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Familienname / Nachname | surname |
| Vorname | first name |
| Geburtsdatum | date of birth (written 14.02.1994) |
| Geburtsort | place of birth |
| Straße, Hausnummer | street, house number |
| PLZ, Wohnort | postcode, town |
| Unterschrift | signature |
Dates are written day.month.year: 14.02.1994 is 14 February 1994.