gch86

Regarding address in Germany

Hello and thank you for your support! My question is the following, I am currently living in Germany but at the end of the month my house contract (I am subletting an apartment) ends but it is impossible for me to find a new apartment. What happens if for example I live for a while in an hotel or leave the country? I am an EU citizen, I have working contracts in Germany, I am a student and I live here with my family, therefore I receive kindergeld and pay voluntary insurance. What would the complications be in my case if for some days or a month I do not have a house contract? Thank you in advance!

5 Comments

Reply (5)

Eren__(support)

Hello @gch86

Thank you for your question!

As an EU citizen living and working in Germany with student status and a family, you are generally allowed to remain in the country even if your current rental contract ends. However, there are a few things to consider:

First, you are not legally required to have a current rental contract to stay registered at an address. What matters is that the person responsible for the property agrees to let you register there. This means that even if you are no longer living at your current place, you can remain registered there for a while with permission, or you can register at a friend’s or family member’s address if they agree.

Second, hotels and similar temporary accommodations usually do not allow for registration. This could affect your ability to receive official correspondence and to keep certain benefits active.

Regarding Kindergeld and insurance, if you are officially without an address in Germany, Familienkasse may suspend your Kindergeld payments untl you provide a new registered address. Similarly, your health insurance status could be affected if you appear to have left the country or are no longer a resident.

Therefore, if you leave Germany for a short while without deregistering, it may not cause issues as long as you maintain a registered address for correspondence. However, if you officially deregister or are seen as having no residence in Germany, this could lead to administrative complications related to your insurance and family benefits.

For more details, you can also check this helpful page:
https://handbookgermany.de/en/registration

If you have further questions, feel free to ask. We would also be glad if you share your own experiences here. It could be very helpful for others in similar situations.

All the best!

gch86

Thank you very much for the very useful information. I have one follow up question, what documents are needed to stay registered for a while in the place I live with permission or to register at a family member’s address with agreement?

Eren__(support)

Hello again!

If your landlord agrees that you stay registered in the address while you are away, you would not need to do take extra steps. However, once your residency address is defined, it is important to re-register in the same address within 2 weeks.

For registering at your family residence (which is legally more preferrable), you would need the following documents:

- Proof of identity

- Registration form (You can find it in your relevant Einwohneramt website)

- Landlord’s confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung): In this case, the family member who owns or rents the property must act as the “landlord” and provide this confirmation.

- Declaration of consent: If the family member is not the official landlord (e.g. they are a tenant themselves), their landlord may also need to give written permission, depending on local regulations.

You can find detailed information on the link I have shared above.

I hope this has been helpful.

All the best!

gch86

Thank you very much!

Dilay_volunteer

For a few weeks without a fixed rental contract, there are no immediate legal problems, as long as you can be reached and continue to meet your obligations (work, studies, insurance, etc.).
It is important, however, to find a new address as soon as possible or to inform the registration office (Bürgeramt) that you are currently 'without a fixed residence' in order to be formally on the safe side.

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