The cruelest catch in setting up life in Germany hits newcomers right at the start: almost everything needs your Anmeldung (address registration), but the Anmeldung needs an address, and finding a permanent flat is itself hard before you're set up. It feels like a locked loop with no way in. But there is a way, and it's simpler than the panic suggests: you don't need a permanent address to register, you need a registrable one. A temporary let, a rented room, even a friend's sofa can serve, as long as whoever provides it gives you the landlord confirmation. Understanding that the Anmeldung registers wherever you currently live, not just a permanent home, is the key that breaks the catch-22 and gets your whole German setup moving.
This guide covers doing the Anmeldung without a permanent address: the temporary-address route, the landlord confirmation that enables it, registering with a friend, and breaking the chicken-and-egg loop. The fix for the newcomer's worst catch.
You don't need a permanent address
The liberating fact most newcomers don't realise: you can do the Anmeldung without a permanent address.
- You can register at a temporary address
- As long as the person providing it gives you a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord confirmation) for that address
The crucial insight: the Anmeldung registers wherever you are currently living, it does not have to be a permanent home. The registration is about your current address, not a permanent one. So:
- A temporary let can work
- A rented room can work
- A friend's place can work
...provided you get the landlord confirmation for it. So you do not need to have secured your forever-flat before you can register, you need any address where you currently live and whose provider will confirm you live there.
This single fact dissolves much of the panic. Newcomers often think "I can't register until I have a permanent flat, but I can't get set up without registering", a trap. The escape is recognising that temporary, registrable accommodation is enough for the Anmeldung. Register where you currently are (temporarily), and you've done the keystone step, even before finding your permanent home. The full Anmeldung process is the same; the point here is that the address can be temporary, as long as it's registrable.
The catch-22, and how to break it
Let's name the trap clearly, because understanding it shows the way out. The catch-22:
- Many things need the Anmeldung: tax ID, banking, sometimes even securing a permanent flat
- But the Anmeldung needs an address
- And securing a permanent flat can itself be hard without being set up
So newcomers feel trapped in a chicken-and-egg loop: you can't get your tax ID/banking without the Anmeldung, you can't easily get a permanent flat without being set up, and you can't do the Anmeldung without an address. Round and round.
The way out: register at a temporary address that allows it.
- This lets you do the Anmeldung
- Which opens up everything else (tax ID, banking, and the rest of the setup chain)
- Then find a permanent flat (now that you're set up and can register the new address later)
So the loop is broken by inserting a temporary registrable address at the start. You don't need the permanent flat first, you need a temporary place that allows registration, you do the Anmeldung there, and that opens up the tax ID, banking, and everything that depends on registration. Once you're set up (registered, with tax ID and a bank account), finding and then registering a permanent flat becomes far easier, and you simply re-register (update your Anmeldung) when you move.
So the sequence that breaks the catch-22:
- Get a temporary, registrable address (a let, room, or friend's place that will give the confirmation)
- Do the Anmeldung there
- Open up tax ID, banking, etc.
- Find a permanent flat (now much easier)
- Re-register (update Anmeldung) at the permanent address when you move
This is exactly why a registrable Zwischenmiete (temporary sublet) is the classic newcomer landing strategy, it provides the temporary, registrable address that breaks the loop and gets your whole setup moving.
The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is the key
Whatever address you use, the one essential document is the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.
What it is:
- The landlord/accommodation-provider confirmation
- A document from whoever provides your housing (landlord, subletter, friend) confirming you live at their address
- It is required for the Anmeldung
So whoever houses you, permanently or temporarily, must provide it for you to register. This is the key to being able to do your Anmeldung at any address. No matter how good your temporary arrangement, without the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, you cannot register. With it, you can.
This is why the type of temporary accommodation matters so much: it must be one whose provider will give you the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. A formal landlord, a subletter (with permission), or a friend whose home you're staying in can all provide it, but they must be willing and able to sign it confirming you live there.
So when arranging any address for registration, the question that matters most is: "Will you give me a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung?" If yes, that address works for the Anmeldung; if no (or vague), it doesn't, no matter how convenient otherwise. The Wohnungsgeberbestätigung is the linchpin, secure it, and you can register; without it, you're stuck. So make obtaining this confirmation your priority for any registrable-address arrangement.
Registering with a friend, and the trap to avoid
Registering at a friend's address: a common and valid route.
- Yes, you can register at a friend's address if:
- You genuinely live there, and
- Your friend (as the Wohnungsgeber) provides a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung confirming you reside at their address
So if you're actually staying at a friend's or relative's place, and they sign the landlord confirmation for their address, you can do your Anmeldung there. The person whose home it is must provide the confirmation. This is a common way newcomers get registered, a friend or relative houses them temporarily and confirms the address, breaking the catch-22 without even a paid let.
The conditions are honesty and willingness: you must genuinely reside there (the Anmeldung reflects where you actually live), and your friend must be willing to sign the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. Given those, a friend's place is a perfectly legitimate registrable address, often the easiest first step for a newcomer who knows someone in Germany.
The trap to avoid: accommodation that won't let you register.
- This is a serious problem, since you need a registrable address
- Some hotels, hostels, and short lets do not allow Anmeldung (they won't provide the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
So the danger is booking temporary accommodation that cannot be registered at, you have a roof, but can't do the Anmeldung, leaving you stuck in the catch-22. The solution:
- Find accommodation that allows registration, a Zwischenmiete or room whose provider will give the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, or a friend's place
- Always confirm before booking a temporary stay that it allows registration
So the cardinal rule when arranging a temporary landing spot: confirm it allows Anmeldung (provides the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) before you commit. A hotel or hostel that won't register you is a roof but not a foundation, it leaves you unable to take the keystone step. Always ask the question first, and choose accommodation that can register you. (And when arranging such places remotely, apply the usual scam caution, never pay before verifying.)
The bottom line: you don't need a permanent address to do the Anmeldung, you need a registrable one. Register wherever you currently live, a temporary let, a room, or a friend's place, as long as the provider gives you the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. This breaks the classic catch-22: temporary registrable address → Anmeldung → tax ID, banking, and the rest opened up → then find your permanent flat and re-register. The key document is the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, and the trap to avoid is accommodation (some hotels/hostels/short lets) that won't let you register. Confirm any temporary stay allows Anmeldung before booking, and the newcomer's worst catch dissolves.
What to do this week
- Realise you can register at any address you currently live in, temporary let, room, or a friend's place, not just a permanent home, as long as you get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung for it.
- Break the catch-22 by securing a registrable temporary address, doing the Anmeldung there to open up your tax ID and banking, then finding a permanent flat and re-registering.
- Before booking any temporary accommodation, confirm it allows Anmeldung (provides the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung), since hotels, hostels, and some short lets that don't will leave you stuck.
Related guides
- Moving to Germany as an EU Citizen: Why EU citizens have it far easier moving to Germany, the freedom of movement that means no visa
- First 30 Days in Germany: The exact sequence of Anmeldung, bank, SIM, insurance
