Residence in Wuppertal
If you plan to stay more than 90 days in Germany, you need to register your residential address at the registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) no later than two weeks after your arrival. Please note that hotels or holiday apartments are not recognised as residential addresses. Registration takes place at the Service Centre of the Residents' Registration Office of the City of Wuppertal and must be done in person. All persons (spouse, children) who are to be registered need to come along, as well. There are no fees for the registration.
IMPORTANT: Processing is only possible with an appointment ( a step-by-step instruction for making an appointment online can be found in the download center on the right). Click here to make an appointment online (only available in German).
The address of the office is:
Steinweg 20, 42275 Wuppertal
(near "Alter Markt" Schwebebahn stop in Barmen)
Documents to be submitted
You need to bring the following documents with you to register:
- Identity card
- Passport / home passport
- If available: electronic residence permit (in connection with a valid home passport)
- Confirmation of accommodation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Please note that a tenancy agreement (Mietvertrag) is not sufficient.
For the registration of your spouse and/or children, you also need to bring the following documents:
- Valid passport of the spouse
- Valid passport of each child
- Civil documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate)
- Proof of your marital status (e.g. certificate of singleness or marital status, marriage certificate, family record book, divorce decree)
During your personal appointment, you need to bring the original documents.
Certified translations of your documents required
Documents which are in another language than German need to be translated to German by an authorised translator beforehand. The German Association of Interpreters and Translators provides a of translators and interpreters. Another source for translators is offered by the Justice of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
If you have insufficient knowledge of German, it is advisable to bring a person with you who can assist with translating or interpreting, respectively.
Further information can be found here.
Residence outside Wuppertal
If you live in a different city or municipality, you must register at the Residents' Registration Office there. You must either register personally or authorize someone else to register for you. There is no registration fee.
Applying for a residence permit
After having registered at the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt), you (if you are a non-EU citizen) must apply for a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis or Aufenthaltstitel) at the Foreigners' Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) in the city where you reside. The application should be done personally and early in advance before your visa expires.
Appointment and submission of documents
IMPORTANT: In Wuppertal it is currently not possible to make an on-site appointment at the Foreigners' Registration Office. Please upload all required documents as well as the completed application form for a residence permit (see download center on the right) via the contact form of the Foreigners' Registration Office.
Documents to be submitted (Upload via the contact form)
- Residence permit application form
- Hosting agreement (Aufenthaltsvereinbarung)
- Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
- Passport
- Visa
- Employment contract (Arbeitsvertrag), grant agreement (Stipendienbescheid) or proof that you have enough money to cover your living expenses in Germany
- Academic certificates/ academic degree
- If applicable, passport of your spouse and marriage certificate
- If applicable, passport of each child and birth certificate
- Passport photo
If necessary, further documents may be requested.
Fees
The Foreigners' Registration Office will inform you of the exact fee (up to 110 Euro) that will be charged for the residence permit. Please bear in mind that further cost may arise.
More information can be found here.
Address
Stadtverwaltung Wuppertal, Ressort Zuwanderung und Integration 204.4
Foreign Citizens’ Office (Ausländerbehörde)
Friedrich-Engels-Allee 28
42103 Wuppertal
The Foreigners' Registration Office can always be reached by telephone Monday to Friday from 09:00 - 10:00. You can find your correct contact person on the telephone list on the website of the Foreigners' Registration Office.
For further information in various languages visit the website.
EU citizens
EU and EEA citizens who are entitled to freedom of movement do not need official authorization of residence in Germany. For an overview of entitlement visit this website.
Confirmation of residential rights in Germany is no longer issued!
If your heir domicile or habitual abode is in Germany (§ 8 and § 9 German General Fiscal Code (Abgabenordnung) respectively), you are subject to unlimited income tax liability in Germany pursuant to § 1 para. 1 sentence 1 of the German Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz) with all income earned in Germany and abroad. Please find more information on income tax liability here.
When registering at the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt), your tax class will be determined with respect to your marital status. Also, you will receive your tax identification number (Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer or Steuer-ID) from the Federal Central Tax Office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern or BZSt).
Your tax identification number will be sent to you by post to the registered address after you have registered with the registration office. This can take up to 4 weeks. In some cases - especially if additional documents have to be submitted - it can take up to 10 weeks. Therefore, you should mark the letterbox with your name immediately after moving into your flat.
If you lose your tax identification number, please fill out this form.
In Germany, the public broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio are financed by the Broadcasting fee (Rundfunkgebühr). The Broadcasting fee is compulsory for all citizens of Germany. After you have registered at the Residents' Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt), the Broadcasting service (Rundfunkanstalt) gets notified. You will then receive a registration form from the Broadcasting service by post. Alternatively, you can also register online for the broadcasting service. Please check whether you can be exempted from the Broadcasting fee. You can find more information here.
If you have children, you can apply for Child benefit (Kindergeld) at the employment agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Further information in German can be found here and in English here. All necessary application forms in various languages can be downloaded here. Please select "Kindergeld" and then the language of choice.
Contact
Bergische Universität Wuppertal
INTERNATIONAL CENTER
Abt. International Office
Gauss-Str. 20
D-42119 Wuppertal
For general inquiries:
icenter[at]uni-wuppertal.de
