City guideCologne

Moving to Cologne: Anmeldung, residence permit and first steps

Most people arriving in Cologne deal with the same handful of things in their first weeks: a place to live, registering that address, health insurance, a bank account, and — if you are not an EU citizen — a residence permit.

This page gathers what RechtX holds on the two offices behind those steps, with the official links and the date each entry was last checked. For the wider process, the guides and the personal plan walk through the order step by step.

Your personal plan Related guides

Anmeldung in Cologne

Registering your address at a Bürgeramt.

Authority

Stadt Köln — Bürgeramt

Official Cologne sources

Open official page
www.stadt-koeln.de

Last checked: 18 August 2026

Good to know

Registration must be completed within 14 days of moving in.

Immigration authority in Cologne

Residence permits and appointments.

Official Cologne sources

Open official page
www.stadt-koeln.de

Last checked: 25 August 2026

How appointments work

You book the appointment yourself online

You can book the appointment yourself.

How to apply

Since 20 April 2026 the city offers online self-booking through the district foreigners' offices. A postcode check sends you to the responsible booking page.

What happens next

You choose an available appointment at the district office responsible for your address.

If the authority does not respond

If no slot is available, use the contact or application route for your specific residence matter. Submitting a contact form is not the same as having an appointment.