City guidePotsdam

Moving to Potsdam: Anmeldung, residence permit and first steps

Most people arriving in Potsdam 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 Potsdam

Registering your address at a Bürgeramt.

Authority

Landeshauptstadt Potsdam — Bürgerservicecenter

Official Potsdam sources

Open official page
www.potsdam.de

Last checked: 18 August 2026

Good to know

Registration must be completed within 14 days of moving in.

Immigration authority in Potsdam

Residence permits and appointments.

Authority

Landeshauptstadt Potsdam — Ausländerbehörde

Official Potsdam sources

Open official page
www.potsdam.de
Book an appointment
www.potsdam.de

Last checked: 25 August 2026

How appointments work

You apply first, then the authority assigns an appointment

You cannot book the appointment yourself.

How to apply

For a residence-title application, use the official online application route. Do not use the general contact form to submit the application.

What happens next

Once the application is reviewed, the Migrationsamt gives you an appointment. The contact form is for enquiries and urgent cases.

If the authority does not respond

Use the Migrationsamt contact form only for a genuine urgent case or enquiry, as the city instructs.

Address of the authority

Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 79/81, 14469 Potsdam

Documents to bring

Valid passport
Biometric photo (35x45mm)
University enrollment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung)
Proof of financial means (blocked account / Sperrkonto, scholarship, or parental declaration)
Proof of health insurance valid in Germany
Meldebestätigung (registration confirmation from Bürgeramt)

Fees

First issue:: €100 (initial issuance for study purposes under §16b AufenthG)
Renewal:: €96 (extension)

Work rights

Holders of a §16b residence permit for study may work up to 140 full days or 280 half days per calendar year without additional approval. Student jobs at the university (HiWi positions) are generally unrestricted.

Good to know

Apply at least 6–8 weeks before your current visa or permit expires. Submit the appointment request via the online form on the Potsdam website if no slot is visible. If the permit cannot be issued in time, request a Fiktionsbescheinigung to maintain legal status.