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When you leave Germany permanently or for more than six months, you must deregister at the Bürgeramt of your last residence. Guide to deadlines, documents, and everything to do before and after departure.
Deadline
One week before — 14 days after departure
Fee
Free of charge
Responsible authority
Bürgeramt of the last residence
The Abmeldung is the official deregistration of residence in Germany. Under § 17 paragraph 2 BMG, it is mandatory when a person leaves Germany permanently or stays abroad for more than six months without keeping another registered address in the country.
Difference from Ummeldung: when moving within Germany you do not deregister — registering at the new address is enough. The Abmeldung is a separate category and applies only when leaving the country.
You move back to Serbia or to a third country with no plans to return. Abmeldung is mandatory and represents the legal end of the German residence.
An absence from Germany of more than six months without another registered address in the country is formally a break of residence — Abmeldung is mandatory.
A temporary absence (under six months) does not require an Abmeldung. You can keep the registered address and continue to use it for post, banking, and obligations.
The list is short — no landlord confirmation is needed because you are deregistering from an address, not registering at one.
Original and copy. For all adult family members deregistering.
Form available on the Bürgeramt website or on site. Enter the exact departure date and, if possible, the new address abroad.
The old registration certificate is not strictly required, but it speeds the process. After Abmeldung you receive an Abmeldebestätigung — keep both the original and a digital copy.
Book an appointment at the Bürgeramt of your last residence
Most cities accept the Abmeldung at the same office as the Anmeldung. Appointments are booked online — some cities also accept the Abmeldung by post or email.
Appear in person or send the completed form
In most cities a signed form together with a copy of the passport, sent by post, is sufficient. Berlin, Hamburg, and other large cities increasingly accept fully online deregistration via BundID.
Collect the Abmeldebestätigung
This is the official confirmation that you have been removed from the Melderegister. You will need it for cancelling GEZ, the bank, insurance, and later for PIO and the consulate. Keep the original and a digital copy.
Inform the remaining institutions (Krankenkasse, bank, employer)
The Bürgeramt informs the tax office and the federal register, but all other contracts (insurance, bank, electricity, internet, phone) must be cancelled separately.
The deregistration at the Bürgeramt alone is not the end — a number of further obligations and contracts must be cancelled separately. Recommended order:
Cancel membership in writing or through the member portal, attaching the Abmeldebestätigung. Most insurers require cancellation at least 14 days before the departure date. Without cancellation, contributions can continue after departure.
Deregister at rundfunkbeitrag.de with the Abmeldebestätigung and the exact departure date. Otherwise, GEZ letters will continue to arrive at your last address.
The year of departure is split — until the date of Abmeldung you file as a resident, afterwards as a non-resident. Filing is often worthwhile even when not required, as it usually results in a refund.
Before departure, request a Rentenauskunft from the Deutsche Rentenversicherung — an overview of all German insurance years. This is essential for later totalisation with the Serbian PIO fund.
Contracts are cancelled in line with the notice periods stated in each one. It is wise to keep the bank account 1–2 months after departure — late payments or refunds often arrive afterwards.
If you return to Serbia for retirement, the Abmeldung is an important step for the recognition of German insurance years by the Serbian PIO fund. The 1968 social-security agreement allows totalisation of insurance periods.
Special case: returning to Serbia for retirement
If you give up your Hauptwohnsitz but keep a Nebenwohnsitz in Germany, you do not deregister — you carry out an Ummeldung in which the Nebenwohnsitz becomes Hauptwohnsitz, or vice versa.
This case is common with residents who move to Serbia or a third country but keep a work flat or owned flat in Germany. In that case you remain part of the German tax and insurance system.
Without an Abmeldung, the system continues to consider you a resident of Germany — with all the legal and financial obligations:
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Read moreLast updated: April 2026. Information based on the Bundesmeldegesetz (§ 17, § 54) and the official portals of Deutsche Rentenversicherung and rundfunkbeitrag.de.