How to change your address in Germany
If you’ve been here long enough, you’ve probably noticed that Germany is charmingly (or ludicrously) dependent on the postal service for important letters. That makes forwarding your mail in Germany incredibly important when you’re moving house. The good news is that it’s pretty straightforward to both update your address with the Deutsche Post, and to forward your mail to your new home or a different address while you are on holiday.
🚨 Attention Berliners:
One really important thing to realize is that when you change your address in your Germany, you need to do it for two different providers. That’s because there are two different types of mail providers in Berlin: the regular post, and what’s called Pin Mail, a private postal service that works with select providers to send registered mail. One of these providers is the city of Berlin, which encompasses all city services, including the Ausländerbehörde. This means that if you do not change your address with them, it is likely that papers relating to your visa and work permit will be delivered to the wrong address. But don’t worry, we’ve included instructions for that here, too.
How to change your address in Germany
Changing your address in Germany is simple—and best of all, digital. Believe it or not, the Deutsche Post offers Nachsendeservice online! The only painful part is that this process has to be done in German, but fear not! We’ve got an English breakdown of their form below.
Visit the Nachsendeservice site
Complete the information intake (breakdown in English)
Submit and live your life!
Instructions for changing your address in Germany
Here’s a quick English guide through the Deutsche Post’s Nachsende German site’s online address change form.
Cost of changing your address in Germany
There is a charge to change your address in Germany with the Deutsche Post, but it’s not terribly expensive. And definitely worth it to make sure your mail gets delivered to the right place!
Pricing: €23.90 for 6 months or €30.90 for 12 months
Instructions for forwarding your mail in Germany
At some point during your stay abroad, you may wish to spend an extended period of time outside of Germany—whether back in your home country or somewhere else in this great wide world. When you do, don’t forget to forward your Deutsche Post. This keeps your address registered where it is, but sends your mail onwards to a designated address while you are out of town.
Cost of forwarding your mail in Germany
The price to forward your mail through the Deutsche Post is the same as changing your address:
Pricing: €23.90 for 6 months or €30.90 for 12 months
If you do not live in Berlin, that’s all you need to know about changing your address or forwarding your mail in Germany!
Important! Pin mail in Germany
We can’t stress this enough—if you live in Berlin, do not forget to change your address with the Pin mail as well. If you don’t, you won’t receive important documents from the city of Berlin—including, if you have an open residence permit or Blue Card application, your residence title itself.
Like the Deutsche Post, this is simple and digital. And like the Nachsendeservice, it is all in German. (Don’t worry—we’ve done an English guide for this too).
Visit the Pin mail site
Complete the information intake (breakdown in English)
Submit and live your life!
If you do not live in Berlin, you do not need to worry about this piece of red tape. Lucky you! ✂️
Instructions for changing your pin mail address in Germany
Here’s a quick English guide through the Pin mail German site’s online address change form.
Cost of changing your pin mail address in Germany
Like with the Deutsche Post, it does cost a little to set up this service. But given how many important pieces of mail come through this provider, it’s definitely the right call to do so.
Pricing: €29.90 for 6 months or €39.90 for 12 months
How to forward your pin mail in Germany
If you’re going to leave Berlin for an extended time, it’s a wise move to forward this mail as well. Especially as it’s typically sensitive mail that is sent through this service, with lots of personal and important details.
When all you want to do is forward your pin mail, you’ll simply check the box “Vorübergehende Abwesenheit” (Temporary Absence) at the top of the form.
Cost of forwarding your pin mail in Germany
It’s the same cost to forward your pin mail in Germany as it is to change your address.
Pricing: €29.90 for 6 months or €39.90 for 12 months
And that’s it! Congratulations—you’ve survived another bit of the German bureaucracy! ⭐️