Besondere Meldepflicht in Beherbergungsstätten Auskunft

Sections 17, 29, 30 Federal Registration Act (BMG)

If you are staying in a place of accommodation for six months or less, you must fill in and sign a registration form when you arrive.

If you are accommodated in a place of accommodation, i.e. an establishment used for the professional or business accommodation of persons, you must sign a special registration form on the day of arrival. In the case of tour groups of more than ten persons, this obligation applies only to the tour leader, who must indicate the number of persons travelling with them and their nationality.

Alternatively, with the consent of the accommodated person, this obligation can also be fulfilled by collecting the required data electronically and the accommodated person confirming their accuracy and completeness on the day of arrival by using a specific payment transaction that allows authentication or an electronic proof of identity (identity card or electronic residence permit with eID function).

For both procedures, the following data are required:

• Date of arrival and expected departure,
• surnames,
• first names,
• date of birth,
• nationality,
• address,
• Number of accompanying persons and their nationalities (in the case of accompanying relatives/travelling groups),
• serial number of the recognised and valid passport or passport replacement document in the case of foreign persons.

If the electronic procedure is used by means of a specific payment transaction, the purpose-related allocation number of the means of payment used must also be stored.

Your accompanying relatives are to be indicated on the registration form only in terms of number.

As an accommodated foreigner, you must prove your identity to the managers of the accommodation facility or their representatives at the time of registration by presenting a valid identity document (recognised and valid passport or passport substitute).

The special registration form is not required for establishments with home accommodation which serve youth and adult education, training or further education, company or club homes if only company or club members and their family members are accommodated there, youth hostels and mountain huts, temporarily occupied establishments of public or publicly recognised youth work organisations and establishments of religious societies under public law.

The managers of accommodation facilities or their representatives must keep the special registration forms available and ensure that the persons concerned fulfil their obligation to sign the special registration form. They may additionally provide technical devices for the electronic fulfilment of the obligation to register. In the case of accommodated foreign guests (they must present a valid identity document), the details given on the registration form must be compared with those on the identity document. If there are any discrepancies, this must be noted on the registration form. If accommodated foreign guests do not present an identity document or do not present a valid identity document, this must be noted on the registration form.

Insofar as it is necessary for the collection of the tourism or spa tax or the visitor's tax, state law may stipulate that further data may be collected on the registration form.

The signed registration form or the electronically collected data shall be kept by the manager of the place of accommodation for one year from the date of arrival of the accommodated person, shall be kept available for inspection by the registration authorities and other authorities specified by law, shall be handed over to them on request, shall be protected against unauthorised inspection and shall be destroyed within three months of the expiry of the storage period.

As soon as your stay in a place of accommodation exceeds six months, you are subject to the general obligation to register. If you are not registered for an accommodation in Germany and your stay exceeds the duration of three months, you have to register at the registration office within two weeks.

The obligation to register applies regardless of whether a special registration certificate was required or not.

The explanations apply accordingly if persons stay overnight in tents, mobile homes, caravans or watercraft on sites that are provided on a commercial or business basis.

Registration form available at the place of accommodation.

Filling in and signing the registration form at the accommodation facility

As a foreigner, you must identify yourself to the managers of the accommodation facility or their representatives by presenting a valid identity document (recognized and valid passport or passport substitute), registration at the registration office in case of longer stay in the accommodation facility than 6 months.

on registration on the day of arrival or after 6 months

If you are accommodated in a place of accommodation, i.e. an establishment used for the professional or business accommodation of persons, you must complete and sign a special registration form on the day of arrival. Alternatively, with the consent of the accommodated person, this obligation may be fulfilled by collecting the required data electronically and having the accommodated person confirm its accuracy and completeness on the day of arrival. For this purpose, a specific payment transaction that allows authentication or an electronic proof of identity (identity card or electronic residence permit with eID function) must be used. As an accommodated foreigner, you must identify yourself to the managers of the accommodation facility or their representatives at the time of registration by presenting a valid identity document (recognised and valid passport or passport substitute).

As soon as your stay in an accommodation facility exceeds six months, you are subject to the general obligation to register. If you are not registered for accommodation in Germany and your stay exceeds three months, you must register with the registration office within two weeks. The signed registration form or the electronically collected data must be kept by the manager of the accommodation facility for one year from the date of arrival of the accommodated person, kept available for inspection by the registration authorities and other authorities specified by law and handed over to them on request, secured against unauthorised inspection and destroyed within three months of the expiry of the storage period.

Registration authority in whose area of responsibility the place of accommodation is located

Registration form or electronic registration form.