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This guide covers an ordinary move by an EU citizen from Spain to Germany. A Spanish residence card or permit does not by itself authorize a non-EU citizen to settle in Germany; check the German route for your nationality and status.
Your checklist
First steps
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Before leaving Spain
There is no single checklist that closes every Spanish record for every mover. Ask your current Ayuntamiento whether you should report the move abroad or update your Padrón entry. Download certificates you may need later and notify your employer, Spanish social-security institution, insurer, tax authority, bank or benefits agency where your own situation requires it.
After you move in: German Anmeldung
Register with the office responsible for your new German address within 14 days of moving into the dwelling. For a rented home, the housing provider’s confirmation is an important document; a lease alone may not replace it. The nationwide online service uses electronic identity credentials and a personal PIN, and it has eligibility conditions. If this is your first German registration from abroad, check with your municipality before relying on the online route.
Keep residence, social security, health and tax separate
For an ordinary EU-citizen move, no German residence permit is normally needed under free movement, but stays over three months must meet the applicable conditions. Anmeldung records your address; it does not decide which country collects social-security contributions or taxes. Ask the relevant institutions which system covers you. An EHIC is for necessary care during a temporary stay; it is not a general long-term cover plan. Tax residence is determined under national law and any applicable Spain–Germany treaty.
Common questions
Do Spanish citizens need a German residence permit?
Ordinary EU free-movement cases do not require a German residence permit. A stay beyond three months can still be subject to the EU residence conditions for workers, students or people with sufficient resources and health cover.
When does the Anmeldung deadline start?
The general deadline is 14 days after you move into a dwelling in Germany. It is not counted from the day you enter Germany. Check the responsible municipality’s current booking and document instructions.
Can I use online Anmeldung for my first move from Spain?
Do not assume so. The national service requires compatible electronic ID credentials and has eligibility conditions. Confirm that it accepts your exact situation with the registration office for your German address.
Does Anmeldung decide my health insurance or tax residence?
No. Address registration is a separate administrative record. Social-security coverage, health-insurance enrollment and tax residence follow different rules; check them with the relevant institutions.
Official sources
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- Federal Registration Act (BMG), section 17German national rule: register within two weeks after moving into a dwelling. The same section sets the deregistration rule when leaving Germany.
- Federal Registration Act (BMG), section 19German national rule on the housing provider’s confirmation for registration.
- Federal electronic residence-registration serviceOfficial service details: 14-day rule, eID/PIN and eligibility steps; availability and the process depend on the authority responsible for your address.
- Your Europe: residence rightsEU-wide overview for EU citizens; stays over three months have conditions, and national registration formalities differ.
- Your Europe: social-security coverage abroadEU rules on which country’s social-security system applies; the answer depends on work and residence facts.
- Your Europe: health cover when living abroadEU overview of health cover when living abroad; an EHIC is for necessary care during a temporary stay, not a general permanent-move solution.
- Your Europe: income taxes abroadEU overview; tax residence and tax due are determined under national law and applicable tax treaties, not one EU-wide rule.
Rules can vary by nationality, work or study status, and city. Confirm your route with the official authority before you act.