There is no doubt about it, one of the more nerve-wracking parts of the Anmeldung process is the part where you have to go in and very likely speak some German to the government employee who is processing your registration. While sometimes they will try to speak some English with you, there is a high likelihood that they will not and you'll have to use some German to get by.

Practicing some Anmeldung appointment related vocabulary can help make you feel more confident about this impossible to avoid task when living in Germany. Here are some resources to help you practice your Anmeldung German and feel more comfortable when going to register.

Chatterbug Anmeldung Lesson

Chatterbug has a great 30ish minute lesson on Anmeldung specific German phrases, created as one episode of their Chatterbug Live "Survival German" series. It's a great way to practice listening to the words and phrases you'll need. You can watch it here:

For more survival German, there are episodes ranging from picking up a package from a neighbor to going to the hairdresser. Check it out on YouTube.

Useful phrases

Here are a few key phrases to practice, should they be applicable to you.

  • Ich würde gerne eine Wohnung anmelden – I’d like to register a flat.
  • Hier sind die Dokumente – Here are the documents.
  • Ich bin verheiratet – I am married.
  • Ich bin ledig – I am single.
  • Ich bin verwitwet – I am widowed.
  • Ich habe X Kinder – I have X children.
  • Das ist die Eheurkunde – This is the wedding certificate.
  • Das ist meine Scheidungsurkunde – This is my divorce certificate.
  • Ich brauche einen Termin um mich anzumelden – I need an appointment for the registration.
  • Ich habe einen Termin bei X um Y Uhr um mich anzumelden – I have an appointment with X at Y o´clock
  • Der Name meines Vermieters lautet Z – the name of my landlord is Z
  • Meine Steueridentifikationsnummer (love the word) lautet xxx – my Tax ID is xxx

These are a few of the possible phrases you might need. If you print out your Anmeldung form with Amty, there are more vocabulary words and phrases in the document that is generated to help you out when you're there.

Chatterbug Go

To practice these and other Anmeldung related phrases and vocabulary and to practice some simple example conversations with real tutors over WhatsApp, you can use Chatterbug Go.

Chatterbug Go is a way to practice German with live tutors over WhatsApp at any time. They have a special Anmeldung-specific unit that you can use to specifically practice your Anmeldung German before your appointment. You just have to text "I want to master my Berlin Anmeldung appointment, which you can do automatically by clicking on the link here:

Click here to start some practice conversations on WhatsApp now.