Moving to Hamburg

Hamburg

Arriving in Hamburg: the S1 from the airport, registering at any Hamburg Service office, the Hamburg Welcome Center, rents and neighbourhoods.

Airport: HAM (Hamburg Airport)
Airport to centre: S1, about 25 min to Hauptbahnhof
Local transport: HVV (Hochbahn, S-Bahn and buses)

Checked September 25, 2026

Hamburg is Germany's second-largest city and a major port and media centre. Its Welcome Center combines immigration services for skilled workers and students in one place, which makes the first months simpler than in many cities.

Arriving

The S1 runs from the airport terminal to the Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes, every 10 minutes during the day. The airport is inside the HVV network, so a normal ticket or the Deutschlandticket covers it.

Getting around

HVV covers the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, buses and harbour ferries with one set of tickets. The ferries across the Elbe are part of the network, so a regular ticket gets you on them.

The €63 Deutschlandticket covers the whole HVV network, ferries included.
Most universities include the Deutschland-Semesterticket in the semester fee. Check yours before you buy a ticket.

HVVOfficial site

HVV

Journey planner and tickets for Hamburg's public transport.

Go to HVV

Registering your address

You register at a Hamburg Service office (Kundenzentrum). You can use any office in the city, whatever your district. Appointments are booked online.

Hamburg ServiceOfficial site

Hamburg Service offices

Locations, opening hours and appointment booking for the Kundenzentren.

Go to Hamburg Service

Offices in outer districts often have earlier dates.
Bring the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung and your passport.

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Your new home

The flat you're registering. Copy the address from your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.

Street and house numberFor example: Alfred-Jung-Straße 12Apartment, room or c/o (optional)Add the name on the letterbox as c/o if it isn't yours.PostcodeMove-in dateYou have 14 days from this date to register.

Landlord (Wohnungsgeber)The owner, or the main tenant if you sublet. Their name is on your Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.Landlord's addressStreet, house number, postcode and city.

Where you lived before

If you're moving from abroad, the form only needs the country.

You're moving from

Country

Do you have any other registered flats in Germany?

About you

Write your names exactly as they appear in your passport.

Family nameInclude a doctoral title if it's in your passport.Given namesAll of them, in passport order.Birth name (optional)Only if your family name changed, for example after marriage.

Gender

Date of birthPlace of birthCity or town, as in your passport.

Country of birth

Citizenships

List every citizenship you hold.

ReligionThis decides whether you pay church tax (Kirchensteuer).

Marital status

Passport or ID card

Document

Document numberIssuing authorityAs printed in your passport, for example "United States Department of State".Date of issueNot the expiry date.Valid until

You can add one more person here. Anyone else needs a separate form.

Block data sharing (optional)

The registration office may pass your name and address to the groups below. Tick any you want to stop. You don't need to give a reason.

Political partiesBefore elections and referendums (§ 50 Abs. 1 BMG).

Birthdays and anniversariesTo politicians, newspapers and broadcasters, for milestone birthdays and wedding anniversaries (§ 50 Abs. 2 BMG).

Address-book publishersTo companies that publish address books (§ 50 Abs. 3 BMG).

Check and download

This is what goes on the form, in German.

Neue Wohnung (new address): Hamburg

Before your appointment

Print the form.
Sign and date it by hand at the bottom.
Bring it with your passport and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung signed by your landlord.
Book a Bürgeramt appointment within 14 days of moving in. How Anmeldung works

Track Anmeldung in HomeSettled

HomeSettled tells you what to bring to your Hamburg Bürgeramt appointment and checks your documents before you go.

Plan your arrival

Immigration office

If you're coming for work, vocational training, further education or self-employment and applying for your first residence permit, the Hamburg Welcome Center at Süderstraße 32b is your immigration office. Book appointments by email. Other cases go to the Amt für Migration.

Hamburg Welcome CenterOfficial site

Hamburg Welcome Center

First residence permits for skilled workers, trainees and the self-employed, plus advice on living in Hamburg.

Go to Hamburg Welcome Center

Amt für Migration HamburgOfficial site

Amt für Migration

Hamburg's immigration office for other permits and extensions. Closed on Fridays since July 2026.

Go to Amt für Migration Hamburg

Housing

The median WG room in Hamburg was advertised at €650 a month in September 2026, according to the Moses Mendelssohn Institute's analysis of WG-Gesucht listings.

Student halls are run by the Studierendenwerk Hamburg.
Districts south of the Elbe, such as Wilhelmsburg and Harburg, are usually cheaper and linked by S-Bahn.

Neighbourhoods

St. Pauli

Central, lively and loud around the Reeperbahn, quieter streets a few blocks away.

Altona and Ottensen

West of the centre, cafés and old streets, popular with young families.

Eimsbüttel

Residential, close to the university, many WG flats.

Winterhude

Leafy and calmer, by the Stadtpark and the canals, higher rents.

Barmbek

North-east, more affordable, good U-Bahn and S-Bahn links.

Wilhelmsburg

On an island south of the centre, cheaper, S-Bahn to the Hauptbahnhof in minutes.

Help for newcomers

The Hamburg Welcome Center also answers general questions about living in Hamburg, from school places to recognition of qualifications. The University of Hamburg and TU Hamburg run their own welcome services.

Classic spots in Hamburg

Restaurants, cafés and beer halls in Hamburg that have their own Wikipedia article and are still open, according to OpenStreetMap.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Alte Mühle
Restaurant · Regional · German
Alte Mühle 34
Map Website Wikipedia (German)
Cuneo
Restaurant · Italian
Davidstraße 11
Map Website Wikipedia (German)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Elbschlosskeller
Beer garden or pub
Hamburger Berg 38
Map Website Wikipedia (German)
Gröninger Braukeller
Restaurant · Regional
Willy-Brandt-Straße 47
Map Website Wikipedia (German)
Landhaus Scherrer
Restaurant
Elbchaussee 130
Map Website Wikipedia (German)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Oberhafen-Kantine
Restaurant · German · Regional
Stockmeyerstraße 39
Map Wikipedia (German)

Picked from places on OpenStreetMap with their own Wikipedia article, the most widely covered first. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Details from Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Updated Nov 8, 2026. Check opening hours before you go.

Questions about Hamburg

Do I need a special ticket for the harbour ferries?

No. HVV ferries accept normal HVV tickets and the Deutschlandticket.

Which immigration office handles me?

The Hamburg Welcome Center if you're applying for a first permit for work, training or self-employment. Otherwise the Amt für Migration.

Can I register at any Kundenzentrum?

Yes, any Hamburg Service office in the city.

Sources

Rules and amounts change. Check the official source before you rely on a figure.

Other city guides

Berlin

Airport: BER (Berlin Brandenburg)
Airport to centre: FEX Airport Express, about 30 min to Hauptbahnhof
Local transport: BVG and S-Bahn Berlin (VBB)

Munich

München · Bavaria

Airport: MUC (Munich Airport)
Airport to centre: S1 or S8, about 40 to 45 min to Hauptbahnhof
Local transport: MVG and S-Bahn (MVV)

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main · Hesse

Airport: FRA (Frankfurt Airport)
Airport to centre: S8 or S9, about 15 min to Hauptbahnhof
Local transport: RMV (VGF U-Bahn and trams, S-Bahn)

Cologne

Köln · North Rhine-Westphalia

Airport: CGN (Cologne Bonn Airport)
Airport to centre: S19 or regional trains, about 15 min to Köln Hbf
Local transport: KVB and S-Bahn (VRS)