Residence; registration of stay in hospitals, homes or similar institutions

Anyone who is temporarily admitted to a hospital, nursing home or other facility for the care of people in need of care or disabled people or for home education does not have to register as long as they are registered for another residence in Germany. However, anyone who is admitted permanently must register within two weeks of admission to the facility, as this means that they have moved out of their previous home or homes in Germany. Moving out means the actual, final departure from a flat. As a rule, a move-out is assumed if the anticipated absence is longer than one year. Anyone who is not registered for a residence in Germany must register within two weeks as soon as their stay exceeds three months.

For persons who are unable to fulfil their obligation to register in person (e.g. due to infirmity) and for whom no carer or guardian has been appointed who can determine their whereabouts, the managers of the facilities must notify the registration authority responsible for the location of the facility of the admission within two weeks. The persons concerned must be informed of this.

For persons for whom a guardian has been appointed who can determine their whereabouts, the obligation to register is incumbent on the guardian.

If an authority determines that it is necessary in individual cases to avert a serious and present danger, to prosecute criminal offences or to clarify the fate of missing persons and accident victims, hospitals, care homes and similar institutions must provide the competent authority with information from their records. The information includes surnames, first names, date and place of birth and, in the case of births abroad, also the country, nationalities, addresses and date of admission and date of discharge.