Germany – Registration of Address
In November 2015, the German government released immigration guidelines stating that all foreign nationals who take residence in Germany are obliged to register their place of residence with the local authorities within 14 days of arrival. Now the German authorities have issued clarifications to the law stating that there is an exemption for visitors who stay in Germany for less than 3 months and keep their residence abroad.
Foreign nationals that travel back and forth to Germany working on long term projects do not need to register their residence with the local authorities if they are in Germany for more than three months non-continuously. However, please note, the government states that there is detailed monitoring on the type of accommodation and duration of stay to scrutinize violators.
This is an advantage for foreign nationals who visit Germany in short durations since they do not need to register their residence if their stay is for less than 3 months. Foreign nationals who stay in Germany for longer than three months must obtain an official landlord confirmation for the registration process. This can delay the process of residing in Germany since it can be difficult to obtain the landlord confirmation.