Deregistering your address in Cologne

What it is

If you move out of a dwelling and do not take up a new one in Germany, federal law requires you to deregister within two weeks of moving out. You can deregister at the earliest one week before moving out. When you move within Germany, registering at the new address is enough.

Who:Anyone who moves out of a dwelling and does not move into a new dwelling in Germany (for example, when leaving Germany). For children under 16, the person from whose dwelling the child moves out deregisters them.

Documents

As listed by Köln:

• ID card or passport (for a family move, the ID documents of everyone moving away) (Personalausweis oder Reisepass) Source: stadt-koeln.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• De-registration form signed by the person concerned (not needed if you come in person yourself) (Abmeldeformular mit Unterschrift der oder des Meldepflichtigen) Source: stadt-koeln.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Good to know in Cologne

• In person is required; someone else can go for you with a power of attorney. By post only as an exception (signed form plus ID copies). No online de-registration is described. (Eine persönliche Vorsprache ist erforderlich; ausnahmsweise Abmeldung auf dem Postweg.) Source: stadt-koeln.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• When moving abroad you can leave your foreign address, so the city can still reach you (e.g. for elections). (Wenn Sie ins Ausland verziehen, können Sie bei Ihrer Abmeldung Ihre Auslandsanschrift hinterlassen.) Source: stadt-koeln.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Steps

1. Deregister with the registration office within two weeks after moving out (at the earliest one week before). The register is updated to your move-out date. (die Fortschreibung des Melderegisters erfolgt zum Datum des Auszugs) § 17 Abs. 2 BMG · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
2. If you are moving abroad, you can deregister in writing or electronically. For electronic deregistration, identity can also be shown by giving your surname, first names, date of birth and the serial number of the ID card or passport last stored in the register. (Die Abmeldung in das Ausland kann schriftlich oder ... elektronisch erfolgen.) § 23 Abs. 6 BMG · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Rules that apply everywhere

• Not deregistering, or deregistering late, is an administrative offence that can be fined up to 1,000 euros. (wer vorsätzlich oder fahrlässig ... entgegen § 17 Absatz 2 Satz 1 sich nicht oder nicht rechtzeitig abmeldet ... mit einer Geldbuße bis zu tausend Euro) § 54 Abs. 2 Nr. 2, Abs. 3 BMG · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026
• If you move to a new dwelling in Germany, there is no separate deregistration duty under § 17 Abs. 2 BMG; you register at the new address instead. (Wer aus einer Wohnung auszieht und keine neue Wohnung im Inland bezieht, hat sich ... abzumelden.) § 17 Abs. 1 und 2 BMG · Source: gesetze-im-internet.de · as of 13 Nov 2026

Legal basis

• § 17 Abs. 2 BMG: Duty to deregister within two weeks when moving out without taking a new dwelling in Germanyas of 13 Nov 2026
• § 23 Abs. 6 BMG: Deregistration when moving abroad can be done in writing or electronicallyas of 13 Nov 2026
• § 54 BMG: Not deregistering, or deregistering late, can be fined up to 1,000 eurosas of 13 Nov 2026

FIM/LeiKa service key 99115005070001 (Wohnort - Abmeldung der alleinigen Wohnung oder der Hauptwohnung), source.

German terms you will see

Abmeldung

Deregistering your address with the registration office

Auszug

Moving out

Meldebehörde

Registration office

Melderegister

Population register kept by the registration office

Inland / Ausland

Within Germany / abroad

Compare

Deregistering your address: nationwide rules and all cities compared · Everything for Cologne (Köln) · First-30-days checklist

• Berlin
• Munich
• Hamburg
• Frankfurt am Main
• Stuttgart
• Düsseldorf