5 weeks appointment for residence permit (EU citizen)

[Noz03]

Hey, I just moved to Germany and am trying to get my residence permit. The problem is the Bürgeramt Rathaus in Mitte where I live needs an appointment to register, and the next available is in 5 weeks! Does anyone have any idea what I can do about this?

Until I register I can't open a bank account, register a phone, nothing Also my wife is non-EU so I would like to get her application started as soon as possible, especially if she might need to make an appointment also

[mgb]

If you are a EU citizen you cannot get a residence permit. Its simply not provited in germany. The only thing you need is a registration of your address at the Einwohnermeldeamt. The wording is Wohnsitzanmeldung.

[Noz03]

Sorry, maybe bad wording to call it a residence permit, I mean to register my residence. My EU friend (a student from Hungary) said I must go to the Bürgeramt Rathaus, but when she went to the one in Mitte she needed an appointment 5 weeks in advance.

[mgb]

Maybe you mixed up things. A EU citizen doesn't have to register his presence at the Auslaenderbehoerde (Foreigners Registration Office). It was necessary before 2013 but they waived that duty.
You and your wife have to register your address/residence. Every german has the same duty and there are no appointments for address registrations. You do it at the counter and you should take your rent contract with you. You should ask for a Meldebestaetigung (proof of residence). Your passport as a eu citizen and the Meldebestaetigung is the proof for telephon companies, banks whatsoever.
Your wife as a non eu citizen has to register her presence in the next step at the Auslaenderbehoerde and there can be appointments needed. The Meldebestaetigung for both from the address registration is one precondition for the Auslaenderbehoerde.

For instance for Berlin you can see the procedure here:

http://www.berlin.de/buergeramt/dienstl ... ng/120686/

[Noz03]

Thanks, one question though... I actually sublet a room for just 1 month to give me time to properly find a more permanent place, I guess I don't legally have to register in that case but I would like to so that I can start my wife's process, open a bank account, phone ect. But I don't have any contract... Is there any way I can do this?

[mgb]

You are legally obliged to register if you are planing to stay longer than 2 month at a place. If it is not forseeable how long you stay at a place registration should be also possible.
Ask your landlord if you are allowed to register with that address and if yes ask for a receipt. If your landlord is not the owner there is maybe a problem if the original rent contract doesn't allow subletting.

[ALKB]

Maybe you mixed up things. A EU citizen doesn't have to register his presence at the Auslaenderbehoerde (Foreigners Registration Office). It was necessary before 2013 but they waived that duty.
You and your wife have to register your address/residence. Every german has the same duty and there are no appointments for address registrations. You do it at the counter and you should take your rent contract with you. You should ask for a Meldebestaetigung (proof of residence). Your passport as a eu citizen and the Meldebestaetigung is the proof for telephon companies, banks whatsoever.
Your wife as a non eu citizen has to register her presence in the next step at the Auslaenderbehoerde and there can be appointments needed. The Meldebestaetigung for both from the address registration is one precondition for the Auslaenderbehoerde.

For instance for Berlin you can see the procedure here:

http://www.berlin.de/buergeramt/dienstl ... ng/120686/

Berlin has moved to an appointment only system.

You do not need to go to a specific Bürgeramt - any in Berlin will do.

You have two options:

1) Make an appointment online - often, cancelled appointments become available on short notice:

http://service.berlin.de/terminvereinbarung/

Right now the 12th December is the earliest free appointment but when I checked yesterday evening, there were appointments for today and Monday available in Wedding and Spandau.

2) Go to the Bürgeramt of your choice half an hour before it opens and queue for a waiting number. They will most probably check that you have all the required documents and then issue you a number and tell you an approximate time to come back to wait for your number to be called.