Selling a property in Germany is a huge step, especially if you’re planning to move to another country—just like we did. For us, it was clear: we couldn’t afford to keep our old property and buy a new one in Croatia at the same time. So, selling was our only option. But that was just the beginning. What comes next? One of the most pressing questions was: Do you have to deregister from Germany immediately after selling your property?

 

Deregistering in Germany: What You Need to Know

Germany has a strict registration obligation. This means that whenever you move, you must register your new address with the authorities within 14 days. But what happens if you don’t have a new address in Germany? In that case, it’s not a matter of re-registering but deregistering.

When we realized this, a lot of questions arose. For instance: What if we hadn’t yet found a permanent place to live in Croatia? Could we temporarily register at our parents’ address to buy some time? And what about our ongoing insurance policies such as pet health insurance or liability insurance for dogs? These questions led us down a rabbit hole of research—and some surprising discoveries.

If you are leaving Germany and your move is imminent, you can find valuable tips and tricks to organize everything smoothly in our article Moving à la DIY or moving company?

 

Registering at Your Parents’ Address: A Simple Solution?

Our first idea was to temporarily register at our parents’ address. It seemed like a practical and easy solution to keep our contracts and insurance policies active. But we soon encountered a significant hurdle: according to German law, this would be considered a false registration, which is illegal.

 

What Is a False Registration?

A false registration occurs when you register at an address where you don’t actually live. In our case, that would have been our parents’ home. According to Section 19 of the German Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz, or BMG), any registration requires a landlord confirmation provided by the property owner or landlord—in this case, our parents. The problem is, Section 19 (6) also states that providing false information is a punishable offense.

This got us thinking. On one hand, we wondered if close family members might be exempt from this rule. But a conversation with our local registration office clarified the situation: Even for parents, the landlord confirmation is required, and providing false information carries legal risks. For us, it was clear: the risks were too high. Deregistering was the only viable solution.

 

Why Isn’t There a Better Regulation?

The fact that Germany doesn’t offer a clear solution for transitional situations like ours is hard to understand. Surely, we’re not the only ones selling a property or ending a rental lease without immediately having a new address. What about people who go on world trips or take extended stays abroad? A more flexible regulation would help avoid legal uncertainties in such cases.

 

Insurance Policies and Ongoing Contracts

Deregistering from Germany doesn’t just have legal implications; it also impacts practical matters like insurance policies and ongoing contracts. Based on our experience, here are some tips to help you navigate this process smoothly:

◉ Take Advantage of Special Termination Rights: When you deregister from Germany, many service providers allow you to use your special termination rights. For example, Deutsche Telekom allows you to terminate your contract with one month’s notice, provided you can submit proof of deregistration. The same applies to electricity providers outside the basic supply network. If your provider cannot continue the contract at your new address, you are eligible to terminate it early.

◉ Switch to Flexible Contracts in Advance: A few months before our move, we switched many of our contracts to monthly cancellable options. While these plans were slightly more expensive, they offered the flexibility we needed. Why? Even with a fixed moving date, unexpected delays can happen. Flexible contracts ensured we were on the safe side.

◉ Don’t Forget to Deregister from the GEZ: Ein Punkt, der bei uns beinahe untergegangen wäre: One thing we almost overlooked was deregistering from the GEZ (German TV and radio license fee). You’ll also need your deregistration certificate for this. We notified them in advance and submitted the certificate later, which worked without any issues.

 

Here’s a small excerpt from the GEZ response:

Vehicle Registration and Insurance: Important Considerations

Another tricky topic is what happens to your car when you deregister from Germany. We spent a lot of time figuring this out, and here’s what we learned:

 

◉ Vehicle Registration Can Remain in Germany: Even if you deregister, your vehicle can remain registered in Germany. However, you’ll need to appoint a representative in Germany to act on your behalf. This person won’t be responsible for paying your fines or other fees but will simply notify you if something comes up, such as a parking ticket.

◉ Car Insurance While Abroad: Each insurance company has its own rules. In our case, our car insurance allows us to stay abroad for up to six months, giving us plenty of time to settle in Croatia and find a new insurance provider. However, beware: registering a new car in Germany without a local address is virtually impossible. Most insurers require a residential address, and without this, you won’t receive an eVB number, which is essential for registering a vehicle.

There is no specific form for appointing an authorized recipient, but you can find templates online. This whole matter is regulated in the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FVZ) Section 46(2):

 

Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Our experience shows that deregistering from Germany requires careful planning and attention to detail. From false registrations to insurance policies and vehicle registration, every decision needs to be carefully thought through.

 

✪ Here are our top tips ✪

◉ Check which contracts you can terminate early using special termination rights.

◉ Make sure you comply with all rules regarding vehicle registration and insurance.

◉ Don’t forget to deregister for things like the GEZ fee to avoid unnecessary payments.

 

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Important information on the power of attorney for vehicle registration

UPDATE as of 30.08.2023:

 

Many people have written to us regarding the power of attorney for vehicle registration, so here is a short addendum:

Important: If you want to register the power of attorney to receive documents for vehicle registration, you must no longer have a registration address in Germany. This means that you must first deregister in Germany, and only after deregistration can the power of attorney to receive be registered.

 

Practical experience

Many vehicle registration offices now have their own forms for the power of attorney. You can either find these forms on the website of the vehicle registration office or you can ask for them directly at the information desk on site.

In our case, the form we downloaded from the website was not accepted by the clerk. Instead, we had to fill out a new form provided by the vehicle registration office.

 

We hope these tips help you make the most of your expat life! Do you have personal experiences or additional tips to share? Feel free to leave us a comment! We’d love to hear from you and support you on your expat adventure. Don’t forget to share this post with others who could benefit from these tips, and stay tuned for more insights and inspiration about living as an expat.

Your Steffi & Marius