The Meldezettel, step by step
This page is the complete English guide to residence registration (Meldezettel) in Austria — explained once in full, rather than repeated on every state page. Every state page links back here for the details.
What is the Meldezettel?
The Meldezettel is Austria's official confirmation of residence registration. Everyone who lives in Austria — including EU/EEA citizens — must register their address with the responsible authority within 3 days of moving in. Registration itself is free of charge.
Main residence (Hauptwohnsitz) or secondary residence (Nebenwohnsitz)?
When filling out the form, you must state whether the address is your main residence or a secondary one:
- Hauptwohnsitz (main residence): the center of your life — where you are mainly based professionally, economically and socially. You may only have one Hauptwohnsitz at a time. It determines things like voting registration, taxes and most official matters.
- Nebenwohnsitz (secondary residence): any other address you use regularly (e.g. a student room, a second home for work). You can have several of these at the same time.
Step by step: how to register
- Get the form. The Meldezettel form is a free PDF download (e.g. via help.gv.at) or available on site at the registration office.
- Fill it out. In block letters or on a computer, completing all required fields. The fields "Religionsbekenntnis" (religious denomination) and the ZMR number can be left blank.
- Get the accommodation provider's signature. This is the person who is providing you with the accommodation — yourself if you own the property, otherwise your landlord or the owner. Without this signature, the registration will not be accepted.
- Gather your documents (see checklist below) and bring them to your responsible registration office — find yours here (DE).
- Submit in person. In Vienna this can be done at any Magistratisches Bezirksamt (district office), regardless of which district you actually live in; elsewhere, at the office responsible for your address. In most cases no appointment is needed — check the relevant office's official page beforehand.
- Keep your confirmation. You'll receive a registration confirmation, which you'll need for things like opening a bank account, applying for a tax number, or registering a vehicle.
Checklist: documents you'll need
- Valid passport or ID card (original)
- Completed Meldezettel form, signed by the accommodation provider
- If applicable: birth certificate, marriage certificate or proof of a registered partnership, if these caused a change of name
Deadlines & fines
Registration must happen within 3 days of moving into the new accommodation. Missing this deadline can result in administrative fines of up to €726.
Where do I register?
- Vienna: at any Magistratisches Bezirksamt (MBA), regardless of which district you live in.
- Statutory cities (e.g. Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck): at the city's Magistrat.
- All other municipalities: at the Gemeindeamt/Stadtamt, or via the responsible Bezirkshauptmannschaft (district authority).
→ Find your responsible office by federal state (DE)
Related articles (German)
- Umzug nach Österreich: die komplette Checkliste
- Ist eine Haushaltsversicherung nach dem Umzug Pflicht?
- Bankkonto eröffnen: warum Sie zuerst den Meldezettel brauchen
- Ummeldung oder Anmeldung — was ist der Unterschied?
- Gemeindewohnung Wien: Warum der Meldezettel über 2 Jahre zählt
Frequently asked questions
No — registering, re-registering or de-registering your residence in Austria is generally free of charge.
In Vienna, registration has also been possible online since 2024 via the Digitales Amt with ID Austria / Handy-Signatur. In most other municipalities, an in-person visit to the registration office is still required.
That's a Ummeldung (re-registration) rather than a first-time Anmeldung — but the process and the 3-day deadline are the same.
Among other things, as proof of address for banks, the tax office, and social insurance — and in Vienna, also for applying for a Gemeindewohnung (municipal housing): that requires an uninterrupted main residence of 2 years, which the Meldezettel is used to prove.
help.gv.at, oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian Federal Chancellery) and wien.gv.at (City of Vienna).