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Moving to Aachen: Anmeldung, foreigners office & first 30 days

Register in Aachen, understand why the StädteRegion (not the city) handles your residence permit, find English-speaking doctors and get through your first month. Every fact is sourced.

Last checked: 2026-10-21 · State: North Rhine-Westphalia

In short: In Aachen you need an appointment to register in person. Extra same-day slots are released around 07:45 every day. If you're arriving from abroad or hold an eAT, you must come in person. Residence permits are handled by the Ausländeramt der StädteRegion Aachen, not the city. That office sits at Hackländerstraße 1, the same administrative building as the Bahnhofplatz citizens' office. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Terminbuchung, last checked 2026-10-21) (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung (eWA), last checked 2026-10-21) (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Aufenthaltserlaubnis (Zuständigkeit), last checked 2026-10-21) (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Ausländeramt der StädteRegion Aachen, last checked 2026-10-21) (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Bürger*innenbüro, last checked 2026-10-21)

1. Anmeldung (address registration)

Deadline: within two weeks of moving in. Registration is free, and you can't register before you actually move in. Missing the deadline is an administrative offence, but the city says it takes the current appointment situation into account. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Wohnsitz: Anmeldung, last checked 2026-10-21)

Booking:

• In-person visits at the citizens' offices (Bürger*innenbüros) Bahnhofplatz and Katschhof and at the district offices are by appointment only. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Bürger*innenbüro, last checked 2026-10-21)
• Book at aachen.de/terminvereinbarung. Additional same-day appointments are released daily at about 07:45. The phone hotline (+49 241 432-1234) has no more appointments than the website. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Terminbuchung, last checked 2026-10-21)
• Locations: Bahnhofplatz (Hackländerstraße 1) and Katschhof (Johannes-Paul-II.-Straße 1). Katschhof also offers appointments one Saturday a month, 09:00–13:00. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Bürger*innenbüro, last checked 2026-10-21)

Online option (eWA): only if you've moved within Aachen or from another German city. You must come in person if you're moving from abroad, hold an electronic residence permit (eAT), are registering a second home, or have an information block. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung (eWA), last checked 2026-10-21) (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Wohnsitz: Anmeldung, last checked 2026-10-21)

Documents and rules: (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Wohnsitz: Anmeldung, last checked 2026-10-21)

• Original ID card or passport. Registering by post isn't possible because the original must be shown.
• Landlord's confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Under federal law your landlord has to confirm your move-in, in writing or electronically to the registration office, within the two-week registration period. (Bundesmeldegesetz § 19 – Mitwirkung des Wohnungsgebers (gesetze-im-internet.de), last checked 2026-10-21) The Aachen page we checked doesn't publish a full document list, so check with the office for anything beyond ID and landlord confirmation.
• Someone else can register you with a power of attorney. Follow the notes on the city's form.

2. Foreigners office (Ausländeramt der StädteRegion Aachen)

• Responsible office: the Ausländeramt of the StädteRegion Aachen, "also for the City of Aachen". (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Aufenthaltserlaubnis (Zuständigkeit), last checked 2026-10-21)
• Address: Verwaltungsgebäude Bahnhofplatz, Hackländerstraße 1, 52064 Aachen. Phone 0241 5198-5600, auslaenderamt@staedteregion-aachen.de. It has a dedicated area for foreign students and researchers at RWTH and FH Aachen. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Ausländeramt der StädteRegion Aachen, last checked 2026-10-21)
• Appointments: online through the StädteRegion booking system. After booking you must click a confirmation link in an email. Only then is the request sent to the office, and a caseworker replies by email saying which documents to bring. (StädteRegion Aachen – Online-Terminvereinbarung Ausländerbehörde, last checked 2026-10-21)

What documents you need depends on your residence purpose. Check with the office, which will tell you after you book. (StädteRegion Aachen – Online-Terminvereinbarung Ausländerbehörde, last checked 2026-10-21)

3. English-speaking doctors

• On 116117.de (English page), type Aachen into "Ort oder PLZ eingeben" to find practices where English is spoken. (116117.de – English, last checked 2026-10-21)
• 116117 by phone (out-of-hours care) is German only. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112. (116117.de – English, last checked 2026-10-21)
• gesund.bund.de doctor search has a "Foreign languages" filter. (gesund.bund.de – Doctor search, last checked 2026-10-21)

4. Students: blocked account and visa money

• You choose your blocked-account provider freely, and fees come on top of the blocked amount. After arrival, the foreigners office (here: StädteRegion) is the blocked beneficiary. (Auswärtiges Amt – Sperrkonto eröffnen und schließen, last checked 2026-10-21)
• For study, the German mission in Jakarta lists €992 net per month in 2026. Check your own mission's figure. (Deutsche Botschaft Jakarta (Auswärtiges Amt) – Lebensunterhaltssicherung im Jahr 2026, last checked 2026-10-21)

5. Your first 30 days in Aachen

1. Day 1: Check aachen.de/terminvereinbarung at about 07:45 for same-day registration slots. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Terminbuchung, last checked 2026-10-21)
2. Within 14 days: Register in person if you came from abroad or hold an eAT. Bring your original passport. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Elektronische Wohnsitzanmeldung (eWA), last checked 2026-10-21) (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Wohnsitz: Anmeldung, last checked 2026-10-21)
3. Non-EU: Book with the StädteRegion foreigners office, confirm the email link, and wait for the caseworker's document list. (StädteRegion Aachen – Online-Terminvereinbarung Ausländerbehörde, last checked 2026-10-21)
4. RWTH/FH students: The StädteRegion has a dedicated area for you. (Serviceportal Stadt Aachen – Ausländeramt der StädteRegion Aachen, last checked 2026-10-21)
5. Find a GP on 116117.de with the English filter. (116117.de – English, last checked 2026-10-21)