After your Arrival

This information is especially useful when you do not have German residency yet and are joining us from abroad.

1. Sign and get your employment contract
(if not done before or during your visa process)

2. Residence Registration

You are required to register with the Residents Registration Office (Bürgeramt /Einwohnermeldeamt) within 14 days of arrival in Heidelberg. The registration is free of charge and mandatory also for EU-citizens: “Wohnung anmelden” which basically means “Registration (of the address where you live)”. Without this official registration in Heidelberg you cannot open a bank account.

There are several offices where you can register. They are called the “Bürgeramt” of the area in Heidelberg in which you live. Find all the information you need here: Heidelberg residence registration

Depending on the area of Heidelbergin which you live, online registration may be possible. Please check in advance. You should book an appointment to register in-person in advance: Booking system

Checklist

The registration requires the following documents

  • Valid passport or personal identity card
  • Your visa, if required to enter Germany
  • Confirmation by the landlord (Bescheinigung des Wohnungsgebers or Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)
    This is a confirmation from the landlord who owns the flat you live in. Your landlord is legally obliged to confirm the tenancy. Every time you move to a new flat with a new address, you have to inform the Resident’s Registration Office again, within 14 days! Please inform also the MPIMR about your new address.

After registration with the city you will receive your German tax identification number (“tax ID”) automatically.

3. Bank Account

In order to receive your salary, you should inform the institute of your German IBAN and BIC within the first two weeks after your start at the Institute. In general, German banks have fees around 5–15€ per month (“Kontoführungsgebühren”). For those under 25 or 28 there might be some banks that offer an account free of charge. Some banks refuse to open bank accounts for some nationalities if you do not have a valid residence permit. The Max Planck Society has a framework agreement with Deutsche Bank that will enable you to open a bank account even though the residence permit is not yet available. If you enjoy online or mobile banking, online banks allow you in most cases to open a bank account even if you do not have a residency in Germany yet. For details please contact elisabeth.fuhry@mr.mpg.de.

4. Health Insurance

Health insurance coverage is compulsory for all employees during their stay in Germany. For long-term stays requiring a residence permit, you need full health insurance coverage complying with the scope of benefits provided by the statu­tory health insurance. With the health insurance of your choice you will receive your German pension insurance number (“Sozialversiche­rungs­nummer”).

5. Residence Permit

To enter and live in Germany, non-EU-citizens require a residence permit. In each residence permit, the reason for residence must be stated clearly. Moreover, it needs to contain information on a possible right topayed employment.

The residence titles are issued as: Visa, Residence Permit, EU Blue Card, Settlement Permit and Permit for Permanent Residence-EC.

To have your residence permit granted or renewed, you can fill in the corresponding form online in your language. Together with the necessary documents it can then be submitted electronically. (Please note: A statement of the residents‘ registration office on page 3 is not required!)

If you are in Germany for longer than your visa is valid for, you need to register with the immigration office („Amt für Migration und Integration“) and apply for a residence permit („Aufenthaltserlaubnis“). As soon as you are registered with your new address at the Bürgeramt (see above) and have therefore officially relocated your permanent residence to Germany, the local immigration office in Heidelberg takes over the visa and residency procedure from the German embassy in your home country and issues a residence permit or a temporary equivalent to you.

Immigration Office

Bergheimer Straße 147 (Landfriedgebäude)
69115 Heidelberg
Phone: +49 6221 58-17520
Email:

Checklist

Applying for a residence permit requires the following documents

  • Valid passport
  • Confirmation of registration with the city
  • Your employment contract from the MPIMR (sent to you in the process of getting an entry visa or handed over during your liaison with Human Resources on your 1st day at the Institute)
  • Rental agreement confirmation (stating that you have accommodation)
  • Confirmation of health insurance coverage (The confirmation can be obtained from your health insurance provider. But usually your health insurance ID card is sufficient.)
  • Copy of your last pay slips (if available)
  • 1 biometric passport photo
    (find here the official specifications for biometric photographs in Germany)
  • Marriage certificate with corresponding certification (original and translation, if applicable)
  • Birth certificate of child accompanied by Legalization (if applicable)
  • Payment of a handling fee: There is a fee for processing your request and granting a residence permit. We therefore recommend that you have an informal consultation before making a request for a permanent residence permit. We can then determine for you, before any costs arise, the likelihood of granting you a residence permit.
  • Application form for conferral of a residence permit
  • Power of attorney if you wish to register on behalf of another person

Please make sure you request an appointment with the Heidelberg immigration office well before your visa expires (recommended is 3 months).
If you are a national of an EU or of an EFTA Member State, you usually do not need a residence permit.

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