What to know first
- Keep the full document, not only a photo of the first page.
- Match the sender, reference number and deadline before replying.
- Do not send original identity documents unless an official process explicitly requires it.
- Ask the sender when a letter is unclear or the facts are wrong.
Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebestätigung
This is the confirmation that your address registration (Anmeldung) was recorded. You normally receive it from the local registration office after the appointment or digital process.
Keep it with your housing records. Banks, employers, residence procedures and other services may ask for proof of registration. If the address or name is wrong, contact the registration office.
- Sent by: local registration office
- Proves: your registered address
- Next step: check every personal detail and store it safely
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung
This is the move-in confirmation from the accommodation provider, often the landlord or property manager. It is not the rental contract. You usually need it for Anmeldung.
Ask for it around move-in and check that the address, move-in date and names are correct. The standard Anmeldung deadline is 14 days after moving in, subject to statutory exceptions.
- Sent by: landlord, owner or responsible accommodation provider
- Used for: Anmeldung
- Next step: take it to the registration process with the required identity documents
Steuer-ID
The Steueridentifikationsnummer is your permanent 11-digit German tax identification number. It is normally issued after registration and stays with you for life; it is not the same as a business tax number.
Give it to payroll when requested and keep it private. If the letter does not arrive, use the Federal Central Tax Office's official retrieval route rather than paying an intermediary.
Sozialversicherungsausweis
This record contains your German social-insurance number. Your health insurer or pension-insurance process normally creates the number when you first enter covered employment.
Your employer needs the number for social-insurance reporting. Check the spelling of your name and date of birth, then keep it with your employment records.
Gehaltsabrechnung
This is your payslip. It shows gross pay, deductions, taxes, social-insurance contributions and the net amount transferred. The layout varies, but the pay period and totals should always reconcile with your contract and bank payment.
Compare your name, tax class, health insurer, working time and gross salary. Ask payroll quickly if something is missing or different from the contract.
- Brutto: gross pay before deductions
- Netto: amount after deductions
- Lohnsteuer: wage tax
- Sozialversicherung: statutory social-insurance deductions
Aufenthaltstitel
This is the residence title for a non-EU route. The card or document states the legal basis, validity and any work-related conditions. It is not interchangeable with an entry visa.
Read the expiry date and the Nebenbestimmungen (additional conditions). Start any renewal early enough for your local authority's processing time.
Versicherungsbescheinigung
This is an insurance certificate. For health insurance, it confirms cover or membership details, but the exact document needed by a university, employer or authority depends on that process.
Check the insurer, start date and member number. For university enrolment, ask the university whether it needs a digital insurer notification rather than a paper certificate.
SCHUFA-Auskunft
A SCHUFA report is credit-related information from a private credit bureau, not a government document. Landlords may request a version intended for third parties, but you should avoid sharing unnecessary account-level data.
Order from the provider you intend to use, understand which version you are buying and redact unrelated sensitive information where appropriate.
Mietvertrag
This is your rental agreement. It should identify the parties, dwelling, rent components, deposit, start date and important rules. Warmmiete does not always include electricity, internet or every operating cost.
Read every annex before signing. Verify the contractual party and property independently, and never transfer money only because a PDF looks official.
Commercial disclosure: if this page later includes a partner link, it will be labelled clearly. Partners will not control our editorial conclusions.
Common questions
Should I carry these documents every day?
Usually no. Keep secure originals at home and carry only what the specific appointment or situation requires.
What if the name or date is wrong?
Contact the organisation that issued the document. Do not silently reuse incorrect data across later applications.
Can I send a document by email?
Only use the channel requested by the verified recipient. Remove unrelated sensitive pages or fields when they are not required.