Accommodation facility; registration

If you are accommodated in a lodging establishment, i.e. an establishment used for the commercial or business accommodation of persons, you must sign a special registration form on the day of arrival. In the case of travel companies of more than ten persons, this obligation applies only to the tour leader; he/she must indicate the fellow travelers in order of number, stating their nationality.

Alternatively, with the consent of the accommodated person, this obligation may also be fulfilled by collecting the required data electronically and having the accommodated person confirm their accuracy and completeness on the day of arrival by using a specific card-based payment transaction that allows authentication or by using an electronic proof of identity (identity card, eID card or electronic residence permit with eID function) or by providing the electronic proof of identity by means of identity card, eID card or electronic residence permit with eID function.

The following data is required for both procedures:

• Date of arrival and expected departure,
• Family names,
• First names,
• Date of birth,
• Nationalities,
• Address,
• Number of co-travelers in the case of accompanying relatives/travel groups,
• Citizenships of fellow travelers in the case of travel groups,
• serial number of the recognized and valid passport or passport replacement document for foreign persons.

If the electronic procedure is used by means of a specific payment transaction, the purpose-related allocation number of the means of payment used must also be stored.

Your accompanying relatives are to be indicated on the registration form only in terms of number.

If you are an accommodated foreigner, you must identify yourself to the managers of the accommodation facility or their representatives at the time of registration by presenting a valid identity document (recognized and valid passport or passport substitute).

The special registration certificate is not required for establishments with home accommodation that serve youth and adult education, training or further education, company or club homes if only company or club members and their family members are accommodated there, youth hostels and mountain huts, temporarily occupied establishments of public or publicly recognized bodies responsible for youth work and establishments of religious societies under public law.

The managers of lodging establishments or their representatives shall keep the special registration forms available and shall ensure that the persons concerned comply with their obligation to sign the special registration form. They may additionally provide technical devices for the electronic fulfillment of the obligation to register. Foreign guests must present a valid identity document. The information given in the registration form must be compared with that in the identity document. If there are any discrepancies, this must be noted on the registration form. If accommodated foreign guests do not present any or no valid identity document, this must be noted on the registration form.

If it is necessary for the collection of the tourist or spa tax or the spa tax, the managers of the lodging establishments or their agents shall note on the registration form the day of actual departure. This also applies to accompanying spouses and life partners.

The completed registration form or the electronically collected data must be kept by the manager of the accommodation facility for one year from the date of arrival of the accommodated person, kept available for inspection by the registration authorities and other authorities specified by law, and presented to them on request, secured against unauthorized inspection and destroyed within three months after the expiry of the storage period.

If your stay in an accommodation facility exceeds the duration of six months, you are subject to the general obligation to register and must register with the registration office within two weeks. If you are not registered for a home in Germany and your stay exceeds the duration of three months, you have to register at the registration office within two weeks as soon as your stay exceeds the duration of three months.

Whoever stays overnight in tents, mobile homes, caravans or watercraft on commercial or business sites is not subject to the general obligation to register, as long as he is already registered in the country. Anyone who is not already registered in Germany must register with the registration office within two weeks as soon as their stay exceeds three months.

The general obligation to register applies regardless of whether a special registration certificate was required or not.

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