Report arrival at accommodation facility

If you are accommodated in an accommodation facility, i.e. an establishment that serves to accommodate persons on a commercial or business basis, you must sign a special registration form on the day of arrival. In the case of tour groups of more than ten people, this obligation only applies to the tour guide, who must list the number of travelers and their nationality.

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

The following data is required for both procedures:

• Date of arrival and expected departure,
• surnames,
• first names,
• date of birth,
• nationality,
• address,
• Number of fellow travelers and their nationalities (for accompanying family members/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 earmarked allocation number of the means of payment used must also be saved.

The number of your accompanying family members must be stated on the registration form.

As an accommodated foreigner, you must identify yourself to the managers of the accommodation facility or their representatives when registering by presenting a valid identity document (recognized and valid passport or passport substitute).

The special registration form is not required for facilities with residential accommodation that are used for 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 facilities of public or publicly recognized youth work organizations and facilities of public religious societies.

The managers of accommodation facilities or their representatives must keep the special registration forms ready and ensure that the persons concerned comply with their obligation to sign the special registration form. They may also provide technical devices for the electronic fulfillment of the obligation to register. In the case of accommodated foreign guests (they must present a valid identity document), the information provided on the registration form must be compared with that on 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.

Insofar as it is necessary for the collection of the tourist or spa tax or the visitor's tax, state law may stipulate that further data may be collected on the registration form.

The signed 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 legally designated authorities and handed over to them on request, secured against unauthorized inspection and destroyed within three months of the expiry of the retention period.

As soon as your stay in a place of accommodation exceeds six months, you are subject to the general obligation to register. If you are not registered for a residence in Germany and your stay exceeds three months, you must register with the registration authority within two weeks.

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

The above applies accordingly if people stay overnight in tents, mobile homes, caravans or watercraft on sites that are provided for commercial or business purposes.