Paperwork

Registration

When living in Germany, you are obliged to register with the Resident’s Registration office (“Einwohnermeldeamt”) within the first week after your arrival. German regulations require registration of everyone who changes residence within Germany, so you must also inform the office whenever you change your address, as well as when you finally leave Germany (de-registration).

To register, you need your passport and a document by your landlord. The appointment for the registration can be made here. You will receive a copy of your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung).

Address:

Neues Rathaus

Hiroshimaplatz 1-4

37083 Göttingen

Homepage: https://www.goettingen.de/index.php?lang=en

Telephone: +49 (0) 551/400-0

Public hotline: +49 (0) 551/400-4444

E-Mail: stadt@goettingen.de

General opening hours:

Monday – Friday: 8:00 am - 12.00 pm

Thursday: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Please pass a copy of your registration certificate to HR or write an email with your name, your new address and your move-in date to personal@ds.mpg.de.

Residence permits

Your residence permit will be electronic (i.e. a card with electronic functions). If you just applied for it or while it is renewed, you may get a “Fiktionsbescheinigung” in paper form.

The cost for the electronic residence permit (eAT = elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel) is currently 100-110 €. For each extension or modification of the permit, these costs arise again.

Articles 52 Paragraph 5 of the Residence Ordinance (“AufenthV”) states that foreigners who receive a grant (“Stipendium”) from public funds for their stay in Germany, are exempt from the fees for

1. the issuance of a national visa;

2. the issuance, renewal, reissue as well as the issue and transfer of residence permits in exceptional cases,

3. the granting of a probational residence permit,

4. the processing of applications for performance of official acts referred to in No. 2 and

5. corresponding activities for the execution of the electronic proof of identity

This also applies to the spouse or domestic partner and unmarried minor children, if they are taken into consideration in the funding.

If required, please contact HR for a certificate that you can show the embassy or foreigner’s registration office (“Ausländerbehörde”).

Foreigner’s Registration Office („Ausländerbehörde / Einwohnermeldeamt“)

New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus)

Hiroshimaplatz 1-4

37083 Göttingen

Phone: 0551 400-2527

There are different types of visa available. The visa type depends on your status at the institute (guest, employee, student). We highly recommend you to take the invitation letter of the institute with you. If needed, HR can also provide you a draft contract.

You can find many regulations on visa and information on different types of visa on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

Driving licenses

Your driver's license is valid for a temporary stay in Germany.

If you have a valid national or international driver's license, in Germany you may drive motor vehicles of the categories for which your license is issued. You must adhere to the requirements and restrictions of your driver's license here too. The license must be carried while operating the vehicle.

If you have an international driver's license, no translation is required.

You must carry a translation of the national driver’s license with you if it:

- has been issued in a non-member state of the European Union (EU) or in a party state to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) or

- is not written German or

- does not correspond to the Convention on Road Traffic of November 8, 1968 (Appendix 6). To find out whether your driver’s license complies with Appendix 6, please ask the competent authorities of the issuing state.

Translations may, among others, be carried out by German or internationally recognized automobile clubs of the country issuing the license, official bodies of the country issuing the driving license, court-appointed and generally sworn interpreters and translators, and German diplomatic representations.

If you have a driver's license from a member state of the European Union (EU) or party state to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), it usually remains valid even after taking up residence in Germany until its expiration date. A national driver's license is required, an international driver’s license is not sufficient.

For validation of your license, you need to make an appointment at the city hall at the Straßenverkehrsbehörde (Road authority). This department is also responsible for vehicle registrations.

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