Authorities and documents: what to update first after a move
Post-move paperwork is best handled in one go. What to update after a move follows a logical order: permanent residence first, because everything else follows from it. You can then handle most of the other changes in a single afternoon at your computer.
Make one list
Write down every place where your address is registered in one document. Tick them off one by one and note the date next to each item. Without a list, you'll find that you only discover one contract a year later, when an important letter fails to arrive.
Permanent residence
You report the change at the registration office for your new address. You need a proof of identity and a document entitling you to use the flat, i.e. a tenancy agreement or an extract from the land register, or the owner's consent. Without this step there's no point dealing with anything else.
ID card and other documents
After changing your residence, you'll need a new ID card. Your driving licence doesn't show your address, so you don't need to change it. If you run a business, don't forget your registered office in the trade register.
Vehicle
A change of address is reflected in the vehicle register. It's handled at the road vehicle register office and also concerns the large vehicle registration certificate. Deal with it together with your other documents so you don't have to go to the office twice.
Data box and delivery address
Also check your address wherever your official mail goes. If you have a data box, most deliveries are sorted. Everyone else would do well to set up temporary mail forwarding at the post office so that nothing ends up at the old address.
Employer, health insurer, school
Health insurer and employer
You can usually report both changes online. Your employer needs your address for payroll, your health insurer for correspondence. With the insurer it's usually a matter of a few clicks in the client zone.
School and nursery
When moving with children, sort out the school well in advance. Catchment areas depend on your home address, and places are harder to find during the school year than before it starts. Don't forget after-school clubs, doctors and dentists either.
Book an appointment at the office in advance
Most offices have online appointment booking. Without it you'll spend the morning in a queue; with it you're done in a quarter of an hour. Book an appointment as soon as you know the date the flat is handed over — free slots are often several weeks away.
Energy and services in the flat
Write down the meter readings on handover day
Without meter readings, changing your supplier is difficult. On the day the flat is handed over, write down the electricity, gas and water meter readings, photograph them together with the meter number and have the handover report signed by both parties. Repeat the same procedure in the new flat.
Electricity and gas
Transferring a contract needs cooperation from the other party. The supplier usually wants the handover report, the meter reading and the new customer's details. Deal with it straight away, not several weeks later when the advance payments get recalculated retrospectively.
Water and waste
In flats, water and sewerage charges are usually part of the service charges from the owner or building manager. In a house, you transfer the contract yourself. The municipal waste fee is registered with the municipality or city district, depending on where you live.
Internet and TV
Check availability at the new address before you move. Moving a connection usually takes weeks, not days. If your provider doesn't cover the new address, arrange a new contract in advance so you're not left without a connection.
What people most often forget
Bank, insurance policies and subscriptions
Your address is held in dozens of places. Your bank, home and liability insurance, pension savings, online shops with saved addresses, delivery services. Go through your bank statement for the last year — you'll find even the contracts you wouldn't have thought of yourself.
Parking permit
Residents' parking is tied to your address. In cities with parking zones, you apply for a permit according to the rules of the city district in question, usually only after you've changed your registered residence. Expect it to take some time.
Letterbox, doorbell and name tag
Without a name tag, a courier won't deliver your parcel. Label your letterbox and doorbell on the very first day, and remove your name at the old address too. Check that you have the letterbox key — it's one of the items most often forgotten when a flat is handed over.
Home insurance
The policy covers a specific flat, not you. After moving, both the address and the sum insured change according to your new belongings. Report the change before you bring in the last box.
The paperwork can wait, your things can't. When you only have one day left for the move, a van available non-stop comes in handy. You collect the vehicle contactlessly via the web app, and you'll find the selection in our fleet or in the FAQ section.
