Housing

Finding a suitable and affordable flat in Freiburg is not easy. Please note that you must also register when you move into a flat or a room. Registration at the registration office is free of charge. You must register in person and show your ID or passport.

Office for Community Services and Information Processing (Amt für Bürgerservice und Informationsmanagement)

Community Services Department
(Abteilung Bürgerservice)

(only limited service is available during consulting hours marked with*)

General Information:
Registration, re-registration and deregistration of residence, EU citizens will be redirected right after registration and receive a “Freizügigkeitsbescheinigung” (freedom of movement certificate) there.

Looking for a flat

Houses and flats are usually offered unfurnished.
You can find flats for rent:

  • on real estate pages (Internet)
  • in local newspapers/ free papers
  • at real estate agents
  • at housing cooperatives

The number of rooms specified in ads only refers to the living and bedrooms. As a rule, bathroom and kitchen are not included in that number. The kitchen does not include appliances or cabinets in most cases.

Rent: The rent generally consists of the basic rent plus additional costs. Additional costs include the costs for electricity, water, heating and waste disposal, for example. It is important to clarify what is included in additional costs before you sign a rental agreement.

Signing a rental agreement

You must sign a rental agreement before you move in. Before you sign, check what costs are included in the rent.

Moving in

As a rule, you must apply for your phone and Internet service as well as your power yourself. In addition, each household also pays a fee for the public radio and television channels. The same goes for the waste disposal.

Deposit: In addition to the monthly rent, the landlord often requires a guarantee (deposit). The deposit is usually 1-3 months’ rent and must usually be paid at the beginning of the rental contract. You will get your deposit plus interest back after termination of the contract.

Many landlords ask for proof of liability insurance. You can take out personal liability insurance with an insurance company of your choice.

More Information

Office for Properties and Housing (Amt für Liegenschaften und Wohnungswesen, ALW)

Service: Advice on housing allowance

Social Housing Department (Amt für Migration und Integration)

Services:
Advice on social housing eligibility certificate,
Procurement of housing for people in need

Links:
You will find more information on housing here:
www.freiburg.de/wohnen

Information for refugees

The following information is intended for refugees without recognition as asylum-seekers or as refugees (people before the start of the asylum procedure, in the middle of the asylum procedure or people whose deportation has been suspended). Refugees who have been recognized as asylum seekers or refugees can find the information relevant to them on the remaining pages of the guide, which is intended for all migrants.

Accommodation of Refugees

As a refugee, you will initially be housed in a so-called reception centre after entering Germany. These centres are often very large facilities with many residents. The reception centre in Freiburg is located in Lörracher Straße (on the corner of Lörracher Straße and Schildackerweg).

From there, you will generally be relocated to so-called temporary accommodation in another city.

If you are moving into temporary accommodation in Freiburg, you will be assigned to a refugee centre. This requirement is binding! This means that you can only move in exceptional cases. See also the following section "change of residence".

If you are recognized as a person entitled to asylum or as a refugee, you can start looking for a flat on your own. If you are not working or your income is very low, you can obtain an eligibility certificate for subsidized housing; such a certificate allows you to access relatively cheap flats for rent.
Once you are recognized, you are generally no longer restricted to live within the municipal area of Freiburg and can choose the location of your residence yourself – however, there are some exceptions.
Please note that there is a scarcity of flats in Freiburg and that many people are looking for a place to live.
 
If your asylum procedure takes longer than two years, you can move into your own flat after two years even without recognition as a person entitled to asylum or as a refugee. If you are not working, the rent will be paid for you up to a certain amount by the Office for Migration and Integration.

In the first three months after arrival in Germany, refugees are bound by a so-called residence obligation. This means that refugees coming to Freiburg are not allowed to leave the state of Baden-Württemberg in the first three months. Exceptions are made for appointments with government agencies and courts. This rule no longer applies after three months. However, refugees are assigned a place of residence for the duration of their asylum procedure. This means refugees have to continue living at the assigned location, but can leave the state for a limited time.

Change of Residence

Moves to another refugee centre within the City of Freiburg are only possible in very exceptional cases.

If you want to move to another city in Germany, you must submit an application to the Office for Migration and Integration of the City of Freiburg and at the appropriate department of the city to which you want to move. To do so, contact your Social Service Centre which will help you submit the application. Moving is only possible if both offices - the one in Freiburg and the one in the city where you want to move - approve the move. These applications are only approved in special cases - especially for reasons of reuniting immediate family members living in another city, such as your minor child / children or your spouse.

You cannot move to another country in Europe until you have received your recognition as a person entitled to asylum or as a refugee. It is not possible to move to another country in Europe while you are still undergoing the asylum procedure, even if family members are living in another country. The only exception is made if an underage family member lives abroad. In this case, please contact your Social Service Centre.

If you have received your recognition as a person entitled to asylum or as a refugee and want to move to another country in Europe, you can contact the immigration counselling centres that are listed under "Arriving in Freiburg".

Registration Certificate

If you want to open a bank account or sign a contract with a mobile phone service provider, you will need a registration certificate. The registration certificate shows that your current residence is in Freiburg. You can obtain the registration certificate from the following department:

Community Services, City of Freiburg

(only limited service is available during consulting hours marked with*)

Offer:
Issue of registration certificate
Please bring:
Passport or notice of suspension of deportation
Confirmation by the refugee centre management that the applicant lives there