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State guide

Saarland

Where to register, which immigration office handles your case, how to book, and what differs from the nationwide rules.

Checked 5 Nov 202621 official sources

General information only, drawn from official sources (checked 2026-11-04). It promises no outcome, and rules change. For your own case, ask your Meldebehörde, the Zentrale Ausländerbehörde or a qualified adviser.
This page covers only what is different or local in Saarland. For nationwide rules, see the Anmeldung guide and the visa guides.

1) Registering your address (Meldebehörde)

  • Find your office: you register with your municipality's (Gemeinde/Stadt) registration office. Use servicesuche.bund.de or the Saarland service portal service.saarland.de and enter your town. (checked 2026-11-04) To see whether online registration works at your address, use the address check on wohnsitzanmeldung.gov.de.
  • Landeshauptstadt Saarbrücken:
  • The city has these Bürgerämter: City, BAM!, Halberg, West and Dudweiler. You need an appointment, except on Wednesdays 7:30–11:30, when you can come without one. Source: saarbruecken.de – Termine buchen (checked 2026-11-04)
  • You can book online or by phone (+49 681 9050). Both use the same calendar. You can book at most 2 weeks ahead. If no slot is free, you can submit a "Terminwunsch" and the system sends you suggested times. Source: same page (checked 2026-11-04)
  • Bürgeramt City: Gerberstraße 4, 66111 Saarbrücken, buergeramt@saarbruecken.de. Source: saarbruecken.de – Bürgerämter (checked 2026-11-04)
  • Online options: you can register or change your address with BundID without an appointment. You can also book a video appointment with the "Virtuelles Bürgeramt". Sources: Umzug und Meldeangelegenheiten, Onlinedienste, terminvergabe.saarbruecken.de (checked 2026-11-04)
  • Fee: the city says registering, deregistering or changing your address is free ("gebührenfrei"). Source: Umzug und Meldeangelegenheiten (checked 2026-11-04)
  • Moving in from abroad: plan to register in person. The online service updates the address already stored in the German population register (personalausweisportal.de, checked 2026-11-05), and the virtual appointment list shows only "Zuzug aus dem Bundesgebiet" (moving from elsewhere in Germany).
  • Other towns (e.g. Neunkirchen, Homburg, Saarlouis, Völklingen): find your office and its booking page with servicesuche.bund.de.

2) Ausländerbehörde

  • One central office for the whole state: in Saarland, the Zentrale Ausländerbehörde (ZAB) at the Landesverwaltungsamt (LaVA), Abteilung 2, makes residence and passport decisions for people from non-EU countries, and also handles EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their families. Source: saarland.de – ZAB (checked 2026-11-04). This differs from guides that tell you to go to a city or district Ausländerbehörde.
  • Where to go: the ZAB's sections are in Lebach:
  • Aufenthalt, Asyl: Dillinger Straße 67/2, 66822 Lebach. Handles non-EU nationals and asylum cases, including residence permits, the Blue Card and settlement permits.
  • Einreise, Fachkräfteeinwanderung: Oderring 23–25, 66822 Lebach. Handles national visa procedures, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their families, and the accelerated skilled-worker procedure.
  • Both checked 2026-11-04.
  • Appointments: you can't visit without an appointment, and the ZAB asks you to contact it only through its contact form. Source: ZAB contacts (checked 2026-11-04).
  • Skilled workers (beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren, §81a AufenthG): the ZAB is the central office. Your employer applies on your behalf, with your power of attorney. The ZAB issues a "Vorabzustimmung" (pre-approval). The ZAB is responsible when the employer has a Betriebsstätte (business site) in Saarland, wherever you will live. Source: service.saarland.de – Beschleunigtes Fachkräfteverfahren (checked 2026-11-04)
  • Online application: the ZAB offers online routes for the accelerated skilled-worker procedure and for EU and EEA citizens and their families. See the overview. Source: ZAB – Einreise (checked 2026-11-04).
  • Fees: the accelerated procedure costs €411 per applicant, and it isn't refunded if the outcome is negative. Source: ZAB – Einreise (checked 2026-11-04). Other residence fees follow the national fee rules, and the office tells you the exact amount. Nationwide fees are in the AufenthV (gesetze-im-internet.de).

3) Official portals & finders

4) Known differences vs nationwide guides

  1. There is no city or district Ausländerbehörde. One state-wide ZAB in Lebach handles residence matters, including those of EU citizens. (ZAB, checked 2026-11-04)
  2. Skilled-worker fast track is handled centrally by the ZAB. Responsibility depends on where the employer's business site is, not where you live. (service.saarland.de, checked 2026-11-04)
  3. Saarbrücken registration: you need an appointment except Wednesday mornings, and you can book at most 2 weeks ahead. Online registration with BundID and video appointments are available, and registration is free. (saarbruecken.de, checked 2026-11-04)

General information summarised from official sources. Check with the responsible office before you act.

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