Registering two people at one address

Hey to you all, and thanks for this great forum! Lots of good info for a newcomer here...

Anyway, to the point: I just heard that it´s difficult to register two persons in one 1-room flat in Berlin(at the meldeamt). Apparently they don´t recognize the fact that two people can live in the same room. This sounds totally stupid and unbelievable to me, but you never know with the German bureaucracy, right? And the fact that I heard this from a reliable person made me want to ask you guys about this, so that I know what to say when I go to the meldeamt. Do we need to pretend like we are a couple, or what? Btw, do the civil servants speak English, or do I have to show off with my not so brilliant german?

One off topic question, if anyone know: Is it possible to buy Euro in a normal bank here, with a Visa card? I´ve tried one and it rejected me - have you got any ideas? I´m in a desperate need for cash, and the ATMs just allow me to cash out 1000 euros every week. Stupid, eh?

Thanks, and Schönes Wochenende!

It has been my experience that civil servants in Berlin do not speak English. I would practice what you want to say in German before you go. This makes a good first impression and might loosen up the "beamte" (civil servant) a little. At the ausländerbehörde (foreigner resitration authority) I find them particularly stern.

Thank you, will do!

I speak, what do they say: "Fließend falsch? " That means I manage to get my point trough, but usually with severe grammatical and syntax errors:) But at least they got to give me credit for the effort, eh? I find learning german very cool, but the downside is that as my german improves - the english detoriates. So maybe one thay I´ll be one of those civil servants?

Of course they will give you an A for effort! Don't worry about perfect grammar, just cobble your story together however you can

Er, well, back to the original questions before the thread was hijacked:

1. I can't see any problems with registering two people at one address. If you're unsure, just go along and register together. You don't have to "pretend" anything; it's not their business whether you are in a relationship with the other person or not.

2. How much cash you are allowed to withdraw is determined by your bank or credit card company, not by the ATMs. If you need to withdraw more, contact your bank and ask them to increase the limit.

Depends on the limitations of your Visa card. You could always give them a call, say you're living here, and need to raise your limit. They did it for me (=

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack the thread

Yeah, I´ve called the bank. They said it´s not possible to change the limit, as the information is stored in the magnet strip on the card:( But hopefully Deutsche Bank can help me out on monday - one way or another.

Well, good to hear that you guys also think it sounded strange with the issues at meldeamt. You are probably right that it´s no problem. I´m just so surprised by all the beuracracy here. And I used to think Norway (my native country) is the last soviet state...

It's unlikely that Deutsche Bank will be able to help you, unfortunately. If there is a limit on the card concerning how much can be withdrawn within a certain period, then it's unlikely to make much difference whether you are using an ATM or transacting over-the-counter.

Assuming you have funds in Norway, you may want to consider transferring cash between banks. Open up a German bank account and you can transfer funds for free using the IBAN number.

Going back to the original topic, how are they going to know it's only a one bedroom flat?

You can register any place you want. There are no checks. You can even register at multiple locations.
And most or the people at the City office do speak English, but they will prob. refuse to speak it. Your
in Germany.. Learn German, or take a German speaking friend with you.

I just got the money from an ATM, so that problem is solved for now. But yeah, I´ll get a German bank account straight away - that is certainly needed.

Thank you for the info about meldeamt. Seems like it´s not gonna be a problem. And I do speak enough german to manage, but if my counterpart speaks English well that is preferable. I know as an Norwegian I´d rather speak English with an immigrant than listening to his bad grammar:)

I cant see why you would need more than 1000 euros a week.

Well, I´ve come to the conclusion that the vermieterin was trying to rip me off. Or most likely I am just bein paranoid.
First off all, I apologize that I simplified the story a little initially, just to get my question answered.
The story goes like this: The Vermieterin wanted all the rent payed in advance - with cash. That was quite a hassle to arrange, but I agreed as I need a flat badly, and it was a great ( to good to be true?) angebot.
Everything was fine, until I said that I wanted to sign me up at the meldeamt, <i>and</i> sign a rental agreement (off course I don´t just give away 1700 Euro cash withouth any kind of legal document in return).
Then the Vermieterin said it is not possible for me to report at the meldeamt, since she is already registered there, and only one person per flat is allowed. (She´s only "travelling abroad" for four months). She said, though, that maybe it is possible if we say we are a couple - and she would check it out today. This morning she called me and said it was not possible for me to have the wohnung, as the people at meldeamt told here only one person was allowed to register in the flat. Apparently, she was there and spoke with them several times. (I do need to register in order to study at the Uni here).

Taking the information I have got here and other places into consideration, her story sounds like rubbish to me. So here I am, withouth a flat, in a hostel and with 1700 Euros cash in my pocket...

Anyway, sorry to bother you with my troubles, but I just needed to vent out some frustration...

If she's going away for four months then she is legally obliged to deregister at the Meldeamt, leaving you free to register at that address. Sounds like she's either a liar or an idiot, so I think it's a good thing it's fallen through. The accommodation options in Berlin are pretty good, so you'll be able to find something more suitable. Good luck.