Deutschland Kompass
STEP

Nachsendeauftrag: Mail Forwarding

Mail from your old address gets forwarded to the new one. Set it up at least one week before moving.

WHAT TO DO

AUTHORITY

Deutsche Post AG

Private company
Online serviceWebsite

What is it and when to do it?

The Nachsendeauftrag is a Deutsche Post service that redirects all incoming mail from your old address to your new one. It’s essential for the first 6–12 months after a move, while you update your address with every agency and service provider. Set it up 5–7 days before moving day — activation takes several business days.

Where and how much does it cost?

Order online at deutschepost.de or at any post office branch. Costs: from €29 for 6 months (12 months from €49, 24 months from €79). Activation can take up to 5 business days from the start date you specify.

Common mistakes

👨🏻‍💻
Max recommends:

Ordered it the day before the move — activation took 5 working days. Two important letters from the Finanzamt bounced back to the old address. Order at least a week ahead: extra days cost nothing.

👩🏼‍💼
Lea recommends:

Assumed the Nachsendeauftrag would catch all parcels — but DHL and Amazon deliver themselves, bypassing Deutsche Post entirely. I updated my address separately in my Amazon account and on DHL.de.

Next step →

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What mail does the Nachsendeauftrag forward? ▾

All physical mail handled by Deutsche Post: letters, parcels, registered mail (Einschreiben), invoices, magazines. Exceptions: mail from other couriers (DHL Business, FedEx, UPS) and items marked 'Nicht nachsenden' (do not forward). DHL parcels have a separate redirect option.

Can I extend the forwarding without a gap? ▾

Yes. Order a new Nachsendeauftrag before the current one expires and the forwarding continues without interruption. You can place the new order any time on deutschepost.de, even the day before the old one runs out.

What happens to letters that arrive after it expires? ▾

They go back to your old address — to the new tenants or to the post office. By then you should have updated your address with your employer, bank, insurers and government agencies, so new mail arrives correctly from the start.

OFFICIAL SOURCES