Administrative services A-Z

• Forms provided by the foreign tax authority.
• Form of the German tax authorities that can be filled out online (german-English, german-Russian, german-French, german-Italian, german-Spanish language version)

Often, for example, the foreign state requires a certificate of residence within the meaning of a double taxation agreement (DTA) if you apply abroad for exemption or reimbursement of withholding taxes levied there on interest, dividends or royalties.

The residency of a person is to be determined according to the respective regulations of the specific DTA between Germany and the other state in which the income is received. If you need advice on this, you can request it from a tax adviser of your choice for a fee.

As a rule, residence certificates may only be issued on an official form. They are issued by your tax office or the tax office of your company.

The residence certificate may already be part of the foreign exemption or refund application (for example, in the case of foreign investment income or royalties). For this purpose, the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) provides the forms agreed with the respective foreign tax authority. In addition, the form of the German tax administration valid for all types of income can be used, which is provided by the Federal Tax Administration.

You can submit the application for yourself (as a natural person, for example as a partner in a partnership) or on behalf of a legal entity (for example a corporation). A certificate of residence in accordance with a double taxation agreement (DTA) can be issued:

• for income tax purposes only,
• if the natural person or the legal entity is resident in Germany
  • is resident in Germany in accordance with the relevant DTA and
  • income was earned abroad (for example, foreign capital gains or royalties)

written application (in duplicate)

User Charge: (kostenfrei)
Vorkasse: Nein

You can apply for a residence certificate under a double taxation agreement (DTA) in writing to the tax office responsible for you or the legal entity.

• You must submit the application form in duplicate.
• The tax office will then check, on the basis of your application and the contents of the file, whether the conditions for confirmation of residence in Germany are met.
• If the conditions are met, the tax office will certify residency directly on the form you submit.
• The tax office hands over or sends you the original copy of the certificate of residency, while it keeps the duplicate on file.

None. The residency of the person can be certified by point in time or by period.

Tax office

Regulations of the respective double taxation agreement (as a rule Article 4)

• The double taxation agreements concluded by Germany with other countries

You can find the online fillable form of the German tax authorities under: Form centre > Tax forms > Double taxation > Residence certificate in accordance with DTAs

• For certifications of information in tax matters, certificates of residence for foreign countries on the website of the Federal Foreign Office

Berlin Senate Department for Finance (SenFin)