New in Bochum: Citizens' Office Districts and Daily Life in the Ruhr

Bochum is divided into six districts with 34 neighbourhoods: Bochum-Mitte, Wattenscheid, Bochum-Nord, Bochum-Ost with Laer, Langendreer and Werne, Bochum-Süd with Querenburg, Stiepel and Wiemelhausen, and Bochum-Südwest with Dahlhausen, Linden, Sundern and Weitmar. Mitte is home to the main station, the city centre, the Bermuda3eck and the Ehrenfeld quarter, which was developed to a plan before the First World War. Nord and Ost lie towards Herne and Dortmund; in the east, the Opel plants stood in Laer and Langendreer from 1962.

Querenburg is shaped by Ruhr University, and the south, with Stiepel, extends to the Ruhr and the Kemnade reservoir. Wattenscheid in the west has its own citizens' office. Which district suits you depends on your commute, school and connection to the Stadtbahn, tram or S-Bahn. Before you commit, also take a look at the stairwell, parking situation and surroundings – that will also make moving day easier later.

We do not quote specific rents here, because they depend heavily on location and condition; compare offers and ask about the city's rent index (Mietspiegel). Employers headquartered in Bochum include Vonovia, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung Knappschaft-Bahn-See and Bogestra. Besides Ruhr University, there is Bochum University of Applied Sciences and other institutions – eight universities or branch campuses in total. The shift from mining to a city of knowledge and services still shapes Bochum today.

In your free time, the Schauspielhaus, the German Mining Museum, the planetarium, Starlight Express and VfL Bochum's Ruhrstadion beckon. The Stadtpark with the Bismarck Tower offers relaxation, as do the Ruhr and the Kemnade reservoir in the south. Essen and Dortmund are quickly reached via the A40, A43 and A448; the main station is an ICE stop. For newcomers, the easiest way to get to know the city is through its cultural venues and the green spaces in the south.

As a first guide: a move from a one-room flat costs from €349, from a two-room flat from €609. For a three-room flat, prices start at €899, for a four-room flat at €1,309. For houses and villas there is no flat rate, but an individual quote. For long-distance moves we charge €3.85 per kilometre. You can plan most precisely with a free survey.

The price is based on volume and mileage (from €3.85/km). In addition, the floor, lift and parking restriction zone affect the final total. If needed, we add furniture assembly or a shared load.

You can book these services individually or together.

• Move with assembly – Move with assembly: From dismantling to reassembly.
• Furniture transport – Furniture transport: For bulky or fragile goods.
• Company relocation – Company relocation: Business moves without downtime.
• House clearance – House clearance: For household clearances and more.
• Home removal – Home removal: Tailored individually to you.
• Shared load – Shared load: For smaller moving volumes.

We plan moves from Berlin-Moabit (Stromstraße 21); it is around 515 km to Bochum via the A2, about 7.5 hours by lorry including a break. Places with their own page can be found in the locations overview.

Under § 17 of the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz), you must register within two weeks of moving in; the City of Bochum points out that registering before you move in is not possible. Registration itself is free of charge. You must bring the landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) from your landlord and an ID document (identity card, passport or child's passport). If you move within Bochum and own a vehicle, also bring the vehicle registration certificate so that the address can be updated; the change in the vehicle registration certificate is charged according to the city's fee schedule.

You need an appointment to visit the citizens' office. You book it online, in person or via the public authority number 115. If the next available appointment is more than two weeks away, according to the city booking the appointment is enough to meet the deadline; bring the booking confirmation with you. There are citizens' offices in Mitte, Wattenscheid, Gerthe, Langendreer and Weitmar. The Querenburg citizens' office is closed until further notice (as stated on the city's website).

• According to the City of Bochum, since 1 August 2024 you can also register online via wohnsitzanmeldung.gov.de without an appointment.
• For a secondary residence, an in-person visit is still necessary.
• At the Mitte citizens' office only card payment is possible; at the other citizens' offices you can pay in cash or by card.

Our article Change of address: who to inform? brings together the other address changes.

According to the City of Bochum, for the resident parking permit you need a place of residence in Bochum and a car of which you are the keeper, or whose permanent use you prove with a declaration of transfer. One permit is issued per resident; it is valid for one year from the date of application and costs 90 euros. A replacement or a change of number plate or parking zone costs 12.80 euros. You apply online on Bochum's service portal or with an appointment at the citizens' office; bring an official ID and the registration certificate Part I. The permit is only valid in signposted resident parking spaces.

Six recycling centres accept recyclable household waste in normal household quantities: Kornharpen (Brelohstraße 70), Riemke (In der Provitze 20), Wattenscheid (Blücherstraße 53), Werne (Brandwacht 49), Linden (Am Sattelgut 132) and Laer (Schattbachstraße 80). Household chemicals, car products and similar hazardous waste are accepted by the Umweltbrummi mobile collection and by the Kornharpen, Laer and Wattenscheid recycling centres.

For bulky waste, the city refers you to USB Bochum GmbH; the fees are set out in the waste fee statute. If you want to declutter before moving in, you can book our house clearance. A parking restriction zone keeps space for your removal van outside the front door. An overview of the neighbourhoods is given in the moving guide for Bochum.