The Central Residents' Register (ZMR) Explained
Every registration, re-registration and de-registration ends up here — nationwide and in real time.
What is the ZMR?
The Zentrales Melderegister (ZMR, Central Residents' Register) is the public register that records everyone registered in Austria with a main residence and, where applicable, a secondary residence. It's maintained by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI).
What data does it contain?
- Identity data: name, gender, date of birth, ZMR number, nationality
- Residence data: current and previous registered addresses
Who enters the data?
Not you — the entry is made by the responsible registration office (Magistrat, Gemeindeamt, Magistratisches Bezirksamt) once you've submitted your Meldezettel there. Changes are then immediately visible nationwide to all authorities.
What is it used for?
The ZMR is the basis for many e-government processes: authorities such as district administrations (Bezirkshauptmannschaften) or the police access it to verify your registered address — for example when opening a bank account or dealing with the tax office.
ZMR number
Every registered person receives their own ZMR number. On the Meldezettel form, by the way, you don't need to fill in this field — it's assigned by the authority.
Source
Federal Ministry of the Interior (bmi.gv.at) and oesterreich.gv.at.
Federal Ministry of the Interior (bmi.gv.at) and oesterreich.gv.at.