Reisepass Ausstellung

In many countries outside the European Union (EU), you need a passport to enter the country. If you have German citizenship, you can apply for a German passport.

The German passport allows you to enter over 160 countries worldwide as a tourist without a visa. You need a passport if you want to travel to countries outside the European Union (EU). If you have German citizenship, you can apply for a German passport.

If you are planning a trip outside the EU with your child, the child will need its own passport. If you wish to travel within the EU, an identity card is sufficient.

If a children's passport issued for your child is still valid and your child is to use this identity document for the trip, check whether your destination country recognizes the children's passport as an entry document. You can find out whether your destination country recognizes the child's passport on the website of the Federal Foreign Office in the travel and security information.

The passport

• is recognized both within the EU and outside the EU,
• has a chip, i.e. is biometric and
• can be applied for by people of any age from birth.

The children's passport

• is generally recognized within the EU and sometimes outside the EU if it has not been renewed or updated,
• is no longer accepted by some countries in the EU and in some cases worldwide if it has been updated or renewed and contains a corresponding renewal sticker,
• does not have a chip, which means that it is unsuitable for automatic border controls or certain advance travel registrations such as ESTA (USA).

Children's passports expire and are no longer reissued, renewed or updated. From 2024, you can apply for a regular passport, a temporary passport or an ID card for your child. An identity card is sufficient for travel within the EU.

Children's passports that have already been issued can continue to be used until they become invalid, for example if the photograph is no longer suitable for clearly identifying the child or the expiration date has been reached.

Applying for a passport:

You must always be present in person when applying for a passport so that your identity can be verified. If you wish to apply for a passport for your child or a person in your care, the child or person in your care must also be present in person. You have the option of applying for your passport using the express order procedure. In these cases, the finished passport is usually ready for collection from the authority after 3 working days (excluding weekends and public holidays in the state of Berlin).

If you need the travel document at very short notice and cannot wait for delivery of the passport using the express order procedure, you will usually receive a provisional passport immediately.

Responsibilities:

You can apply for a passport at the citizens' office in your place of residence. If you have more than one place of residence, the citizens' office at your main place of residence is responsible.

It is also possible to apply at another passport authority if you can present an important reason and the authority recognizes this important reason. You will pay a surcharge for the increased administrative work involved.

If you live abroad, the German representation abroad is responsible for passport applications. If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, apply for a new passport at the German representation abroad.

• biometric passport photo
• if available and not yet validated: Your current passport, temporary passport, identity card, temporary identity card, children's passport
• your birth certificate, if applicable
• when applying for a child:
  • Identity document of the person with custody present
  • Declaration of consent and a copy of the identity document of the custodial person not present or proof of custody if there is only one custodial person.
• for the first issue or when moving to a municipality
• If applicable, further documents such as civil status certificates

• You have German citizenship.
• There must be no grounds for refusing a passport, such as the assumption that you wish to avoid prosecution, execution of a sentence or a statutory maintenance obligation by leaving the country.

You must apply for a passport in person:

• Make an appointment at your local citizens' office.
• Bring all the necessary documents with you to the appointment.
• The official staff will fill out the application with you on site. All you have to do is sign it.
• When applying, you are required by law to provide fingerprints for the sole purpose of storing them in the document (usually a flat print of the left and right index finger).
  • Persons who have not yet reached the age of 6 do not have to provide a fingerprint.
• You will receive information from your Citizens' Registration Office as to when you can collect your passport.

• Complaint or appeal against the decisions of the passport authority to the superior authority or the State Ministry of the Interior
• Legal action before the administrative court

• Passport issue
• a passport is required for entry into countries outside the EU
• German passports are issued on application
  • must be applied for in person
    • can be applied for at a citizens' office in Germany
    • can be applied for abroad at a German representation
  • can be applied for any person of any age, including infants and young children
• The validity of the passport expires prematurely if
  • entries are no longer correct
  • the passport photo no longer allows the identity to be clearly established
• Change of place of residence or size does not lead to invalidity
• Prerequisite:
  • German citizenship
  • There are no reasons for refusing a passport
• required documents:
  • biometric passport photo
  • if available and not yet invalidated: previous passport, temporary passport, identity card, temporary identity card, children's passport
  • Birth certificate, if applicable
  • when applying for a child:
    • ID of the person with custody present
    • Declaration of consent and a copy of the ID of the person without custody or proof of custody if there is only one person with custody
• Alternatively, the passport can be applied for using the express order procedure or, if there is no time left for an express order procedure (usually ready for collection after 3 working days) before the start of the trip, also as a temporary passport
• responsible:
  • Passport authority (usually citizens' office) at the main place of residence
  • any other passport authority in Germany (additional costs may be incurred)
  • German representation abroad (additional costs may be incurred)