Identity card

Application

• The application must be made in person and you cannot be represented.
• Your personal appearance is absolutely necessary because of the handwritten signature on the application form and the identity check.

Persons under the age of 16

The application for the identity card must be made by the person with parental authority (mother and father or carer). The child (including a baby) must be present in person. If only one parent is present, a written declaration of consent from the other legal guardian and their identity card or passport must be submitted. If necessary, a custody order must be presented; if a guardianship exists, the appointment certificate is required.

Change of name through marriage

If the family name changes in the future due to an upcoming marriage, a new identity card with the future name can be applied for in advance. When submitting the application, which should be made at the registry office at least 8 weeks before the date of the marriage, the certificate from the registry office confirming the registration of the marriage, which also states the future name, must be presented. The completed identity card can only be issued after the marriage has taken place.

Note: A digital photo will be required to issue an ID card from May 2025.

From May 2025, passport photos mayonly be taken digitally. From May 2025, digital passport photos can be taken directly by a professional photographer or in the citizens' offices. Printed passport photos will no longer be accepted from 1 May 2025. The Federal Ministry of the Interior wants to prevent manipulation in this way.

The application is always created from the data in the population register. In order to be able to clarify any differences in data/spelling, please submit your birth certificate or marriage certificate as a precaution (especially for new arrivals, first-time applications, naturalisation, marriages).

New features for direct dispatch of the ID card

Direct delivery for ID cards / eID cards is possible from the 16th birthday, for passports from the 18th birthday. You can have the ID documents handed over to you in person at your front door. The prerequisite is that you submit the ID card application within Germany to the authority at your place of residence. The direct delivery service costs €15.00 in addition to the ID card fee.

For direct shipping, you will need another valid ID document (ID card or passport) to identify yourself when receiving the shipment, as the old ID will be confiscated and or cancelled upon application.

The delivery service, Deutsche Post AG, will inform you of the expected delivery date by e-mail. The consignment will only be handed over to you personally . Before handing over the consignment, you must identify yourself to the postal delivery service with a valid identity document (ID card, passport). If you are not at home at the time of delivery, the consignment will be deposited at a post office for seven working days. If you do not collect the consignment within this period, it will be forwarded to your local authority. The ID document will be kept there until you collect it. The fee cannot be refunded.

Direct dispatch is not possible for ID documents applied for using the express order procedure. Dispatch to a preferred address or to a secondary residence is not possible. Reason:
If the consignment cannot be delivered and is not collected from the branch, it will always be returned to the authority at your main place of residence.

Deutsche Post will only hand over the consignment with the ID document. Old ID cards are neither cancelled nor accepted for return to the authorities.