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.

Under 16 years

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

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

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.

Documents to be submitted

• Your old identity card, even if it is invalid,
• and/or your child's passport / child's identity card and/or your passport,
• a current bimoetric passport photo, size: 45 x 35 mm, portrait format without border.

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).

Fees

• Identity card for persons up to 24 years of age (valid for 6 years) 22.80 euros
• Identity card for persons over 24 years of age (valid for 10 years) 37.00 euros
• 6.00 euros per passport photo taken at the Citizens' Office
• The fee must be paid when the application is submitted. 
• Tip: You can pay with your Girocard (EC card).