Leistungen A-Z

As a German citizen, you are required to have an identity card from the age of 16. If you subsequently find an identity card that has been reported lost, you must report this.
Only when you have officially reported your identity card as "found" will a corresponding entry at the police be deleted. After this, you can continue to use your recovered ID card in Germany without restriction until the end of its validity.
If you find your ID again, you can also have the blocked online ID function unblocked. This can only be done in person at your local Bürgeramt. The Bürgeramt will then arrange for it to be unblocked and, if necessary, inform the police that the ID card has been found again.
Please note: Germany cannot influence whether and how other countries set up their national police information systems or whether and how frequently these are updated. For this reason, it is possible in individual cases that foreign authorities do not delete the material tracing or do not delete it in time and therefore do not recognise the recovery of your identity card for use abroad or even confiscate it.
If you want to avoid such possible inconveniences when travelling internationally, it is advisable to apply for a new ID card when you report the loss or theft of your ID card.

You had previously reported your ID card as lost.

- recovered identity card

You will not incur any costs as a result of the notification.

Report in person at a citizens' office that you have recovered your identity card

You must report it immediately if you recover your identity card.

local identity card authority

Service hotline for the ID card and the online ID function

Phone +49 1801 333333

E-mail eID_buergerservice@bmi.bund.de

Opening hours

Mon 08:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.

Tue 08:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.

Wed 08:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.

Thu 08:00 am - 05:00 pm

Fri 08:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.

• Section 27 (1) No. 3 of the Identity Card Act (PAuswG)

• Information on the new identity card can be found on a website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community

Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Building and Home Affairs