Administrative services A-Z

You need a passport if you want to travel to a country outside the European Union (EU). The passport allows you to enter over 170 countries worldwide as a tourist without a visa.

If you have a passport and certain data changes, you must apply for a new travel document.

You will need a new passport if the following details change:

• Surname
• maiden name
• First name
• Date of birth details
• Details of place of birth
• Gender details
• Even if you are no longer clearly recognizable in the photo, you will need a new passport.

Procedure if you change your place of residence

The place of residence is also entered in your passport, but not the exact address. The details of your place of residence in your passport must be changed if your place of residence in Germany changes. As a rule, you do not need to apply for a new passport for this, but simply have your passport changed. You only need to apply for a new passport if it is not possible to enter another change of residence in your passport due to a lack of space.

• If you need a passport, you must apply for a new one if at least one of the following data changes:
  • First name
  • maiden name
  • Family name
  • Date of birth details
  • Details of place of birth
  • Gender
• You have German citizenship.
• There must be no reasons for refusing a passport. This includes, for example, the assumption that you will be prevented from entering Germany by leaving the country.
  • criminal prosecution,
  • enforcement of a sentence or
  • to evade a statutory maintenance obligation.

• Biometric digital passport photo: taken on site at the authority or by a registered domestic photo service provider (photographer)
• previous passport
• Official proof of the change, if applicable

A reduction or exemption from fees is possible under certain conditions.

Fees (without surcharges) are doubled if:

• the passport must be issued outside official office hours or
• the application is not submitted to the local passport authority (municipality of the main residence).

User Charge: 70 EUR (fix)
The costs apply from the age of 24. The fee (without surcharges) is doubled if the passport has to be issued outside official office hours or if the application is not submitted to the local passport authority (municipality of the main residence).
Vorkasse: Ja

User Charge: 37.5 EUR (fix)
The costs apply if you are under 24 years old. The fee (without surcharges) is doubled if the passport has to be issued outside official office hours or if the application is not submitted to the local passport authority (municipality of the main residence).
Vorkasse: Ja

User Charge: 32 EUR (fix)
The costs apply to passport applications in the express procedure (surcharge).
Vorkasse: Ja

User Charge: 22 EUR (fix)
The costs are additional if you apply for a passport with 48 pages instead of 32 pages.
Vorkasse: Ja

User Charge: 31 EUR (fix)
Additional costs are incurred if you apply for a passport at a German mission abroad (embassy or consulate).
Vorkasse: Ja

User Charge: 6 EUR (fix)
Vorkasse: Ja

User Charge: 15 EUR (fix)
Vorkasse: Ja

You must apply for a passport in person at your local Citizens' Registration Office:

• Make an appointment at your Bürgeramt.
• For important reasons, you can also submit the application
  • in another municipality or
  • at a German diplomatic mission abroad.
• Bring all the necessary documents with you to the agreed appointment.
• The official staff will fill out the application with you on site. All you have to do is sign it.
• The submission of fingerprints for storage in the document is required by law for the application.
  • A flat print is usually taken of the left and right index finger.
  • Children under the age of 6 do not have to give a fingerprint.
• You will receive information from your Citizens' Registration Office as to when you can collect your passport.
• You can arrange a collection date online, by e-mail or by telephone at many citizens' offices. Alternatively, in many cases you can have the ID document sent to your home address by post and handed over in person at the front door.
• You can authorize another person of legal age in writing to collect the document.

Passport authority of the independent city, the independent municipality, the office, the co-administrating municipality

• § 1 Passgesetz (PassG)
• § 5 Passgesetz (PassG)
• § 15 Passgesetz (PassG)
• § 15 Verordnung zur Durchführung des Passgesetzes (Passverordnung - PassV)

• Informationen zum deutschen Reisepass auf der Internetseite des Bundesministeriums des Innern (BMI)
• Informationen über Reisepässe und Personalausweise auf der Internetseite des Auswärtigen Amts (AA)
• Informationen über die Sicherheit des Reisezielstaats oder Transitstaats und zu den benötigten Unterlagen auf der Internetseite des Auswärtigen Amts (AA)

Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI)