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Procedure descriptions
Passport - apply for the first time or after expiry
In many countries outside the European Union (EU), you need a passport to enter the country.
You must apply for a passport in person at the Citizens' Office at your place of residence or, if you have more than one place of residence, at the Citizens' Office at your main place of residence. You can also apply for a passport at any other citizens' office if there is an important reason and you can prove it.
In this case, you will have to pay a surcharge.
The passport has a chip. Your personal data, document data, photograph and fingerprints are stored there. The data can only be accessed by public authorities.
The passport can be issued to children from birth.
The passport normally contains 32 pages. If you wish - for example if you travel a lot - you can also obtain a passport with 48 pages. In this case, a surcharge will be added to the fee.
Please note that your passport becomes invalid if, among other things
- the period of validity has expired,
- Entries are missing or incorrect (with the exception of your place of residence),
- it is no longer possible to establish your identity correctly or it has been altered.
If you need your passport more quickly, you can also apply for it using the express procedure.
In this case, a surcharge will be added to the fee.
If you need a passport immediately and it is unlikely that it will be possible to issue a passport using the express procedure by the time you travel, a temporary passport can be issued. The passport authorities may require the presentation of suitable evidence.
Note: Many countries require passports to be valid for up to six months after the end of the journey.
You should therefore find out about the current entry requirements of your destination country and the required passport documents in good time before travelling.
Information on this can be found in the travel and security advice issued by the Federal Foreign Office.
Responsible authority
The passport authorities in Baden-Württemberg are
- the municipalities as local police authorities
- the administrative communities, which perform or fulfil the tasks of the registration authority.
As a rule, the citizens' offices or citizens' registration offices fulfil the tasks of a passport authority.
The passport authority in whose district you are registered with your home, or your main residence if you have more than one home, is responsible for you.
Please note:
German nationals with their main residence abroad (Germans living abroad) can apply for a passport at the diplomatic mission abroad in whose district sthey usually reside. The responsible diplomatic mission abroad is determined by the Federal Foreign Office.
Your application for a passport must also be processed by a passport authority in Germany that is not locally responsible if you can provide an important reason. A passport may only be issued with the authorisation of the locally competent passport authority. This also applies to German nationals residing abroad.
Details
Prerequisite
- You have German citizenship.
- There must be no grounds for refusing to issue a passport, such as the justified assumption that you jeopardise the internal or external security or other significant interests of the Federal Republic of Germany or that you wish to evade criminal prosecution, the enforcement of a sentence or a statutory maintenance obligation by leaving the country.
Note: Facts about the passport holder may become known that justify a passport refusal. In these cases, a passport restriction (in terms of time and/or territory) can be noted in the passport or the passport can be withdrawn.
Procedure
- You must apply for your passport in person and submit the required documents.
- The application will be recorded on site at the passport office. You must provide a formally valid signature and complete the declaration of German citizenship.
A signature is required for children aged 10 and over. - The submission of fingerprints (flat print of the left and right index finger) is required by law for the application. No fingerprints are taken of children who are not yet 6 years old. If a travel document without fingerprints is expressly requested for children after the age of 6 and up to the age of 12, only a provisional passport can be issued. Note: If an index finger is missing, the quality of the fingerprint is insufficient or the fingertip is damaged, another fingerprint will be taken instead. Fingerprints will only not be taken if this is impossible for permanent medical reasons.
- The passport is sent to the passport authority by the passport producer, Bundesdruckerei GmbH, after production. Depending on the municipality, you will be notified as soon as you can collect your passport. The notification information from the passport authority usually also contains a form for authorisation to collect your passport. This allows you to collect your passport yourself or have it collected by an authorised person. The authorised person must identify themselves to the passport authority beforehand and present the authorisation form.
- You must hand in your old passport when you receive your new passport. If you wish, you can take your cancelled old passport back with you as a souvenir.
Deadlines
Period of validity
The period of validity depends on your age:
- under 24 years of age: Passport is valid for six years
- from the age of 24: Passport is valid for ten years.
It is not possible to extend the period of validity of the passport.
Required documents
- Identity card, passport or birth certificate if applicable
- a current digital biometric photograph
- for children and adolescents:
- If both custodial parents submit the application: Parents' identity cards or passports. If only one parent with custody submits the application: additionally
- written declaration of consent from the other custodial parent
- Copy of the identity card or passport of the other legal guardian
- for a person with sole custody: additionally
- Declaration of custody or, if none is available, a written declaration of sole custody.
Some municipalities require negative certificates in this regard. - If applicable, legally binding divorce decree with custody order or subsequent order of the family court regarding sole custody or provisional custody order of the local court (if both parents live in Germany).
- Declaration of custody or, if none is available, a written declaration of sole custody.
- in the case of guardianship: additionally
- Certificate of appointment as guardian
- If both custodial parents submit the application: Parents' identity cards or passports. If only one parent with custody submits the application: additionally
Notes:
- The biometric photographs must comply with the relevant formal requirements. The photo sample chart for identity documents provides assistance in this regard.
- From 1 May 2025, only digital photographs will be accepted for passport applications. Depending on the equipment of the authority, you can have the photo taken on site when you apply or you can have the photo taken in advance by a certified service provider (e.g. photographer or photo service of dm drugstores). The photo is then stored by the service provider in a secure cloud. You will receive a printout of a data matrix code (similar to a QR code), which the authoritycanuseto retrieveyour photo from the cloud . During the transition period, a paper-based photo may also be accepted in exceptional cases and under certain conditions. Please contact your authority in advance to find out about the options available there!
Attention:
- Further documents may be required for the first issue (in some municipalities also for the first issue after immigration), such as civil status documents.
- When applying for the first time for a child born abroad, the original birth certificate and the German translation must be submitted.
- If you are applying to a passport authority in Germany (non-competent authority), you may need to submit further documents.
Tip: Enquire in advance at the passport authority about the documents required in your individual case.
Legal basis
Passgesetz (PassG):
- § 1 Passpflicht
- § 4 Passmuster; Verordnungsermächtigung
- § 5 Gültigkeitsdauer
- § 6 Ausstellung eines Passes
- § 7 Passversagung
- § 8 Passentziehung
- § 19 Zuständigkeit
Verordnung zur Durchführung des Passgesetzes (Passverordnung - PassV):
- § 1 Muster des Reisepasses; Änderung von Daten
- § 15 Gebühren
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 02.05.2025