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Applying for a passport abroad

Service Description

If you are a German citizen living abroad, you can apply for your passport at the German diplomatic mission responsible for you. As a rule, the German diplomatic mission or consular post in whose district you are permanently resident is responsible for issuing passports abroad.

However, a few diplomatic missions abroad do not act as passport authorities. Please check the website of the diplomatic mission responsible for your place of residence.

To save you having to travel long distances, some honorary consular officials also offer to accept passport applications and forward them to the responsible diplomatic mission abroad for an additional fee.

If there are important reasons, you can also go to another diplomatic mission or consular post that is not locally responsible. You must always apply for a passport in person.

Process flow

You must apply for your passport in person:

  • Make an appointment at the diplomatic mission abroad.
  • Fill in the application form as far in advance as possible. You only sign the application form at the appointment on site.
  • Bring all the necessary documents with you to the appointment.
  • You must always appear in person to submit your application, identify yourself and give your fingerprints.
  • When making an application, you are required by law to provide fingerprints for storage in your biometric passport from the age of six:
    • a flat print is taken for this, usually of the left and right index finger.
    • Children under the age of 6 do not have to provide a fingerprint.
  • When the passport is ready, it will be sent to you, provided you agreed this when you applied, or you will be notified by telephone or e-mail that your passport is ready for collection.

Requirements

  • You are a German citizen or German national.
  • You can identify yourself.

Which documents are required?

  • Fully completed application form
  • Valid or previous identity document, if available, for example
    • German passport
    • German identity card
    • German child identity card
    • German children's passport
    • foreign passport
    • foreign identity card
  • current biometric photograph:
    • passport size (45 x 35 mm)
    • portrait format
    • frontal photo without border
    • usually without headgear
    • without covering the eyes
  • Birth certificate or marriage certificate
  • Proof of your habitual residence abroad, for example
    • foreign residence permit
    • Registration certificate from your host country
    • tenancy agreement
    • Telephone, electricity or gas bills.
  • Further documents may be required. Please inform yourself in advance at the diplomatic mission abroad. Please also contact the diplomatic mission abroad if you are unable to prove your identity by presenting an identity document.

What are the fees?

Passport by express order procedure

  • Additional costs in the amount of 32,00 EUR

Passport with 48 pages

  • Additional costs of EUR 22.00

Passport with 48 pages and express order procedure

  • Additional costs of EUR 22.00 and EUR 32.00

When applying abroad to honorary consuls, the costs listed above apply:

  • plus a fee for the services of the honorary consul of EUR 73.13 to EUR 88.43. The fee depends on the regional assignment of the superior diplomatic mission abroad.
  • plus the reimbursement of expenses (e.g. costs for postage and business trips)

A fee reduction or exemption is possible in case of need.

Fee: 101,00 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html
Gebühr für Reisepass für Personen über 24 Jahren bei Beantragung an örtlich zuständiger Auslandsvertretung. Die Gebühr setzt sich zusammen aus der Grundgebühr für den Reisepass in Höhe von 70,00 EUR und 31,00 EUR für die Beantragung im Ausland.

Fee: 68,50 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html

Fee: 171,00 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html

Fee: 106,00 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html

Fee: 6,00 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html

Fee: 70,00 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html

Fee: 96,00 EUR
Payment in advance: yes
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/passv_2007/__15.html

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Period of Validity: 6 Years
Für antragstellende Personen unter 24 Jahre.

Period of Validity: 10 Years

Processing duration

Processing Time: 4 - 6 Weeks
Biometric passports are produced centrally for all passport authorities by the Federal Printing Office in Berlin and sent to the diplomatic missions abroad via the Foreign Office headquarters in Berlin. This means that there are several weeks between application and delivery. You can also apply for an express passport for urgent trips. However, this only reduces the time the Federal Printing Office needs to produce the passport. However, the time required to send the passport from the Federal Foreign Office headquarters in Berlin to the diplomatic mission abroad remains the same. You can apply for a temporary passport if there is a particular need for urgency. If the requirements are met, this can usually be issued on the day of application.

Legal basis

Applications / forms

Action before the administrative court

What else should I know?

If you lose your passport while traveling, you must report immediately to the nearest German diplomatic mission abroad. They can issue you with a travel document to replace your passport for entry into Germany. This travel document for return is issued for the duration of the intended trip, but for a maximum of one month. It only entitles you to return to Germany, but not to travel on to other countries. In individual cases, a temporary passport may also be issued if it is not possible to return to Germany with the travel document for return because its maximum period of validity is not sufficient or it is not recognized as a travel document by a country in transit. The same applies if an onward journey to other countries is planned and you can credibly demonstrate that you need a passport immediately and cannot wait for it to be issued using the express procedure.

Further Information

Author

Forwarding service: Deep link to the original portal

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Technically approved by

Federal Foreign Office (AA)

Professionally released on

10.11.2025

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6Plus)

Competent Authority

Auslandsvertretungen des Bundes – Botschaft / Generalkonsulat / Konsulat

WWW
Overview of federal missions abroad at the Federal Foreign Office
WWW
Consulate finder - Search for German representations abroad
Other

Area of responsibility: Consular district of the competent German diplomatic mission abroad

Bank account

Recipients: Bundeskasse Halle bei der Bundesbank Leipzig
Bank: Bundesbank Leipzig
IBAN: DE21860000000086001055

Notes on the intended use:
Aid for [name], Embassy/ Consulate General [seat of mission abroad]