Travel document for foreigners 2026: €100, § 5 AufenthV

Costs€100.00€97.00 for persons under 24 (§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1a/1b AufenthV)

Processing time4–8 weeksNo statutory deadline; produced by the Bundesdruckerei

MethodIn personAppointment at the Ausländerbehörde, biometric data recorded on site

Clarify first

Which travel document is right for you?

The most common cause of refused applications and lost weeks is confusing the four documents that the Ausländerbehörde can issue. They differ in legal basis, fee, appearance and, above all, in whether they entitle you to cross borders. Before your appointment, therefore, check which row applies to you.

Travel document for foreigners – § 5 AufenthV (this page)

The fallback case for everyone who does not have a passport and cannot reasonably be expected to obtain one, without being entitled to the travel document for refugees or for stateless persons. Typical cases are persons with a humanitarian residence title without recognition as a refugee, or from states without a functioning passport administration; with a Duldung (temporary suspension of deportation), it is only an option for final departure (§ 6 Satz 1 Nr. 3 AufenthV). Fee: €100.00, reduced to €97.00 for persons under 24; under § 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1c and 1d AufenthV, persons entitled to subsidiary protection and resettlement refugees pay €70.00 or €38.00, depending on age.

Travel document for refugees – Geneva Refugee Convention (blue passport)

For persons who have been granted refugee status or asylum by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). This document is recognised internationally much more widely than the travel document for foreigners and, under § 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1c AufenthV, costs only €70.00, or €38.00 for persons under 24. If you have been recognised, you do not apply for the document on this page.

Travel document for stateless persons – Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons

For persons whose statelessness has been formally established, i.e. whom no state considers to be one of its nationals under its law. At €70.00 or €38.00 depending on age, the fee is the same as for the refugee travel document (§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1c and 1d AufenthV). A merely unclarified nationality is not sufficient for this – in that case, the travel document for foreigners remains the right document.

Ausweisersatz – § 48 Abs. 2 AufenthG (not a travel document)

The Ausweisersatz (substitute identity document) proves your identity and your right of residence to German authorities, employers or banks if you do not have a recognised passport. It is not a passport substitute and does not entitle you to cross borders. Anyone who tries to leave the country with it is turned back at the border. Legal basis: § 48 of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG).

Temporary travel document and emergency travel document (urgent cases)

If a journey that cannot be postponed is coming up before the regular document is back from the Bundesdruckerei (Germany’s federal printing company), a temporary travel document for foreigners for €67.00 (§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1e AufenthV) or an emergency travel document (Notreiseausweis) for €18.00 may be an option. Both are produced on site, are only valid for a short time and are accepted by considerably fewer states; whether they are issued in the individual case depends on the competent authority.

Legal requirements

When § 5 AufenthV applies – and when it does not

The Ausländerbehörde decides on the travel document for foreigners at its discretion: under § 5 Abs. 1 AufenthV, it “can” be issued. However, this discretion only comes into play once three statutory examination steps have been met. The authority works through them in this order, and your application stands or falls on how well you can prove the second point.

1. No passport (§ 5 Abs. 1 AufenthV): You have neither a valid passport nor a recognised passport substitute. An expired passport that could be renewed is not sufficient for this – as long as an extension is realistically possible, you are not considered to be without a passport.

2. Unreasonableness of obtaining a passport (§ 5 Abs. 2 AufenthV): The law expressly names as reasonable the submission of the application in good time to the competent authorities of the country of origin, cooperation in line with the requirements of German passport law, the fulfilment of compulsory military service and other civic obligations, and payment of the fees charged. Anyone who has never contacted the embassy fails at this point.

3. No ground for exclusion (§ 5 Abs. 3 AufenthV): As a rule, a travel document is not issued if the country of origin refuses to issue a passport for reasons that would also justify refusing a passport under German law – for example in the case of ongoing criminal prosecution or outstanding civic obligations. Germany is not supposed to allow the passport substitute to be used to circumvent legitimate grounds for refusal.

Residence status (§ 6 AufenthV): Within Germany, the travel document is generally only issued if you hold a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis), a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) or an EU long-term residence permit (Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt – EU), or if you will be granted such a residence title as soon as the travel document enables you to meet the passport obligation. With an Aufenthaltsgestattung, it is only possible in exceptional cases, for example for compelling reasons or in cases of undue hardship, and only if this does not jeopardise the asylum procedure (§ 6 Satz 1 Nr. 4 AufenthV). With a Duldung, it is only an option for final departure (§ 6 Satz 1 Nr. 3 AufenthV). In both cases, it is issued without a chip and, as a rule, for a maximum of one month (§ 6 Satz 2, § 8 Abs. 2 AufenthV).

Required documents

What you must bring to the appointment

Residence title, Aufenthaltsgestattung or Duldung

The original of the document that shows your residence status. The Ausländerbehörde uses it to check its jurisdiction and aligns the period of validity of the travel document with it: the travel document must never be valid for longer than your residence title or your Aufenthaltsgestattung (§ 8 Abs. 1 AufenthV); if it is issued for departure in the case of a Duldung, it is, as a rule, valid for a maximum of one month (§ 8 Abs. 2 AufenthV). If your residence title expires in a few months, it is better to extend it first.

Proof of your efforts to obtain a passport from your home country

The most important piece of evidence in the entire procedure: refusal in writing from your country’s mission abroad, copies of applications, appointment confirmations, proof of postage, payment receipts, email correspondence. Without this documentation, the authority cannot establish unreasonableness under § 5 Abs. 2 AufenthV. The documents should be as recent as possible – evidence that is several years old is often no longer accepted.

Current biometric photograph

A recent photograph suitable for biometrics, frontal, with a neutral facial expression and a light background. Since 1 May 2025, the obligation to use a digital photograph has also applied to the travel document for foreigners (§ 60 Abs. 2 Satz 2 Nr. 3 AufenthV): the photograph is taken at the terminal of the Ausländerbehörde, where available, or transmitted in encrypted form by a certified photographer. Paper photos have no longer been accepted since the transitional period ended on 31 July 2025.

All proof of identity and civil status

Birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde), expired national passport, old personal documents, driving licence from your country of origin, school or military papers, marriage certificate – copies and photos also count. The authority must clarify your identity as far as possible, because unclarified identity is the second most common reason for refusal. Documents in a foreign language usually require a certified translation.

Meldebescheinigung or Anmeldebestätigung (proof of registration)

Proof of your place of residence determines which Ausländerbehörde is competent; applications made to the wrong authority are passed on and delay the procedure by weeks. You can obtain the registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) from the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) in your city, often online as well. If you move, first register your change of address and only then apply for the travel document.

Completed application form of the Ausländerbehörde

Each authority uses its own form, which is usually available for download on the city’s website. Fill it in completely and do not leave any field on obtaining a passport blank, because incomplete information triggers a request for further documents and thus a second appointment. If the authority requires it, sign only on site.

Proof of the purpose and urgency of travel (urgent cases only)

If you need a temporary travel document or priority processing, provide evidence of the reason: flight booking, invitation, proof of medical treatment or of a death in the family. Without proven urgency, the regular processing time applies, and the authority is not obliged to bring the case forward.

For minors: approval of both persons with parental custody

For children and young people, both parents with custody must sign as a rule; if only one parent has custody, this must be proven by a court decision on parental custody or a negative certificate (Negativbescheinigung) from the Jugendamt (youth welfare office). Both parents also present their own identity documents. The fee for persons under 24 is €97.00; a document without an electronic storage medium for children up to the age of twelve costs €14.00.

Step by step

How to proceed

1
Check which travel document applies to you
Before you book an appointment, clarify your status: if you are a recognised refugee or entitled to asylum, you are entitled to the blue travel document for refugees; if your statelessness has been formally established, to the travel document for stateless persons. Only if neither of these cases applies is the travel document for foreigners under § 5 AufenthV the right application. This preliminary check takes five minutes and, in the event of an error, saves you several weeks and an excessive fee.
2
Try to obtain a passport from your country of origin and document every step
Apply for a passport at the embassy or consulate of your country of origin in a way you can prove – in person, by registered letter (Einschreiben) or via the relevant online portal. Keep every appointment confirmation, every receipt and every letter of refusal, and note the date, contact person and result of every attempt at contact. If the diplomatic representation does not respond at all, document that too with proof of postage and a reminder in writing. This folder will later be the core of your application.
3
Book an appointment with the competent Ausländerbehörde
The competent authority is the Ausländerbehörde for your place of residence. Book the appointment online or by phone and explicitly state “Reiseausweis für Ausländer” (travel document for foreigners) as the reason for your visit so that enough time is planned for recording biometric data. In larger cities, the next available appointments are often several weeks away – factor this waiting time in on top of the production time and plan any intended journey early enough.
4
Submit the application, hand in the documents and pay the fee
At the appointment, the authority takes your application, reviews the documents and asks you about your efforts to obtain a passport. The fee of €100.00, or €97.00 for persons under 24, is usually due immediately and is mostly paid by EC card or in cash. Ask to be given the payment receipt and an acknowledgement of receipt for the originals you have submitted, and ask directly what period of validity the authority intends to set.
5
Have your biometric data recorded
For the document’s electronic storage medium, your photograph, signature and, as a rule, fingerprints are taken; for younger children, fingerprints are not taken, and the details are determined by the competent authority. For children up to the age of twelve, a travel document without an electronic storage medium can be issued for €14.00. Recording only takes a few minutes but must be done in person – representation is not possible.
6
Examination by the authority and production by the Bundesdruckerei
The Ausländerbehörde now assesses whether you are without a passport, whether further efforts can reasonably be expected of you and whether there are grounds for exclusion under § 5 Abs. 3 AufenthV; in cases of doubt, it obtains opinions from other bodies. Only then is the order sent to the Bundesdruckerei. There is no statutory deadline: the city of Münster states up to six weeks from submission of the application to completion, while other local authorities state four to eight weeks. If a journey that cannot be postponed is coming up, ask about a temporary travel document for €67.00 at this stage.
7
Collect the travel document in person and check all entries
The document is handed over in person; any previous passport substitute document or Ausweisersatz must be returned at that time. While still at the counter, check the spelling of your name, your date of birth, the period of validity, the area covered and any note stating that the document is not valid for your country of origin. Errors are much easier to correct immediately after issue than months later when you are standing at the airport.

Fee information

Costs and payment

The fees for passport substitute documents are laid down uniformly nationwide in § 48 Abs. 1 AufenthV; the amounts for the travel document for foreigners have applied since 1 September 2017, and the reduced rate of €70.00 since 1 January 2024. With effect from 12 June 2026, Article 7 of the GEAS-Anpassungsgesetz (CEAS Adaptation Act) of 23 April 2026 (BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 111) only switched the reference for persons entitled to subsidiary protection to Regulation (EU) 2024/1347 and did not change the amounts. The fees are not negotiable and do not vary from one local authority to another – different amounts still in circulation refer to outdated versions of the ordinance.

Fee scale under § 48 Abs. 1 AufenthV

Document	Fee	Legal reference
Travel document for foreigners, aged 24 and over	€100.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1a
Travel document for foreigners, under 24	€97.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1b
Travel document for refugees or for stateless persons and travel document for foreigners for persons entitled to subsidiary protection and resettlement refugees, aged 24 and over	€70.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1c
Travel document for refugees or for stateless persons and travel document for foreigners for persons entitled to subsidiary protection and resettlement refugees, under 24	€38.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1d
Temporary travel document for foreigners	€67.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1e
Temporary travel document for refugees or for stateless persons and temporary travel document for foreigners for persons entitled to subsidiary protection and resettlement refugees	€26.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1f
Travel document for foreigners without an electronic storage medium, children up to 12	€14.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1g
Emergency travel document (Notreiseausweis)	€18.00	§ 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 5

State of the law§ 48 AufenthV in the version applicable from 12 June 2026

Time of paymentUsually on submission of the application

Place of paymentCash desk of the Ausländerbehörde

Means of paymentEC card or cash, in some cases bank transfer

For comparison: under § 27 of the Passport Ordinance (Passverordnung, PassV), a German passport costs €70.00 for persons aged 24 and over and €37.50 for younger persons. The higher amount for the travel document for foreigners is explained by the additional examination effort required of the authority when identity is unclarified and the person has no passport.

In addition to the fee, you should expect further costs: the biometric photograph (€6.00 at the authority’s terminal for the identity card (Personalausweis) and the passport, usually more at a photographer’s), certified translations of documents in a foreign language and the fees charged by your country’s mission abroad for the unsuccessful passport application, which you still have to pay in order to pass the reasonableness check. A processing fee in the amount of the fee is already charged for the application (§ 49 Abs. 2 AufenthV; for minors, half under § 50 Abs. 1 AufenthV); it is credited against the fee and is not refunded in the event of refusal or withdrawal of the application (§ 69 Abs. 7 AufenthG). By law, it is only waived if the application is refused solely because the authority lacks jurisdiction or because of lack of capacity to act, or if it is withdrawn before processing on the merits has begun (§ 49 Abs. 3 AufenthV). If you receive benefits under Book Two of the Social Code (SGB II), Book Twelve of the Social Code (SGB XII) or the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (Asylbewerberleistungsgesetz, AsylbLG), the Ausländerbehörde can, at its discretion, reduce the fee or waive it entirely under § 53 Abs. 1 AufenthV – ask about this explicitly before submission of the application.

Good to know

Important notes

Period of validity under § 8 AufenthV: a maximum of ten years if you have reached the age of 24 at the time of issue, otherwise a maximum of six years. The second limit is also decisive: the validity must not exceed that of your residence title or your Aufenthaltsgestattung. Anyone who holds a residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) limited to one year will therefore in practice only receive a travel document valid for a correspondingly short period.

Area covered and notes: The travel document for foreigners is usually marked with a note stating that it is not valid for the country of origin; the authority can additionally restrict the area covered geographically. Check these entries before you book a trip – getting a flight refund regularly fails because the document does not cover the destination country.

No substitute for a visa and residence title: A passport substitute document says nothing about whether another state will let you enter. Each destination state decides independently whether it recognises the travel document and whether it requires a visa; enquire with the destination country’s mission abroad before booking. Also always carry your residence title, because border authorities check the passport substitute and the right of residence separately.

Exclusion where refusal of a passport is justified: If your country of origin refuses the passport for reasons that would also justify refusing a passport under German law, as a rule no travel document is issued under § 5 Abs. 3 AufenthV. You should therefore settle outstanding obligations towards your country of origin beforehand if you can do so without danger to yourself.

Loss or theft: Report the loss to the police and the Ausländerbehörde without delay; if you are abroad, also to the nearest German mission abroad. The full fee is charged again for issuing a new document, and the authority re-examines the requirements of § 5 AufenthV in full – processing then takes as long as for a first application.

Received a national passport after all? As soon as your country of origin issues you a valid passport, the basis for the passport substitute ceases to exist; the travel document must be presented to the Ausländerbehörde and is usually withdrawn. This is not a disadvantage: a national passport is recognised more widely internationally and saves you questions about your identity at the next extension of your residence title.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes and their consequences

Never contacted the embassy. Without documented efforts to obtain a passport, the application fails under § 5 Abs. 2 AufenthV. Consequence: refusal or months of requests for further documents while you have to make up for and document the efforts – the processing fee already paid is not refunded in the event of refusal (§ 69 Abs. 7 AufenthG).

Applied for the wrong document. Recognised refugees who apply for the travel document for foreigners instead of the blue travel document for refugees pay €100.00 instead of €70.00 and receive a document that is less widely recognised internationally. Consequence: a new application, a new appointment, several weeks’ delay and, if in doubt, problems when entering third countries.

Trying to travel with the Ausweisersatz. The Ausweisersatz under § 48 Abs. 2 AufenthG is purely a proof of identity for use within Germany. Consequence: rejection by the border authority or the airline, forfeited tickets and no entitlement to a refund whatsoever, because the carrier is obliged to check travel documents.

Applied too close to the journey. Between the allocation of an appointment, examination by the authority and production at the Bundesdruckerei, four to eight weeks realistically pass. Consequence: the journey has to be postponed, or you additionally need a temporary travel document for €67.00, which many states do not accept.

Application with an almost expired residence title. Because the validity of the travel document is linked to the residence document, in this case you receive a document with a very short term. Consequence: you pay the full fee of €100.00 for a few months of validity and have to pay again after the extension.

Travelling to the country of origin despite the note. As a rule, the travel document does not entitle you to enter your country of origin. Consequence: you cannot get in there with this document, and the journey can trigger queries under residence law – up to an examination of whether the reasons for issuing the passport substitute still apply at all.

Unsuitable or outdated photograph. Photos that are not suitable for biometrics, pictures with reflections from glasses, or a paper photo brought along, which has no longer been accepted since the transitional period ended on 31 July 2025, lead to rejection. Consequence: the appointment falls through, and you have to book a new one and go through the entire waiting time again from the start.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Who gets a travel document for foreigners?

The travel document for foreigners under § 5 AufenthV can be obtained by persons who can prove that they do not have a passport from their country of origin and cannot reasonably be expected to obtain one. Recognised refugees and persons entitled to asylum receive the travel document for refugees under the Geneva Refugee Convention instead, and stateless persons receive the travel document for stateless persons; these two documents have a different legal basis and a lower fee of €70.00 or €38.00, depending on age.

How much does the travel document for foreigners cost in 2026?

The fee is €100.00 under § 48 Abs. 1 Nr. 1a AufenthV and €97.00 for persons under 24 under Nr. 1b; persons entitled to subsidiary protection and resettlement refugees pay only €70.00 under Nr. 1c or €38.00 under Nr. 1d, depending on age. A temporary travel document for foreigners costs €67.00 (€26.00 for these two groups under Nr. 1f), a travel document without an electronic storage medium for children up to the age of twelve €14.00, and an emergency travel document €18.00.

How long is the travel document for foreigners valid?

Under § 8 AufenthV, the travel document is issued for a maximum of ten years if the holder has reached the age of 24 at the time of issue, otherwise for a maximum of six years. The period of validity must not exceed that of the residence title or the Aufenthaltsgestattung, which is why in practice the travel document is often valid for much less than the statutory maximum.

When is it considered reasonable to obtain a passport from your home country?

§ 5 Abs. 2 AufenthV names in particular the submission of the application in good time to the competent authorities of the country of origin, cooperation in line with the requirements of German passport law, the fulfilment of compulsory military service and other civic obligations, and payment of the fees charged. Only once you have taken these steps and can prove them, and the country of origin still does not issue the passport, can a travel document for foreigners be considered.

How long does processing take?

There is no statutory processing deadline, as production takes place at the Bundesdruckerei. The city of Münster states up to six weeks from submission of the application to completion, while other local authorities state four to eight weeks; the actual duration depends on the competent authority and on the examination of your efforts to obtain a passport.

Can I travel to my country of origin with the travel document?

As a rule, no: the travel document for foreigners is usually marked with a note stating that it is not valid for the country of origin, and the Ausländerbehörde can additionally restrict the area covered geographically. Check the entries in your document before you book a trip, because a trip to your country of origin can also have consequences under residence law.

What is the difference between the travel document and the Ausweisersatz?

The Ausweisersatz under § 48 Abs. 2 AufenthG proves your identity to German authorities if you do not have a recognised passport; it is not a passport substitute document and does not entitle you to cross borders. Only the travel document for foreigners is a passport substitute that makes departure and re-entry possible at all, although each destination state decides for itself whether it recognises the document.

Does the travel document replace my residence title?

No, the travel document for foreigners is purely a passport substitute document and says nothing about your right of residence. Your residence status continues to derive from the residence title, the Aufenthaltsgestattung or the Duldung, which is why you should always carry both documents when travelling.

Travel document for foreigners (Reiseausweis für Ausländer)

Which travel document is right for you?

When § 5 AufenthV applies – and when it does not

What you must bring to the appointment

How to proceed

Check which travel document applies to you

Try to obtain a passport from your country of origin and document every step

Book an appointment with the competent Ausländerbehörde

Submit the application, hand in the documents and pay the fee

Have your biometric data recorded

Examination by the authority and production by the Bundesdruckerei

Collect the travel document in person and check all entries

Costs and payment

Fee scale under § 48 Abs. 1 AufenthV

Important notes

Common mistakes and their consequences

Questions and answers

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?

Travel document for foreigners (Reiseausweis für Ausländer)

Which travel document is right for you?

When § 5 AufenthV applies – and when it does not

What you must bring to the appointment

How to proceed

Check which travel document applies to you

Try to obtain a passport from your country of origin and document every step

Book an appointment with the competent Ausländerbehörde

Submit the application, hand in the documents and pay the fee

Have your biometric data recorded

Examination by the authority and production by the Bundesdruckerei

Collect the travel document in person and check all entries

Costs and payment

Fee scale under § 48 Abs. 1 AufenthV

Important notes

Common mistakes and their consequences

Questions and answers

Related official procedures

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?