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Apply for an identity card

Bürgeramt · identity card authority

In person

The identity card (Personalausweis) is the most important official identity document in Germany. Under § 1 of the Act on Identity Cards and Electronic Identification (Personalausweisgesetz, PAuswG), all German nationals are obliged from the age of 16 to hold a valid identity card or passport. You apply for it in person at the competent identity card authority – as a rule, the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) for your principal residence.

Since 7 February 2026, the fee has been €46.00; for persons under 24, the reduced rate of €27.60 applies. The identity card is valid for ten years (if issued under the age of 24: six years) and serves as a travel document within the EU and in the Schengen area. Every identity card includes the online ID function (eID), which you can use from the age of 16 to identify yourself digitally to authorities and companies.

Two changes shape the procedure: since 1 May 2025, only digital biometric photographs have been permitted – paper photos brought along are no longer accepted. Also since May 2025, you can have the finished identity card sent to your home by direct delivery for a surcharge of €15 instead of collecting it. Production takes about two to five weeks, depending on the local authority; the Personalausweisportal states at least two weeks, while large cities such as Munich estimate four to five weeks.

Last updated3 October 2026
Legal basis§ 1, § 6, § 9, § 27, § 32 PAuswG · § 1 PAuswGebV
VerificationChecked against personalausweisportal.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Bürgeramt, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. Fees and surcharges are regulated uniformly nationwide in the Identity Card Fees Ordinance (Personalausweisgebührenverordnung, PAuswGebV); the allocation of appointments, production times and collection arrangements are set by the local authorities. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Costs€46.00Under 24: €27.60
Processing time2–5 weeksdepending on the local authority · direct delivery +€15
MethodIn personAppointment & fingerprints
Validity10 yearsUnder 24: 6 years
Required documents

What you need to bring

Digital biometric photograph

Since 1 May 2025, only digital biometric photographs have been permitted for identity cards, passports and electronic residence titles – the authority must no longer use a paper photo that you bring along. You have two options: either you have the photograph taken directly at the authority using a capture system (surcharge of €6 under § 1 PAuswGebV), or at a registered photo service provider – a photo studio, drugstore or specialist photo shop.

The photo service provider transmits the newly taken photo to the authority in encrypted form via a cloud certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, BSI; Technical Guideline BSI TR-03170). You receive a printout with a Data Matrix code, which the clerk at the office scans to retrieve the photo. You must bring this printout to your appointment. The photograph must be suitable for biometric use: a frontal shot, sharp and with good contrast, a neutral facial expression, mouth closed, an evenly lit background and eyes fully visible.

Previous identity card or passport

Bring your previous identity document to the appointment. It is used to establish your identity and is invalidated (cut) when the new identity card is handed over, so that two valid identity cards are never in circulation at the same time. If you choose direct delivery to your home, the old identity card is invalidated as early as the submission of the application – in that case, you must have a second valid photo identity document for the interim period.

Geburtsurkunde or Eheurkunde for a first application

If you are applying for an identity card for the first time – typically at the age of 16 – you prove your name, date of birth and parentage with your birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde). After a marriage, divorce or change of name, you must also present the marriage certificate (Eheurkunde) or the certificate of the change of name, so that the new name appears on the identity card.

A civil status document (Personenstandsurkunde) is issued by the Standesamt (registry office) in whose district the birth or marriage was registered; the fee is set by the local authority concerned. Apply for the certificate in good time before your identity card appointment – processing takes a few days, depending on the Standesamt. You will find details in our guide to the Geburtsurkunde.

Consent of the holders of parental custody for minors

For applicants under 18, the consent of all holders of parental custody is required. As a rule, at least one parent attends with the child and presents their own identity document and the other parent’s approval in writing. If one parent has sole parental custody, proof must be brought, such as the court decision on parental custody of the family court (Familiengericht) or a certificate from the Jugendamt (youth welfare office) confirming that no declaration of parental custody (Sorgeerklärung) has been made.

Verlustanzeige in the event of loss or theft

If your previous identity card has gone missing, you must report the loss to the identity card authority without delay under § 27 PAuswG; this report of loss (Verlustanzeige) is either recorded when you make the new application or required in the form of a certificate. In the event of theft, it is also advisable to report it to the police, because the police report serves as proof in the event of identity misuse. The authority arranges for the old document to be blocked before it issues a new identity card.

Means of payment for the fee

The fee is due on submission of the application, not when you collect the card. Which means of payment are accepted differs from office to office: many Bürgeramt offices only accept girocard, others only cash. Check the information on your local authority’s website before you go to your appointment – without payment, the application will not be processed.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Find the competent authority and book an appointment

    Under § 7 PAuswG, the competent authority is the identity card authority in whose district you fulfil your obligation to register – in other words, the Bürgeramt for your principal residence. In almost all local authorities, appointments are booked via an online portal; in large cities, the calendars are regularly booked up several weeks in advance. You should therefore start looking for an appointment no later than three months before the expiry of your old identity card, and check several times a day for slots that become free at short notice.

    In exceptional cases, you can also submit the application to a different authority, for example where you study or work. The fee then increases by €13 under § 1 Abs. 3 PAuswGebV – the same surcharge applies if, at your request, the official act takes place outside the authority’s office hours. Germans living abroad apply for the identity card at the competent German mission abroad.

  2. 2

    Have a digital photograph taken

    Before your appointment, decide which route you will take for the passport photo: having it taken at the authority for a €6 surcharge, or at a registered photo service provider. Not every Bürgeramt has its own capture system – if none is available, you must go to a photo studio. At a photo service provider, allow around 15 minutes for taking the photo, checking it and transmitting it.

    Keep the printout with the Data Matrix code until your appointment; without it, the authority cannot retrieve the photo from the secure cloud. Have the photo taken shortly before your appointment – it must show your current appearance.

  3. 3

    Gather your documents

    Get everything ready the evening before: your previous identity document, the photo printout with the Data Matrix code, for a first application the Geburtsurkunde or Eheurkunde and – if applicable – the consent of the holders of parental custody or the Verlustanzeige. Check that your registered address is up to date: this address is printed on the identity card (§ 5 Abs. 2 PAuswG), and with direct delivery the Bundesdruckerei (Germany’s federal printing company) delivers the identity card only to that address, under § 18 Abs. 2 of the Identity Card Ordinance (Personalausweisverordnung, PAuswV). The authority, on the other hand, hands you the PIN letter directly at the appointment (§ 17 Abs. 1 PAuswV). Also have the accepted means of payment ready.

  4. 4

    Submit the application in person and give your fingerprints

    Attending in person is required by law; an application through authorised persons is ruled out. At the office, your data is checked against the population register, the photograph is retrieved and, from the age of six, two fingerprints – usually of both index fingers – are taken and stored on the chip. You then provide your signature, which will later appear on the identity card.

    The appointment itself usually takes only 10 to 20 minutes. During it, you also decide whether you want to collect the identity card or receive it by direct delivery, and, if you wish, you can have a doctoral degree or a religious name or pseudonym entered, provided these are stored in the population register.

  5. 5

    Pay the fee

    The fee is due immediately on submission of the application: €46.00 from the age of 24, €27.60 for persons who are not yet 24 at the time of the application. On top of this come the surcharges you choose for the photograph or direct delivery. If you are in financial need, the authority can reduce the fee under § 1 Abs. 6 PAuswGebV or refrain from charging it – raise this actively and bring the relevant proof with you; the decision is taken by the authority in the individual case.

  6. 6

    Keep the PIN letter safe

    Since 17 February 2025, the PIN letter has been handed over to you directly by the authority on submission of the application – it is no longer sent by post. You only receive the blocking password together with the finished identity card, in a covering letter – on collection or with direct delivery (§ 18 PAuswV). Hidden under the scratch-off fields are the five-digit transport PIN and the ten-digit PUK for unblocking. Do not throw the letter away under any circumstances: you use the transport PIN to set your own six-digit PIN, and the PUK to unblock the online ID function after three incorrect entries.

  7. 7

    Collect the identity card or have it sent to you

    Production takes about two to five weeks, depending on the local authority. You collect the card in person – usually without a new appointment, during open office hours – and bring your old identity card for invalidation as well as the PIN letter if you want to set the PIN directly on site. Whether collection by authorised persons is possible is decided by each local authority itself.

    Alternatively, use direct delivery under § 18 Abs. 2 of the Identity Card Ordinance (Personalausweisverordnung, PAuswV) for a €15 surcharge: the Bundesdruckerei (Germany’s federal printing company) then sends the identity card to your address. Delivery is made exclusively in person on presentation of a valid photo identity document – which is why direct delivery is only possible if, in addition to the invalidated identity card, you have a second valid document.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Fees

Identity card (aged 24 and over)€46.00
Identity card (under 24)€27.60
Vorläufiger Personalausweis / replacement identity card€10.00
Surcharge: photograph taken at the authority+ €6.00
Surcharge: direct delivery to your home+ €15.00
Surcharge: non-competent authority or outside office hours+ €13.00
Surcharge: non-competent authority, no place of residence in Germany+ €30.00
Surcharge: issue by a German mission abroad+ €43.00
Change of address on the identity cardno fee
Resetting the PIN at the authorityno fee
Means of paymentgirocard or cash (depending on the office)

All amounts are set out in § 1 of the Identity Card Fees Ordinance (PAuswGebV) and apply uniformly nationwide – local authorities must not increase or reduce them. The basic fee of €46.00 or €27.60 has applied since 7 February 2026; previously it was €37.00 and €22.80. What counts is your age on the day of submission of the application: if you submit the application one day before your 24th birthday, you still pay the reduced rate. Under § 1 Abs. 6 PAuswGebV, the fee can be reduced or waived in cases of financial need; the competent authority decides on the individual case. The surcharges can be combined – for example, if you have the photograph taken at the office and choose direct delivery, you pay €67.00 instead of €46.00.

Good to know

Important notes

New fee since 7 February 2026: €46.00, or €27.60 for under-24s. Previously, €37.00 and €22.80 applied – guides and information sheets showing these amounts are out of date. The increase was justified by higher costs in local authority and federal state administration and in production.

eID is switched off for under-16s. If the application is submitted before the 16th birthday, the identity card is delivered with the online ID function switched off (§ 10 Abs. 2 PAuswG). You nevertheless receive the PIN letter with the transport PIN on submission of the application if the child turns 16 during the period of validity of the identity card; there is no PIN letter for children under ten (§ 17 Abs. 4 PAuswV). After the 16th birthday, have the function activated free of charge at your identity card authority – a new identity card is not needed for this.

Forgotten your PIN? The former free-of-charge PIN reset and activation service by post has been suspended since 29 December 2023. Instead, you can set a new six-digit PIN of your choice free of charge at any identity card or eID card authority. After three incorrect entries, only the ten-digit PUK from the PIN letter can help.

Loss: block first, then report. The blocking hotline (Sperrnotruf) 116 116 blocks the online ID function around the clock; from abroad, call +49 116 116 or +49 30 40 50 40 50. Then report the loss to the identity card authority without delay under § 27 PAuswG. You can find out more in our guide Lost identity card.

After a move: no new identity card needed. When you register your new home, the Bürgeramt sticks an address sticker on the back of the identity card and changes the address on the chip. Under § 1 Abs. 5 PAuswGebV, this change is expressly free of charge. Under the Federal Act on Registration (Bundesmeldegesetz, BMG), you have two weeks for the registration of residence (Anmeldung).

Since 2024, children have needed their own document. The children’s passport (Kinderreisepass) has not been issued since 1 January 2024. For travel, even babies need their own identity card (€27.60, valid for six years) or passport. Fingerprints are only taken from the age of six.

Foreign nationals do not receive an identity card. EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area (Europäischer Wirtschaftsraum, EWR) can instead apply for an eID card for the online ID function; third-country nationals use the eID of their electronic residence title (eAT), which is issued by the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority). The obligation to use a digital photograph has also applied to these documents since 1 May 2025.

Stopgap solution: the temporary identity card (vorläufiger Personalausweis). It is issued immediately on site, costs €10.00 and, under § 6 PAuswG, is valid for no more than three months. It has no chip and therefore no online ID function, and it is not accepted as a travel document by all countries – before travelling by air, you should check with the airline and with the embassy or consulate of your destination country.

Obligation to hold: yes; obligation to carry: no. § 1 PAuswG requires you to hold a valid identity card from the age of 16 and to present it at the request of an authority entitled to ask for it. A valid passport also satisfies the obligation to hold an identity document. There is, however, no obligation to carry the document with you at all times.

Early reapplication is possible. Under § 6 PAuswG, an extension of the period of validity is ruled out, but a new identity card can be applied for before expiry if there is a legitimate interest – for example, if your appearance has changed considerably, the chip is damaged or the photo has become illegible. The old identity card is then invalidated, and the full fee is charged again.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Bringing a paper photo. Since 1 May 2025, authorities must no longer use printed passport photos. If you only have a paper photo with you, or no Data Matrix code at all, you cannot submit the application: the appointment is lost and you have to book a new one – in large cities, this often means a delay of several weeks.

Applying too late. If you no longer hold a valid identity card, or do not submit the new application in time as required by § 9 Abs. 2 PAuswG, you commit a regulatory offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit); under § 32 Abs. 3 PAuswG, regulatory fines (Geldbuße) of up to €3,000 are possible. On top of this come €10.00 for the vorläufiger Personalausweis and problems with banking, concluding contracts or border controls.

Not reporting the loss. Under § 27 PAuswG, reporting the loss to the identity card authority is an obligation and cannot be replaced by a call to the blocking hotline. If you fail to report it, or report it late, you also risk a regulatory fine of up to €3,000 – and, in the worst case, you are liable for contracts concluded using the document that was not blocked.

Losing the PIN letter. Many people put aside the letter handed to them on submission of the application and cannot find it later. Because the online reset service has been suspended since the end of 2023, the only remedy is then an appointment in person at the identity card authority to set a new PIN. This is free of charge, but again costs waiting time and an appointment.

Choosing direct delivery without a second identity document. With direct delivery, the old identity card is invalidated as early as the submission of the application. If you do not have a valid passport or another photo identity document, you are left without an identity card for weeks and cannot accept the postal delivery – delivery is made only in person on presentation of an identity document.

Turning up without an appointment or at the wrong authority. In most cities, there is an obligation to book an appointment; without one, you will usually be turned away. And if you deliberately go to an authority other than the competent one, you pay an extra €13 under § 1 Abs. 3 PAuswGebV – and as much as €30 if you have no place of residence in Germany.

Forgetting the old identity card when collecting. The expired or replaced identity card must be invalidated when the new one is handed over. If it is missing, many Bürgeramt offices refuse to hand over the new document or require a Verlustanzeige – the trip to the office was for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much does the identity card cost in 2026?

Since 7 February 2026, the fee under § 1 PAuswGebV has been €46.00 for persons aged 24 and over; if you are under 24 at the time of submission of the application, you pay €27.60. Possible surcharges are added: €6 for the photograph taken at the authority, €15 for direct delivery to your home and €13 for submitting the application outside office hours or at a non-competent authority. In cases of financial need, the authority can reduce or waive the fee.

Can I apply for the identity card online?

No. The application requires you to attend in person, because from the age of six two fingerprints are taken and stored on the chip. In most local authorities, you can only book the appointment online; an application by an authorised person is also ruled out.

How long does it take for the identity card to be ready?

According to the Personalausweisportal, production at the Bundesdruckerei takes at least two weeks; in practice, the total time varies considerably depending on the local authority: Cologne states two to three weeks, Hamburg about three to four weeks, Munich around four to five weeks. You should therefore allow at least four weeks and apply for the identity card before the expiry date of the old document.

How long is the identity card valid?

Under § 6 PAuswG, the period of validity is ten years; if the applicant was not yet 24 at the time of issue, the identity card is valid for six years. An extension of the period of validity is expressly not permitted by law, so a new identity card must be applied for.

Can I have the identity card sent to my home?

Yes, since May 2025 the authorities have offered direct delivery under § 18 Abs. 2 PAuswV; it costs €15 in addition to the fee. The requirement is that you have a second valid photo identity document, because the old identity card is invalidated as early as the submission of the application. The item is delivered only in person on presentation of an identity document.

What is the online ID function (eID), and what can I do if I forget my PIN?

With the online ID function, you can identify yourself on the internet in a legally secure way to authorities and companies, for example for your BundID account, your tax return or your Elterngeld (parental allowance) application; it is used with the AusweisApp and a six-digit PIN of your choice. The former free-of-charge PIN reset and activation service by post has been suspended since 29 December 2023, which is why you reset a forgotten PIN free of charge at any identity card authority.

What do I have to do if my identity card is lost or stolen?

Block the online ID function immediately via the blocking hotline 116 116 (from abroad +49 116 116), which is available around the clock. You must also report the loss to the identity card authority without delay under § 27 PAuswG; failing to do so is a regulatory offence, which can be punished with a regulatory fine of up to €3,000 under § 32 PAuswG.

Do children need an identity card?

The obligation to hold an identity document only applies from the age of 16, but children also need their own document for travel – since the abolition of the children’s passport on 1 January 2024, this means an identity card or passport. The children’s identity card costs €27.60 and is valid for six years; fingerprints are only taken from the age of six, and the online ID function is switched off until the 16th birthday.

Can I travel with the identity card?

Yes. The identity card is valid as a travel document within the EU and in the Schengen states and some other countries. For travel outside this area, you will generally need a passport; check the entry requirements of your destination country in good time before departure.

From what age must you have an identity document, and are there regulatory fines?

Under § 1 PAuswG, Germans aged 16 and over must hold a valid identity card; a valid passport is also sufficient. There is no general obligation to carry the document with you at all times, but there is an obligation to present it when requested by an authority. If you do not hold a valid identity document, or do not submit the new application in time as required by § 9 Abs. 2 PAuswG, you commit a regulatory offence punishable by a regulatory fine of up to €3,000.

Related official procedures

Passport
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Lost identity card
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Register your address
Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt
Free of charge

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