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Report a lost identity card

Bürgeramt · identity card authority

In person

If you have lost your identity card (Personalausweis) or it has been stolen, three steps are crucial: first block the online ID function (eID) – around the clock via the blocking hotline 116 116 – then report the loss to the identity card authority and finally apply for a replacement identity card at the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office). The Act on Identity Cards and Electronic Identification (Personalausweisgesetz, PAuswG) requires you to report the loss (§ 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 PAuswG); this results in the document being listed in the police search database for objects (Sachfahndung, INPOL), so that nobody can misuse it.

Since 7 February 2026, the replacement identity card has cost the same as a regular identity card: €46.00 for persons aged 24 and over and €27.60 for those under 24. There is no surcharge for loss, and the report of loss (Verlustanzeige) itself is free of charge. In addition, there is a charge of €6.00 if you have the digital photograph, mandatory since 1 May 2025, taken at the office. Production at the Bundesdruckerei (Germany’s federal printing company) takes two to six weeks, depending on the authority; if you need a document immediately, you can obtain a temporary identity card (vorläufiger Personalausweis) for €10.00. Anyone who does not report the loss risks a regulatory fine (Geldbuße) of up to €3,000 (§ 32 Abs. 1 Nr. 7, Abs. 3 PAuswG).

Last updated3 October 2026
Legal basis§ 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 PAuswG · § 32 PAuswG · § 1 PAuswGebV
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de, BMI and Personalausweisportal
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. Procedures and additional fees may vary depending on the federal state (Bundesland) and the local authority. 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 time2–6 weeksTemporary: immediately (€10)
MethodIn personBlocking by telephone
Blocking hotline116 116Around the clock
Required documents

What you need to bring

Digital biometric photograph

Since 1 May 2025, identity card authorities have only accepted passport photos transmitted digitally – the transitional period for paper photos ended on 31 July 2025; printed paper photos are no longer permitted anywhere in Germany. You have two options: having the photo taken at the self-service terminal (PointID) in the Bürgeramt for €6.00 under § 1 of the Identity Card Fees Ordinance (Personalausweisgebührenverordnung, PAuswGebV), or having it taken at a certified photo studio or drugstore, which uploads the image in encrypted form to a secure cloud and gives you a retrieval code. Bring this code to your appointment – without a valid digital image, the application cannot be taken.

Additional proof of identity

As your identity card is missing, you must prove your identity in another way – ideally with a valid passport, which also fulfils the obligation to hold an identity document under § 1 Abs. 1 PAuswG and means you do not need a temporary identity card. If you do not have a passport, offices generally accept a driving licence, an official service ID card or another official document with a photograph. If you no longer have any document at all, call your Bürgeramt before the appointment and clarify how your identity will be established in your case.

Police report in case of theft

If the identity card was stolen, bring the confirmation of the police report or the police reference number (Tagebuchnummer). It is not mandatory – the state capital Munich, for example, expressly recommends reporting the theft but does not require the report for issuing a new document. However, it is your most important evidence if contracts are concluded, accounts opened or goods ordered using your data, because it officially documents when the loss occurred.

Birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) or marriage certificate (Eheurkunde) – in individual cases

These civil status documents (Personenstandsurkunde) are required if the authority does not have your complete data or if your name has changed since the last identity card was issued – for example after marriage, divorce or an official change of name. They are issued by the Standesamt (registry office) of the place of birth or the place of marriage, and in many local authority areas they can also be ordered online. The certificates do not lose their validity, but they must reflect your current name; the competent identity card authority decides whether they are needed.

For minors: proof from the persons with parental custody

For children and young people under 16, the persons with parental custody submit the application and present their own identity documents. If parental custody is shared, the approval of both parents is required; one parent can bring the other parent’s consent in writing. For 16- and 17-year-olds, § 9 Abs. 2 PAuswG obliges the persons with parental custody to submit the application within six weeks if the young people do not do so themselves.

Blocking password and identity card number

The blocking password (Sperrkennwort) is not in the PIN letter but in the covering letter that you received together with the finished identity card, as provided in § 18 of the Identity Card Ordinance (Personalausweisverordnung, PAuswV). Only for identity cards applied for before 17 February 2025 was it still printed in the PIN letter, which at that time was sent by post. Have it ready when you call the blocking hotline 116 116 – this makes blocking the online ID function considerably quicker. Keep a permanent note of your identity card number in a safe place, but never in your wallet: it makes it easier for the authority to identify the card unambiguously when you submit the Verlustanzeige.

Fee in cash or by card

As a rule, the fee is charged on submission of the application, not only at collection: €46.00 for persons aged 24 and over, €27.60 for younger persons, plus €10.00 for a temporary identity card and €6.00 for the photograph from the terminal at the office. Most Bürgeramt offices accept the girocard, while some local authorities accept cash only – check this in advance on your city’s website. If you can prove that you are in need, the authority can reduce or waive the fee; however, receiving social benefits alone does not establish this entitlement.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Block the online ID function immediately

    Call the nationwide blocking hotline 116 116 on the same day. It is staffed around the clock, seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays. Calls from Germany and EU countries are free of charge; calls from non-EU countries are charged – from there, you can reach the service on +49 116 116 or +49 30 4050 4050. Have your blocking password ready – it is in the covering letter that came with the identity card or, for identity cards applied for before 17 February 2025, in the PIN letter. The same number can also be used to block your girocard and credit cards in one call if your whole wallet has gone missing. Important: only the online ID function is blocked – the identity card itself, as a document for visual inspection, is not affected.

  2. 2

    In case of theft, report it to the police

    If your identity card has been stolen, report it at any police station – depending on how busy it is, this takes about 15 to 45 minutes, and in several federal states the report can also be made via the Online-Wache (online police station). The police enter the document in the police search database (INPOL) and, for their part, initiate the blocking of the online ID function. Make sure you are given the police reference number: it is your proof for your bank, landlord, mobile phone provider or debt collection agencies if someone carries out transactions using your data.

  3. 3

    Report the loss to the identity card authority

    Report the loss in person to the identity card authority; § 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 PAuswG obliges you to do so. The competent office is the Bürgeramt for your place of residence; in Berlin, a secondary residence is also sufficient. The Verlustanzeige is free of charge and takes only a few minutes. It results in the identity card being entered in the police search system, and – if this has not already happened – the authority arranges for the eID to be blocked. You should bring proof of identity and, in the case of theft, the police reference number.

  4. 4

    Book an appointment and obtain a digital photograph

    Book an appointment online with the identity card authority for your place of residence, selecting the service for a new application – most offices then handle the Verlustanzeige and the new application in one go. In large cities, appointments are often booked up several weeks in advance; slots cancelled at short notice often reappear in the booking system early in the morning. Sort out the photograph before your appointment: either you have it taken at the terminal in the office for €6.00, or you bring the retrieval code from a certified photo studio.

  5. 5

    Apply for a replacement identity card

    Attend in person – representation by an authorised person is not possible for the identity card. At the appointment, your data from the population register (Melderegister) is checked, you provide your signature and give two fingerprints, which have been mandatory throughout Europe since 2 August 2021. You then pay the fee of €46.00, or €27.60 if you are under 24. The appointment itself usually takes 10 to 20 minutes; since 17 February 2025, the authority has handed out the PIN letter for the online ID function directly at the appointment, and it is no longer sent by post.

  6. 6

    If necessary, take a vorläufiger Personalausweis with you

    If you need an identity document immediately – for example for a visit to the bank, to conclude a contract or for an upcoming trip – and do not have a valid passport, apply for the vorläufiger Personalausweis for €10.00 at the same appointment. It is printed and handed over on the spot, has no online ID function and is valid for a maximum of three months. Not all countries recognise it as a travel document; before a trip abroad, find out about the entry requirements of your destination country from the Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt).

  7. 7

    Collect the new identity card and activate the eID

    Production is handled centrally by the Bundesdruckerei; depending on the authority and its workload, it takes about two to six weeks until collection – the state capital Munich states four to five weeks. You are notified or can check the status online. Collection takes place in person; bring the temporary identity card with you, as the authority can withdraw it under § 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 PAuswG. On site, you set the six-digit PIN and activate the online ID function. The former PIN reset and activation service by post has been suspended since 29 December 2023; its reintroduction has been announced, but it is not yet in operation. Until then, the only way to get a new PIN is to go in person to an identity card authority – where it is free of charge.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Fees

Verlustanzeige at the Bürgeramtno fee
Blocking the eID via 116 116free of charge (Germany & EU)
Replacement identity card (aged 24 and over)€46.00
Replacement identity card (under 24)€27.60
Temporary identity card (vorläufiger Personalausweis)€10.00
Digital photograph at the office terminal€6.00
eID card for EU citizens€37.00
Authority not competent / outside office hours+ €13.00
Issue via a German mission abroad+ €43.00
Means of paymentgirocard / cash (depending on the office)

The fees are set uniformly nationwide in § 1 of the Identity Card Fees Ordinance (Personalausweisgebührenverordnung, PAuswGebV) and must neither be increased nor reduced by local authorities. With effect from 7 February 2026, they were raised by the ordinance relieving the burden on the Federal Police and the administration in the field of passports and identity documents (Verordnung zur Entlastung der Bundespolizei und der Verwaltung im Bereich des Pass- und Ausweiswesens): from €37.00 to €46.00 for persons aged 24 and over, and from €22.80 to €27.60 for younger persons; what counts is the date of submission of the application. There is no surcharge for loss or theft. If you can prove that you are in need, the authority can reduce the fee or waive it entirely – however, there is no automatic entitlement solely because you receive Bürgergeld (citizen’s benefit) or social assistance (Sozialhilfe). As a rule, the fee is charged on submission of the application and not only at collection.

Good to know

Important notes

Blocking hotline around the clock. The number 116 116 is staffed continuously seven days a week, including public holidays. Calls from Germany and EU countries are free of charge; calls from non-EU countries are charged – from there, you can reach the service on +49 116 116 or +49 30 4050 4050. You can also block your girocard and credit cards via the same number.

Blocking and the Verlustanzeige are two different things. Calling the blocking hotline deactivates only the online ID function. Only the Verlustanzeige to the identity card authority leads to the document being listed in the police search database (INPOL). Both steps are necessary – one does not replace the other.

Identity card found again: do not forget to withdraw the report. If the identity card turns up again, report this in person at the Bürgeramt and present it; the search entry is deleted, and withdrawing the report is free of charge. You can then continue to use the identity card in Germany until its expiry. Abroad, however, problems may still arise because foreign databases are not updated immediately – there, the document may be confiscated. A blocked online ID function is only reactivated if you go in person.

The obligation to hold an identity document continues. Under § 1 Abs. 1 PAuswG, Germans aged 16 and over must possess a valid identity document. A valid passport also fulfils this obligation – if you have one, you do not need the vorläufiger Personalausweis. If you have neither an identity card nor a passport, you should apply for the replacement promptly, because not having an identity document is a regulatory offence (Ordnungswidrigkeit) under § 32 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 PAuswG.

Passport photos are digital only. Since 1 May 2025, paper photos have not been permitted for identity cards and passports, and since the expiry of the transitional period on 31 July 2025, this applies without exception; the photos are transmitted to the authority exclusively in encrypted, digital form. This is intended to prevent what is known as morphing – merging two faces into one image. Access is via an individual Data Matrix code that the photo studio gives you.

A different route applies to foreign nationals. Only Germans within the meaning of Art. 116 Abs. 1 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG) receive the identity card. EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA, in German EWR) can apply to the identity card authority for an eID card for €37.00 (§ 2 PAuswGebV). Third-country nationals report the loss of their electronic residence title to the competent Ausländerbehörde (foreigners authority); its online ID function can also be blocked via 116 116.

Loss during a trip abroad. Contact the nearest German embassy or consulate. There you can obtain a travel document (Reiseausweis) as a passport substitute for the return journey or – for an additional fee of €43.00 under § 1 PAuswGebV – have an identity card issued via the German mission abroad. In addition, report the loss to the local police and keep the confirmation.

For children and young people, the persons with parental custody act. For under-16s, they submit the application and must attend in person with their own identity document; if parental custody is shared, the approval of both parents is required. For 16- and 17-year-olds, § 9 Abs. 2 PAuswG sets the persons with parental custody a deadline of six weeks for the submission of the application if the young people do not take action themselves.

Watch out for identity misuse after a theft. In the following weeks, check your bank statements and request a data copy (Datenkopie) of your SCHUFA data free of charge under Article 15 GDPR (DSGVO). This allows you to recognise early on whether contracts have been concluded or accounts opened using your identity card details. The police reference number is your most important proof for creditors in this situation.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Putting off blocking the eID. If you do not block it immediately via 116 116, you risk third parties using the identity card to open online accounts or conclude contracts, provided they get hold of the PIN. Consequence: you later have to prove the misuse to providers and debt collection agencies – without a documented time of blocking, this is considerably more difficult.

Not reporting the loss at all. Reporting it to the identity card authority is an obligation (§ 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 PAuswG) and cannot be replaced by calling the blocking hotline. Consequence: a regulatory offence under § 32 Abs. 1 Nr. 7 PAuswG with a regulatory fine of up to €3,000 (§ 32 Abs. 3 PAuswG) – and the identity card remains freely usable for whoever finds it.

Bringing a paper photo to the appointment. Since 1 May 2025, the authorities must no longer accept printed passport photos; the transitional period ended on 31 July 2025. Consequence: the application cannot be taken, the appointment is lost, and in large cities you often have to wait several weeks for a new appointment. So have the photo taken at the terminal in the office, or bring the retrieval code from a certified studio.

Continuing to use the recovered identity card without withdrawing the report. As long as you do not report to the Bürgeramt that you have found it again, the document remains listed in the police search database. Consequence: during a police check or at the border, the identity card is identified as lost and can be confiscated – in addition, you are in breach of the obligation to report under § 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 PAuswG.

Not obtaining a replacement document for the interim period. It takes two to six weeks for the new identity card to be ready. Consequence: during this time, you cannot prove your identity to banks or authorities, and without a valid passport you do not fulfil the obligation to hold an identity document under § 1 Abs. 1 PAuswG – an infringement that can be punished with up to €3,000 under § 32 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 PAuswG. The temporary identity card for €10.00 closes this gap.

Submitting the application to an authority that is not competent. The competent authority is the identity card authority for your place of residence; other offices may only accept the application for a good reason. Consequence: under § 1 PAuswGebV, the fee increases by €13.00 – the same surcharge applies if, at your request, the authority acts outside office hours.

Planning a trip abroad with the temporary identity card. The paper document contains no chip and is not recognised as a travel document by all countries. Consequence: airlines can refuse to carry you and border authorities can refuse you entry – check the entry requirements of your destination country with the Federal Foreign Office in advance, or apply for a passport.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much does a new identity card cost after a loss?

Since 7 February 2026, the identity card has cost €46.00 for persons aged 24 and over and €27.60 for persons under 24; previously, it cost €37.00 and €22.80 respectively. There is no additional surcharge for loss or theft, and the Verlustanzeige itself is free of charge. In addition, there is a charge of €6.00 if you have the digital photograph taken at the authority’s terminal, and of €10.00 for a vorläufiger Personalausweis. The amounts are set uniformly nationwide in § 1 of the Identity Card Fees Ordinance (Personalausweisgebührenverordnung, PAuswGebV).

How do I block the online ID function (eID)?

Call the nationwide blocking hotline 116 116, which can be reached around the clock, seven days a week. Calls from Germany and EU countries are free of charge; calls from non-EU countries are charged – from there, you can reach the service on +49 116 116 or +49 30 4050 4050. If possible, have your blocking password (Sperrkennwort) ready; it is in the covering letter that came with the identity card or, for identity cards applied for before 17 February 2025, in the PIN letter. The Bürgeramt and the police also arrange for blocking as soon as you report the loss to them.

Do I have to go to the police after a loss?

If the card has simply been lost, a police report is not mandatory; the Verlustanzeige to the identity card authority is sufficient, and the authority enters the document in the police search database. In the case of theft, a police report is strongly recommended, because it documents the time and clears you if contracts are concluded or accounts opened using your identity card. Ask for the police reference number (Tagebuchnummer) and present it at the Bürgeramt.

Do I need a new passport photo, and how much does it cost?

Yes, a new biometric photograph is required for the replacement identity card. Since 1 May 2025, passport photos may only be transmitted to the authority digitally and in encrypted form – the transitional period for paper photos expired on 31 July 2025; photos printed on paper are no longer accepted. You can have the photo taken at the self-service terminal in the Bürgeramt for €6.00, or at a certified photo studio or drugstore, which gives you a retrieval code for secure transmission.

What is a temporary identity card (vorläufiger Personalausweis)?

The vorläufiger Personalausweis is a paper document that is handed to you immediately at the appointment if you need an identity document at short notice and do not have a valid passport. It costs €10.00, has no online ID function and is valid for a maximum of three months. It bridges the production time of several weeks for the regular identity card, but it is not recognised as a travel document by all countries.

Am I obliged to report the loss?

Yes. Under § 27 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 of the Act on Identity Cards and Electronic Identification (Personalausweisgesetz, PAuswG), you must report the loss of the identity card and its later recovery to the identity card authority without delay, and present the recovered identity card. Anyone who fails to make this report commits a regulatory offence under § 32 Abs. 1 Nr. 7 PAuswG, which can be punished under § 32 Abs. 3 PAuswG with a regulatory fine of up to €3,000.

Do I have to apply for a new identity card immediately?

Under § 1 Abs. 1 PAuswG, Germans aged 16 and over must possess a valid identity document; a valid passport also fulfils this obligation. Anyone who has neither an identity card nor a passport after the loss is in breach of the obligation to hold an identity document, which can be punished as a regulatory offence with up to €3,000 under § 32 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 PAuswG. You should therefore apply for the replacement promptly and, if necessary, take the temporary identity card.

What happens if the identity card turns up again?

The Verlustanzeige results in your identity card being listed in the police search database (INPOL). If you find it again, you must report this in person at the Bürgeramt and present the identity card; the search entry is then deleted, and withdrawing the Verlustanzeige is free of charge. After that, you can continue to use the identity card in Germany until its expiry; abroad, however, it may happen that it is not recognised or is even confiscated, because foreign databases are not updated immediately. A blocked online ID function can only be reactivated in person at the Bürgeramt.

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

The regular identity card is produced centrally at the Bundesdruckerei; depending on the authority and its workload, it takes about two to six weeks until you can collect it at the Bürgeramt. The state capital Munich, for example, states four to five weeks. If you need an identity document in the meantime, you receive the vorläufiger Personalausweis for €10.00 immediately at the appointment.

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