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File a missing person report

Polizei · Report immediately, no waiting period

In personEmergency number 110

There is no 24-hour waiting period. This misconception comes from television series and has already cost time that mattered. The police accept a missing persons report immediately, and the earlier it is made, the greater the chances – mobile phone data, video recordings and witnesses' memories are all time-critical.

Where there is an acute danger, an ongoing criminal offence, or anyone injured, the rule is always: 110 – for medical emergencies, 112. Both numbers are staffed around the clock and free of charge. For children, for helpless or ill persons, and whenever there are indications of danger, 110 is the right route – not a visit to the police station the next morning.

There is one expectation we should correct straight away, since otherwise it leads to poor planning: an “AMBER Alert” does not exist in Germany. There is no official nationwide warning system for missing children, as known from the USA and as some European countries have introduced. What does exist is a public search appeal (Öffentlichkeitsfahndung) – the police decide on this, and for a search appeal with a photo, the public prosecution office or a court is regularly involved as well.

For that reason, the most important contribution you can make is not sharing it on social media, but the completeness of your information in the first half hour: a recent photo, the clothing last worn, medication, habits, places.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basisPolice laws of the federal states (Bundesländer) · §§ 131 ff. StPO (search)
VerificationChecked against polizei.de and gesetze-im-internet.de
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information page: we are not the police, not an authority and not paid advice — we do not submit applications for you. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body is always authoritative. Not legal advice. If there is any suspicion of danger to life or limb, call 110 immediately. All information 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.
Waiting periodNoneThe 24-hour myth
CostsFree of chargeThe search too
WhereAny police stationIf in danger: 110
What mattersFirst hoursData decay fast
Required documents

What you need

A recent photograph

As recent as possible, the face clearly recognisable, without sunglasses and without heavy editing. A full-length photo also helps with describing build and gait. Find it before heading to the police station – on your phone, in the cloud, with relatives.

Description of the person

Height, build, hair and eye colour, glasses, tattoos, scars, distinctive teeth. And above all: what the person was last wearing, as precisely as possible – the colour of the jacket, the type of shoes, backpack or bag. The search is actually carried out on this basis.

Medical information

Illnesses, medication needed and how urgently, dementia, diabetes, risk of suicide, mental illness. This information is critically important in determining how urgent the search is classed as – do not withhold anything out of discretion.

Mobile number and digital traces

Mobile number, provider, messaging apps and social networks used, whether location services are active, and – if you know them – the login details for family location services. Through the mobile network provider, the police can request data under narrow legal conditions; this is more likely the clearer the danger is.

Last whereabouts and habits

Where was the person last seen, which routes do they use, which places matter to them, who is part of their circle? For children and young people, also school, clubs, meeting points; for older people with dementia, often former places of residence, which can be decisive for the search.

What was last said

Arguments, worries, announcements, unusual messages, broken-off conversations. Even unpleasant matters belong here – they help assess whether someone left voluntarily or whether there is a danger.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Report immediately — do not wait 24 hours

    Call 110 or go to the nearest police station. There is no waiting period; the report is accepted immediately. For children, helpless persons, and any indication of danger, the emergency number is the right route.

  2. 2

    Use two minutes beforehand for the essentials

    Find a recent photograph and note the clothing last worn as well as any medication needed. These are the pieces of information the search starts with – everything else can be provided afterwards.

  3. 3

    Call round the person's circle at the same time

    Friends, family, workplace, school, neighbours. For adults, also hospitals and doctors' surgeries in the area. Tell the police who you have already reached – duplicated effort costs time that is needed for the search.

  4. 4

    Give complete information, even what is uncomfortable

    Illnesses, suicidal thoughts, arguments, addiction problems, conflicts within the family: this information determines how urgent the case is classed as. The police assess it professionally and treat it confidentially – holding back out of shame delays the search.

  5. 5

    Do not change anything that could be a trace

    Do not tidy the room, do not wash clothing, do not delete messages. Worn clothing can matter for tracker dogs; digital devices and notes can contain the decisive clue.

  6. 6

    Public search appeal only in consultation

    Whether a public search appeal with photo and name is made is decided by the police – for a search appeal with a photograph, regularly with the involvement of the public prosecution office or a court. An unauthorised appeal on social media can disrupt the search, generate false reports, and infringe the rights of the missing person if they left voluntarily. Discuss it first.

  7. 7

    Note the file reference and stay reachable

    Note the file reference and the extension of the officer handling the case, and keep your phone free and charged. Report immediately if the person gets in touch or turns up – otherwise search measures keep running that are needed elsewhere.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Free of charge — and what you can realistically expectWhat the police do and what does not exist in Germany
Missing persons reportFree of charge
Search measures by the policeFree of charge
Waiting periodNone
Public search appealDecision of the police
AMBER AlertNot available in Germany
Private search or detective agencyAt your own expense

A report and a search are free of charge, and there is no waiting period – the idea that you must let 24 hours pass is a misconception that comes from films and has already cost valuable time. There are, however, two expectations you should correct. First: an “AMBER Alert” does not exist in Germany. An official nationwide warning system for missing children, as operated in the USA and in some European countries – such as France, the Netherlands, Italy and the Czech Republic – does not exist here; what appears online under this name are private initiatives campaigning for its introduction. Second: a public search appeal is decided not by the family but by the police, and for a search appeal with a photograph, the public prosecution office or a court is regularly involved as well. This is not an obstacle, but a form of protection – including for the missing person, who may have left voluntarily and has a right not to be searched for publicly. What you can contribute therefore comes down to the first half hour: complete, honest information and a current photo.

Good to know

Important notes

There is no 24-hour waiting period. The report is accepted immediately. The myth has already delayed searches where hours mattered.

For children and helpless persons, call 110 immediately. Do not wait, do not drive to the police station first – the emergency number is the faster route.

An AMBER Alert does not exist in Germany. There is no official nationwide warning system for missing children; what goes by that name are private initiatives.

A public search appeal is a decision of the police. For a search appeal with a photograph, the public prosecution office or a court is regularly also involved.

Your own appeals online can do harm. They generate false reports, tie up resources, and infringe rights if the person left voluntarily. Discuss it first.

Do not hold anything back. Suicidal thoughts, illnesses, arguments, addiction problems – it is precisely this information that determines how urgent the search is classed as.

Do not change anything at the last known location. Worn clothing may be needed for tracker dogs, devices and notes for tracing clues.

Report immediately once the person is back. Otherwise search measures keep running that are urgently needed elsewhere.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Waiting 24 hours. The most expensive misconception on this subject. There is no such rule, and the first hours are the most valuable.

Waiting for an AMBER Alert. It does not exist in Germany. Anyone expecting one is waiting for something that will not come.

Posting a search appeal on your own initiative. Without consultation it can disrupt the search, trigger false reports, and infringe personal rights.

Going to the police station without a recent photo. It is the first thing you will be asked for. Two minutes spent searching beforehand saves an hour afterwards.

Withholding sensitive information. Out of shame or discretion – but it is exactly this that determines the level of urgency.

Tidying the room. Understandable, and it destroys the traces that tracker dogs and investigators need.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I really not have to wait 24 hours?

No, and this is the most important point on this page. There is no waiting period – neither in law nor as a matter of police practice. The idea comes from American television series and persists stubbornly. The police accept a missing persons report immediately and assess straight away how urgent the case should be classed as. For children, for helpless or ill persons, and for any indication of danger, urgency is high from the outset. So do not wait – mobile phone data, video recordings and witnesses' memories are all time-critical.

Is there an AMBER Alert in Germany?

No. An official nationwide warning system for missing children modelled on the American AMBER Alert does not exist in Germany. Some European countries – including France, the Netherlands, Italy and the Czech Republic – have introduced their own systems; here there is as yet none, and it is private initiatives that campaign under this name for its introduction. What does exist in Germany is the public search appeal under the rules of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Strafprozessordnung, StPO) and police law: it can involve the press, broadcasting and the internet, but it is decided case by case and not triggered automatically.

Can the police locate a mobile phone?

Under certain conditions, yes – but it is not automatic, and it does not happen merely at the request of relatives. Requesting location data from a mobile network provider is an interference with fundamental rights and requires an appropriate legal basis; it is mainly considered where there is a danger to life or limb. That is precisely why it is so important to state all the indications of risk from the outset: they are the basis for this assessment. Give the number and provider straight away and say whether location services or a family location service are active – you may be able to access the latter yourself.

What happens if the person left voluntarily?

Then the search generally ends there. Adults are free to decide where they are and are not obliged to tell relatives. If the police establish that an adult has left voluntarily and without danger, the search is ended – and you are usually only told that the person is well, not where they are, unless they agree to that being disclosed. This is not a failure on the part of the police but the protection of a right. For minors and for people who cannot protect themselves, this does not apply.

What is different with children?

The urgency. For minors – especially younger children – the police assume an increased risk from the outset and take action immediately. In this case, call 110 and do not go to the police station first. Have ready a recent photo, the clothing last worn, the usual route to school, meeting points, and the names of friends. But do not expect an automatic alert on all mobile phones: no such system exists in Germany. Whether a public search appeal is made is decided by the police case by case.

Should I share a search appeal on social media?

Only in consultation with the police. The impulse is understandable, but an unauthorised appeal has real drawbacks: it generates a flood of false reports that ties up resources, it spreads images and data in an uncontrolled and lasting way, and it can infringe the personal rights of the person being sought – especially if they left voluntarily and want to be found. In addition, once shared, appeals are hard to retract: they often circulate for years after the person is long since back. Ask the officer handling the case what would be helpful.

Can I file the report at any police station?

Yes. Any police station accepts a missing persons report and forwards it to the responsible one; you do not have to travel to the last known location. For an acute danger, the emergency number 110 is in any case the fastest route, because the report then goes straight to the police control centre. What you should not do is report it via the Online-Wache (online police station): it is expressly not suited to emergencies and is not monitored continuously – for a missing person, that is the wrong channel.

What do I do if the person turns up again?

Report it immediately to the police, with the file reference, even if all you have heard is that the person is well. As long as the missing persons report is active, the person remains entered in the police search system – they will be stopped at every check, and search measures that are urgently needed elsewhere may continue to run. The call takes a minute and is surprisingly often forgotten, because in the relief everything else seems more important.

Related official procedures

Criminal complaint
If a criminal offence lies behind it
Free of charge
Bodily harm
Deadline and request to prosecute (Strafantrag)
Free of charge
Online-Wache (online police station)
Not suitable for this
Free of charge

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