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Apply for the Schwerbehindertenausweis

A piece of proof, not a notice granting an entitlement — the advantages lie elsewhere

Versorgungsamt§ 2 Abs. 2 SGB IXFree of charge

Under § 2 Abs. 2 SGB IX, anyone with a degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung, GdB) of at least 50 is considered severely disabled. Below this threshold there is no severe disability pass (Schwerbehindertenausweis) — at a GdB of 30 or 40, equal status with severely disabled people (Gleichstellung) may come into question instead, although this is not decided by the Versorgungsamt but by the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit).

The pass is issued from a GdB of 50 and is free of charge. It is a document of proof, not a notice granting a benefit: it evidences the GdB and the disability codes (Merkzeichen) awarded, but does not itself grant a single advantage. Every compensation for disadvantages is claimed at the body responsible for it — the parking pass at the road traffic authority, the reduction in the fee at the Beitragsservice, protection against dismissal through the Integrationsamt (Integration Office), the pension at the pension insurance institution.

The disability codes are therefore more important than the GdB alone. G stands for a substantial impairment of mobility in road traffic, aG for exceptional difficulty in walking, Bl for blindness, Gl for deafness, H for helplessness, B for the need for constant accompaniment, RF for the reduction in the broadcasting licence fee, and TBl for deafblindness. Which advantages attach to them is decided not by the pass, but by the relevant specific rule. The most important point first, because almost every expectation founders on it: the overall degree of disability (Gesamt-GdB) is not a sum. § 152 Abs. 3 SGB IX provides that the degree of disability is determined “according to the effects of the impairments taken as a whole, having regard to their interrelationships”. Two conditions with an individual GdB of 30 each therefore do not add up to 60. They may result in 40 — and if the two overlap functionally, the result can even remain at 30. What matters is how severely participation as a whole is restricted, not how many diagnoses are present. In addition, the GdB is graded in steps of ten, and a determination is only made at all from a GdB of 20.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§ 2 Abs. 2 SGB IX · § 152 SGB IX
Verification§§ 2 and 152 SGB IX · Responsible bodies for the compensations for disadvantages
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Versorgungsamt, 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. No legal advice and not an official authority. 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.
Issued fromGdB 50§ 2 Abs. 2 SGB IX
CostsNoneIncluding the extension
The pass itselfGrants nothingIt provides proof
Required documents

What you need

The notice of determination (Feststellungsbescheid)

It is the basis. The pass is issued on application once a GdB of at least 50 has been determined — in many federal states it is applied for together with the notice.

A current photograph

Passport-photo format. For children under ten years of age, the photograph is generally dispensed with.

Information on the disability codes requested

They are not awarded automatically, but are examined according to their own criteria. Anyone who considers a disability code necessary should apply for it expressly and set out the requirements.

If needed: information on the accompanying person

The disability code B requires that, in order to avoid dangers to yourself or others, you regularly need help from another person when using public transport. A separate statement of reasons is worthwhile.

Knowing the period of validity

The pass is issued for a limited period and can be extended; where the condition is permanently unchangeable, an indefinite pass is also possible. The expiry date is printed on the pass — make a note of it.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Apply for the pass with, or after, the application for determination

    The requirement is a determined GdB of at least 50. In most federal states, both can be combined in a single form.

  2. 2

    Apply for and give reasons for disability codes specifically

    They do not follow from the GdB, but from their own requirements. Anyone who considers aG, B, H or RF applicable should support this with specific information about their everyday situation — not with the diagnosis alone.

  3. 3

    Understand where the advantages are applied for

    The pass opens doors, but it does not open them itself. Parking pass: road traffic authority. Broadcasting licence fee: Beitragsservice. Free travel: travel token (Wertmarke) at the Versorgungsamt. Protection against dismissal: through the Integrationsamt. Tax lump-sum allowance: Finanzamt, via the tax return.

  4. 4

    Decide deliberately on the question of disclosure

    Special protection against dismissal only takes effect if the employer knows about the severe disability. You are not obliged to tell them — but without that knowledge, the protection generally does not have effect. This is a matter for weighing up, not a formality.

  5. 5

    Note the expiry date

    If the pass expires, the proof lapses, even though the determination itself continues. In practice, the advantages that require the pass then lie dormant — until it is extended.

Fee information

Costs and payment

What the pass costsIssue under § 152 SGB IX
IssuanceFree of charge
ExtensionFree of charge
Replacement if lostUsually free of charge
Issued fromGdB 50
Disability codeOwn requirements
Compensation for disadvantagesAt other bodies

The pass is a document of proof. It evidences the GdB and disability codes, but does not directly grant any compensation for disadvantages — every advantage is applied for at the body responsible for it. Anyone who holds the pass in their hand and assumes that everything has thereby been dealt with regularly leaves entitlements unclaimed.

Good to know

Important notes

You are severely disabled if you have a GdB of at least 50. Between 30 and 40, equal status may come into question instead — decided by the employment agency, not by the Versorgungsamt.

The pass provides proof, it does not grant anything. The parking pass, the reduction in the broadcasting licence fee, protection against dismissal and pension access are claimed at different bodies.

Disability codes do not follow from the GdB. They have their own requirements and should be applied for and justified specifically.

Special protection against dismissal requires the employer to know about the severe disability. There is no duty to inform them — but without that knowledge, the protection generally does not have effect.

Note the expiry date. When the pass expires, the proof lapses with it, not the determination — but in practice, the advantages that require it then lie dormant.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Expecting the pass to trigger the advantages itself. It is a proof document; applications are made at other bodies.

Not applying expressly for disability codes. They are not awarded automatically alongside the pass.

Justifying a disability code with the diagnosis instead of the specific restriction.

Relying on protection against dismissal without the employer knowing about the severe disability.

Overlooking the expiry date and applying for the extension too late.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

From what GdB do I get the pass?

From a degree of disability of 50 — that is the threshold at which § 2 Abs. 2 SGB IX speaks of severe disability. With a GdB of 30 or 40, there is no pass, but there is the possibility of equal status, which is decided by the employment agency.

What advantages does the pass bring directly?

Directly, none. It is a document of proof for the GdB and the disability codes. The individual compensations for disadvantages are applied for at the bodies responsible for them: the parking pass at the road traffic authority, the reduction in the broadcasting licence fee at the Beitragsservice, the travel token for free travel at the Versorgungsamt, the tax lump-sum allowance via the tax return. Protection against dismissal and additional leave, by contrast, follow directly from severe disability status.

What do the disability codes mean?

G stands for a substantial impairment of mobility in road traffic, aG for exceptional difficulty in walking, Bl for blindness, Gl for deafness, TBl for deafblindness, H for helplessness, B for entitlement to take an accompanying person, and RF for the reduction in the broadcasting licence fee. They are examined according to their own criteria and do not follow automatically from a particular GdB.

Do I have to tell my employer about the severe disability?

There is no general duty to do so. In practice, however, special protection against dismissal depends on it, for which the employer needs the consent of the Integrationsamt — and this protection generally only has effect if the employer knows about the severe disability. Additional leave likewise requires the employer to be aware of it. The decision should therefore be made deliberately.

How long is the pass valid?

It is generally issued for a limited period and can be extended. If no change in health is expected, an indefinite pass may be considered. The expiry date is printed on the pass; the determination itself does not end with expiry, but the proof is then missing for all advantages that require it.

What does the pass cost?

Nothing. Issue and extension are free of charge, and a replacement pass in the event of loss is also generally issued without a fee. Costs only arise in the whole procedure if you obtain legal representation — social associations (Sozialverbände) advise their members free of charge.

Related official procedures

First GdB application
The overall GdB is not a sum
Determination from GdB 20
Compensation for disadvantages
Lump-sum allowance in ten steps, § 33b EStG
€384 to €7,400
Renew the pass
In good time, or compensations for disadvantages lie dormant
Free of charge

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