Apply for a passport

Validity Period

A passport is issued for 6 years until the holder turns 24, and for 10 years after the holder turns 24. Renewal is not possible.

Issuance Before the Age of 18

Passports for minor children can only be applied for with a declaration of consent (including a copy of the parent’s ID card or passport for signature verification) from the parent(s) with legal custody. Furthermore, proof of custody is mandatory in cases of sole custody or for unmarried parents (family court ruling, certificate of no objection, or custody certificate from the youth welfare office).

If the child has not yet reached the age of 18, the child and a parent with legal custody must be present when the application is submitted.

Loss, Theft

The loss or theft of a valid passport must be reported in writing or, if necessary, in person. If the incident has already been reported to the police, please bring the duplicate passport with you.

Application

Applications can generally only be submitted to the passport office in the applicant’s primary place of residence. You must appear in person to submit the application. When applying on behalf of a person under 18 years of age, the child and a parent with legal custody must be present.

Processing Time – Federal Printing Office

It generally takes the Federal Printing Office approximately 4–6 weeks to produce a passport (subject to change). No delivery date is guaranteed for standard orders.

In urgent cases or if you require a guaranteed delivery date, you can apply for a passport using the EXPRESS ordering process (additional fees apply). You will then receive the document within 3 business days (Monday through Friday, excluding holidays). To meet this deadline, you must submit your application by 11:00 a.m. Please keep this requirement in mind when booking your appointment.

Examples of delivery times for the EXPRESS ordering process

If you need it even faster, you can apply for a so-called provisional passport upon presentation of appropriate proof of urgency (see links).

Pickup or Direct Shipping

Pickup

If you are in possession of an old passport that has not yet been invalidated, you must present it for invalidation when picking up your new passport. 

The passport is generally issued to the applicant. Only in the case of persons under 18 years of age or persons who lack legal capacity is the passport issued to the legal representative, legal guardian, or authorized representative.

Issued identity documents are handed out at the Central Registration Desk on the ground floor.

Proxy for Pickup

You may have someone collect the passport on your behalf. The document may be issued to a person authorized by the applicant; this person must identify themselves by presenting a valid national ID card (from an EU or Schengen Area country) or a valid passport (from other countries). To authorize another person to pick up your document, you must use the form available under “Downloads.”

Direct Delivery

Upon request and for a fee (see Fees), your completed document can be delivered exclusively to your primary residence in Germany. The package will be handed over exclusively to you personally.

Passports can be mailed starting on your 18th birthday. ID cards and eID cards can be mailed starting on your 16th birthday. ID documents for children or persons under guardianship, as well as express passports, can only be picked up at the government office.

For delivery to your doorstep or at a post office (following an unsuccessful first delivery attempt), you will need an additional valid photo ID (identity card or passport; alternatively, starting November 1, 2026, a driver’s license or electronic health card with a photo) to identify yourself when receiving the package and to prevent errors during delivery. Your old passport will be invalidated upon application and can no longer be used.

You must select the direct mailing option when applying for the new document; the staff at the Citizen Services Office will be happy to assist you.

• Proof of identity: passport, national ID card, child ID card, child passport—if available and not yet invalidated by a government agency
• If you wish to use direct mailing, you must present a valid passport for validation
• Name Verification: When you apply for an identity document, we will verify that your name (first name, last name, and other name components, as well as the order of your first names) is recorded correctly. To do this, please bring the following original document, depending on your marital status or in the event of a name change:
  • Single: Birth certificate
  • Married or widowed: Marriage certificate
  • In a registered domestic partnership: Domestic partnership certificate
  • Divorced: Marriage certificate (if you changed your name after the divorce, please also bring this official document)
  • Civil partnership dissolved: Civil partnership certificate and court judgment with a note of finality
  • Naturalized: Certificate of naturalization and declaration regarding the use of your name (if no such declaration was made, you must submit the relevant documents corresponding to your marital status in addition to the certificate of naturalization; see the points mentioned above)
  • If your name has been changed for other reasons, please bring the corresponding document or court judgment (e.g., certificate of name change or order under the Transsexuals Act).
  • Note: If you have lost your most recent certificate from the Jena Registry Office, you can easily apply for a new one online. Certificates and court rulings in languages other than German must be submitted with a certified translation.
• Digital passport photo: You can have the digital passport photo taken either on-site at the Citizen Service Center when you submit your application or in advance at certified photo service providers or at a certified drugstore chain. Please note the information above regarding digital passport photos for children under 6 years of age. Self-taken photos, photos from photo booths, passport photos from photo apps, and printed passport photos in general are no longer permitted as of May 1, 2025.
• Proof of custody when applying for individuals under 18 years of age and, if applicable, a declaration of consent (see Downloads) from the custodial parent who is not present, including a copy of their ID card or passport for signature verification
  • Note: At least one legal guardian and the person under 18 must be present

• Passport Act