Procedure descriptions

Apply for a replacement passport for German nationals (travel document)

German citizens who do not have a valid passport or identity card can apply to the Federal Police for a travel document as a replacement for a temporary trip abroad. You must provide proof of urgency and there must be no security-related concerns.

Passport replacement documents are only issued by the Federal Police if a regular travel document can no longer be expected to be issued by a passport authority in good time. Here you will find information on the issuing of German travel documents and their recognition abroad. If it cannot be proven that the departure or departure is imminent, the documents will not be issued.

In principle, no travel document will be issued as a substitute for a passport. Exception: For German nationals residing abroad, if it is not reasonable to issue a passport or passport substitute due to an intended very short stay in Germany.

Attention:

  • Other countries are not obliged to accept the travel document as a travel document.
    Airlines may also refuse to carry a travel document.
  • You have no legal right to have the competent border authority (Federal Police) issue you with a travel document as a passport substitute.

Forms/Online Services

Responsible department

The competent authority is the competent border authority (Federal Police) at the place where the border is crossed.

Details

Prerequisite

  • It must be possible to establish the identity and German nationality of the person travelling.
  • There are no
    • Security concerns,
    • Prohibition to leave the country or
    • Reasons for passport refusal.
  • Minors must have the consent of their legal representative.

Procedure

You must apply for the travel document in person directly at the border authority (e.g. at the airport).

To speed up the process of obtaining the required passport replacement document, you can use the online application to send your personal details and the relevant travel data electronically to the relevant border authority, which will contact you quickly. They will also inform you of the arrangements for collection.

In the case of minors, the person with custody or an authorised representative must apply for the travel document as a passport replacement.

Tip: You can also obtain further information on applying for a travel document as a passport replacement by calling the Federal Police's 24-hour hotline on 0800 6 888 000.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

Proof of identity and German citizenship (usually an expired passport or identity card)

Note: In exceptional cases, you can also prove your identity by providing copies of your expired passport or identity card or your birth certificate in conjunction with an official photo ID (e.g. driving licence).

Costs

EUR 8,00

Miscellaneous

For nationals of member states of the European Economic Area or Switzerland, a so-called emergency travel document can be issued in the same way as a travel document. A fee of EUR 18.00 is charged for this. You can find more information under"Applying for a passport replacement for foreign nationals from EU countries (emergency travel document)".

Legal basis

Passgesetz (PassG):

  • § 1 Passpflicht
  • § 7 Passversagung
  • § 19 Absatz 1 Satz 2 Zuständigkeit

Passverordnung (PassV):

  • § 7 Passersatz
  • § 10 Gültigkeit des Passersatzes
  • § 15 Gebühren

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 01.08.2025