Procedure descriptions

Applying for a replacement passport for non-EU nationals (travel document for foreign nationals)

All foreign nationals must hold a recognised and valid passport or passport substitute.

German passport substitutes may only be issued to non-German nationals in very exceptional cases, as this constitutes an encroachment on the passport sovereignty of another state.

The travel document for foreign nationals is one such passport substitute. It may only be issued to you under certain conditions, namely if, as a national of a non-EU country, you can prove that you do not hold a passport or passport substitute and are unable to obtain one by reasonable means.

If you do not hold a passport or passport substitute, you must therefore first endeavour to have a passport or passport substitute issued by the relevant authorities in your country of origin, for example at the diplomatic mission there. When applying for a travel document for foreign nationals, you should, if possible, provide evidence of such efforts.

There is no automatic entitlement to the issue of a travel document for foreign nationals. Decisions are always made on a case-by-case basis; only the formal requirements are set out here.

Please note: You will not be issued with a travel document if your country of origin refuses to issue you with a passport or passport substitute for reasons that are also covered under German passport law.

Please note: You may also be issued with a travel document if you are

  • refugee under the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, or
  • stateless person or as a stateless person under the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons

Note: As a national of one of the states listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, you may be eligible to receive an emergency travel document under certain conditions. You can find detailed information on this in the text‘Applying for a passport substitute for foreign nationals (emergency travel document)’.

Responsible authority

The Foreigners’ Registration Office in the district where you usually reside. Depending on where you live, the Foreigners’ Registration Office may be the local council or the district administration office.

Ausländer, Staatsangehörigkeit, Standesamtsaufsicht [Landratsamt Ortenaukreis]

Details

Prerequisite

  • You are a national of a non-EU country
  • You do not hold a passport or a passport substitute and
  • it is not reasonably possible for you to obtain one. In this context, it is considered reasonable
    • submitting applications for a new passport or a renewal in good time before your passport expires and cooperating with the administrative procedures of your country of origin,
    • to pay the fees generally set by your country of origin, or
    • to fulfil compulsory military service, provided that this is not unreasonable for compelling reasons, and to fulfil other reasonable civic duties.

A further requirement is that you

  • hold a residence permit, a settlement permit or an EU long-term residence permit, or
  • are due to be granted a residence permit, settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit together with your travel document, or
  • are to be enabled to leave the federal territory permanently, or
  • if you are an asylum seeker, there is an urgent public interest in issuing the travel document, compelling reasons require it, or it would cause undue hardship if the travel document were not issued to you, provided that this does not jeopardise your asylum proceedings.

Procedure

You must apply for the travel document in person at the relevant office. You will also be given the necessary application form there.

As soon as the travel document is ready, you will be

  • be notified and can collect the travel document from the relevant authority or
  • a notice of refusal.

The period of validity of your travel document is linked to the validity of your residence permit or temporary residence authorisation. The maximum period of validity is:

  • for persons who are not yet 24 years old at the time of issue: six years
  • for persons aged 24 or over at the time of issue: ten years
  • for children under 12 years of age, if the travel document is to be issued exceptionally without an electronic storage and processing medium: one year, up to the age of 12 at the latest
  • in individual cases, for example where the travel document is issued for the purpose of permanent departure from Germany: a maximum of one month

You can also apply for the travel document as a provisional travel document. In that case, it is valid for a maximum of one year.

The competent authority may stipulate that the travel document is to be valid only for certain countries or continents.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

  • a recent digital biometric photograph: You can have this taken by a certified photography service provider or at the Foreigners’ Registration Office
  • Proof of identity and nationality: for example, by means of expired travel documents, certificates or statutory declarations

Costs

  • Travel document for foreign nationals aged 24 and over: 100.00 EUR
  • Travel document for foreign nationals aged under 24: 97.00 EUR
  • Travel document for refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettled refugees aged 24 and over: 70.00 EUR
  • Travel document for refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettled refugees aged 24 and under: 38.00 EUR
  • Provisional travel document for foreign nationals: 67.00 EUR
  • Provisional travel document for refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettled refugees: 26.00 EUR
  • Travel document without a storage medium for foreign nationals, refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettled refugees aged up to 12: 14.00 EUR
  • Renewal of a provisional travel document for foreign nationals, refugees or stateless persons: 20.00 EUR
  • Taking a photograph at the Foreigners’ Registration Office: €6.00

Miscellaneous

none

Legal basis

Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV):

  • § 1 Begriffsbestimmungen
  • § 4 Deutsche Passersatzpapiere für Ausländer
  • § 5 Allgemeine Voraussetzungen der Ausstellung eines Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 6 Ausstellung des Reiseausweises für Ausländer im Inland
  • § 8 Gültigkeitsdauer des Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 9 Räumlicher Geltungsbereich des Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 11 Verfahren der Ausstellung oder Verlängerung des Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 48 Gebühren für pass- und ausweisrechtliche Maßnahmen

Protokoll über die Rechtsstellung der Flüchtlinge von 1967 (Genfer Flüchtlingskonvention):

  • Artikel 28 Reiseausweise

Übereinkommen über die Rechtsstellung der Staatenlosen (Staatenlosenübereinkommen):

  • Artikel 28 Reiseausweise

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Justizministerium Baden-Württemberg, 12.08.2026