Procedure descriptions

Applying for an identity card for the first time or after it has expired

German nationals are required to hold a valid identity card from the age of 16. The requirement to carry identification is also met by holding a valid German passport. However, you are not obliged to carry your identity card with you at all times.

An identity card may be issued to children and young people under the age of 16 upon application. German nationals who do not have a permanent residence in Germany may also be issued with an identity card upon application.

The identity card is issued in credit card format.

In addition, your personal details, your photograph and your fingerprints are stored on the ID card’s chip. The photograph and fingerprints are accessible only to public authorities such as the police and border control authorities.

The chip also offers two further functions:

  • electronic proof of identity (eID function) or the online ID function, and
  • the signature function

Since 15 July 2017, the eID function has always been enabled in identity cards if you are aged 16 or over.

Forms/Online Services

Responsible authority

The authorities responsible for issuing identity cards in Baden-Württemberg are:

  • the local authorities, acting as local police authorities
  • the administrative associations ( ) which carry out the duties of the registration authority.

There, the citizens’ offices or local government offices generally carry out the duties of an identity card authority.

The identity card authority responsible for you is the one in whose district you are registered at your place of residence; if you have more than one place of residence, this is your main place of residence.

Please note:

German nationals with their main residence abroad (Germans living abroad) may apply for an identity card at the diplomatic mission in the district where they usually reside. The Federal Foreign Office determines which diplomatic mission is responsible.

Your application for an identity card must also be processed by an identity card authority outside your local jurisdiction if you can demonstrate a valid reason. An identity card may only be issued with the authorisation of the locally competent identity card authority . This also applies to German nationals resident abroad.

Bürgerbüro [Stadt Ettenheim]

Details

Prerequisite

  • You are a German national.
  • There must be no grounds for refusing to issue an identity card.

Procedure

  • You must apply for your identity card in person at the relevant identity card office.
  • You must provide a valid signature and complete the declaration of German citizenship.
    A signature is required for children aged 10 and over.
  • When applying, you can have your photograph taken on the spot – depending on the facilities available at the office – or have it taken in advance by a certified service provider (such as a photographer or the photo service at a chemist’s). The service provider will give you a printout of a data matrix code (similar to a QR code), which the authority can use to retrieve your photograph from the cloud.
  • Since 2 August 2021, the taking of fingerprints has been mandatory for people aged 6 and over. These are stored on the ID card’s chip. If, for children aged between 6 and 12, an identity document is expressly applied for without the taking of fingerprints, then only a provisional identity card can be issued. If an index finger is missing, the fingerprint is of insufficient quality or there are injuries to the fingertip, an alternative fingerprint will be taken instead. Fingerprints will only be omitted if this is impossible for permanent medical reasons.
  • When you apply for your identity card , you will be given a PIN letter . Children under the age of 10 do not receive a PIN letter. This contains a secret code (five-digit one-off PIN) and an unlock code (PUK) for using the online ID function. You can use the online ID from the age of 16, as soon as you have set your own six-digit PIN. When you are issued with your new identity card, you will receive a letter containing the blocking password, which you can use to block the online ID function if necessary (for example, if you lose the document).
  • The identity card is produced centrally by the Bundesdruckerei in Berlin.
  • You can collect your finished identity card from the relevant authority in due course. Depending on your local authority, you will be notified as soon as your identity card is ready for collection. The notification from the identity card authority usually also includes a pre-printed form for authorising someone else to collect it on your behalf. This means you can collect your identity card yourself or have it collected by an authorised person. The authorised person must first prove their identity to the identity card office and present the collection authorisation form.
  • You must hand in your old identity card when you receive the new document. If you wish, you can take your old identity card home with you, once it has been invalidated, as a keepsake.
  • Since 1 May 2025, you have also been able to select the ‘direct delivery’ option (subject to a fee) during the application process, and the document will be delivered to your registered address. To be eligible, you must be at least 16 years old and submit your ID card application within Germany to the relevant authority in your place of residence. In addition, you must present yourself in person at your front door to the ‘ ’ postal delivery service with a valid identity document (e.g. a passport) and have your old identity card invalidated when applying for the new one. Residents of Büsingen (Hochrhein) and Heligoland cannot use the direct delivery service.

Please note: Young people aged 16 and over can apply for an identity card themselves. If young people aged 16 or over but under 18 fail to fulfil this obligation, their legal representative must submit the application. Legal representatives are normally the parents. One parent may be represented by the other when submitting the application, provided they have a power of attorney. Once the young person has reached the age of 16, the application must be submitted within six weeks.

For children and young people under the age of 16, both parents must submit the application jointly if they have joint custody. The children and young people for whom the application is being made must always appear in person, as the relevant authority must verify their identity.

Deadlines

Submission of applications:

  • in good time before the statutory obligation to carry identification comes into effect
  • In the case of a renewal application submitted well before the expiry of the current identity card, a legitimate interest in the reissue must be demonstrated. In such cases, it is advisable to contact the identity card authority in advance.
  • Obligation for legal guardians or carers to apply on behalf of young people aged 16 or over but under 18: within 6 weeks of the young person turning 16, provided they have not submitted an application themselves and the identity requirement cannot be met by a valid German passport.

Validity period:

The validity period of the new identity card depends on your age:

  • under 24 years of age: the identity card is valid for 6 years.
  • aged 24 and over: the identity card is valid for 10 years.

It is not possible to extend the validity period of the identity card.

Required documents

  • Identity card, passport or, where applicable, birth certificate
  • a recent digital biometric photograph
  • For children and young people under the age of 16:
    • If both parents with parental responsibility are submitting the application: the parents’ identity cards or passports. If only one parent with parental responsibility is submitting the application: additionally
      • a written declaration of consent from the other parent with parental responsibility
      • A copy of the identity card or passport of the other parent with parental responsibility
    • In the case of a parent with sole custody: additionally
      • A declaration of custody or, if none is available, a written statement confirming sole custody.
        Some local authorities require a certificate of no objection in this regard.
      • Where applicable, a final divorce decree with a custody order or a subsequent family court order granting sole custody, or a provisional custody order from the local civil court (if both parents live in Germany).
    • In the case of guardianship: additionally
      • Certificate of appointment as guardian

Notes:

  • Biometric photographs must comply with the relevant formal requirements. Guidance is provided in the sample photograph guide for identity documents.
  • Since 1 May 2025, only digital photographs have been accepted for applications for identity cards. Depending on the facilities available at the local authority office, you can have your photograph taken on site when you apply, or you can have it taken in advance at by a certified service provider (such as a photographer or the photo service at a chemist’s). The photograph is then stored by the service provider in a secure cloud. You will receive a printout of a Data Matrix code (similar to a QR code), which the local authority canuse to retrieve your photograph from the cloud . Please check with your local authority in advance to find out what options are available there!

Please note:

  • When applying for the first time (and in some local authorities, also when applying for the first time after moving to the area), additional documents may be required, such as civil status certificates.
  • When applying for the first time on behalf of a child born abroad, you must, in particular, submit the original birth certificate and a German translation.
  • When Germans living abroad apply at an identity card office in Germany (a non-competent authority), further documents may need to be submitted.

Tip: Check with the identity card office in advance to find out which documents are required in your specific case.

Costs

Fees from 7 February 2026:

  • Applicants aged 24 and over: EUR 46.00
  • Applicants aged under 24: EUR 27.60
  • for a photograph taken at the office: EUR 6.00
  • for optional direct delivery: EUR 15.00
  • Activating the online ID function is free of charge in the following cases:
    • first-time activation upon issue
    • first-time activation for those aged 16 and over
    • Blocking the online ID function in the event of loss
    • Changing the transport PIN to a personal PIN
    • Retrospective activation of the online ID function
    • Changing the PIN at the Citizens’ Bureau (for example, if you have forgotten your PIN)
    • Unlocking the online ID function
  • Cost of an electronic signature certificate: determined by the respective provider

Notes:

  • For some of these services, a surcharge of EUR 13.00 will be levied if the application is processed outside normal office hours or if you visit an office that does not have jurisdiction over your case.
  • You may also submit your application to an identity card office that does not have local jurisdiction. This office must process your application if you can demonstrate valid reasons for doing so. The office may also charge a surcharge of EUR 13.00 for this service, or EUR 30.00 in the case of Germans living abroad.

Processing time

around 3 to 6 weeks

Miscellaneous

Legal basis

Personalausweisgesetz (PAuswG):

  • § 1 Ausweispflicht; Ausweisrecht
  • § 6 Gültigkeitsdauer des Ausweises; vorzeitige Beantragung; räumliche Beschränkungen
  • § 7 Sachliche Zuständigkeit
  • § 8 Örtliche Zuständigkeit; Tätigwerden bei örtlicher Unzuständigkeit
  • § 9 Ausstellung des Ausweises
  • § 10 Einschaltung, Sperrung und Entsperrung der Funktion des elektronischen Identitätsnachweises mit dem Personalausweis
  • § 27 Pflichten des Ausweisinhabers

Personalasuweis- und eID-Karten-Gebührenverordnung (PAuswGebV)

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 28.07.2026