Personalausweis: Neuausstellung wegen Ablauf der Gültigkeit beantragen

If your identity card expires, you must apply for a new one if you are over 16 years old and do not have a valid passport document.

In Germany, people aged 16 and over are required to have a valid ID card. From the age of 16, you must therefore apply for a new ID card in good time before the validity of your old one expires. This applies if you are over 16 and do not have a valid passport document, i.e. passport, temporary passport.
The application can be made at the citizens' office at your main place of residence. If you submit the application to another citizens' office for an important reason, a surcharge of EUR 13.00 will be added to the fee.
The period of validity depends on your age:

• under 24 years: ID card is valid for 6 years.
• from 24 years of age: ID card is valid for 10 years.

It may not be possible to issue the new ID card within the remaining period of validity. In this case, it may also be necessary to apply for a temporary ID card for the transitional period. A temporary ID card is valid for a maximum of 3 months.

• Biometric passport photo: The photo must be
  • be up-to-date and
  • meet the requirements for biometric photos.
• old identity card, valid passport or old (expired) passport
• birth certificate or family register, if applicable
• for children under the age of 16: both custodial parents or, if applicable, a declaration of consent from the custodial parent who is not present
  • in the case of sole custody, a negative certificate from the youth welfare office

From May 1, 2025, only digitally created biometric photographs will be accepted in the application process.
The photo can be taken by external service providers (e.g. photographers) who make it available to the ID card authority in a cloud for retrieval.
Alternatively, digital photos can usually also be taken at the ID card authority. Find out before your appointment whether the photo can be taken at the authority.
Printed passport photos you have brought with you or digital passport photos you have taken yourself cannot (or can no longer) be processed.

The obligation to apply for an identity card applies to you if you

• have German citizenship,
• have reached the age of 16,
• are registered in Germany and
• do not have a valid passport document, i.e. passport or temporary passport.

For applications outside your main place of residence:

• You must be able to provide an important reason why you are not applying for the ID card at the ID card authority that is responsible at your main place of residence.
• Exception: The temporary ID card cannot be applied for abroad.

If the validity of your old ID card has expired and you are over 16 years old, you must apply for a new ID card immediately if you do not have a valid passport document.

There are no indications or special features.

• New ID card issued due to expiry of validity
• If the person is over 16 years old, a new ID card must be applied for before the ID card expires. This does not apply to persons under the age of 16 (no obligation to hold a valid ID card) or to persons who hold a valid passport document (passport, temporary passport).
• Additional application for a temporary identity card may be necessary if the identity card has expired and no valid passport is available
• Costs:
  • EUR 37.00 for applicants aged 24 and over
  • EUR 22.80 for applicants under 24 years of age
  • EUR 10.00 for the temporary identity card
  • EUR 13.00 surcharge for applications submitted outside office hours or not at the main place of residence
  • EUR 30.00 surcharge for issuance by a consular or diplomatic mission abroad. Exception: The temporary ID card cannot be applied for abroad.
• Processing time: Collection usually possible after at least 2 weeks
• Responsible: Citizens' office at your main place of residence or, if there is an important reason, any other citizens' office

Service hotline for the ID card and the online ID function
Phone +49 1801 333333
E-mail eID_buergerservice@bmi.bund.de
Opening hours Monday 08:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00
Friday 08:00 - 17:00
Other information Chargeable: EUR 0.39
per minute from a German landline, maximum EUR 0.42 per minute from a German mobile phone

Offices and municipalities, large cities belonging to districts, independent cities