General information

Biometric passports and ID cards can only be applied for in person upon appointment since it is required to scan the applicant’s fingerprints. It is no longer possible to extend existing passports or ID cards.

Biometric passports issued to applicants under 24 years of age are valid for 6 years; for applicants over 24 years of age the validity is 10 years.

Please note that your application can only be accepted if the documents below are complete. If the documentation is incomplete you might have to make a new appointment.

Documents required

The following original documents are required for an application:

• Checklist Please print out the checklist and organise all documents according to the list. Checklist
• Application form (Please fill in in block letters and sign the form) passport-application-adult
• Current Passport and/or identity card (also if already expired)
• Birth certificate including information about parents (if in another language than German or English, please also provide a sworn translation into German or English)
• Marriage certificate/extract of German family book, if applicable (if in another language than German or English, please provide a German or English sworn translation of the certificate)
• Confirmation of name declaration, if applicable

• German naturalisation certificate, if applicable
• PhD certificate, if applicable and if you wish to have your title (“Dr”) entered in the passport
• De-registration form (‘Abmeldebestätigung’) from your last local authority (only applicable if the last place of residence was in Germany or if a German place of residence is still shown in the passport)
• Recent proof of address in Ireland (e.g. utility bill or bank statement)
• Two recent, identical, biometric passport photos with a bright background (Passport Photos) not older than 3 months
• Self-addressed, prepaid large envelope (9.50 Euro for registered post). Envelopes and stamps can be purchased for 12 Euro at the Embassy.
• Fingerprints for biometric passports, to be taken at the time of application

Processing time

Biometric passports are printed at the Federal Printing Office in Berlin. You can keep your existing passport during the processing time, if you need to travel and the passport is still valid. The processing time is 8-10 weeks. An express option reduces the processing time to 3-4 weeks for an additional fee of €32.

Fees

Fees can be paid in cash or with credit card (Master-/ Visa card). We cannot accept Maestro- or American Express cards. Payment with mobile phone, smart watch or through an online payment provider is not possible. For security reasons, mobile phones have to be switched off before entering the premises and locked into our onsite storage lockers.

Appointment booking

To apply for a German passport or ID card in the German Embassy, you need to make one appointment per applicant. If you would like to apply for both a passport and an identification card, you can book only one appointment but please prepare two application forms.

You can book an appointment online via our booking system.
Our appointment booking system is active for up to 6 weeks in advance, new slots are therefore released daily. When a cancellation occurs, the slot is released automatically.
Please note that the appointments shown online are the only and earliest appointments available.
The Embassy is not able to offer earlier appointments than the ones given on the appointment schedule (not even via telephone or email due to data protection).

For the protection of your privacy, please note that the Embassy only allows entry to the passport section five minutes before your scheduled appointment. For safety reasons, please refrain from bringing larger pieces of luggage such as suitcases of any kind or backpacks.

If you live in the administrative district of our Honorary Consul in Galway, please contact him via email if applicable.

He can offer the following service:

• applications for children’s passports
• applications for biometric passports for children up to the age of six

Passport applications of applicants living in Northern Ireland can be lodged with Honorary Consul, Dr. Marion Lübbeke. Please contact her via email to schedule an appointment.

Name declaration

A name declaration is most likely necessary if any of the following statements apply to you. Please note that the name declaration has to take place before you apply for a new passport document.

• You got married in a country other than Germany and would like to apply for a passport issued in your new name.
• You got divorced and would like to apply for a passport issued in the name you had before you were married.

  Click here for more information on name declarations