General information

Please note that all passport applicants have to book an appointment early in advance. Passport applicants are required to apply in person and bring the application form as well as relevant documents after making an appointment. Where minors are concerned, the child and both the parents or the guardian of the applicant must be present at the appointment.

Passport application for persons over the age of 18

Biometric passports can only be applied for in person upon appointment since fingerprints are required. It is no longer possible to extend existing passports. Biometric passports are printed at the Federal Printing Office in Berlin.

You can keep your existing passport during processing time, if you need to travel and the passport is still valid

Biometric passports issued to applicants under 24 are valid for 6 years; for applicants over 24 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.

The following is required for an application:

(Please provide the ORIGINAL and ONE PHOTOCOPY FOR EVERY DOCUMENT, including current/last passport and driver's licence)

• Application form
• Two recent, identical, biometric passport photos
• current/ last German passport (not applicable for first time applications)
• Full Birth certificate (if in another language, please also provide a translation into German or English)
• Marriage certificate, if applicable (if in another language, please provide a German or English translation of the certificate)
• Certificate of name Change, if applicable
• German naturalisation certificate, if applicable
• If naturalized abroad: naturalization certificate and “Beibehaltungsurkunde”
• If applicable: Citizenship certificate
• If you are a resident in Australia (not a citizen):
  Current VEVO (not older than 2 weeks)
  Visa Entitlement Verification Online
• If applicable: proof of other citizenships and how you acquired them
• proof of residence in Australia (e.g. Australian driver's licence)
• a prepaid, waterproof plastic satchel with your address from Australia Post (preferably Express Post Platinum Express Post with signature on delivery or Parcel Post with signature on delivery) unless the passport will be collected directly at the Consulate General Sydney or at the Embassy Canberra. Paper envelopes of any kind are not suitable for shipment of the passport because of the risk of damage during transport. Please, note that the German Missions cannot be held responsible for loss or damage due to postal or courier service delivery of the passports.
• 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)

Your status of registration affects the fee for your passport application and therefore has to be clarified before submitting your application!
In accordance with German registration law, German citizens who usually reside overseas have to notify their local registration office of their departure. Should you still be registered in Germany or is your current passport showing a German domicile you are advised to contact your responsible local registry office, clarify your status of registration and obtain a current registration or de-registration form. Please inform your responsible local registry office that this form is essential in order for you to apply for a new passport.
If you are still rightfully registered in Germany and apply for a new passport in Australia, an additional fee (for residence outside of our jurisdiction) applies.

In case you apply for a German passport for the first time and if you are German by descent, you need to add the following documents to your application (original and copy):

• current German and Foreign passports of your parents
• if existing: German passports or German ID-card of the German parent at the time of birth
• if applicable, marriage certificate of parents (if married in Australia, their Australian “registered marriage certificate” - issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages)
• if applicable, your certificate of naturalisation or the certificate of naturalisation of your parents
• if applicable, foreign certificate of naturalisation of your parents
• if applicable, certificate of acquisition of the German citizenship by declaration

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

The information provided above refers to most routine cases. Due to the complexity of the German passport law and the multitude of conceivable case scenarios each individual case may have to be treated differently and further documents can be requested.

Passports for children under the age of 18

There are two types of passports for minors:

1. Biometric passports: Biometric passports can be issued from birth onwards regardless of age. The biometric passport for minors is valid for 6 years and are printed at the Federal Printing Office in Berlin.
2. Child passports (Kinderreisepässe): The children's passport has been abolished from 1 January 2024. Children's passports issued or applied for before 1 January 2024 are generally valid until the printed expiry date.

Both types of passports can only be applied for in person (parents and child) upon appointment. Extensions of existing documents are no longer possible. Since 26 June 2012 every child needs their own German travel document. Entries in their parents’ passports are not valid anymore and will not allow them to travel. You can keep your existing passport during processing time, if you need to travel and the passport is still valid.

Important for FIRST TIME APPLICATIONS: Sometimes it is necessary to do a name declaration before you can apply for the first passport for your child. Please read the information provided:

Name declaration for children

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.

The following is required for an application:

(Please provide the ORIGINAL and ONE PHOTOCOPY FOR EVERY DOCUMENT, including last passport and driver's licence)

• Application form
• Signatures are required as follows:
  
  • Children born to married parents: both parents
  • Children born out of marriage, if both parents have custody: both parents
  • Children of separated parents: the parent who has custody. Please provide the court custody order.
• In exceptional cases only: If one parent cannot be present, the application can still proceed with just one parent attending, provided the signature of the absent parent has been certified on the form below (Einverständniserklärung) and the original passport or a certified passport copy is enclosed. Important: Certifications must be done either by a German Honorary Consul, a German Mission Abroad, Australian police or a notary public (with seal).
  Consent of absent parent for isssuing a passport to a child
• Child’s current passport/ID card, if applicable
• Child’s birth certificate -if in another language, please also provide a translation into German or English.
• For children who were born after 01/01/2000 in Germany to foreign parents and who became German automatically by law (§ 4 Abs 3 of the German Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz) please provide a certificate from the German registry office where the child was born confirming the German citizenship (‘Auszug aus dem Geburtenregister’).
• Valid passports/ identity cards of both parents.
• Parent's Marriage certificate/extract of family book if applicable (if in another language, please provide a German or English translation of the certificate)
• If parents are not married, please provide: birth certificate of mother.
• If applicable: divorce order of parents or death certificate of parent
• Proof of citizenship: child’s naturalisation certificate or parent’s naturalisation certificate, including “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung” if applicable;
• required from the German parent and child if child does not have Australian citizenship: Printout (not older than two weeks) of the VEVO:
  Visa Entitlement Verfication Online“
• If applicable: proof of other citizenships and how you acquired them
• If the child or one of the parents has made a name declaration, please bring the confirmation of name declaration.
• Most recent German local authority de-registration form (‘Abmeldebestätigung’) – only if the last place of residence was in Germany or if a German place of residence is shown in the passport. The child's status of registration affects the fee for the passport application and therefore has to be clarified before submitting the application!
• Recent proof of address in Australia (Australian driver's licence)
• Two recent, identical, passport photos with a bright background. From the age of 6, biometric photos are required.
• a prepaid, waterproof plastic satchel with your address from Australia Post (preferably Express Post Platinum Express Post with signature on delivery or Parcel Post with signature on delivery) unless the passport will be collected directly at the Consulate General Sydney or at the Embassy Canberra. Paper envelopes of any kind are not suitable for shipment of the passport because of the risk of damage during transport. Please, note that the German Missions cannot be held responsible for loss or damage due to postal or courier service delivery of the passports.

Please ensure that you have all documents with you at your appointment, as incomplete applications cannot be accepted and you will be required to make another appointment.
The information provided above refers to most routine cases presented to German Missions in Australia. Due to the complexity of the German passport law and the multitude of conceivable case Scenarios, each individual case may have to be treated differently and further documents can be requested.

Temporary passports

Since the production and shipment of biometric passports can take up to several weeks, the German Consulate can issue a temporary passport in addition to the biometric passport in case of proven emergencies. A temporary passport is valid up to 1 year and will be invalidated upon receipt of the biometric passport.

Passport applicants are required to apply in person and by appointment.

Please note: Some countries do not accept the temporary passport as valid travel document (e.g. no visa-free entry to the US). We therefore recommend you to check with the airline resp. with the country of destination before you apply.

The following is required for an application:

(Please provide the ORIGINAL and ONE PHOTOCOPY FOR EVERY DOCUMENT, including last passport and driver's licence)

• Application form (see below)
• Two recent, identical, biometric passport photos
• current/ last German passport (not applicable for first time applications)
• Full Birth certificate (if in another language, please also provide a translation into German or English)
• Marriage certificate, if applicable (if in another language, please provide a German or English translation of the certificate)
• Certificate of name change, if applicable
• German naturalisation certificate, if applicable
• If naturalized abroad: naturalization certificate and ”Beibehaltungsurkunde“
• If applicable: Citizenship certificate
• If you are a resident in Australia (not a citizen): Current VEVO (not older than 2 weeks)
  Visa Entitlement Verification Online
• proof of residence in Australia (e.g. Australian driver's licence)
• a prepaid, waterproof plastic satchel with your address from Australia Post (preferably Express Post Platinum Express Post with signature on delivery or Parcel Post with signature on delivery) unless the passport will be collected directly at the Consulate General Sydney or at the Embassy Canberra. Paper envelopes of any kind are not suitable for shipment of the passport because of the risk of damage during transport. Please, note that the German Missions cannot be held responsible for loss or damage due to postal or courier service delivery of the passports.
• 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)

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

Lost or stolen passport

If you have lost your passport or your passport has been stolen you will need to report this to the authority that issued this passport (e.g. if your passport was issued in Berlin you will have to report the lost/stolen passport to the passport office in Berlin). If your passport was issued in Australia, please contact the Consulate General in Sydney (unless your passport was issued by the German Embassy in Canberra - in this case contact the Embassy directly).

You also have to get a police report about the lost or stolen passport. You will need the police report to apply for a new passport.

Loss of passport declaration

Contact the Consulate General in Sydney

Contact the Embassy in Canberra

Change of address in passport

Changes of address can be done in person or via postal application. Please send/ bring the following documents:

• Your passport
• If you are also an Australian citizen: Australian naturalization/ citizenship certificate and ”Beibehaltungsurkunde“ if applicable
• If you are not also an Australian citizenship: Current VEVO (not older than two weeks)
  Visa Entitlement Verification Online
• If applicable: proof of any other citizenship
• Most recent German local authority de-registration form (‘Abmeldebestätigung’ - only applicable, if the last place of residence was in Germany or if a German place of residence is shown in the passport
• Recent proof of address in Australia (e.g. Australian driver's licence)
• a prepaid, waterproof plastic satchel with your address from Australia Post (preferably Express Post Platinum Express Post with signature on delivery or Parcel Post with signature on delivery) unless the passport will be collected directly at the Consulate General Sydney or at the Embassy Canberra. Paper envelopes of any kind are not suitable for shipment of the passport because of the risk of damage during transport. Please, note that the German Missions cannot be held responsible for loss or damage due to postal or courier service delivery of the passports.
• application form

Changes of address are free of charge.

Passport fees

Please read our general information about fees and methods of payment.

Biometrical passport photos

The photo needs to display a full frontal view of the face. The size of the photo must be 35mm x 45mm. The size of the face from the bottom of your chin to the hairline must be between 32mm (1 ¼ inches) and 36mm (1 3/8 inches). Please look directly into the camera with a neutral expression and without smiling.

The facial image must be sharp, clear, and with sufficient contrast. Please avoid photos with reflections or shadows on the face or with red eyes. The background should be neutral and light, providing sufficient contrast to the face and hair (a neutral gray). Reflection from glasses, sunglasses, or tinted glasses is not permitted. The eyes cannot be hidden by the glass frames.

The photo needs to be printed on high-quality paper with at least 600 dpi resolution; the colours must present a natural appearance and skin tone. The photo must not have kinks, scratches or stains on it.

For more Information see this brochure