ID cards can also be issued for children (from birth). For children under 16 years of age, the application must be made by their legal guardians. The child must be present in person when applying.

Applications for ID cards can only be submitted in person by appointment during opening hours at the Embassy, the Consulate General, or at our Honorary Consuls. The ID cards are printed by the Federal Printing Office in Berlin. Please allow a processing time of up to 6 to 8 weeks. The validity period of the ID card is 6 years for applicants under 24 years of age, and 10 years otherwise.

Required Documents for Application:

(Documents in original form, plus one copy of each)

• Application form completed in block letters, in the child’s name
• Required Signatures on the Application:
  • For children born within a marriage, generally from both parents.
  • For children born outside of marriage, if both parents have custody, generally from both parents.
  • For children from divorced parents with sole custody, from the parent who has custody. Please include the custody order.
• Previous child ID card/passport, passport - in original form
• Previous ID card (if applicable)
• Child's birth certificate
• Valid passports and/or ID cards of both parents
• Proof of German citizenship of the child and/or parents (German passport or citizenship certificate)
• For naturalisation abroad (of the parents and/or the child): foreign naturalisation certificate and certificate approving the retention of German citizenship
• Otherwise, VEVO extract (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) for both parents and child, which should not be older than 2 weeks.
• If applicable: Proof of other citizenships and how they were acquired
• Marriage certificate of the parents or, for children of unmarried parents, the mother’s birth certificate. If the child’s or parent’s name has been legally changed after a marriage abroad, please bring the name change certificate.
• De-registration certificate from the last German address (if moving from Germany or if the German address is still listed in the passport. Not required if the child has never lived in Germany.)
• Proof of address of the parents in Australia (e.g., Australian driver’s license)
• 2 identical, recent passport photos with a light background
• A prepaid envelope addressed to your address (available at any post office), if you would like the card to be returned by post. German missions abroad are not liable for loss or damage during postal delivery or courier services.

Please note that your application cannot be processed if the above documents are incomplete. You should therefore expect that a new appointment will be necessary if documents are missing. Please bring birth certificates, name certificates and marriage certificates with you in particular. Your application cannot be processed without these documents!

This information applies to the majority of individual cases. Due to the complexity of German passport and ID card law and the variety of possible circumstances, deviations are possible in each individual case, and further documents may be requested if necessary.