The German Identity Card (, ) is issued to German nationals by local registration offices in Germany and diplomatic missions abroad, while it is produced at the Bundesdruckerei in Berlin.
Obligation of identification Legal requirement in Germany According to German law, every German national aged 16 or older, whose primary registered address and domicile are in Germany, must possess either an identity card or a passport as a form of identification. This legal requirement ensures that individuals can confirm and verify their identity when necessary. Simultaneous possession of both documents is allowed, but only those who do not have a passport are required to have an identity card. While police officers and certain government officials have the right to request these documents, there is no obligation to carry them at all times. However, exceptional circumstances may require carrying an identity document, such as when carrying certain weapons.
Issuance and availability The German National Identity Card is issued by the municipal registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) in the individual's district of residency. While it's not mandatory, German nationals living outside of Germany can also obtain the identity card through German embassies and consulates. To obtain or renew the card, individuals must undergo an in-person identity verification process.
Similar to German passports, German identity cards remain valid for ten years. However, if the cardholder is under 24 years old at the time of issuance, the validity period is six years.
The ID card currently costs 37 euros (22.80 euros if the holder is under 24 years old on the date of issue) when issued within Germany.
Travel validity The validity of the German identity card for travel extends to all member states of the European Union, the Schengen Area, as well as the other European microstates such as San Marino, Vatican City, Monaco, and Andorra.
Entry is also possible in the Western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (up to 90 days within 180 days), Kosovo, North Macedonia (up to 90 days within 180 days), Montenegro (up to 90 days within 180 days), and Serbia (up to 90 days within 180 days).
Furthermore, the German identity card serves as a recognized travel document in several other regions, including Egypt (where two photographs are required for an accompanying card), the Faroe Islands, all French overseas territories, Georgia, Gibraltar, Republic of Moldova, Northern Cyprus (up to 90 days), Turkey (up to 90 days within 180 days), and Tunisia (as part of a package tour by air).
Limitations and exceptions Most other countries require a passport and, in some cases, a travel visa. The United Kingdom (including all dependent territories except Gibraltar), Greenland, and the non-European parts of the Netherlands do not accept the German identity card for entry.
When flying to French overseas territories, passengers may need to avoid transitional points in countries that do not recognize the ID card.
In the United Kingdom, when crossing the UK border and visiting the country, there is an exception until at least 31 December 2025 for accepting German identity cards only from individuals who have settled or pre-settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme.
History
German ID card evolution During the Middle Ages, in the Holy Roman Empire—also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation—coats of arms, medals, and guild symbols functioned as important forms of identification.
From 1808, nobility register (in Bavaria).
In 1850, the precursor to the German identity card (Personalausweis) was the Passkarte (Pass card), which was introduced in the member states of the German Confederation. Unlike the modern-day identity card and passport, the Passkarte consisted of only a one-page document containing the personal description of the Pass card holder. It was valid for one year and allowed border crossings within the German Confederation without requiring special entry or exit permits. The cost of a Passkarte was 17.5 Kreuzer, equivalent to 5 Silbergroschen.
From 1916, the Personalausweis (Identity card) became the identification document substitute for the Passkarte (Pass card) in the German Empire, published in the Reichsgesetzblatt 1916, Volume No. 143, Act No. 5291, pp. 601–609. It included a photograph of the individual, an imprint of the left thumb, and a wealth of personally identifiable information.
From 1938, the Kennkarte (Identification card) in the German Reich served as a precursor to the modern-day Personalausweis (Identity card). The Kennkarte was the basic identification document used during the Third Reich era in Germany. It was compulsory for German men of conscription age, and compulsory for local border traffic. For Jewish citizens, as defined in the "First Ordinance of the Reich Citizenship Law" (Reichsbürgergesetz) enacted on November 14, 1935, obtaining and carrying this card was obligatory, as it marked them as Jewish and distinguished them from the rest of the German population; these cards were printed with a prominent 'J' imprint.
From 1939, identification and fingerprints were mandatory in German-occupied countries for police registration of residents; the holder had to carry this identification card (in book form) at all times.
With the beginning of the Second World War, compulsory identification was introduced. On September 10, 1939, the regulation on compulsory passport and visa stamps and compulsory identification was published in the Reichsgesetzblatt.
Due to the controversial special status of the four-sector Allied-occupied city of Berlin in the divided Germany of 1945–1990, only the "Provisional Identity Card" (Behelfsmäßige Personalausweis) without any indication of the issuing state was issued in East Berlin until 1953 and in West Berlin until 1990. The identity card that West Berliners received until 1990 did not feature the Federal Eagle due to a reservation by the Allied-occupied protecting powers of Berlin.
On January 1, 1951, the identity card (Personalausweis) was issued in the then-established Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and in West Berlin. It took the form of a hardcover small book in DIN A7 format (74 mm × 105 mm) with a dark grey cover for the Federal Republic and a dark green cover for West Berlin.
Additionally, from November 1, 1953, blue identity cards in hardcover small book form were issued in the then-established German Democratic Republic (East Germany) to individuals aged 14 and above.
In West Germany, including West Berlin, an improved tamper-proof identity card was developed in the 1980s. These cards were plastic-laminated and had document paper inset in the ID-2 format, as described in ISO/IEC 7810 (paper format DIN A7, 74 mm × 105 mm). They were issued from April 1987 onward. To prevent counterfeiting, it contained watermarks, , microprinting, fluorescent dyes, multi-colour fluorescent fibres, micro-perforation, including engraving and laser engraving on the laminated surface. The holder's photograph was printed directly onto the document paper inset, so it could not be removed or replaced by a different one (unlike the older ID documents, where the affixed photograph was eyelet riveted to the document page and over-stamped with the issuing authority ink seal).
After the German reunification on 3 October 1990, the West German laminated identity card was introduced in the former East German territory; unexpired East German identity document books could still be used until 31 December 1995.
On November 1, 2001, the on the laminate of the ID card as an additional security feature with holographic and kinematic elements was introduced.
Biometric data and security On January 9, 2002, an amendment to the law allowing the use of biometric data was introduced. The introduction was justified with reference to UN Resolution 1373 of September 28, 2001, as a result of the terrorist September 11 attacks. The former Federal Minister of the Interior Otto Schily played a significant role in the legislation through the anti-terror laws he initiated.
In November 2010, the new electronic identity card (nPA, formerly ePA) was introduced in ID-1 format (credit card size) with a 13.56 MHz RFID chip (embedded in the top right) in which the personal data and biometric data (photograph and optionally two fingerprints) are stored. This would make it easier to identify the cardholder and the card can be used for official online services and E-commerce. The fee was raised to 28.80 euros; from January 1, 2021, 37 euros.
On November 1, 2019, the new electronic identity card (nPA) underwent minor textual adjustments concerning the information field on the surname and surname at birth.
On August 2, 2021 (version number 2108), the nPA was adapted to Regulation (EU) 2019/1157. The changes relate to the fact that the country code "DE" is shown in white in the blue European flag on the front and that two fingerprints (as an encrypted image file) are now mandatory on the identity card. In addition, the version number has been added to the machine-readable zone of the identity card. The mandatory storage of two fingerprints (both index fingers, failing this, thumbprints) has met with criticism from data protection advocates but is intended to enable unambiguous identification. However, a report by the Netzwerk Datenschutzexpertise (Network for Data Protection Expertise) concludes that unambiguous identification is also possible with an imprint of the little finger.
On May 2, 2024 (version number 2405) the Doctorate was moved to the back.
Planned changes: On May 1, 2025, photographs for ID cards and passports should only be created at government offices or by professional certified photographers and transmitted digitally to prevent facial morphing or manipulation.
Physical appearance
The current German ID card is an ID-1 plastic card (credit card size) with an embedded RFID chip. Biometric data, including fingerprints and a digital photograph, are stored on the chip. However, no central file of biometric data is created upon issuance. The card features multi-colour guillochés and appears green-brown from a distance. The legend texts, as well as the terms "Federal Republic of Germany" and "Identity Card", are also translated into English and French—the two working languages of the UN.
Front side
The front side shows the German Eagle and the words " / FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY / " and " / IDENTITY CARD / ". It contains the following information:
Photo of ID card holder (biometric photo) Document number (9 alphanumeric digits) Access number for RFID chip (6 decimal digits)This number should be blackened out when making copies of the ID card, according to the official instructions Surname Doctorate (until 2024; only if holder holds this degree) Birthname (only if differing from current surname) Given name(s) Date of birth (dd.mm.yyyy) Nationality () Place of birth (Only the city/town of birth, no country) Date of expiry (dd.mm.yyyy) Signature of holder
Rear side
The rear side shows the Brandenburg Gate. It contains the following information:
Colour of eyes Height in cm Date of issue (dd.mm.yy) Issuing authority Residence (postal code, town, street, house number) Doctorate (since 2024; only if holder holds this degree) Religious name or Pseudonym (only if holder has one) Machine-readable zone
Machine-readable zone The MRZ is structured according to the ICAO standard for machine-readable ID cards:
First line positions text meaning 1–2 ID identity document 3 D issuing country: Germany () 6–14 alphanumeric digits document number 15 decimal digit check digit over 6–14
Second line