Service Portal Niedersachsen Startseite
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IMPORTANT: Select a location.To obtain application forms, location-specific information and contacts, select a town or zip code.

For an area outside of Lower Saxony and foreign languages, some menu items and functions are not available. Please go to the service page of the respective country.

Please specify an area.

Which place to enter?

The location is used to determine the responsible office for the selected administrative service. In most cases you can enter your place of residence to find the competent authority. However, there are also cases in which a different location must be specified. Here are some examples:

Birth certificateYou want to get married and need a birth certificate. You live in Hanover, but you were born in Celle. You must therefore state your place of birth, i.e. Celle.

Business registrationYou would like to register a business in Braunschweig. Your place of residence is Hanover. You must therefore state the location of your future business, i.e. Braunschweig.

Apply for a building permitYou would like to build a house in Wunstorf and therefore apply for a building permit. Her place of residence is currently Hanover. You must indicate the place where the house is to be built. In this case it is Wunstorf.

Applying for a new social security card

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The social security card is a record containing your social security number in addition to your personal details.

The social security number will be used by your employer to identify you in all social security declarations (e.g. registrations, deregistrations and annual social insurance reports). The social security number remains the same throughout a person’s lifetime. The German pension insurance fund will keep your account under this number.

If you lose or damage your card, you may apply for a new social security card

  • online,
  • at an information and advice centre of the German pension insurance fund, or
  • at the health insurance fund.

If you start a new job, you must show your social security card to your employer. If you do not yet have a social security number, you may register without one. Registration by your employer will then launch the new assignment of a social security number. Your social security card will be sent to you automatically.

You will also need a social security card when applying for a social security benefit, such as unemployment benefit.

If you change your name, for example if you get married, you will automatically receive a new social security card.

Note: Your social security card also displays your data as a machine-readable code (QR Code). 

Who should I contact?

German pension insurance fund (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund)

Freephone helpline:
Tel.: 0800 10004800

Office hours:
Monday to Thursday from 7.30 to 19.30
Friday from 7.30 to 15.30

Requirements

N/A

Applications / forms

Forms: N/A
Can I apply online? Yes
Do I need to apply in writing? No
Do I need to apply in person? No

Which documents are required?

N/A

What are the fees?

N/A

Process flow

If you lose or damage your card, you may apply for a new social security card online or at an information and advice centre of the German pension insurance fund or at the health insurance fund.

You will receive your social security card by post at your home address.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

N/A

Processing duration

Once you have applied, your social security card will be sent to your home address within 14 days.

What else should I know?

N/A

Legal basis

Supporting institutions

All social security institutions, in particular statutory pension and health insurance.

Source: Serviceportal Niedersachsen (Portalverbund des Bundes und der Länder)

Further Links

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Single points of contact of the state of Lower Saxony, Single points of contact of the countries of Europe, advice and assistance for EU citizens and their families.
Access information on the single point of contact for the state of Lower Saxonyvisit Website Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEsVisit advice and assistance for EU citizens and their families