Apply for an identity card
As a person with German citizenship, you can have an identity card issued. If you have reached the age of 16 and do not have a valid passport, you must apply for an ID card.
The period of validity of your ID card depends on your age at the time of application:
- Application under the age of 24: ID card is valid for 6 years.
- Application from the age of 24: ID card is valid for 10 years.
Your ID card loses its validity before the expiry date entered on it if
- Entries no longer apply or
- your photo is no longer clearly suitable for identification purposes. This may be the case in particular with ID cards for infants or very young children.
There is one exception: a change of address or height will not invalidate your ID card.
You also have the option of applying for a temporary ID card. This is valid for a maximum of 3 months.
You can submit the application to your identity card authority at your main place of residence, which is usually the Citizens' Registration Office.
If there is an important reason, you can also apply for an ID card at an authority outside the jurisdiction of your place of residence. This may result in additional costs.
Who should I contact?
The responsibility lies with the municipality, the Joint Community and the city in which the main residence is located.
Responsible authorities
Samtgemeinde Lengerich - Bürgerbüro
Contact
- Lengerich:
- Apply for a temporary identity card
- Apply for an identity card
- Certificate of eligibility
- Certificate of voting rights
- Change of identity card due to change of address
- Change of residence
- Examination eligibility certificate
- Express passport issue
- Passport issuance
- Passport issuance provisionally
- Passport notification due to loss
- Reporting the loss of your own ID card
- Residence Deregistration
- Residence Registration as main residence
- Tax Life Certificate: Issuance
- Lengerich:
- Apply for a temporary identity card
- Apply for a travel trade license
- Apply for an identity card
- Business re-registration
- Certificate of eligibility
- Certificate of voting rights
- Change of identity card due to change of address
- Change of residence
- Citizens' advice
- Deregister trade
- Examination eligibility certificate
- Express passport issue
- Information blocking device
- Naturalization: Approval - for foreigners entitled to naturalization
- Passport issuance
- Passport issuance provisionally
- Passport notification due to loss
- Register a business
- Registration certificate issued
- Reporting the loss of your own ID card
- Residence Deregistration
- Residence Registration as main residence
- Tax Life Certificate: Issuance
Requirements
- You have German citizenship
For applications outside your main place of residence:
- You must be able to provide an important reason why you are not applying for the ID card at the ID card authority at your main place of residence.
Applications / forms
Forms available: No.
Written form required: Yes.
Informal application possible: Yes.
Personal appearance required: Yes.
Online services available: No.
Which documents are required?
- Proof of identity, for example
- old identity card,
- valid passport or children's passport
- current biometric photograph
- birth certificate, if applicable
- If applicable: certificate with current name, for example
- birth certificate, marriage certificate, marriage certificate,
- family register
- Declaration on the use of the name
- for children under the age of 16: Declaration of consent by the legal guardian
- if there is only one parent or legal guardian, additional proof of custody
What are the fees?
- EUR 37.00 for applicants aged 24 and over
- EUR 22.80 for applicants under 24 years of age
- EUR 10.00 for the temporary identity card
- EUR 13.00 surcharge for applications submitted outside working hours or at a non-competent authority
- EUR 30.00 surcharge for application at any Citizens' Registration Office by Germans residing abroad
Fee reductions or exemptions are possible for those in need. This is at the discretion of the identity card authority.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
If the validity of your old ID card has expired and you are over 16 years old, you must apply for a new ID card immediately if you do not have a valid passport document.
What else should I know?
The EU logo on the front of the ID card introduced on August 2, 2021 will not invalidate ID cards without this logo.