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Apply for a passport replacement for foreigners from non-EU countries (travel document for foreigners)

All foreign nationals must have a recognised and valid passport or passport substitute.

German passport substitutes may only be issued to non-German nationals in special exceptional cases, as this interferes with the passport sovereignty of another country.

The travel document for foreigners is such a passport substitute. It may only be issued to you under certain conditions if you are a citizen or national of a non-EU country and can prove that you do not have a passport or passport substitute and cannot reasonably obtain one.

If you are not in possession of a passport or passport substitute, you must therefore first apply to the competent authorities of your country of origin, e.g. the diplomatic mission abroad, for the issue of a passport or passport substitute. When applying for a travel document for foreigners, you should, if possible, provide evidence of your efforts in this regard.

There is no entitlement to the issue of a travel document for foreigners. It is always a case-by-case decision that is only made in special exceptional cases. Only the formal framework conditions are listed here.

Note: You will not receive a travel document if the country you come from does not issue you a passport or passport substitute for reasons that also exist in German passport law.

Please note: You can also obtain a travel document as a

  • Refugee on the basis of the Geneva Refugee Convention or
  • Stateless person or a stateless person on the basis of the Stateless Persons Convention

Note: As a national or citizen of the countries listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, you can obtain an emergency travel document under certain conditions. You can find detailed information on this in the text"Applying for a passport replacement for foreign nationals (emergency travel document)".

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

  • You are a citizen or national of a non-EU country
  • You do not have a passport or passport substitute and
  • it is not reasonably possible for you to obtain one. The following are considered reasonable,
    • to apply for a new or renewed passport in good time before your passport expires and to co-operate in the official procedure in your country of origin,
    • to pay the fees generally set by the country of origin or
    • to fulfil compulsory military service, unless it is unreasonable to expect you to do so for compelling reasons, and to fulfil other reasonable civic duties.

A further requirement is that you

  • have a residence permit, settlement permit or EU permanent residence permit or
  • You are to receive a residence permit, settlement permit or EU permanent residence permit together with the travel document or
  • You are to be allowed to leave the federal territory permanently or
  • if you are an asylum seeker, there is an urgent public interest in issuing the travel document, compelling reasons require this or there would be undue hardship if the travel document is not issued to you and your asylum procedure is not jeopardised as a result.

Responsible department

The foreigners authority in whose district you usually reside. Depending on where you live, the foreigners authority is the city administration or the district administration.

Procedure

You must apply for a travel document in person at the relevant office. You will also receive the necessary application form there.

As soon as the ID card is ready, you will receive

  • information and can collect the card from the relevant office or
  • a notice of refusal.

The period of validity of your travel document is linked to the validity of your residence title or residence permit. The maximum period of validity is

  • for persons who are not yet 24 years old at the time of issue: six years
  • for persons who are 24 years or older at the time of issue: ten years
  • for children under 12 years of age, if the travel document is to be issued exceptionally without an electronic storage and processing medium: one year, up to the age of 12 at the latest
  • in individual cases, for example if the travel document is issued for the final departure from Germany: a maximum of one month

You can also apply for the travel document as a temporary travel document. It is then valid for a maximum of one year.

The competent authority may determine that the travel document should only be valid for certain countries or parts of the world.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

  • a biometric passport photo in passport format 45 x 35 mm
  • Proof of identity and nationality: for example, expired travel documents, certificates or affidavits

Costs

  • Travel document for foreigners aged 24 and over: EUR 100.00
  • Travel document for foreigners under 24 years of age: EUR 97.00
  • Travel document for refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettlement refugees aged 24 and over: EUR 70.00
  • Travel document for refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettlement refugees up to the age of 24: EUR 38.00
  • temporary travel document for foreigners: EUR 67.00
  • temporary travel document for refugees, stateless persons, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or resettlement refugees: EUR 26.00
  • Travel document without storage medium for foreigners, refugees, stateless persons, persons entitled to subsidiary protection or resettlement refugees up to the age of 12: EUR 14.00
  • Extension of a temporary travel document for foreigners, refugees or stateless persons: EUR 20.00

Processing time

four to six weeks

Miscellaneous

none

Appeal

Objection

Action before the administrative court

Legal basis

Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV):

  • § 1 Begriffsbestimmungen
  • § 4 Deutsche Passersatzpapiere für Ausländer
  • § 5 Allgemeine Voraussetzungen der Ausstellung eines Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 6 Ausstellung des Reiseausweises für Ausländer im Inland
  • § 8 Gültigkeitsdauer des Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 9 Räumlicher Geltungsbereich des Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 11 Verfahren der Ausstellung oder Verlängerung des Reiseausweises für Ausländer
  • § 48 Gebühren für pass- und ausweisrechtliche Maßnahmen

Protokoll über die Rechtsstellung der Flüchtlinge von 1967 (Genfer Flüchtlingskonvention):

  • Artikel 28 Reiseausweise

Übereinkommen über die Rechtsstellung der Staatenlosen (Staatenlosenübereinkommen):

  • Artikel 28 Reiseausweise

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Justizministerium Baden-Württemberg, 29.08.2024