Apply for a new identity card if you lose it

The obligation to apply for an identity card applies to you if you

• have German citizenship,
• have reached the age of 16,
• are registered in Germany,
• do not have a valid passport or provisional passport.

For the application outside of your main place of residence:

• You must be able to demonstrate an important reason why you are not applying for an identity card from the identity card authority at your main place of residence.
• If you are registered in Hamburg with a secondary residence, the approval of the identity card authority at the place of your main residence is required for the issuance of the ID document. When applying, a non-responsibility surcharge applies, which means that the costs of the issuance increase.

• Biometric passport photo: The photo must
  • be up to date and
  • meet the photo requirements for electronic ID cards.
• If available and not yet validated: old ID card or passport or provisional ID card or children's passport (valid or already expired)
• If you do not have a valid passport or identity card: birth certificate, marriage certificate
  If your last identity card or passport was not issued in Hamburg, please telephone Hamburg Service in advance.
• if available: police loss report
• for children under the age of 16: if necessary, a declaration of consent from the parent who is not present and who has custody
  • if there is only one legal guardian, proof of custody is also required

There are the following hints:

• If your last identity card or passport was not issued in Hamburg, please telephone Hamburg Service in advance.
• An extension or change of the identity card is not possible. A new identity card is always issued.
• In urgent cases, you can also apply for a temporary identity card (valid for a maximum of 3 months) at the same time. This will be given to you immediately.
• People without a permanent address or the homeless should contact the Hamburg Service Hamburg-Mitte.

To apply for a new identity card after loss, proceed as follows:

• You can make an appointment online or by phone.
• Report the loss to an identity card authority, usually the Hamburg Service, or to the police. You can report the loss informally in writing or in person.
• If you want to apply for a new ID card at the Hamburg Service at the same time, you must do this in person and bring the necessary documents with you.
• When you apply, your Hamburg Service will inform you when you can pick up your identity card. It usually takes about 3-4 weeks.
• When applying, fingerprints are taken for storage in the document.
• Your identity card is produced centrally by Bundesdruckerei GmbH.
• You can arrange the pick-up date online. You can find out what options your Hamburg Service offers when you apply for your identity card.

You can report the loss

• at every identity card authority, usually in every Hamburg Hamburg Service, or
• at every police station.

You must also apply for a new identity card if you are over 16 years old and do not have a valid passport document, i.e. passport or temporary passport.

You can submit the application to your identity card authority at your main place of residence, which is usually every Hamburger Hamburg Service. Applications can be submitted to any other identity card authority outside of Hamburg if an important reason is given. In this case, a non-responsibility surcharge applies, which means that the costs of the issuance increase.

In the event that you find your identity card, you must report this personally to your identity card authority. Only when you have officially reported your identity card as "found" will a corresponding entry with the police be deleted.
If you have not applied for a new ID card, you can continue to use the ID card that you reported as having been found in Germany until the end of its validity.