Apply for a temporary identity card

You can apply for a temporary identity card if

• you have German citizenship,
• are registered in Germany
• do not have a valid identity card

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 a provisional identity card at the Citizens’ Registration Office at your main place of residence. The Hamburg Service will obtain the approval of the identity card authority at the place of the main 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.
• Exception: The provisional identity card cannot be applied for abroad.

• Current passport photo, which must meet the photo requirements for electronic ID cards.
  The requirements for the passport photo can be found in the photo sample table (see the link “Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland - Photo sample table”, at the bottom of this page under “Forms, Service & Links”).
  
  A photo booth (speed capture terminal) is available. The fee for a photo on site is EUR 6.00. You will not receive a printout. Please note that the existing photo booth is not suitable for taking passport photos of infants and small children.
  
• If available and not yet validated: old ID card or passport or temporary ID card or children's passport (valid or already expired)
• If you do not have a valid passport or ID card: birth certificate, marriage certificate
• For children under 16 years of age: if necessary, declaration of consent from the parent who is not present with legal custody
  • If there is only one legal guardian, additional proof of custody

There are the following hints:

• Since the temporary identity card is only valid for a short period of time, we recommend that you apply for a permanent identity card or passport at the same time.
• People without a permanent address or the homeless should contact the Hamburg Service Hamburg-Mitte.

• You must apply for the provisional identity card in person at Hamburg Service. If you do not apply for your temporary identity card at your main residence, you need an important reason and a surcharge will be added to the fee. If you contact the Hamburg Service you have selected beforehand, you can find out whether and to what extent the identity card authority will recognize your reason.
• You can apply for the provisional and the new regular identity card at the same time.
• The authorities will issue you with a provisional ID card on site.

With the provisional identity card, you can, for example, bridge the time until a regular identity card is issued. Your provisional identity card is valid for a maximum of 3 months.
You must return the old temporary ID card when you are issued with the new temporary ID card. You can get the regular old ID card back canceled.

You can submit the application to your identity card authority at your main place of residence, which in Hamburg is every Hamburg Service - Location for Residents' Affairs. Applications can be submitted to any other identity card authority if an important reason is given. In this case, a non-responsibility surcharge applies, which means that the costs of the issuance increase. The approval of the identity card authority at the main place of residence is required for the issuance of the provisional identity card; this will be obtained from Hamburg Service.