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eID and Digital ID Services

Many administrative services can be handled online – securely and conveniently from your home. Our overview of the digital ID will tell you what an eID is, how it works, and how you can use online services.

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Introducing: the eID

Your ‘electronic identity’, or eID for short, is stored in your ID card. The eID allows for online identification so you can verify your identity on the internet in order to handle administrative or business matters digitally.

1. eID and Online Identification

You can use the online identification function of your eID to take advantage of certain administrative services securely and conveniently from your home. For example, you can change your place of residence, apply for the BAföG educational funding programme or set your organ donation preferences online. By way of online identification, you can carry out around 260 applications online.

To use these applications, you must verify your identity online. This requires what is called an ‘electronic identity’ or eID. German ID cards have an integrated chip that enables the use of the eID and thus the online ID function.

Another way to verify your identity online is the eID card. This can also be used by EU citizens and citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) whose countries do not yet have the eID system, regardless of whether or not they live in Germany.

2. Setting Up the Digital ID

All ID cards issued since July 2017 have the online ID function, your eID, by default. The function only needs to be activated.

Anyone who received their ID card before July 2017 or was not yet 16 years old at the time of receipt may still need to check whether their ID card is suitable for the online service function before they can activate their eID. Software such as the free AusweisApp from the federal government can help you check whether your online ID is activated.

You can activate the online ID function to access all online services either at home or at your local Hamburg Service vor Ort office.

Activating Your eID from Your Home

What You Need to Activate Your eID
  • Letter with your transport PIN code
  • A personal 6-digit PIN code you can choose
  • Software or app, for example the AusweisApp
  • NFC-compatible device, e.g. phone, tablet, or card reader with PC/laptop (Information on compatible devices)

When you apply for your ID card, you will receive a PIN letter. This letter contains

  • Your transport Personal Identification Number (PIN)
  • Your Personal Unblocking Key (PUK)
  • Your blocking password (Sperrkennwort)

To activate the online ID function, you need what's known as a ‘transport PIN’, a one-time PIN that you will find in your PIN letter. After using your transport PIN, you should replace it with a new six-digit PIN of your own choosing. Please do not use any numbers related to your personal information, for example your date of birth. You will need this 6-digit PIN whenever you must verify your identity online.
To set up your own PIN, you need a compatible device, for example a phone or tablet with internet access, or a card reader connected to a PC/laptop, and a software application, for example the free AusweisApp developed by the federal government. You will also need this software whenever you must verify your identity online, as it is necessary for the data exchange between your ID card and the online services.

As soon as you have set up your own PIN, your eID is ready for use.

Keeping Your PIN Letter

Please keep your PIN letter in a safe place. If you fail to enter the correct PIN three times, you will be asked to enter the PUK to unblock the PIN, which you will find in the letter. If you wish to block your eID function, you will be asked to enter the blocking password from the PIN letter.

Activating Your eID at Hamburg Service vor Ort

To make as many residents as possible aware of the eID's benefits and to help them set it up, there are guides (Digital-Lotsen) available at the local Hamburg Service vor Ort offices in the City Centre and Hamburg-Nord Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to unlocking the eIDs, the guides provide general help with online services and the set-up of Servicekonto Plus accounts. There are plans to extend the campaign to other local Hamburg Service vor Ort offices. For more information on the Digital-Lotsen, see here (German only).

You can register your eID immediately upon receipt of your identity card at your local Hamburg Service vor Ort office. If you can’t find the letter with your transport PIN later, the local Hamburg Service office will also be able to help you. No fee is charged for activating the eID service function.

Find out more about the Hamburg Service vor Ort offices and how to book an appointment:

Applying for an eID Card

To apply for the eID card, you need a valid identity document, for example your passport or ID card. Your current residential address is stored on your ID card. Anyone who does not live in Germany or is not yet registered must bring proof of address or, if necessary, register at a registration office beforehand. Once the eID card has been issued, you will receive a PIN letter with all necessary information about the card and its functions. It will also contain the transport PIN and PUK codes.

3. How to Verify Your Identity Online

As soon as your 6-digit PIN is set up, your eID is ready for use.

What You Need to Use Your eID

  1. When you want to access an online service, you will be asked to verify your identity online. Then you’ll need to set up a connection between your ID and the app or card reader.
  2. You can see from the app or card reader who wants to access the data and what data is required for the process.
  3. The chip integrated into the ID card checks whether the provider of the online service is officially authorised to request and process your data. If the provider is officially authorised, your data will be transmitted. Your data is encrypted and secure throughout every step of this process.
  4. Once the transfer is complete, the connection between the ID card and the phone or card reader should be disconnected.

Frequently Asked Questions: eID and Online Identification

In order to activate and use online identification with the transport PIN, the function first needs to be activated. All ID cards that were issued after July 2017 have an integrated online identification function. Anyone who received their ID card before July 2017 or was not yet 16 years old at the time of receipt may need to check whether their ID card is suitable for the online service function before they can activate their eID.
The activation status of the eID can be checked by using an app, for example the free AusweisApp of the Federal Government, or by making an appointment at the local Hamburg Service vor Ort offices.

Once the online identification function is activated, you can also activate your eID, using the transport PIN. You should replace this transport PIN with a new six-digit PIN (personal identification number) of your own choosing.

If you have lost this information, please contact your local Hamburg Service vor Ort office (formerly Einwohnermeldeamt or Kundenzentrum). Upon prior appointment, you can have the online ID function activated or unblocked on site. More information: Making an Appointment at the Hamburg Service vor Ort offices.

If you have failed to enter the correct PIN code three times, you will be asked to enter the 10-digit PUK (personal unblocking key) from the PIN letter to unblock the PIN. Then you will be able to use the online identification as usual. You can use the PUK a maximum of 10 times before you will have to choose a new PIN code at one of the Hamburg Service vor Ort offices. Then new PUK codes will be available.

For more information, see the Hamburg Service vor Ort.

If you wish to block your eID function, you will be asked to enter the Sperrkennwort (lit.: ‘blocking password’). You will find this in the PIN letter you received after applying for your ID card.

After you have blocked your eID function, it is no longer ready for use. If you wish to use it again, you will have to unblock it. This is only possible at the local Hamburg Service vor Ort offices after making an appointment.

More information: Unblocking the eID Function.

For your own protection, please report the loss immerdiately to your local Bürgeramt or the police. The authorities will then arrange for your eID to be blocked.

You can block your eID function at any time by calling the blocking hotline: 116 116. You will need your personal blocking password (Sperrkennwort), which you can find in your PIN letter.

For more information on losing your ID card, please see here.

Yes, you can use the eID on the internet if you have an electronic residence permit (German: elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel, eAT). This residence permit is issued in cheque card format and contains a chip with your personal information and details on your residence status.

For more information on the electronic residence permit (eAT), please see here.