Apply for a diplomatic passport or service passport

You can apply for a diplomatic passport or an official passport in writing to the Federal Foreign Office.

• Official passports are only issued to people who have to travel on official business. You belong to structures that have experience in applying for such passports. If your structure does not have the application form, it can contact the AA to obtain the application form.
• Complete the application form.
• Your department must officially confirm your details with a signature and official seal or stamp.
• Send the application form and all other documents to the AA or bring it with you to have your biometric data recorded
• Your passport photo and fingerprints must be recorded electronically by the Passport and Visa Office of the AA. You must appear in person for this. Alternatively, the data can also be recorded at the following locations:
  • for persons resident abroad: authorized foreign missions of the Federal Republic of Germany;
  • for persons resident in Germany: authorized federal authorities.
• The official passport will either be sent to you or you can collect it from the AA.

You will receive a diplomatic passport as:

• Constitutional body or as a member of the constitutional bodies of the Confederation. This includes:
  • Federal President;
  • President and Vice-Presidents of the German Bundestag;
  • the Federal Chancellor;
  • Members of the Federal Government;
  • President and Vice-Presidents of the Bundesrat;
  • President and Vice-Presidents of the Federal Constitutional Court;
  • Members of the German Bundestag;
  • Members or deputy members of the Bundesrat;
  • Judges of the Federal Administrative Court.
• Member of the constitutional bodies at state level. This includes:
  • Prime Minister of a federal state;
  • President of the state parliament;
  • members of a state government.
• Public officials with a place of employment in Germany. This includes:
  • Head of the Office of the Federal President;
  • Ministers of State;
  • Parliamentary State Secretaries; Parliamentary State Secretaries;
  • State Secretaries of the Federal Government;
  • Director of the German Bundestag;
  • Director of the Bundesrat;
  • Head of the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government, and deputies;
  • President of the Federal Audit Office;
  • President and members of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank;
  • Employees at the headquarters of the Federal Foreign Office from the position of Deputy Head of Division upwards;
  • other employees of the Federal Foreign Office for the duration of business trips, if the trip is not possible or difficult without a diplomatic passport.
• Officials with a place of employment abroad. This includes:
  • Employees of a German diplomatic mission abroad, including servicemen and women who must be registered on the diplomatic or consular list in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Foreign Office;
  • German heads of delegation in the European External Action Service, as well as federal and state employees on leave who are deployed in this function;
  • German members of the European Commission;
  • German Members of the European Parliament;
  • German members of the Parliamentary Assembly, as well as deputies;
  • German judges and Advocates General at the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights;
  • German employees in international organizations of which the Federal Republic of Germany is a member, insofar as they head these organizations or are classified in one of the two highest salary groups;
  • Employees of the Federal Government or the Länder who have been granted leave to serve in international organizations of which the FRG is a member, provided that they are at least in salary group A 16 or a salary grade corresponding to this salary group.
• other persons for travel in the interests of the FRG, if this is not possible or difficult without a diplomatic passport.

You can obtain a service passport:

• as an official or mandate holder with a place of employment in Germany. This includes:
  • Members of the state parliaments;
  • Employees of federal and state ministries and other federal and state authorities for business trips for which they do not receive a diplomatic passport;
  • Soldiers, insofar as the travel cannot be carried out with military identity documents.
• for business trips to countries whose entry or residence regulations require this or whose internal security situation makes the use of an official passport appear appropriate. This applies to
  • employees of intermediary organizations of foreign cultural and educational policy (Goethe Institute, German Academic Exchange Service, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, German Research Foundation, Fulbright Commission) working in Germany;
  • employees of bilateral development cooperation organizations directly or indirectly owned by the Federal Government (e.g. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit; Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft; Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt; Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe; Engagement Global; Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit) working in Germany;
  • Employees of Germany Trade & Invest working in Germany.
• as a public official with a place of employment abroad. This includes:
  • Honorary consuls of the FRG;
  • Employees of federal and state ministries or federal and state authorities who have been transferred abroad, including soldiers who do not receive a diplomatic passport;
  • Federal and state employees who have been granted leave by their authorities to work for an international organization. These employees receive a service passport for the duration of their leave of absence if they do not receive a diplomatic passport.
• as a person working abroad on public business. This applies to:
  • Teachers who have been placed at German schools or at other schools funded by the Federal Republic of Germany or a federal state and other educational institutions abroad outside the European Union (EU);
  • seconded employees who work outside the EU at branches of the intermediary organizations of foreign cultural and educational policy (Goethe Institute, German Academic Exchange Service, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, German Research Foundation, Fulbright Commission);
  • academic specialists and university employees for a teaching assignment at a foreign university outside the EU, provided they have been seconded by the German Academic Exchange Service;
  • Experts in bilateral development cooperation, provided they have been seconded by organizations that are directly or indirectly owned by the Federal Government (e.g. Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit; Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft; Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt; Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe; Engagement Global; Deutsches Evaluierungsinstitut der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit). This includes development workers under the Development Workers Act and integrated experts placed by the Center for International Migration and Development. This category also includes employees of Germany Trade & Invest who are posted outside the EU;
  • other skilled workers posted in accordance with Section 2 of the Development Workers Act and for whom a service passport is required due to entry or residence regulations or the internal security situation of the destination countries.
• as another person for journeys that you undertake in the interests of the FRG, if these are not possible or difficult without an official passport.

Family members can also receive an official passport. This corresponds to the passport holder's official position.

Eligible family members are

• Spouses
• registered life partners
• Children of the passport holder who are under 27 years of age and not in gainful employment
• Children of family members

Family members receive an official passport if they:

• participate in official duties on the occasion of trips abroad.
• live in the same household at the place of employment abroad.
• are planning a trip or visit to countries with more difficult entry or residence conditions. Official passports will not be issued for visits to places of employment for which the Federal Foreign Office has issued a travel warning.

In addition, children over the age of 27 who are not gainfully employed and other close relatives may receive an official passport if they live in the same household as the passport holder at the place of employment abroad and holding an official passport does not conflict with the residence regulations of the host country.

• Application for an official passport
• Copy of the private passport or identity card
• Biometric passport photo
• If applying for the first time: Birth certificate
• If applicable:
  • Extract from the family register (for married, widowed or divorced persons)
  • Proof of change of name
  • Certificate of naturalization
  • Dissertation certificate
  • Certificate of civil partnership
  • Signature of all legal guardians
  • Acknowledgment of paternity
  • Proof of adoption
  • School or study certificate, copy of training contract (for passports for family visits)
  • Proof of receipt of child benefit (for adult children)
  • Transfer or secondment decree, business trip permit
  • Employment contract (for temporary employees)
  • Declaration on the application for an official passport (for non-German nationals)

There are no costs.

The period of validity is measured on the basis of the duration of the official task or official assignment. The period of validity may not be longer than 10 years.

A temporary diplomatic or service passport may not be valid for longer than 1 year.

The period of validity may not be extended.

If the application is complete, the processing time at the passport office is usually less than 1 day.

Your application will then be forwarded directly to the Bundesdruckerei. The processing time at the Bundesdruckerei is 4 to 6 weeks.

If the passport is sent to you, there is also the postal delivery time, which can vary considerably.

• §27 Passport Act (PaßG)
• General Administrative Regulation on the Issuance of Official Passports of the Federal Republic of Germany (AVVaP)
• §12-14 Ordinance on the Implementation of the Passport Act (Passport Ordinance - PassV)
• §Section 19 (5) of the Passport Act (PaßG)

None

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance required: Yes

Online services available: No

Official passports can only be changed by the Federal Foreign Office.

23.05.2023