Applying for an emergency travel document for foreigners

You can apply for the emergency travel document in person at the border authority, for example at the airport with the Federal Police.

• You will receive an application form which you must complete and sign. Alternatively, you can complete the application online in advance and send it to the border authorities to speed up the process.
• Before you start your journey, you must appear in person at the border authority in order to:
  • Sign the completed application,
  • prove your identity,
  • present a current biometric photo or have it taken by the authority and
  • pay the processing fee.
• You will then receive the emergency travel document directly from the border authority.

• You can prove your identity.
• It is no longer possible to obtain a regular passport or passport replacement from your own diplomatic mission abroad or the foreigners authority before the start of your trip or it is not expected to be issued in time.
• No interests of the Federal Republic of Germany are affected.
• There are no security concerns.
• The purpose pursued by a possible wanted notice is not impaired.
• There is no evidence that the destination state does not recognize the emergency travel document as a border crossing document.
• You can apply for an emergency travel document if you
  • are a national of a member state of the European Union, the Agreement on the European Economic Area or Switzerland and their family members entitled to freedom of movement or
  • are a national of a country listed in Annex II to the EU Visa Regulation and are therefore permitted to enter the country without a visa or
  • hold a residence permit (category C Schengen visas are exempt) or a visa for long-term residence in Germany or
  • are going ashore as civilian ship personnel on a ship operating on the sea or coastal waterways or on the Rhine, or
  • are staying as civilian flight personnel on the airport premises, in the airport community or for a transfer to another airport in order to take off from there.
• The following applies to underage children:
  • In the case of minors, the consent of all legal representatives must be obtained for the trip.
  • If the parents are permanently separated, only the parent with whom the child usually resides may apply for the passport. The parents must provide credible evidence of permanent separation. This also applies if one custodial parent is permanently unavailable, e.g. has moved to an unknown address.
  • In the case of school trips, the consent of the custodial parent can also be substantiated by the accompanying teacher in exceptional cases.
• For a person for whom a guardian has been officially appointed, the officially appointed guardian can apply for the travel document as a passport replacement. In addition to the identity of the person for whom you are making the application, the officially appointed guardian must also be able to prove their official appointment.

• Proof of your identity and that of your nationality, for example by:
  • expired passport or expired temporary passport
  • expired identity card from another EU, EEA or Swiss member state
  • For minors:
    • expired children's passport or
    • birth certificate
• Proof of authorization for long-term residence, e.g. through
  • German residence permit in check card format or
  • Residence permit of another Schengen state in check card format
• current, biometric photo

Notes:

• Please note that card payment is not possible everywhere. Carry sufficient cash with you.
• The fee for the emergency travel document will not be refunded if
  • you withdraw your application after processing has begun,
  • you are refused the emergency travel document or
  • the transport company refuses to carry you despite having issued you with an emergency travel document.

The application can only be submitted shortly before the start of the trip, otherwise a travel document can be issued at the diplomatic mission or foreigners authority.

• § 71 Absatz 3 Nummer 2 Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)
• § 14 Absatz 2 Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)
• § 13 Absatz 2 Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)

• In the following countries, it is not the federal police but a state or federal authority that is responsible:
  • In the Free State of Bavaria at the airports of Nuremberg and Memmingen as well as the airfields that are authorized as border crossing points, the Bavarian Border Police is responsible.
  • In the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg at the port, the Hamburg Water Police is responsible.
  • In Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein in various ports, the customs authorities are responsible.

13.06.2025