bmi.bund.de Passport & National Identity Card Germany : Federal Ministry of Interior

Name of the Organization : Federal Ministry of Interior
Type of Facility : Passport & National Identity Card
Country : Germany

Website : https://www.bmi.bund.de/EN/home/home_node.html

Passports & Identity Card :

In Germany, applications for passports and identity cards can be filed with the responsible local passport and identity card authorities.

Related : Federal Ministry of Interior Apply For Naturalization Germany : www.statusin.org/11712.html

The foreigners authorities are responsible for issuing electronic travel documents for foreigners, refugees and stateless persons.

Law on passports and identity cards is the same nationwide. For more information on national identity documents, please ask the passport and/or identity card authority responsible for where you live. For more information about electronic travel documents for foreigners, refugees and stateless persons, please ask the foreigners authority responsible for where you live.

National Identity Card :
The new national identity card in credit-card format has been issued since 1 November 2010.

Germany’s new national identity card meets the highest requirements for document security. Its tough security features offer a high level of protection for the data and digital photograph stored on the chip. Its biometric function can be used only for official checks at national borders and within the country to verify the card holder’s identity. Card holders may also choose to store two fingerprints on the chip as well. In this way, the electronic identity card can be used as a secure travel document, like the electronic passport. Both features enable efficient and secure support for checks of persons, especially to prevent strangers from misusing lost or stolen documents.

The new identity card also has an electronic identification function which allows card holders to verify their identity on the Internet or when using vending machines or kiosks. Learn more about the electronic identification function here or visit www.personalausweisportal.de.

All identity cards issued before 1 November 2010 remain valid until their date of expiry. You can use your national identity card instead of a passport to enter some other countries; visit the Federal Foreign Office website to find out more.

Documents for foreigners :
The electronic travel document and electronic residence permit have been standardized throughout the European Union in order to improve document security.
Documents relevant to residence law are issued to citizens of other EU member states or non-EU countries (known as third-country nationals) on a case-by-case basis.

Additional protection for fingerprints :
** As especially sensitive personal data, the fingerprints stored on the chip receive additional protection on top of the already high security standard. Germany advocated an additional security mechanism and developed it in the relevant European bodies under the supervision of the Federal Criminal Police Office and the Federal Office for Information Security.

** This additional protection has been added to the second-generation electronic travel document: The fingerprints on the chip can be read only by countries which Germany has granted special access rights.

More information about the electronic travel document :
** For general and law-related questions, please consult your foreigners authority.
** For questions about technical issues, please contact the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) on 01805 274-300 (8 – 17 hrs, 14 cents per minute) or at ePass@bsi.bund.de