If you are a German citizen living in the USA either as a permanent resident or a dual citizen there will come the time when you need to renew your German passport. If you travel to Germany a lot, stay for some weeks, and are still registered there, you can renew it just like any German citizen living in Germany.
Ten years ago that’s what I did. I went to the Bürgeramt in my home town with my photo and filled out paperwork. But if you can’t stay for an extended period of time, renewing your passport in Germany might not be an option. Luckily, you can do in the US, too, it just might take some coordinating and possibly some traveling. Passport application can’t be send by mail but have to be done in person.
What to do first
The first thing you want to do is go to the right website where you can find all the information you need and where you can download any forms that you’ll need to fill out.
German Missions in the United States is the website you want to bookmark: Germany Info
You can find information about consulates, travel information, services for Germans but also links to news and articles about living and doing business in Germany. It’s available in English and German.
At the bottom of the page you’ll find the category “Service” which will lead you to different topics like “German citizenship”, “Consulate Finder”, and “Passports and ID cards”. The latter is the topic you want. You can click the following link which will take you there: Passports for Adults.
Renewing or getting a passport for the first time for a minor requires different paperwork.
What you need
The following information is just a brief overview from the above mentioned website. Please go to the website to download the correct forms and information. I cannot be held liable for any information listed here, or any changes that may occur after this blog post has been published.
You will need the following in the original and as a photo copy.
- Passport application form
- 2 passport photos (Here is a link that tells you the exact measurements. I suggest you take that with you when you have your photo taken since the size requirements are different from US passport photos. You leave your glasses on, and your mouth should be closed. Walmart, Walgreen’s and CVS all take passport photos. Also check with a FedEx store, they might be able to get the right format for your photo.)
- your birth certificate (It has to say the city on it, not just the county. If you were born in the US and it only lists the county, you’ll need to get the long form of your birth certificate. You can order it here: Vital Records)
- marriage certificate, divorce decree, or death certificate (if applicable)
- previous passport
- valid proof of US residency (US passport, US Resident Alien card, etc.)
- if your name is different now than on your old passport, you might need a Name Declaration
- if applicable, German Naturalization Certificate
- if applicable, US Naturalization Certificate with Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (This is important if you are a dual citizen. If you took the US-American citizenship without filing and receiving a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung then you forfeited your German citizenship. Read more about it here: Beibehaltungsgenehmigung.)
- proof of residence, e.g. utility bill or driver’s license
- if applicable, deregistration of your last place of residence in Germany (Abmeldebescheinigung) if it’s listed in your passport
- money (€ 81, payable with a credit card, US cash, or money order; if you apply with an honorary consul there are additional fees and you can only pay cash)
Where to go
German Mission or Consulate
As I said, you will have to submit your application in person at either a consulate or with an honorary consul. Consulates can be found in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. You will need to make an appointment online on the website for the consulate in charge of your state. Double check here to find out which German Mission serves your state.
- Atlanta: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, North and South Carolina (NC and SC can make appointments in Charlotte)
- Boston: Connecticut (not Fairfield County), Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
- Chicago: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Houston: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
- Los Angeles: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and the following counties of California: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura
- Miami: Florida, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
- New York: Bermuda, Fairfield County in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
- San Francisco: Counties in Northern California (and not covered by the Mission in Los Angeles), Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and US territories abroad (not Bermuda, Puerto Rico or US Virgin Islands)
- Washington DC: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia
Honorary Consul
There are also many honorary consuls working in the US who may be able to process your passport application and who might be closer to your home.
I live in Pennsylvania, so my consulate is in New York. However, an honorary consul works in Pittsburgh which is not far from my home, so I always make an appointment with him when I need official Germany stuff done. Through him I received my Beibehaltungsgenehmigung and my son applied for his German passport with him.
You will need to check if an honorary consul close to you can take passport applications. Not all consuls can process the same things.
While the consuls don’t get paid for their work (“honorary”), there are other fees that you’ll need to pay when using their services. Check here for information on consuls and fees. Also be aware that you will have to pay cash.
You can search for an honorary consul here:
How I did it
As I said before I always contact the honorary consul in Pittsburgh, Pa, Paul Overby if I need any official German things done. Via email I made an appointment with him.
Before I went to meet him, I used my checklist to make sure I have all my documents in order, the originals and a photocopy for each. Whenever you make these kinds of official appointments, you want to take everything with you because if you are missing any papers you will need to reschedule.
Paul Overby is equipped to take fingerprints for the biometric part of the passport. When he scans in the photo, you will find out right away if it meets all the criteria. Since the required photo measurements differ from the US passport photos, I was relieved my preferred photos (I brought two different sets just in case) were acceptable. It is really nice that you find that out before sending the application off.
After I signed everything and turned in all my documentation, I paid $234. That’s for the passport application, the fee for Mr. Overby to send it in and to verify my documents, and the postage for the German office to send me my new passport along with my old one.
Now all I have to do is wait.
