Passport renewal Germany costs €70 for an adult aged 24 or older and €37.50 for an applicant under 24, according to the Berlin service portal (page printed 13 May 2026) and a WeRoad guide dated 8 October 2026. The adult passport is valid for 10 years, and the under-24 passport for 6. Express service adds €32, and the standard wait runs from a few weeks to 8 weeks. German citizens living abroad pay more: the German embassy in Bern lists €106 for an adult in February 2026.
If you’re researching passport renewal Germany, you are probably in one of two groups. Residents of Germany renew at their local Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) or passport authority, and Germans living abroad renew through an embassy or consulate. This guide covers the fees and surcharges, the cost per year, validity, where to apply, documents, the digital photo rule, processing times, express and provisional passports, renewal from abroad, minors and the places where the sources disagree. It covers German passports only. Foreign nationals who live in Germany renew their own passport with their home country. It draws on the Berlin service portal (printed 13 May 2026), WeRoad (8 October 2026), and a Bern embassy leaflet marked February 2026. The national Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry of the Interior pages could not be opened from our tools, so confirm the fee and the booking route with your local authority or embassy. For how renewal works in the United States, see our passport renewal guide.
How Much Does Passport Renewal Germany Cost?
€70 for an adult aged 24 or older, and €37.50 for an applicant under 24. The Berlin portal and WeRoad print the same base fees, and both say municipalities can add charges.
A resident in Berlin who wants a 48-page passport with express service would pay €124 (70 plus 22 plus 32). Berlin says the base fee doubles if Berlin is not your main residence, which would make the adult fee €140 (70 times 2) before any extras. WeRoad says only that applying at a non-responsible authority may increase the fee, so check the exact amount with the office.
What Do the Fees Work Out to per Year?
€7 per year for an adult passport, and €6.25 per year for an applicant under 24. The arithmetic is 70 divided by 10 and 37.50 divided by 6. A 48-page adult passport works out to €9.20 per year (92 divided by 10), so the extra 16 pages cost €2.20 more per year.
A family of two adults and two children under 24 pays €215 in base fees (70 twice plus 37.50 twice). If all four take the digital photo at the office at €6 each, the total is €239. Express service for one adult adds €32, which is about 46 percent of the €70 base fee (32 divided by 70).
How Long Is a German Passport Valid?
10 years for applicants aged 24 or older, and 6 years for those under 24. Berlin and WeRoad agree. WeRoad adds that a passport cannot be extended, so an expired or soon-expiring passport must be replaced, and that a provisional passport is valid for a maximum of 1 year. The sources do not say how early you can apply, so ask your authority.
The sources do not say whether the age is checked at application or at issue, so ask the office if you are close to your 24th birthday.
Where Do You Apply?
At the passport authority or Bürgeramt of your municipality, and at an embassy or consulate if you live abroad. The Berlin portal says the applicant must attend in person, and for minors under 18 the legal representatives (usually the parents) apply and the child must be present. The Bern leaflet says Germans living in Switzerland apply at the embassy, or through an honorary consulate in Zurich, Basel, Geneva or Lugano, with an extra charge of about CHF 76 plus about CHF 19 for each further application by the same person.
The sources do not describe a fully online passport renewal, and the Berlin and WeRoad pages assume an in-person appointment with a biometric photo. Berlin says its office is for Berlin residents, while another section says the service can be used at any Bürgeramt regardless of residence, and the page does not reconcile the two. Use the office that serves your main address unless the city tells you otherwise.
Which Documents and Photo Do You Need?
A digital biometric photo, your old passport or ID, and proof of identity if your details changed. The sources overlap.
- One current digital biometric photo, taken at the office or sent electronically by a certified photo studio.
- Your old passport or ID, even if it is expired or invalidated.
- A valid ID such as the Personalausweis, if you have one.
- A birth, marriage or civil partnership certificate if you have never had an ID or passport or if your details differ from the registry.
- For naturalised citizens, the previous nationality’s passport or ID and the naturalisation certificate.
Berlin gives 1 May 2025 as the date from which the photo must be a digital biometric photo made at a Bürgeramt or a certified photo studio, and WeRoad says printed photos are often no longer accepted. Berlin says the photo can be taken at the Bürgeramt for about €6. For babies and children under 6 it recommends a photo taken in advance at a certified studio, which the Bürgeramt retrieves from the cloud.
What Applies to Minors?
The parents or other legal representatives apply, and the child usually attends. Berlin says that if the other parent is absent, you need that parent’s signed consent form and their ID. WeRoad lists the guardians’ IDs, the other parent’s consent if only one parent attends, proof of custody if only one person holds it and the child’s birth certificate, especially for a first issue. Under-24 passports cost €37.50 and last 6 years. The sources do not give a special rule for a child under 6 other than the advice about photos.
How Long Does Passport Renewal Germany Take?
The sources range from 2 to 8 weeks for a standard passport. Berlin says up to 8 weeks. WeRoad says usually 2 to 8 weeks, often about 4 to 5 weeks, and longer in peak seasons. The Bern embassy leaflet says about 5 to 7 weeks after a complete application, and consulate applications take 2 to 3 weeks longer.
The Bern leaflet contradicts itself on express service, giving 2 to 3 weeks in the fee section and about 2 weeks in the general information. Express processing at a domestic Bürgeramt is measured in working days, while an embassy abroad measures it in weeks. A traveler flying in 6 weeks should not rely on standard processing at an embassy.
What About Express and Provisional Passports?
Express costs €32 extra, and a provisional passport costs €26 and is valid for 1 year at most. WeRoad says a provisional passport is often available immediately, but not every country accepts it. Berlin says it has no chip and is available only if express production cannot be completed before departure. Berlin says an express passport takes up to 4 working days if you apply at the Bürgeramt by 11:00. An adult who needs both an express passport and a 48-page booklet pays €124, and an adult who needs only a provisional passport pays €26.
Check the entry rules of your destination before choosing a provisional one.
How Does Renewal Work From Abroad?
Pay €106 for an adult in Switzerland, plus any surcharges, through the Bern embassy. The Bern leaflet marked February 2026 lists the following, paid in Swiss francs at the current exchange rate.
The adult fee abroad is €36 above the domestic €70 (106 minus 70), and the under-24 fee is €36 above €37.50 (73.50 minus 37.50). That puts the adult fee at €10.60 per year (106 divided by 10). An applicant who adds 48 pages and express pays €160 (106 plus 22 plus 32). The leaflet lists a residence permit or identity document, a proof of address no more than 6 months old and, if your old document lists a German address, a deregistration certificate. Other embassies may charge differently, so use this as an example and not a rule.
Which Route Fits Which Applicant?
Use your local Bürgeramt if you live in Germany and your embassy if you live abroad. The table lines up the options.
How Reliable Are the Sources?
The base fees match across Berlin and WeRoad, and the timing figures do not. The Berlin portal is a local government page, and it prints €37.50, €70 and €32. WeRoad is a travel blog and agrees, and adds the 48-page, provisional and shipping fees. The Bern leaflet is an embassy document from February 2026, and its €106 figure is a consular fee for one country.
The conflicts are standard timing (up to 8 weeks, 2 to 8 weeks and 5 to 7 weeks), express timing, the doubling rule for applying outside your home municipality and whether the Bern surcharges apply elsewhere. The sources date from February, May and October 2026. The Berlin page is a print date and not a statement that nothing has changed since.
What Should You Check Before You File?
Confirm the fee at your own authority, book an appointment and prepare the photo. Three quick checks save the most time.
- Ask your Bürgeramt for its fee, since municipalities can add charges.
- Decide whether you need express service or 48 pages before you book.
- Take or send a digital biometric photo, not a printed one.
An adult in Berlin who applies by 11:00 and pays for express service can expect the passport within about 4 working days according to the Berlin page.
Which Mistakes Delay Passport Renewal Germany?
Waiting too long and bringing a printed photo cause most delays. Check each point first.
- Applying only a few weeks before travel.
- Bringing a paper photo.
- Forgetting the old passport or ID.
- Applying outside your home municipality without checking the fee.
- Sending a child without a parent or without the other parent’s consent.
- Expecting to extend a passport that is about to expire.
- Choosing a provisional passport for a country that does not accept it.
- Using an embassy fee from another country.
FAQs
How much does passport renewal Germany cost?
€70 for an adult aged 24 or older and €37.50 for an applicant under 24, according to Berlin and WeRoad.
How long is a German passport valid?
10 years for applicants aged 24 or older and 6 years for those under 24.
How long does it take?
Up to 8 weeks for a standard passport. Express passports take about 4 working days at a Bürgeramt.
How much is express service?
€32 extra, according to the Berlin portal and WeRoad.
Can I renew from abroad?
Yes, through your embassy or consulate. The Bern embassy lists €106 for an adult in February 2026.
What is a provisional passport?
A passport valid for up to 1 year that costs €26 and is often available immediately.
Conclusion
Passport renewal Germany costs €70 for an adult aged 24 or older and gives a 10-year passport. Apply at least 8 weeks before you travel, or pay €32 more for express service.
