Important information: Apply for your ID card and passport in good time!

Important information: Apply for your ID card and passport in good time!

The registration office of the city of Falkensee provides important information on applying for identity cards and passports. Especially in view of the upcoming summer holidays, she recommends submitting your application in good time. Due to high demand in the summer months, longer waiting times are to be expected. The processing time for a passport can be up to eight weeks, which is why it is advisable to apply early.

In order to minimize waiting times, the authority recommends coming in especially outside of peak times, i.e. after opening and before closing. This also applies to the joint application for a passport for children, for which the presence of the child and a legal guardian is required. It is also important to bring a current document with you when applying. When applying for the first time, you must present your birth certificate. If you need information about entering other countries, you can find it on the Federal Foreign Office website.

Renewal of passport photo rules

From May 1, 2025, new regulations regarding biometric photographs will come into force. According to information from Stuttgart, biometric passport photos will only be able to be created digitally in authorities or certified photo studios in the future. Printing of the photos will no longer be accepted. The digital passport photos must also be transmitted to the relevant authorities via a secure electronic route in order to meet security standards.

In Stuttgart, citizens' offices are currently being equipped with terminals for biometric passport photos, and such terminals are also being planned in other citizens' offices. It should be noted that photographs from citizens' offices cannot be used for electronic residence permits. Alternatively, the photos can also be taken in certified photo studios or at dm, with the transfer also taking place electronically.

Deadlines and exceptions

When introducing these new regulations, the focus is on preventing manipulation of sovereign documents, particularly with regard to morphing techniques. German identification documents enjoy high security standards that enable visa-free travel to 170 countries. An important exception applies until July 31, 2025: Photographs taken before May 1, 2025 can be used in printed form if the citizens' office does not have the opportunity to take them on site. However, if this is the case, a new photo will be created free of charge.

Overall, these measures underline the authorities' efforts to make the procedures for applying for ID documents both more efficient and safer. The registration authority points out the opening times: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on the second Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For detailed information on the application and the new requirements, please visit the website City of Falkensee and the City of Stuttgart referred.