Child Passport or ID Card in Frankfurt: Which Document, the Bürgeramt Appointment and the Second-Parent Form
The Kinderreisepass was abolished on 1 January 2024, so a German child in Frankfurt now gets either a regular Reisepass (37.50 euros) or a Personalausweis (27.60 euros), both valid six years and both applied for in person at any of the city's Bürgerämter, with the child present, even a newborn. The Bürgeramt needs an appointment on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and takes walk-ins on Monday and Wednesday. If only one parent comes, bring the other parent's signed consent form and a copy of their ID or passport, unless you have sole custody or live apart and the child is registered with you. A passport takes five to six weeks, an ID card up to four, and an express passport 3 to 7 working days.
What Changed: No More Kinderreisepass
Parents who remember the Kinderreisepass for a first trip with a toddler will find the rules changed. Frankfurt’s page says the document was abolished on 1 January 2024. Since then, parents choose between a Personalausweis and a regular Reisepass for a minor. Both are issued for six years. Kinderreisepässe already issued stay valid until expiry, as long as the child can still be identified and the entries are correct, but they cannot be extended or updated.
The federal reason, according to the Ministry of the Interior’s 2023 announcement: the aim was one uniform solution for German passport documents, and a regular electronic passport avoids the restrictions the Kinderreisepass could bring depending on the transit and destination country. The Bundespolizei adds that some states that used to accept the Kinderreisepass no longer do. The regular passport has a chip.
Choose the Document
| Document | Fee | Validity | Processing | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reisepass, 32 pages | 37.50 euros | 6 years | 5 to 6 weeks | Worldwide travel |
| Reisepass, express | 69.50 euros | 6 years | 3 to 4 working days at best, otherwise 5 to 7 | Urgent travel |
| Reisepass, 48 pages | 59.50 euros (express 91.50) | 6 years | as above | Frequent flyers |
| Personalausweis | 27.60 euros | 6 years | up to 4 weeks | EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Türkiye |
| Temporary passport | 26.00 euros | limited | in urgent cases | Emergencies |
| Temporary ID card | 10.00 euros | limited | may be issued immediately in exceptional cases | Emergencies |
Fees come from the city’s Reisepass and Personalausweis pages, and they rise if your main residence is not in Frankfurt. Peak times such as the weeks before school holidays can slow down printing at the Bundesdruckerei, so apply early. The city accepts Giro and debit cards.
The Bundespolizei says every minor needs their own recognised and valid travel document, including infants. Their advice for planned trips abroad is to apply for new documents in good time at the passport authority, because an emergency paper at the border comes with an intensive custody check.
One caution for babies. The Auswärtiges Amt warns that an infant’s face changes so quickly that a document can become unusable long before its printed expiry date. If you travel with a small child, check the photo against your child before you book.
Who May Apply and What to Bring
The child must be present in person, which, in the city’s words, includes toddlers and babies. The application can only be made by a custodian who determines the child’s residence. Bring:
- Proof of identity of the applying parent (passport or ID card).
- A biometric photo. Every Bürgeramt and branch has a self-service terminal, and for babies and children a mobile device. You can also use a photo studio or drugstore that uploads to a certified cloud, which gives you a QR code to bring.
- For a first application after birth: the birth certificate may be needed.
- If no parent is a German citizen: the certificate from the Standesamt on German citizenship under § 4 Absatz 3 StAG. The Standesamt’s contact page lists 069 212 36291 for citizenship matters, and visits are by appointment only.
- The second parent’s consent form and copy of ID, when they are not at the appointment.
| Situation | What the city asks for |
|---|---|
| Both parents have joint custody, one comes | Consent form (Einverständniserklärung) and ID or passport of the other parent |
| Sole custody | No consent needed |
| Parents live apart, child registered with you | No consent needed |
| Father not married to the mother | Confirmation of the Sorgeerklärung from the Jugendamt or a notary |
The consent form can be downloaded on the city’s passport page. If parents and children carry different surnames, the city says the names of the custodians can be entered into the child’s passport, and the booking system has its own category for that.
The Frankfurt Appointment System
The city’s Terminservice works like this:
- Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: appointment needed.
- Monday and Wednesday: walk-in possible, but long waits and an early stop of waiting numbers can happen.
- New appointments appear on weekdays at 6:00 for the same weekday two weeks ahead. On Mondays around 8:00 a one-off batch for the following week appears. Same-day slots for urgent matters also open at 6:00. Booking further ahead is not possible.
- No slot? You can leave a wish in the booking system and get an e-mail when a slot is free. Phone 069/115 does not produce extra slots.
- No rescheduling. You can cancel, but you cannot move or extend an appointment. Several people can come to one appointment only if the services were booked for each of them.
- Where: any location, wherever you live. The city lists eleven. The branch offices Fechenheim, Kalbach, Harheim and Nieder-Erlenbach are appointment-only. The larger offices, including the Zentrales Bürgeramt, are open Monday 9:00 to 17:00, Tuesday 7:30 to 13:00, Wednesday 7:30 to 13:00, Thursday 10:00 to 18:00 and Friday 7:30 to 13:00.
The Bürgeramt page names Höchst, Dornbusch and Sachsenhausen as the places where the waiting number machine stops early most often. Check its news box before you go: it announced a closure of all Bürgerämter on 28 October 2026 for a staff meeting.
In the booking system, passport and ID applications can be chosen up to five times per booking, so a family can book the whole set. A separate category exists for first documents after naturalisation and can only be booked on its own. For which office to use at what stage, see our appointment strategy guide.
Pick-Up and Travel
Pick up the finished document at the Bürgeramt, or send an authorised person with the power of attorney form handed out at application, their ID and the old document. If you travel with only one parent, take the Bundespolizei’s list of papers: a free-form consent from the absent custodian, their contact details and a copy of their ID data page, and proof of custody if your surnames differ. Check the entry rules of your destination in the Auswärtiges Amt’s travel advice, which also notes that some countries, including the USA, do not accept the old Kinderreisepass.
If Your Child Is Not a German Citizen
None of this applies. A child with a foreign passport needs the passport of their own country, which you get from that country’s embassy or consulate, and a residence permit from the Ausländerbehörde. See our guides on a child’s own residence permit and on transferring a residence title into a new passport. If a foreign-born child’s birth has not been registered in Germany yet, the Nachbeurkundung guide comes first.
Step by Step
- Decide on the document.Passport for travel outside Europe, ID card for the EU and the other listed countries.
- Check the dates.Count back from your trip: 5 to 6 weeks for a passport, plus the wait for an appointment.
- Book the appointment at 6:00, two weeks ahead, or leave a wish in the system. Book one service per person.
- Prepare the papers.Your ID, the child's birth certificate if it is a first application, the second parent's consent form and ID copy if needed.
- Take the child along and use the self-service photo terminal or the mobile device for babies.
- Pay by card and keep the receipt.
- Collect the document and check the photo and name before you leave.
Compliance Note
This page explains the Frankfurt Bürgeramt process for German-citizen children as described on the city’s portal and by federal authorities in October 2026. Fees and processing times change, and appointment rules have changed several times. This is not legal advice. For custody or name questions, ask the Bürgeramt or the Jugendamt before the appointment.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Which is better for a child, a Reisepass or a Personalausweis?
It depends on where you travel. The Federal Ministry of the Interior says children of any age need their own document for travel, that an ID card is enough for the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Türkiye, and that a passport is usually needed for trips outside the EU. In Frankfurt a passport costs 37.50 euros and an ID card 27.60 euros for applicants under 24, and both are valid for six years. If you travel outside Europe once, a passport is the safe choice. A provisional document is also possible: a temporary passport costs 26 euros, a temporary ID card 10 euros.
My child's old Kinderreisepass is still valid. Can I keep using it?
Yes until it expires, as long as the child can still be identified from the photo and the entries are correct. The city says no extensions or updates are possible any more, and the Bundespolizei adds that changes such as a new photo or a name change cannot be made. The Auswärtiges Amt notes that a few countries, such as the USA, do not accept it, so check the entry rules of your destination before you rely on it. For a trip that is not far off, applying for a regular document is safer.
My partner cannot come to the appointment. What do I need?
The city asks for the consent form (Einverständniserklärung) from the parent who is not coming, plus a copy of their ID or passport. This is not needed if you have sole custody, or if the parents live apart not just temporarily and the child is registered with you at your main residence. A father who is not married to the mother needs confirmation of the joint custody declaration (Sorgeerklärung) from the Jugendamt or a notary. For a passport, the consent is required up to age 18, and for an ID card before the 16th birthday.
Do we really have to bring a newborn?
Yes. The city's pages say the application is made in person and that this includes small children and babies, and the child must be present. For babies and young children each Bürgeramt and branch office has a mobile photo device, so you do not need a studio photo. After a first application following birth, it may be necessary to show the birth certificate. A newborn's face changes quickly, and the Auswärtiges Amt warns that an infant's document can become invalid long before the printed expiry date if the child can no longer be identified, so plan for a new application before an important trip.
Our child is a German citizen but neither parent is. What is different?
For the first document the Bürgeramt asks for a certificate from the Standesamt confirming German citizenship under § 4 Absatz 3 of the Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz if neither parent is a German citizen. The Standesamt has its own phone line for citizenship matters, 069 212 36291, and visits are by appointment. If a child was naturalised together with the parents, the booking system has a separate appointment type for first documents after naturalisation, which cannot be combined with other services. A child who is not a German citizen needs the passport of their own country and, if required, a residence permit, which is a different office.
Can I travel alone with my child?
Yes, but the Bundespolizei recommends carrying a few papers if a minor travels alone or with only one custodian: a free-form consent from the absent custodian with the child's details and the trip, the absent custodian's contact details and a copy of their ID data page. If your surname differs from your child's, carry proof of custody such as a birth certificate. Minors are checked at external borders like adults. If the child's document is missing, a replacement paper at the border can mean a long custody check.