New Passport in Cologne? Your Residence Permit Stays Valid, but a Printed Passport Number May Need Updating

First Question: Does the Old Passport Number Show on Your Card?

A German residence title is not a sticker in the passport. Since 2011 it has been a separate card with a chip, issued under § 78 AufenthG. The law lists the printed data on that card, and the list includes the serial number and validity of the passport the title relates to. There is one exception: for a Niederlassungserlaubnis or a long-term residence permit EU, the passport details can be left out if a valid foreign passport was presented at the time of application.

That is why a new passport creates a question at all. A card that shows your old passport number has a data field that is no longer correct. A card that does not show it has nothing to correct.

Stadt Köln’s FAQ on residence matters answers the new-passport question in three short rules:

The city’s pages set no deadline for any of this. So the sensible plan is to check your card the week your new passport arrives.

If the Old Number Is Printed on Your Card

Start with the contact form of the Ausländeramt. The form has four steps: personal details, a topic, your request and a preview. Pick the topic “Verlängerung Aufenthalt (unbefristet, Niederlassungserlaubnis) – neuer Pass”. The form describes it as for people who have a new national passport and want their Niederlassungserlaubnis transferred to it.

Practical points from the form itself:

• Give a way to answer. A full address, a phone number or an email is required, or the office cannot reply.
• Attachments can be JPG, PNG or PDF, up to 5 MB per file and 15 MB in total.
• If someone writes for you, a power of attorney must be uploaded as an attachment.
• Consent to data processing is required; without it the form cannot be processed.

The topic label talks about a Niederlassungserlaubnis, but the city’s FAQ sends everyone whose old passport number is noted on their title to this form. If you hold a time-limited residence permit, choose the same topic and say which permit you have in the message field. The form does not offer a separate topic for that case.

The Appointment: Online Booking by Postal Code

For a Niederlassungserlaubnis with the passport number on the front, the city’s page on the Niederlassungserlaubnis says you need a personal visit. Bring your old national passport, your new national passport and a digital biometric photo.

Booking works online. Since 20 April 2026 you can book an appointment at a Bezirksausländeramt yourself. You enter your postal code and the system sends you to the booking page of the office responsible for you. The same page says these offices issue and extend residence permits granted for humanitarian or legal reasons or for study, and most Niederlassungserlaubnisse. For other permit types, the city says to keep contacting the responsible office through the usual channels. If you are unsure which office is yours, this site’s guide on the Kundenzentrum versus Bezirksausländeramt explains the postal code logic.

There are no walk-ins. The city’s FAQ says you can only be seen with an appointment, the only exception being a report of unauthorized entry. Personal visits at the Ausländeramt generally require an appointment and an invitation letter from the office.

The pick-up of the finished document also needs you in person. If you cannot come, another person can collect your documents with a power of attorney. The city offers a sample form on its page.

What It Costs

The city’s pages on this process do not give a fee. The federal rule is § 45c AufenthV, which sets 67 euros for reissuing the electronic residence title in listed cases, including expiry of the passport and a change of the listed data. Whether it applies to your case and in what amount is decided at the office.

For comparison, Stadt Köln’s extension page says fees are paid in cash or by card at the appointment, that the processing fee is due even if you withdraw or are rejected, and that fees can be waived in some cases, for example for people who receive social benefits. That is the extension process, so ask about your own case. This site’s guide to residence permit appointments walks through that process.

Before You Travel

The city’s FAQ gives a clear picture for the different cases:

The city adds that urgent processing is not available for vacation trips. If a trip falls in the weeks you wait for the card, keep both passports and the card together, and do not plan around a quick turnaround.

Two related situations come up often. A lost or stolen card is a separate case: use the contact form and, if it was stolen, report the theft to the police and send the report with the form. The office can issue a certificate of your residence status if needed. A moved address is a different process too; see this site’s guide on updating the chip after a move.

What the Law Requires of You

§ 56 AufenthV is about passports, not about the card. It requires you to apply for a new passport in time, early enough that the new one is issued before the old expires, to apply promptly if the passport becomes invalid, lost or incorrect, and to report a lost passport to the Ausländerbehörde without delay. It does not itself set a deadline to present a new passport to the Ausländerbehörde. The rules for when to contact the office are the city’s, set out above. If a lost passport turns up again, report it and present it to the Ausländerbehörde promptly, as § 56 requires.

Step by Step

1. Look at your card when the new passport arrives. Is the old passport number printed or noted on it?
2. If it is not, keep your documents together and carry both passports if you did not surrender the old one. No further step.
3. If it is, open the Ausländeramt contact form and choose the topic "Verlängerung Aufenthalt (unbefristet, Niederlassungserlaubnis) – neuer Pass". State your permit type in the message.
4. Book the Bezirksausländeramt appointment online if the office tells you to come, or if your Niederlassungserlaubnis shows the number on the front.
5. Take the old passport, the new passport and a digital biometric photo, plus your current card.
6. Ask about the fee and how long the new card takes, since the city does not publish either for this case.
7. Collect the card in person, or send an authorized person with a power of attorney.

Compliance Note

This page explains the general process described by Stadt Köln and in federal law, as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. The city’s contact form, the booking system and the fees for individual cases change, and the right step depends on your permit type. If you are unsure whether your card needs updating, or you have a travel plan with a tight date, ask the Ausländeramt through its contact form or a qualified adviser before you rely on this page.