German Passport Renewal in the UK 2026 (Reisepass / German Missions)

Since February 1, 2025, the German Consulate General in Edinburgh is responsible exclusively for Scotland. The German Embassy London covers England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Channel Islands, Gibraltar and Falkland Islands, while Honorary Consuls accept passport applications within their own local districts.

The German Embassy London currently operates a pilot online application service for adults aged 18 or over who live in the Embassy's London jurisdiction and are applying for a biometric passport. Edinburgh and Honorary Consul applicants continue to use the normal application procedure. Even with the online pilot, personal attendance for biometric data is still required.

Review your current German passport/Personalausweis, birth record, marital-name information and citizenship documents. A passport application can be delayed if names, citizenship status or civil-status records do not match.

You do not automatically need a German deregistration certificate. It is required when the last German passport or Personalausweis still shows a German residential address. Applicants who already have a document showing their UK residence normally do not need an Abmeldebescheinigung merely because they live abroad.

For the normal route, download the official German passport application form and complete it carefully. Adults in the London online pilot can instead submit the application through the Foreign Office Auslandsportal, although original documents may still have to be presented during the biometric appointment.

A separate appointment is required for each applicant. London and Edinburgh appointments are booked through the German missions' appointment systems. Honorary Consuls require appointments directly with the relevant Honorary Consul and only accept applications from residents of their own consular district.

Bring the originals and the required copy of each document. The London mission explicitly states that incomplete applications cannot be processed and the applicant may have to book a new appointment. Additional documents can be required depending on the applicant's circumstances.

Passport applications must be made in person. The applicant is identified and fingerprints are recorded. The biometric photograph must comply with the German passport specification and be no older than three months.

The UK German missions publish the statutory fee in euros together with the current sterling equivalent. The main German missions accept physical Visa and Mastercard credit/debit cards. Contactless and wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are not accepted. Honorary Consuls publish separate instructions and currently require the passport fees to be paid by postal order.

The biometric passport is produced through the Bundesdruckerei in Berlin. The UK missions do not print the passport themselves. Standard processing is currently about 5–6 weeks in London and 6–8 weeks in Edinburgh, while Express service is about 3–4 weeks.

The German missions generally send completed passports and identity documents by post after production. London requires an addressed and prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm Large Letter envelope up to 500g for the standard postal-return procedure.

If your old passport is already expired, it can normally be invalidated and returned. If it is still valid, you can choose to have it cancelled immediately, leave it at the mission until the new passport is ready, or retain it temporarily for travel and then send it back for cancellation. The mission may add up to five working days for the final return process if the old document is submitted later.

When the new passport arrives, verify the surname, given names, date/place of birth, photograph, passport number, issue date and expiry date. Contact the issuing mission promptly if any information is incorrect.

German citizens who have a UKVI digital immigration record should make sure the newly issued German passport is associated with their current UKVI account before travelling. The German Embassy specifically advises German residents in the UK to check that the currently valid identity document is recorded in their UKVI account.