Detailed description
You can report the loss
- at any identity card authority, usually in any Hamburg Hamburg Service, or
- at any police station.
You must also apply for a new identity card if you are over 16 years old and do not have a valid passport document, i.e. a passport or temporary passport.
You can submit your application to the ID card authority at your primary residence, which is usually any Hamburg Service Center. Applications can be submitted to any other ID card authority outside of Hamburg if a valid reason is presented. A non-competence surcharge applies, which increases the cost of issuing the card.
If you find your ID card, you must report it in person to your identity card authority. Only once you have officially reported your ID card as "found" will any corresponding police record be deleted.
Unless you have applied for a new identity card, you can continue to use your identity card in Germany without restrictions until the end of its validity.
From May 1, 2025, there will be new regulations regarding the required photo:
From this date, you will no longer be permitted to submit paper-based photos. Instead, you will need an electronic photo. You can create this on-site or bring the QR code provided by a photographer. Further information can be found in the "Links" section.