General information

Applicants under the age of 18 cannot apply for a passport without the consent of their legal representatives. It is therefore absolutely essential that the child and all those with custody are present when the application is submitted at the embassy.

First application for a passport

If this is the child's first passport, you should check whether and which further steps may be necessary before you apply for a passport.

Example:

The married parents of a newborn do not have a common married name. A name declaration is then required before the application is submitted.

More information can be found here.

Example 2:

In the case of parents who are not married to one another, an acknowledgment of paternity and a declaration of name must be submitted before a German passport can be applied for. Please note that you cannot book an appointment for the passport application until these steps have already been completed.

More information can be found here.

Consent of Absent Parents

If a person with custody cannot be present (usually a parent who does not live at the place of residence or is prevented, for example, by work), a certified declaration of consent can be submitted. You can find a sample consent form here. A German authority such as B. the Citizens’ Registration Office, a German mission abroad or a German notary must have certified the signature of the absent parent on the declaration of consent.

If only one parent or a third person has sole custody, this fact must be proven, e.g. B. by submitting the court decision granting custody to one parent (e.g. Ghanaian custody order).

If only one parent comes to the appointment, or if there is no certified declaration of consent from the parent who is not present or no proof of sole custody, we cannot process the application. In this case, you must make a new appointment. This also applies if you have had a long and costly journey.

These regulations serve to protect children.

Adolescents can apply for identity cards from the age of 16 without the involvement of the legal guardians.

Documents required for application

Please note for your appointment: You must bring the original documents with you

1. Application form
2. Current German ID document (if no first passport)
3. Identification documents of the legal guardians
4. birth certificate
5. German naturalization certificate or certificate of acquisition of German citizenship by declaration of the German parent (if applicable)
6. Parents' Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
7. Acknowledgment of paternity (if applicable)
8. Certificate of name (if applicable)
9. Proof of other nationalities (if applicable)
10. Other identification documents (e.g. Ghanaian passport)
11. De-registration certificate from Germany (only required if a German place of residence was entered in the last German ID document)
12. Ghanaian residence permit (only for children who do not also have Ghanaian citizenship)
13. 1 current biometric passport photo per document to be applied for (please no older than three months)
14. If only one parent is present: Power of attorney from the other parent for the passport application

Processing times

Biometric passports and ID cards are produced centrally by Bundesdruckerei in Berlin. Estimated processing times are as follows:

These processing times apply from the time the embassy orders the documents from Bundesdruckerei and are non-binding. If there are delays in the application process (e.g. due to missing documents), the processing times will be extended accordingly.

Validity of ID documents

• Biometric passports and identity cards: 6 years

Fees

Oerview of the fees for German ID documents and additional services:

The fees are to be paid on the day of application in GHS at the current exchange rate of the embassy. They cannot be paid in EUR in cash.

How to book an appointment?

As soon as you have compiled all the documents, you can book an appointment via our central appointment system.

Please note that a separate appointment must be booked for each passport applicant, including children.