Germany eAT Update After a New Passport: Passübertrag, Documents & Timing
If you hold a German electronic residence permit (eAT) and receive a new national passport, check whether your card still shows the old passport number or expiry details. In most cases, the next step is called a Passübertrag or Übertragung des Aufenthaltstitels auf einen neuen Pass: the authority orders a replacement eAT with updated passport data. It is usually a card reissue, not a new application for your residence route—and an ordinary passport normally does not need a certified translation for this step.
Key takeaways
- Check the card first. German law generally provides for passport number and validity data on an eAT, though some settlement and EU long-term residence cards may omit them. The linked passport details and card validity are not the same thing as a new grant or extension of your residence title.
- Use the authority for your registered home address. Search BAMF-NAvI by your place of residence, then follow that authority’s instructions for booking, submitting copies, appearing in person and collecting the card.
- Prepare the usual packet: new passport, old passport if you still have it, current eAT and any Zusatzblatt. Your local office will confirm whether it also needs a current digital biometric photo or other documents.
- Translation is usually conditional. A routine passport replacement is not generally listed as requiring a translated passport. If your legal name changed or supporting civil records are in another language, ask the receiving authority what type of German translation it will accept.
Who this guide is for
This Germany-wide guide is for non-EU residents who already hold a German eAT for work, study, family residence or permanent residence and have received a replacement national passport. A typical file contains the new passport, the old passport if available, the current eAT and Zusatzblatt, plus a compliant digital photo if the authority asks for one. Expect the service terms and local instructions to be in German. If a supporting marriage, divorce or name-change record needs translation, the direction is usually that document’s language into German. Arabic, Turkish, Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese are examples of possible document languages; Germany does not publish a ranking of translation demand for residence-permit transfers.
The most common decision points are whether passport details are printed on your card, which authority serves your registered address, whether the old passport is still available, and whether an upcoming trip or residence-title expiry overlaps with card production. This guide does not cover residence eligibility, the full lost-passport process, a complete legal name-change procedure or the rules for combining a transfer with a residence extension.
Germany eAT update after new passport: when to request a Passübertrag
An eAT is a separate chip card, not a visa sticker pasted into your passport. Under section 78 of the Residence Act, the card generally records the serial number and validity period of the associated passport. When a replacement passport changes those details, local authorities commonly ask you to have a new card issued. The German word Übertrag can sound like a stamp or a physical transfer; for an eAT, it commonly means ordering a replacement card with the current passport data.
There is an important exception to check before booking. Section 78 allows passport-number and passport-validity fields to be omitted on certain cards for a Niederlassungserlaubnis or Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt–EU when the conditions in the law are met. If your permanent-residence card does not show passport details, ask your local authority whether a new card is needed in your case; the exception is not a blanket rule for every permanent-residence holder.
Keep the passport expiry, the residence title’s own expiry or conditions, and the eAT card’s expiry in view as separate facts. A Passübertrag updates the document record; it does not extend your residence period or change permission to work. If your title is close to expiry, contact the authority about the transfer and any extension as separate matters rather than assuming one automatically covers the other.
Which Ausländerbehörde handles an eAT passport update?
Germany has no single national Passübertrag counter. The competent Ausländerbehörde, Ausländeramt or Migrationsamt is found by your registered place of residence, not by the office nearest your current location. Use the BAMF-NAvI authority search with your postcode, town or address, then follow the result to the authority’s own service page.
Search that site for the German service terms Passübertrag, Aufenthaltstitel auf einen neuen Pass übertragen or eAT neu ausstellen. The local page should tell you whether to submit a form or passport scans first, book a personal appointment, attend at a delegated municipal office, or collect the finished card later. Do not assume a nearby Bürgeramt can handle it: the receiving location is a local authorization question.
Berlin illustrates how local routing can differ. Its official Passübertrag service page allows some straightforward transfers at a Bürgeramt only when stated conditions are met, including that the old passport remains available and the previous permit was issued or last transferred in Berlin. Other cases go to the Landesamt für Einwanderung. Berlin’s six-month condition is a local routing rule for that service, not a Germany-wide deadline for making a Passübertrag. Check the current rules for your own registered address.
Germany eAT passport change documents: what to prepare
Start with the authority’s current checklist. The following are common items, not a substitute for your local instructions:
- New national passport: bring the original if the authority requires an in-person check; some offices begin with a scan or online form.
- Old passport, if available: it helps connect the passport details already recorded on the eAT to the new document. If it was retained by your consulate, contact the authority before booking and ask what alternative evidence it accepts.
- Current eAT and Zusatzblatt: bring both if you have them. Conditions printed on the supplementary sheet remain relevant after the card is reissued.
- Digital biometric photo: since May 2025, biometric photos for German identity and residence documents are generally submitted digitally through an approved secure route. Your local authority will say whether it offers an on-site photo terminal or accepts a secure upload from an authorized photo provider. A printed photo or phone image should not be assumed acceptable.
- Local form, appointment confirmation or additional proof: some offices ask for an application form or initial document upload before offering an appointment. Bring any requested residence or payment evidence.
Additional evidence depends on the reason for the change. If the old passport is lost or stolen, AufenthV § 56 requires the loss to be reported without delay to the competent authority. Ask separately whether your local office also requires a police loss confirmation; the reporting duty does not itself establish that a police certificate is always required. If the new passport carries a different legal name, prepare the civil-status or name-change record that connects the old and new identities. If the person is a child, confirm attendance, fingerprints and parental documentation with the authority before traveling to an appointment.
Appointments, card production and costs
Local implementation is where much of the practical variation sits: online pre-checks, appointment availability, delegated service counters, biometric-photo facilities and card collection or delivery are set by the relevant authority. A booked appointment is not the same as a completed card. The authority may need to take biometric data and order a new eAT, so plan for a second step if the local page requires collection.
The federal fee for reissuing a document under section 78 because the previous passport expired or the recorded information changed is generally €67 under AufenthV § 45c. The local authority’s page should be checked for the amount payable in your circumstances, including any published reductions or exemptions. Do not rely on a private booking or translation service to quote the authority’s fee.
There is no Germany-wide processing-time estimate that you can safely apply to every authority. As one clearly local example, Berlin says that after the in-person appointment it takes approximately four weeks for the eAT to be issued and ready for collection. That estimate does not include the wait to obtain an appointment and is not a national average. Check your authority’s current estimate and allow time for both the appointment and card production, especially if travel or a residence-title extension is approaching.
Can you travel while waiting for the new eAT?
Some German authorities advise residents to carry the old passport, new passport and current residence card together until the replacement is issued. Berlin’s service page describes that combination for returning to Germany when the existing residence permit remains valid, while also telling travelers to check the entry rules of the destination country. Treat this as a practical, authority-specific instruction—not a universal guarantee for every airline, transit country or border officer.
Before booking or departing, ask your own Ausländerbehörde whether it can provide written confirmation or another document for your circumstances. Check the destination’s entry requirements and ask the airline about document checks, particularly for a route involving a third country. If your card has expired, your residence title is close to expiry, the old passport is unavailable, or your name differs across records, do not assume the three-document combination resolves the issue.
When a certified translation matters—and when it does not
For an ordinary passport renewal with the same legal name, a translation of the passport is usually not the bottleneck. Public Passübertrag checklists commonly focus on the passport, existing eAT and photo, rather than a translated passport. Confirm the local list first and do not order a translation merely because your passport is foreign.
Translation becomes relevant when the new passport reflects a legal name change, a civil-status document is needed to connect two names, or the authority specifically asks for a translation. In Germany, the term to ask about is often beglaubigte Übersetzung. Ask the receiving authority whether it requires a translator publicly appointed, generally sworn or authorized in Germany, and whether it wants a paper original. Do not assume that notarizing a translation makes it a sworn translation, or that a translation accepted for another application will automatically meet this office’s requirements.
If your issue is transliteration or a mismatch between a passport and civil records, our Germany guide to name spelling and birth-date mismatches explains how identity links can be documented. The separate guide on who can translate German naturalization documents covers translator eligibility in that different process; it is not a Passübertrag checklist.
Germany timing data and real-world friction
The reliable planning numbers are limited but useful: the federal reissue fee is generally €67, the photo process changed to digital submission in 2025, and Berlin’s published estimate is about four weeks after an in-person appointment. These figures answer different questions—fee, photo readiness and one city’s post-appointment production time. They do not establish a national appointment wait or average processing time. Your local service page is the right place to check scheduling and delivery instructions.
Community accounts are anecdotal, not legal guidance. In a June 2025 Reddit discussion about travel before a transfer, residents discussed carrying old and new passports with the eAT; one traveler recounted extra questions during a route through Amsterdam, and another mentioned receiving a letter from the authority as backup. A separate first-person account on the German immigration forum i4a described a replacement card that still displayed the old passport number and the effort needed to correct it before travel. These isolated reports do not show how often such problems occur. They support two practical checks: ask your authority before a trip and verify the new card’s passport data before relying on it.
Public resources and commercial translation options
Public and support resources
| Resource | What it can help with | Best time to use it |
|---|---|---|
| BAMF-NAvI authority search | Find the Ausländerbehörde responsible for your registered residence and follow its official contact or booking route. | Before sending documents or paying for any private service. |
| Your local authority’s service portal | Confirm the current document list, appointment steps, photo method, fee, special handling when an old passport is unavailable, and card collection or delivery. | Before booking and again before attending; local instructions can change. |
Commercial translation options for the name-change exception
| Provider | Publicly verifiable presence and service | Fit and checks for this process |
|---|---|---|
| lingoking GmbH | The company lists its Munich address as Gotzinger Straße 19, 81371 München, and advertises online document translation and beglaubigte Übersetzungen by sworn translators. Its published contact number is +49 89 416 12 20 0. | A possible Germany-based route if the authority requests a sworn German translation of a civil record. Its website does not establish special Passübertrag expertise or guarantee acceptance in your case. Confirm the assigned translator’s language credentials, delivery format and timing with the authority. |
| CertOf | CertOf offers online document uploads, a certified PDF with a Certificate of Translation Accuracy, layout support and professional review. It is an online service, not a German immigration office or a German sworn-translator registry. | Use only if the authority confirms that CertOf’s available language pair and certificate format meet its requirement. A standard CertOf certificate is not automatically the same as a German beglaubigte Übersetzung by a court-authorized translator. |
These are service descriptions, not endorsements. Neither company can issue an eAT, guarantee an appointment or decide what an Ausländerbehörde accepts. No provider-specific public ratings are used here as evidence of acceptance.
Common pitfalls, complaints and fraud checks
- Going to the wrong counter: jurisdiction follows your registered residence. Use BAMF-NAvI and the local authority’s own booking page instead of walking into the nearest office.
- Assuming a Berlin exception applies nationwide: Bürgeramt handling and the six-month condition are examples of local routing, not a federal rule.
- Confusing card transfer with permit extension: if the underlying residence title is nearing expiry, ask the authority about extension separately and keep its deadline in view.
- Paying for unnecessary translation: verify whether your local checklist actually asks for a translated supporting record. Ordinary passport replacement commonly needs no translation.
- Using an unofficial appointment broker: start from the official authority page linked through BAMF-NAvI. A private service cannot issue a public appointment or guarantee a faster card.
Germany has no single national Passübertrag complaint desk. For a delay or unclear checklist, use the contact route published by your responsible authority and keep copies of submissions and replies. If you receive a formal refusal, follow the remedy instructions attached to that decision; the correct route and deadline depend on the decision and applicable procedure.
FAQ: German residence permit transfer to a new passport
Do I need to update my German eAT after getting a new passport?
Usually, if your eAT shows the old passport number or validity details, the authority will require a new card through a Passübertrag. Some settlement-permit and EU long-term-residence cards may omit passport data under the statutory exception, so check your card and ask your local authority.
What does Passübertrag mean if the eAT is a separate card?
For an eAT, it usually means the authority orders a replacement chip card with the new passport information. It is not a sticker moved from one passport to another and it does not itself extend your residence title.
What documents are needed for Aufenthaltstitel auf neuen Pass übertragen?
The common set is your new passport, old passport if available, current eAT and Zusatzblatt, plus a digital biometric photo if required by the local process. The responsible authority’s checklist controls; it may request additional evidence for a name change, lost passport or child applicant.
Can I travel with my old passport, new passport and eAT while waiting?
Some authorities, including Berlin, describe that combination for re-entry when the current residence permit is still valid. It is not a universal airline, transit-country or destination guarantee. Check your own authority, airline and destination requirements before departure.
How much does a Germany eAT passport transfer cost, and how long does it take?
The statutory reissue fee is generally €67 under AufenthV § 45c, subject to the authority’s published reductions or exemptions. Timing depends on local appointments and card production. Berlin’s estimate is about four weeks after the appointment; that is not a nationwide processing average.
Does my new passport need a certified German translation?
Usually not for a routine passport replacement when your name is unchanged. A translation may be needed for a foreign marriage, divorce or name-change record, or if the authority specifically asks for one. Confirm whether it requires a German beglaubigte Übersetzung and what translator qualifications it accepts before ordering.
What if my old passport is lost or my new passport has a different name?
Contact your responsible Ausländerbehörde before booking, explain what document is missing or changed, and ask which evidence it wants. For a legal name change, be ready to provide a civil record that connects the old and new names and confirm the translation standard first.
Can a Bürgeramt handle my Passübertrag?
Only where the local authority has assigned that work to a Bürgeramt and your case meets its conditions. Berlin has a limited Bürgeramt route; many cases there and elsewhere are handled by the foreigners authority. Check the service page for your registered address.
Next step
If your name and civil records are unchanged, check the local Passübertrag list first; you may not need any translation. If the authority requests a translated name-change or civil-status document, ask whether it needs a Germany-authorized sworn translator and a paper original. Upload a document to CertOf for a quote only after confirming that the available translation format is acceptable. You can review how CertOf’s online ordering process works and its translation quality metrics. CertOf supports document translation and preparation; it does not book appointments, represent you before an authority or provide legal advice.
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Local authority procedures and your residence-title conditions can differ. Confirm the current requirements with the Ausländerbehörde responsible for your registered residence before traveling or submitting documents.