Appointment-System of the German Foreign Office — Washington

Please note that a visa is not a guarantee that you will be allowed to enter Germany as this is at the discretion of the German border police.

If you are a US citizen and intend to move to Germany for studying or family reunion, please be aware that you are still allowed to enter Germany visa free and apply for your residence permit at your place of residence. A visa process is not necessary.

Information about the visa process can be found on our website. There is also information available if a visa is required. Please read the information provided thoroughly before you book an appointment.

Visa fees can be paid in USD only and therefore may vary depending on the daily exchange rate. The German missions in the U.S. only accept cash. Checks or credit cards are not accepted.

The Embassy serves the following U.S. States: District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. If you live outside the Embassy’s jurisdiction, please contact the German Consulate which serves your U.S. State.

Please be aware that appointments at the visa section are usually well booked in advance. Special appointments can usually not be granted. If you are not able to attend your appointment, please cancel it to allow other customers to submit their application. Once you cancelled your appointment, you will be able to book a new one.

For detailed information on the German passport and ID card application procedures as well as a list of required documents, visit our website. Please familiarize yourself with the procedures before making an appointment for your passport application.

During each appointment only one application can be processed. Therefore, an individual appointment is required for every family member. Should you wish to apply for a passport and an ID card at the same time, please book two successive appointments. Due to high demand for passport application appointments, waiting times for an appointment may be increased. Please consider this while arranging your personal travel plans.

ATTENTION: Applicants who would like to declare German citizenship acc. to Sec. 5 German Citizenship Law can only apply for a passport after receipt of their „naturalization-certificate“. Information on the declaration can be found here (Section A).

If you have any questions about the booking system, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail only at pass@wash.diplo.de

• Name declarations
• Registration of a marriage abroad
• Registration of a birth abroad
• Recognition of a foreign divorce decree
  

Please note: This is not an appointment for applying for a German passport!

For all Consular Services in regard to citizenship matters an appointment is needed, e.g. for:

• Certificate of citizenship
• Restoration of German citizenship (Art. 116 II Basic Law, § 15 Citizenship Act)
• Declaration in accordance with § 5 Citizenship Act)
• Naturalization (§§ 13, 14 Citizenship Act)
• Renunciation of German citizenship

Pease note: during this appointment we cannot handout citizenship certificates, retention permits, or do naturalizations. Neither can we arrange for passport applications. If you would like documents to be handed out, please contact the Consulate via their contact forms on www.germany.info; please do not book more than one appointment. 

For all Consular Services other than those in the categories I to V, kindly book an appointment in this category:

• Notarizations of signature on powers of attorney and declarations of consent
• Notarizations of signature for the purpose of renunciation of an inheritance
• Notarizations of signature for a certificate of good conduct
• Notarizations of signature for opening a blocked account
• Life Certificates
• Notarization of Copies -> NOT FOR CITIZENSHIP MATTERS
• Export declaration for VAT
• German driver's license certification for presentation to US authorities