© dpa
For the first time, citizens can apply for a new ID card or passport at the Citizens' Office all day today (May 14, 2025) without an appointment.
Nine of Berlin's twelve districts are taking part in the day of action - Reinickendorf, Lichtenberg and Pankow are not participating.
The offer only applies to passport and ID card matters. Also good to know: As part of the campaign, Berliners can only go to the Bürgeramt (citizens' office) in the district in which they are registered. This is possible during the usual opening hours of the respective district offices. They have already issued a warning: Interested parties should allow for waiting times. The Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) had already campaigned some time ago for the idea of being able to deal with issues at the citizens' office without having to book an appointment in advance.
The State Secretary for Digitization, Martina Klement (CSU), emphasized on RBB-Inforadio that they wanted to find out how much interest there was in such offers. This will therefore be evaluated carefully. She hopes that many Berliners will take advantage of the opportunity, but does not expect "that we will be completely overrun". The Berlin Senate has been working for some time to ensure that people get an appointment at the citizens' office within 14 days - this has not worked so far. One way to relieve the burden on the offices is to offer digital services, which have recently been expanded. For example, it is now possible to register and re-register online without the need for an appointment.