Aufenthaltskarte vs. national ID

Member since 01 February 2021

HawkLaneMember16 August 2021 21:03:04

Hi

My American wife has an aufenthaltskarte and we are traveling right now actually. She only brought her aufenthaltskarte and the ferry operator claimed that she could not enter Germany with that, she would need a passport as well... Is the aufenthaltskarte not an ID card? And if so, how could she get a real EU national ID card for travels?

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ALKB Germany Advisor

Member since 04 May 2021

ALKBGermany Advisor17 August 2021 04:32:29

206

HawkLane wrote:
Hi

My American wife has an aufenthaltskarte and we are traveling right now actually. She only brought her aufenthaltskarte and the ferry operator claimed that she could not enter Germany with that, she would need a passport as well... Is the aufenthaltskarte not an ID card? And if so, how could she get a real EU national ID card for travels?

An Aufenthaltskarte is documentary evidence of her immigration status. She needs her passport for traveling.

She can get an EU national ID card only by naturalizing as a citizen of an EU country.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

Member since 08 August 2010

Germany & Singapore Expert

beppiGermany/Singapore Expert18 August 2021 20:38:48

15609

Germany does not offer ID documents to foreign nationals, as a rule. Her ID is the passport, nothing else.

TominStuttgart Germany Expert

Member since 19 March 2012

TominStuttgartGermany Expert22 August 2021 19:40:10

2795

For international travel she needs a passport. The Aufenhaltskarte is accepted internally to show one has permission to be here but not to specifically enter the country as a travel document. She should be carrying both to enter Schengen.