US Embassy and Consulate Services for Americans in Germany

Living in Germany does not end your relationship with the US government. You still renew passports, sign US documents, register children born abroad and, eventually, deal with Social Security. In Germany these services are split between the US Embassy in Berlin and the Consulates General in Frankfurt and Munich, plus a Federal Benefits Unit in Frankfurt that handles federal benefits for the whole country.

Knowing which office does what, and how to reach it, saves a lot of time.

Three posts, one navigator

The US Mission divides consular districts by state. Berlin covers the north and east, Frankfurt covers Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, and Munich covers Bavaria. Routine services are by appointment.

Instead of a general email address, the Mission uses online "navigators". You choose your nearest post, answer a few questions, and the navigator either sends you to the right information and booking page or gives you instructions to contact the post by email for less common questions. Start there for anything routine.

Third parties, such as an attorney, interpreter or family member, may attend appointments for citizen services, subject to security screening.

Passports

Use the passport navigator for your nearest post. It either books an appointment or gives you instructions for a mail-in renewal to Frankfurt, if you are eligible. Points to note from the Mission:

• Routine processing takes four to six weeks.
• If you are travelling within the next two weeks, the navigator explains how to apply for an emergency passport.
• An emergency or limited validity passport replaced within one year of issue follows separate instructions.

Renew early. Your German residence permit is linked to your passport, and the foreigners authority and your bank will need the new passport details.

Dual US and German citizens must use a valid US passport to enter the United States, even if they also hold a German passport.

Notarial services

The embassy and consulates provide a service similar to a US notary public, available to people of any nationality. Appointment availability is extremely limited, so the Mission suggests checking first whether the US state where your document will be used accepts remote online notarization.

If you do book, the requirements are strict:

• Appear in person with a valid government photo ID whose name matches the document.
• Bring the document unsigned. You sign in front of the consular officer.
• Bring the complete document, with pages in order, and keep separate documents separated with a paper clip.
• Understand the content and where you need to sign; staff cannot explain documents or give legal advice.
• Bring your own witnesses if the document requires them, with their ID. Consular staff cannot act as witnesses.
• If you sign for a company, bring proof of your authority.
• Pay the fee at the appointment. The Mission lists 50 US dollars per consular seal, payable in US dollars, euros or by credit card, but not by German EC card.

The officer can refuse a notarial service, for example when the document is incomplete, its use would be unlawful, or the signer does not appear to understand it. Some services are precluded by US law in Germany, so read the list on the notarials page before booking.

For documents to be used in Germany, a German notary is usually the correct choice instead.

Births abroad

Children born in Germany to a US citizen parent may be US citizens at birth. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) documents that citizenship. The Mission describes the process as gathering the required documents and submitting them online, and it stresses that the application must be submitted before the child's 18th birthday. Most families apply soon after the birth together with the child's first US passport.

Social Security and federal benefits

All Social Security questions from residents of Germany go to the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at the Consulate General in Frankfurt, not to the embassy in Berlin. The FBU administers programs of the Social Security Administration, Veterans Affairs, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Labor and the Railroad Retirement Board for residents of Germany and Liechtenstein. All FBU services need an appointment.

The fastest route is the Frankfurt FBU navigator. To apply for benefits you can apply online, call SSA's international call center at 1-855-522-6936 (7 am to 5 pm Eastern Time), or mail a signed statement with your details. The Mission notes that applicants may be contacted by SSA staff from other offices in the US and abroad who are supporting Frankfurt, and that these contacts are legitimate.

The Social Security Fairness Act, signed on January 5, 2025, changed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. Americans with a German public pension should check what it means for their US benefits.

Emergencies

For life or death medical emergencies, dial 112. For emergencies involving a US citizen, the 24-hour numbers are (030) 8305-0 for Berlin, (069) 7535-0 for Frankfurt and (089) 2888-0 for Munich. Our safety guide for Germany explains what consular staff can and cannot do for victims of crime.

Stay reachable: STEP and a US address

Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the embassy can send you security alerts and reach you in a crisis.

Many US institutions still insist on a US mailing address: banks, brokerages, state DMVs and some insurers. Using a relative's house works until it does not. A virtual mailbox service such as iPostal1 gives you a US street address where mail is scanned and can be forwarded to Germany, which helps with bank letters and tax forms that arrive only by post.

Other services worth knowing

The Mission's services page also covers:

• International parental child abduction, for parents worried about a child taken across borders
• Adoption: Germany is a party to the Hague Adoption Convention
• Renunciation of US citizenship, which the Mission describes as a personal right that cannot be exercised on someone else's behalf
• Lists of English-speaking lawyers and doctors by consular district, which are not endorsements

Checklist for new residents

1. Identify your consular district from your state.
2. Save the 24-hour emergency number for that post.
3. Enroll in STEP with your German address.
4. Note your passport expiry and plan renewal a year ahead.
5. Bookmark the passport, notarial and FBU navigators.
6. Set up a reliable US mailing address.

Common questions

Can I renew my US passport by mail from Germany? If you are eligible, yes. The passport navigator gives instructions for a mail-in renewal to Frankfurt. Routine processing takes four to six weeks.

How much does a notarial service cost at the US Embassy in Germany? The Mission lists 50 US dollars per consular seal, paid at the appointment in dollars, euros or by credit card. EC cards are not accepted.

Where do I ask Social Security questions in Germany? At the SSA Federal Benefits Unit at the US Consulate General in Frankfurt, by appointment, or through SSA's international call center.

Is there a deadline for registering my child as a US citizen? The CRBA application must be submitted before the child turns 18. Most families apply soon after birth.