glemo

yes, plus I have known people who have been fined on the spot for not having ID on their person....
Again back to the old WWII movies... Show me your papers (with accent of course)..............

Geordie1964

It is required by German law but it is rarely carried out. If you are driving, shopping or out on the lash then it's advisable to have some sort of identification on you, driving licence or Aufenthaltserlaubnis ( mine is in about 3 bits in my wallet ). I would never lump my passport around unless it's required for a specific purpose. I've lived in Germany as a civilian since 1990 and i have never been asked to produce my ID on a spot check.

jdr

It is still the law and if you do not have it you can be detained, hopefully only till some nice person gets it for you and shows them, could be dodgy if you are a billy no mates though. lol

notathome

The latest place I have had to show an ID is in Edeka (supermarket). If one wants to pay for the shopping by credit card and the amount is above a 100 Euros, then they require an ID.
If you get stopped due to some traffic incident (whilst driving), or police check, you have to have your driving licence and ID. If you hang around on main stations or airports, its quite likely you'll be asked to show your ID. I used to go into Munich Hauptbahnhof to get an English paper and have a coffee quite frequently and several times was asked to show my passport, by plain clothed police. I dont go into Munich much these days, but its probably the same.

Austrobrit

Its not a bad idea to carry id and in fact can be quite usefull if you are involved in an accident with say for eg "a cyclist" and you need their details for your medical ins.

I live in a popular ski region and it happens more and more often when accidents occour between 2 parties and the one responsible provides false details to avoid having to pay the helicopter etc

Umpatan

Oh wow, that is like the time I visted Japan. They want you to register for a gaijin card and carry your passport around at all times. But I am an English Canadian dual citizen, and I wonder what category I would fit, since I am also a British citizen, thus a member of the EU! Would I be a foreigner or fellow member?

jdr

You would be an EU member, but still legally required to carry your passport if outside of GB. ;-)

Kar98

Another reason I'm not living there

crowbar93

I’ve been living in Germany for over 20 years, on and off, and I was under the impression ‘Ausweispflicht’ (‘ID card obligation’) meant that all Germans had to carry their ID cards around in public. Since I have dual citizenship, I never bothered with this; if anyone asks, I’m British, and there’s no way I’m going to walk around with my passport. :P

Then again, I was recently told by a German that ‘Ausweispflicht’ only means that all German citizens over 18 (or 16, can’t remember) were obliged to have a German ID card, but, despite the myths, there was no legal obligation to have it on you. He said if you had to have it on you all the time, it would be called an ‘Ausweismitführpflicht’ (‘ID card carrying obligation’). I think this makes perfect sense, German is a rather literal language, after all.

Kar98

Yes.

Nah, this has been law even before there WAS immigration into Germany, legal or otherwise.

sukuinage

As one of the previous posters stated "Ausweispflicht" only means that every German over the age of 16 must have an identity card. There is no "Mitführpflicht" in Germany and, therefore, no requirement to carry an identity card with you.

http://www.rechtslexikon-online.de/Ausweispflicht.html

jdr

It is common sense for every foreigner to carry ID in any host country, as your country Embassy will advise.

THR

Don't people in Germany have a social-security number? Birth date and a combination of numbers and letters attached. That's the way things work in the Scandinavian countries and people don't have to carry an ID with them at all times. All adults remember their social-security number by heart.

bporteous

My experience of being a British expatriate in Germany is that you generally need use your passport quite a lot in the first six months e.g.

• registering with the local town hall

• registering with the local immigration authority

• collecting recorded mail deliveries

• opening bank accounts

• taking out personal liability insurance

• getting a telephone connected

Would I leave my passport in my flat or in a hotel safe? No, I carry it on me in case I need it.

jdr

Sounds about right for every country not only Germany. ;-)
You need it in Spain to get almost anything.