Status: 05/13/2022 08:47 a.m
The summer holidays will start in a few weeks. Due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic so far, a particularly large number of German citizens are applying for a passport this year. The production time has increased significantly.
At the moment there is a very high volume of orders for passports, reports the Federal Ministry of the Interior. According to figures from the ministry, the high demand is leading to longer waiting times.
In January 2022, the production and mailing of a passport therefore took a total of 10.1 working days on average. In April 2022 the value was 18 working days. According to the figures, before the corona pandemic, the production time including shipping was between 9.4 and 10 working days.
The demand for the express ordering process, in which the passports are usually ready for collection after three days, has apparently increased sharply.
More travel possible again
At the latest after the summer holidays, the request will probably decrease, said a spokesman for the ministry. Then production will be faster again.
The spokesman cited the corona-related travel restrictions in the past two years as a possible reason for the high demand. Since these have now been relaxed, more trips are possible again.
Passport required for travel to the UK
According to the spokesman, because of the reunification in 1990, there is a particularly high demand for identity documents every ten years. After the Corona years 2020 and 2021, the wave of applications has now been postponed to this year. In addition, since 2021 a passport will also be required for trips to Great Britain.
The Association of Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia demands that Bundesdruckerei should send ID documents directly to citizens. “This saves the collection at the office and thus relieves the administration and the citizens alike,” said Managing Director Helmut Dedy. In this way, more applications could be processed.
Submit applications as early as possible
Citizens should submit their applications as early as possible, Dedy said. According to the municipal association, the demand for appointments is currently particularly high in many cities. In some cities, the number of people over 16 without a valid ID has apparently tripled.
As early as 2021, additional registration offices were set up for a limited period of time and opening hours were extended, the city council explained.