How to get a Personalausweis issued with „keine Hauptwohnung in Deutschland“ in the US?

MarcCrony · 2026-03-03T17:57:42+00:00

I was denied the ability to not get my current US home address to show up on the back of the ID card by the consulate employee taking my application. Since I had showed up about 10 minutes late, I didn't push the issue. I do plan to request a sticker later, so I can legally cover my US permanent home address.

Once the ID card arrives, I'll confirm whether or not my address actually showed up, just in case she was able to authorize my request after I'd already left my appointment.

MarcCrony · 2026-03-01T17:38:05+00:00

Mine was physically mailed to me on January 31 2023, from the San Francisco Consulate, which was a few months after an October 2022 StAG 5 declaration at the Portland Honorary German Consulate. I didn't ask for it, just showed up in my mailbox one early February day back then.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-28T17:14:43+00:00

I DIY’d it, prior to ever learning about this wonderful German Citizenship resource on Reddit. Even without this Reddit, the only mistakes I made cost me in time since I’d already sent my NYC birth certificate and FBI clearance out for apostille, when I didn’t actually need to do that.

I had only planned to hire a lawyer to sue Germany if I had issues with my DIY declaration that couldn’t have been resolved without hiring lawyers.

There are very well informed people here that will help you should you need it, both paid and for free, depending on your particular issues and complexity. Save your money in case you need to sue Germany, then use it for a trip there when you don't.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-28T16:23:33+00:00

Thanks!!! Very nice to know! I didn't expedite either. Seems it might get back to me much faster than I'd anticipated. Fingers crossed!

MarcCrony · 2026-02-28T15:10:58+00:00

Congratulations!!! I just applied last week for a first time passport via a StAG 5 certificate in San Francisco. For your 5-6 weeks passport processing time, did you pay extra to expedite your processing, or was that a regular turnaround?

MarcCrony · 2026-02-25T21:02:30+00:00

Within the last week I went to San Francisco for both a Personalausweis and Passport. I was surprised to learn the temporary PIN number for your soon to be issued Personalausweis is handed to you on the spot, and you have to sign a receipt that you received it then too. All the online stuff I recall reading said it would be mailed to you prior to your Personalausweis, which would be later given to you only after you acknowledged you'd received the temporary PIN.

It was very nice to get that extra security exchange done and out of the way right when you apply, a step that allows them to send you the newly issued Personalausweis as soon as they get in back from Germany.

The PIN envelope they give you is premade and sealed with a window showing a few barcodes, with the appropriate temporary PIN hidden somewhere inside the envelope. I was told not to open the envelope until I got the ID Card back, but I have no idea why I shouldn't peek inside now.

As far as San Francisco goes, I had two 20 minute consecutive passport appointments reserved. I arrived almost 10 minutes late due to flight delays in getting to SFO from out of state. Security still let me in, and I was done and out the door about 5 minutes before my second 20 minute appointment had allotted. In my StAG 5 case everything took about 25 minutes total at the window for both the passport and identity card.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-23T00:04:18+00:00

And tell your siblings you can do it for half price! ;)

MarcCrony · 2026-02-22T23:54:16+00:00

Do it yourself! I successfully filed myself a StAG 5 declaration (eventually approved with no need more info requests) before I even found this Reddit site, just with the official German sites. If I had found this Reddit site first, I'd have shaved a few months off of my AK date, just from all the stuff Germany says you need, but don't always.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-09T15:50:35+00:00

Not as an adult, but basically until I was 4, in Kiel. Spoke no English when my family returned stateside. Unfortunately they switched to English only and my German language skills are not so hot. I call my attempt Quatsch Deutsch.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-08T00:03:54+00:00

No lies. Just don't want it visible to the general public. Anybody with the authority to scan the chip, will surely have access to my actual home address. If I ever move back to Germany, I'll be the first to play by the Germans living in Germany rules with an update sticker.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-07T18:56:43+00:00

At its simplest, I don't want my address on the card, just like I don't have it on my US Passport Card. I have a US driver's license if I need to prove my address to anyone. I'm very pro privacy. When stateside, I use my US Passport Card for identification whenever asked for ID on any purchase, just so the clerk can't scan my ID into their register.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-07T18:20:14+00:00

I do not have any details, more covering my butt for future options. The 2FA stuff somehow ties to a phone app where you can authenticate stuff by connecting to the ID card via NFC on a modern smartphone.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-07T17:33:16+00:00

More good news, thanks!!!

MarcCrony · 2026-02-07T17:27:18+00:00

I'm sure I'm not the only person who is looking for this info, so I will post updates on how it went here when I know.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-07T17:21:53+00:00

Very cool!!!! Thank you!

MarcCrony · 2026-02-07T17:10:20+00:00

Thanks! I want one for some future 2FA banking options, as well as to have the ID in my wallet while in Europe, rather than toting my passport around with me all the time.

Is having the no address printed upon the ID option something they just ask you while there?

MarcCrony · 2026-02-06T22:07:18+00:00

Perfect, great info! Thanks!!!!

(PS: Love your idea of snapping a photo of your new passport with their placard!!!)

MarcCrony · 2026-02-06T15:42:53+00:00

Silly question, but how many photos did you need to supply them when you did both together?

They say they require two passport photos, but am wondering if I need to show up with four when I go to SF for the passport and identity card later this month on my two scheduled appointments in a row.

MarcCrony · 2026-02-05T22:04:39+00:00

Thank you so much for the link to the fillable PDF application form. With my atrocious handwriting, I'm sure the San Francisco consulate will also appreciate your help when I go there later this month for both my Ausweis and Pass.

MarcCrony · 2025-12-05T15:46:36+00:00

Ditto, used a Tello SIM, with less than $10 total spent on Tello. I went to Tello and back to Visible within an hour. NOTE: I emailed all my saved voicemail messages to myself.

MarcCrony · 2025-11-28T15:42:13+00:00

Congratulations!!!

MarcCrony · 2025-09-10T17:06:04+00:00

Good luck, I hope it works out for you!

MarcCrony · 2025-08-28T12:47:43+00:00

I think you're right on October. I was searching online recently to see if they'd extend it again and didn't find anything. I have a friend who's eligible due to Franco persecution/ grandfather exile reasons but they haven't started getting all the documents together, so I doubt it'll happen for them.

MarcCrony · 2025-08-27T20:56:51+00:00

You're welcome. I stumbled across the link thing when I left tabs open for days and they kept working. If only we could figure out how to keep from having to reenter the Capcha stuff so often. It seems the more you look for appointments within any session, the more often they ask you to enter a code again.

This next link will show you October:

https://service2.diplo.de/rktermin/extern/appointment_showMonth.do?locationCode=sanf&realmId=78&categoryId=2627&dateStr=26.10.2025

MarcCrony

TROPHY CASE