Do I need to carry my passport with me in Germany?
May 7, 2018, 2:42 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: Miles&More Blue, SPG Silver
Posts: 3,379
The in-room safe might be problematic but still a better place than just leaving valuable or important items in plain sight in the room. For really important and high valuables you should use the main safe of the hotel which requires you to go to the reception. Not all hotels offer this while other explicitly inform you not put highly valuable items in the in-room safe but rather in the main safe.
May 7, 2018, 6:26 am
#17
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
Call me paranoid But I always carry my passport. Then again I have been doing this for a long time and in places most sane people don't go.
May 7, 2018, 6:36 am
#18
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
The paranoid ones are those who are afraid of theft or losing their passport. I've never lost a passport or had one stolen but have had a in-room hotel safe opened and gone through.
May 7, 2018, 6:56 am
#19
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
A foreigner in Germany is required to be able to produce a passport when an authority asks for it. https://dejure.org/gesetze/AufenthG/48.html
In practical life, if you do not carry your passport with you and you are stopped, your plans for the day are on hold until the authority has seen your passport in original. Mostly they will accompany you to your hotel or whereever you may have safely stored your passport.
US passport cards are not ID allowed by Germany, but EU citizens can use their national ID cards. Driving Licences issued anywhere are not ID in Germany, they are just a licence to drive.
In practical life, if you do not carry your passport with you and you are stopped, your plans for the day are on hold until the authority has seen your passport in original. Mostly they will accompany you to your hotel or whereever you may have safely stored your passport.
US passport cards are not ID allowed by Germany, but EU citizens can use their national ID cards. Driving Licences issued anywhere are not ID in Germany, they are just a licence to drive.
May 7, 2018, 7:23 am
#20
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air. Otherwise, it carries the rights and privileges of the U.S. passport book and is adjudicated to the exact same standards.
When outside the United States and the above mentioned countries, the passport card can be used as a valid citizenship identification, though it is not valid for travel internationally (for example traveling from Germany to Switzerland/Austria/France/etc.)
When outside the United States and the above mentioned countries, the passport card can be used as a valid citizenship identification, though it is not valid for travel internationally (for example traveling from Germany to Switzerland/Austria/France/etc.)
May 7, 2018, 7:37 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Haze gray and underway
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, HH Diamond, Marriott 'clink clink' Titanium
Posts: 1,784
Paranoid like leaving the hotel in the AM and being unable to return due to civil unrest and a couple of times flat out departing the country. (Africa, Middle East, South East Asia)
Last edited by Dublin_rfk; May 7, 2018 at 7:38 am Reason: spelliing
May 7, 2018, 8:45 am
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Scottsdale, Berlin, Wherever
Programs: Marriott titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, AS, UA, AA, TWA, PAN AM, PSA
Posts: 558
A foreigner in Germany is required to be able to produce a passport when an authority asks for it. https://dejure.org/gesetze/AufenthG/48.html
In practical life, if you do not carry your passport with you and you are stopped, your plans for the day are on hold until the authority has seen your passport in original. Mostly they will accompany you to your hotel or whereever you may have safely stored your passport.
US passport cards are not ID allowed by Germany, but EU citizens can use their national ID cards. Driving Licences issued anywhere are not ID in Germany, they are just a licence to drive.
In practical life, if you do not carry your passport with you and you are stopped, your plans for the day are on hold until the authority has seen your passport in original. Mostly they will accompany you to your hotel or whereever you may have safely stored your passport.
US passport cards are not ID allowed by Germany, but EU citizens can use their national ID cards. Driving Licences issued anywhere are not ID in Germany, they are just a licence to drive.
May 7, 2018, 9:23 am
#24
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,271
I pay no attention to what I am carrying or not carrying on me at any given time. Sometimes I have my passport with me, sometimes I have no ID whatsoever.
If I am walking from my hotel to a restaurant down the street or something, I will have my wallet with me obviously but I would not have my passport. I think people need to realize that in the real world, the average foreign traveller is cut some slack by the Police in general. I know that there are countries in Europe who by law require everyone on the street to provide acceptable ID when asked. I also know from having lived in several of those countries, that in practice, a tourist on the beach is not expected to have their passport with them. The majority of tourists on a beach are highly unlikely to have any form of ID with them at all. f there is some reason why the Police decide to question them, they will simply be accompanied to their hotel to provide ID.
Don't 'over think it' Uh Clem. Oliver2002 has given you the practical answer.
I remember when I lived in Greece that everyone understood that there was EU law, Athens law, Island law and then commonly accepted practice. The only one that really mattered was the last one.
If I am walking from my hotel to a restaurant down the street or something, I will have my wallet with me obviously but I would not have my passport. I think people need to realize that in the real world, the average foreign traveller is cut some slack by the Police in general. I know that there are countries in Europe who by law require everyone on the street to provide acceptable ID when asked. I also know from having lived in several of those countries, that in practice, a tourist on the beach is not expected to have their passport with them. The majority of tourists on a beach are highly unlikely to have any form of ID with them at all. f there is some reason why the Police decide to question them, they will simply be accompanied to their hotel to provide ID.
Don't 'over think it' Uh Clem. Oliver2002 has given you the practical answer.
I remember when I lived in Greece that everyone understood that there was EU law, Athens law, Island law and then commonly accepted practice. The only one that really mattered was the last one.
May 7, 2018, 9:30 am
#25
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
May 7, 2018, 9:31 am
#26
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DMV
Posts: 2,092
I wondered about that, too. I would say though that the chances of your hotel safe being broken into are very small in Germany while pickpocketing gangs are becoming a more common factor in Germany (open EU borders and EU membership for Romania/Bulgaria may play a role here). In realistic terms, it's probably almost impossible for a visitor to gauge the relative risks here (except they're likely pretty small in any event).
I think losing it or misplacing it out of carelessness is likely a bigger risk than it being stolen either way.
I think losing it or misplacing it out of carelessness is likely a bigger risk than it being stolen either way.
May 7, 2018, 9:59 am
#27
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Berlin, TXL
Programs: OW Emerald, *A gold, Skyteam elite plus, Hilton gold, SPG gold
Posts: 339
Once I check into my hotel I usually keep my passport in the hotel safe and keep a photo copy of it in my wallet while I'm out and about. I've never been asked for my passport but I'm wondering if the photo copy will be ok in the event that I'm involved in a car accident or other incident where I'm asked for ID. Anyone ever have any experience with this?
May 7, 2018, 10:05 am
#28
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Berlin, TXL
Programs: OW Emerald, *A gold, Skyteam elite plus, Hilton gold, SPG gold
Posts: 339
Being identified as an US citizen really doesn't help you, they also want to see if you are still allowed to remain, ie the entry stamp in your passport. If I were to show my German national ID in the US to a DHS/ICE official they would probably not let me go without verifying my right to remain in the country.... which they can't without seeing my passport
May 7, 2018, 10:06 am
#29
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Funny you should say that...a scruffy little kid attempted to steal my son's bike from a public park in Berlin yesterday. It all happened under our noses. I won't make any sweeping generalisations, but it appeared they were from the Romanian community's picnic event...running after him produced the expected result...
