Cities in eastern Germany are willing to charge higher ID card fees if necessary

From the perspective of East German cities, the fees for ID cards and passports need to be revised and, if necessary, increased. The administrative costs for municipalities are high, said André Stahl, vice president of the Association of East German Cities, following a conference of East German mayors in Eisenach. However, the federal government does not provide sufficient funding to cover these costs. “It is unacceptable for the federal government to set the standards while we are left to foot the bill.”

Since 2021, the price charged by the Federal Printing Office has risen by more than a third. However, the portion of ID card fees borne by the municipalities has only increased by about seven percent. Stahl said he assumes that the Federal Printing Office could produce the cards at a lower price. If such savings still do not allow for an increase in the municipal share, “the bottom line is that the fees will have to be adjusted.” Cost recovery must be achieved.

A loss of two euros per ID card

As an example, he cited the ID card for people under 24, for which a reduced fee applies. In this case, the price that municipalities must pay to Bundesdruckerei exceeds the fee—which, in turn, is set by the federal government. “We pay an extra two euros per ID card for the materials,” said Stahl, who is the mayor of Bernau in Brandenburg.

The municipalities handle passport and ID card issuance on behalf of the federal government. However, the federal government sets the fees that the municipalities are allowed to charge. A portion of this is earmarked for costs at the Federal Printing Office, and another portion covers the municipalities’ administrative expenses. The fees were last increased in February. According to the Association of German Cities, a working group at the Federal Ministry of the Interior is already addressing the issue.

Eisenach’s Mayor: Mail-Order Service Unattractive

Eisenach’s Mayor Christian Ihling pointed out that the ID system is the area where citizens are most aware of the state. While there have been simplifications, such as the option to have an ID card mailed to you, However: “At 15 euros, this option is unfortunately not attractive enough for many people to take advantage of it.”