Identity Card or eID Card; Resetting the PIN and Activating the Online ID Function
You can have the PIN for your ID card or eID card reset, or activate the online ID function on your ID card.
Status: 23.10.2026. Link zum BayernPortal
Online Procedures
PIN Reset and Activation Service
You can order an activation code with a new PIN online. The PIN reset letter will be mailed to your registered address.
You’ll need the PIN reset letter if you want to use the online ID card but it’s deactivated, if you can’t find your initial PIN letter (containing the shipping PIN or one-time PIN and PUK), or if you’ve forgotten the PIN you chose yourself.
Since July 15, 2017, national ID cards have been issued by default with the online ID function (also known as the eID function) activated to individuals aged 16 and older; Since January 1, 2021, EU citizens and residents of the European Economic Area aged 16 and older have been able to obtain eID cards with an electronic identity verification function. To verify your identity online with companies and government agencies, you need an activated eID function and a PIN.
The one-time PIN (included in the PIN letter provided by the government office when the application is submitted) can be replaced with a personal PIN either when the document is issued at the government office or by the individual themselves using a smartphone or a citizen service kiosk. The online ID card is now ready for use.
If you have set your own PIN but have forgotten it, or if you have misplaced the PIN letter, you can contact any ID card or eID card issuing authority (e.g., citizen service office, city hall). If the online ID function has not yet been activated, you can contact the issuing or responsible ID card or eID card authority.
As an alternative to visiting the citizens’ office in person, the PIN Reset and Activation Service (PRSD) is once again available to you. The PIN reset letter can be ordered online and delivered to your home. This free service is available for a limited time and accompanies the launch of the government’s EUDI wallet, “d-you.”
The following requirement applies to the applicant:
- You must hold an identity card or an eID card.
Please contact the agency that issued your ID card or eID card (e.g., the Citizens' Office, City Hall) or use the PIN Reset and Activation Service (PRSD).
Regional Supplement (Editorial Responsibility: City of Erlangen)
In Erlangen, go directly to the information desk on the ground floor of City Hall. You do not need to take a number.
You can activate your online ID at the issuing authority or the relevant ID card or eID card authority. You can set a new PIN at an ID card or eID card issuing authority or on your own using the AusweisApp. The PIN reset and activation service is now available again for this purpose.
Generally, you can do this in person at the ID card or eID card office responsible for your case. It usually takes up to seven business days for the PIN reset letter to be mailed to your German registered address as recorded in your ID document.
- Identity card or eID card
Passports and Identification Documents
You can handle passport and ID matters at the Citizen Services office located on the ground floor of City Hall. Here, for example, you can obtain passports, ID cards, children’s passports, and temporary documents, etc.
Anschrift
Öffnungszeiten
Phone Hours:
Monday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.