Berlin Bürgeramt box means residents can collect documents 24/7

A citizens' office (Bürgeramt) in Berlin has installed a 24/7 box which allows residents to come by and collect their new passports, ID cards and residence permits without having to make an appointment.

New Bürgeramt box installed in Berlin

The first 24/7 document box has been installed at the Eichborndamm Bürgeramt in the Berlin district of Reinickendorf. Residents still need to visit the Bürgeramt in person to renew their German passport, ID card or residence permit.

However, they no longer have to attend an in-person appointment to collect their new documents. The document box functions much like a remote package pick-up station. Once the documents are ready, residents will receive a PIN code via their mobile phone. They can then collect them from the 24/7 document box without needing to make an appointment.

The Bürgeramt box is the first of its kind in Berlin, but such boxes have previously been installed at Bürgerämter in Freiberg, Saxony, and Rheine, North Rhine-Westphalia.

24/7 document box will be installed at more Bürgerämter

Locals in Reinickendorf are the first to benefit from a 24/7 document issuance box, but not to fret, the box may be coming to a Bürgeramt near you. 

According to a press release from Berlin.de, there are already concrete plans to install a box at the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Bürgeramt. “There is a plan to expand this offer to further districts,” the press release reads.

In recent years, Bürgerämter in Berlin have taken steps to simplify their services. Many services which previously required an in-person appointment, such as registering a move within Germany, registering a birth or applying for parental allowance (Elterngeld), can now be done on the internet.

Head to the Berlin.de website to find out more about which administrative services are available online.