Berlin citizenship offices to offer drop-in appointments on May 14th

As part of a special "action day" throughout the city, citizenship offices in nine of Berlin's 12 districts will offer drop-in appointments for a number of services on Wednesday.  

This will allow Berlin residents to get some of their administrative tasks cleared off their desks without waiting weeks for an online appointment. 

According to a press release on the Berlin Senate Website, the offer will only extend to appointments regarding passports and electronic ID cards. Scarce 'Anmeldung' appointments, where citizens can register a new address, will still need to be booked in advance - though you can complete the process online if you have a valid eID card or residence permit. 

"The citizens’ offices are there for Berliners - and already offer a great service," Berlin May Kai Wegner said in a statement announcing the move. "With the day of action on May 14th, we are making citizens an additional offer: they can come to the citizens' office without booking an appointment in advance and apply for a new passport or ID card."

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During the 24-hour action day, the universal jurisdiction of the Bürgerämter will be suspended, meaning residents can only visit the citizens' office in the district where they are registered.

That means bad luck for those living in Pankow, Reinickendorf and Lichtenberg: these boroughs aren't participating in the action day, so residents will have to book appointments as usual. 

According to Berlin Digitalisation Secretary Martina Klement, however, if the action day is successful, it could be rolled out as a more regular service throughout the city. 

"We could usefully supplement the service portfolio of the citizens’ offices with appointment-free offers," she said. "On May 14th, we want to carry out a practical test to see how an appointment-free service works."

However, Klement cautioned visitors that there could be long waits when they drop in on the day. 

"Should there actually be longer waiting times on site, we ask for your understanding in advance," she added.

Back in the summer of 2024, Wegner had promised that the citizens' offices would in future offer one appointment-free day per week. In the meantime, however, the city-state has also been moving a host of services online.