August 20, 2025, 4:02 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
The federal government plans to increase fees, meaning the ID card will also become more expensive. The new fees are intended to account for the transition to digital passport photos.
Anyone applying for an ID card in the near future should expect it to be more expensive. The planned procedure is the Interior Ministry’s response to the increased production costs at the federal printing office. Exact amounts or a date for the price change have not yet been published. It is only certain that a fee increase is inevitable.
ID Card More Expensive Due to Burden on Municipalities
Since August 1, 2025, the costs for municipalities to purchase ID documents have increased by about 4.90 euros. These additional expenses affect both ID cards and passports. Since it would be unsustainable for cities and towns to bear the costs alone, citizens will also face higher charges—hence the ID card will be more expensive for them as well. This is reported by “heise Online.” The reform exclusively affects the ID card, as passport fees were adjusted two years ago.
A key reason for the rising prices is the requirement to use digital biometric photos. Since May 2025, only such images may be used when issuing ID documents. To facilitate this, special camera systems provided by the federal printing office were installed in municipal offices. This significant technical effort contributes to the increased cost of the ID card and results in additional expenses.
What Citizens Should Do Now
The duration of the regulatory process for the fee increase is not specified. However, it is clear: The ID card will become more expensive. Citizens should therefore decide early whether to apply for one. Those who renew their ID card now can still benefit from the current fees before the new pricing structure takes effect.