From May onwards, the doctorate will no longer be available on ID cards as before. Do those affected now have to apply for new passports? We asked the Interior Ministry.
It is about entering the doctoral title before the last name in the identity card and passport. The problem was the usual use of the abbreviation "Dr." in front of the last name in German ID cards. Apparently, difficulties often arise with border controls in other countries. The new regulation also affects service and diplomatic IDs as well as travel documents for foreigners, refugees, and stateless persons. These aren't the only changes coming to passports. The Ministry of the Interior has a clear answer to this: "All applications for the issuance of a passport, identity card, or travel document submitted from May 2, 2024 will be produced with the Doctoral degree's data field" (printed matter 66/24 of February 7, 2024), the ministry says. The change will stop confusion at border control in the future.