Day 15: Your passport before the winter holidays – expiry dates, express passports and ID for children

Vanessa is a fictional character created by Reiseblase. Her stories are made up – we check facts, rules and advice against official sources.

Hello everyone, today it’s about something that never shows up in holiday photos and yet decides every trip: your ID. At the end of October, our travel agency is busy with Christmas and New Year bookings – and almost every week someone sits across from me and turns pale when they look at their passport.

Last week it was Jana, 31, who wanted to go to Lisbon with her boyfriend for New Year’s Eve. Flight booked, hotel booked – everything was perfect. Then she realised that her identity card (Personalausweis) had expired in the summer. All she had left was her driving licence, and she asked me: “That’s enough within the EU, isn’t it?”

Unfortunately not – and that’s exactly what today’s entry is about. I’ll tell you what my customers have experienced over the past few weeks and give you a short checklist so you can sort out your documents in good time before the winter holidays.

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Jana got her happy ending: she booked an appointment at the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) straight away. To travel within the EU you need a valid passport or identity card – a driving licence or bank card is not a travel document (1).

Things went very differently for the K. family: Mum, Dad and two children who wanted some sun over the Christmas holidays. The father still had his daughter’s old children’s passport (Kinderreisepass) in a drawer and simply wanted to have it extended. That is no longer possible: the children’s passport was abolished on 1 January 2024. Children’s passports that have already been issued remain valid until the printed date but cannot be extended (2). Instead, children get an identity card or a passport – because children need their own document too (1).

And then there was Murat, 26, who wanted to book a spontaneous long-haul trip with friends. His passport was due to expire in a few weeks. I advised him to check the entry requirements for his destination first, as many countries require a passport to remain valid for a certain period on entry. The German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) refers to its travel and safety advice for each country (2).

My ID checklist before the winter holidays

  • Take your passport and identity card out of the drawer today and check the expiry dates – for everyone travelling with you.
  • Within the EU, a valid identity card or passport is enough. A driving licence or bank card is not a travel document (1).
  • Passports and identity cards are valid for 10 years if you apply at 24 or older, otherwise for 6 years. An expired passport cannot be extended – you need a new one (2).
  • Children need their own document. Old children’s passports are only valid until the printed date, and some countries – the USA, for example – do not recognise them (2).
  • Before travelling outside the EU, check the entry requirements in the travel and safety advice of the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt). It also tells you whether a document is accepted and how long it must still be valid (2).
  • If time is short: you apply for an express passport (Express-Reisepass) in person at the Bürgeramt. According to the German federal portal (Bundesportal), it is usually ready for collection after 3 working days if the application reaches the passport manufacturer by 12:00. In the entry for Saxony-Anhalt, it costs 102 euros for applicants aged 24 and over and 69.50 euros for those under 24 (3).
  • Take photos of your documents and keep the copies separate from the originals. If you lose them abroad, the copies help when replacement documents are issued (2).

My conclusion: a look in the drawer takes five minutes and can save you a lot of stress at the airport. My customers keep telling me that Bürgeramt appointments go quickly before the holidays – so it’s better to take care of it now than in mid-December.

And if you’re still planning a package holiday for the winter break, you’ll find more information in our guide to package holidays and your rights (advertisement).

See you tomorrow,
Vanessa

Please note: This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Rules can change – please check the latest official information before you travel.

Sources

  1. Europäische Kommission – Your Europe: Travel documents for EU nationals (last checked 16 June 2026; accessed on 28 October 2026)
  2. Auswärtiges Amt: Reisepässe und Personalausweise (as of 12 September 2024; accessed on 28 October 2026)
  3. Bundesportal (verwaltung.bund.de): Express-Reisepass beantragen (Sachsen-Anhalt) (as of 16 June 2026; accessed on 28 October 2026)

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