The Hamburg Senate is examining whether completed identity cards and passports could in future be issued to applicants via secure collection lockers. The proposal became public on 9 November 2026. The aim is to allow collections outside counter opening hours and ease the workload of citizens’ offices.
According to the administration, technical security standards, operator arrangements and legal permissibility are being assessed. In particular, the review will consider secure, auditable identity verification, the handling of the PIN letter and the return and destruction of old documents. The authority stresses that automated handover must not involve storing more personal identity data than necessary. It is also examining whether federal or state regulations need to be amended to accommodate digital processes.
The current review is based on initiatives from within the city. The Wandsbek District Assembly approved a corresponding request for a review on 10 September 2026. According to the authorities, Hamburg Service has been looking into possible pilot projects and their integration into existing administrative procedures since October 2025.
The assessment also takes into account the experience of other local authorities. Bremen, Hamm and Magdeburg are already using similar systems or have launched pilot phases. Feedback ranges from extended collection hours and satisfied users to technical faults and teething problems. Hamburg is therefore examining how authentication at the machine can be reliably coordinated with the dispatch of the PIN letter, the secure handover of completed documents and the presentation of old identity cards.
For residents, introducing the system could mean being able to collect completed identity cards without an appointment and outside regular opening hours. For the administration, potential savings on routine transactions would have to be weighed against investment and running costs, as well as security risks. The city says that compliance with identity card law and data protection regulations is its top priority.
Hamburg’s Senate will decide whether to launch a pilot project once the reviews are complete. No specific timetable or locations have been announced so far. The current position is based on NDR reporting of 9 November 2026, the district resolutions mentioned above and Hamburg Service’s internal preliminary assessments.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).