How do I know if I have an electronic passport or an electronic German identity card?
The electronic passport (ePassport) has been available in Germany since 1 November 2005. All passports issued from this date onwards are therefore electronic passports. You can easily recognise an ePassport from the following symbol:
The electronic identity card in credit card format was introduced by the Federal Government on 1 November 2010. It can be easily recognised by the following symbol:
