Every foreigner must have a recognized and valid passport or passport substitute. If you are not in possession of a passport or passport substitute, you must therefore apply to the diplomatic mission of your country of origin to obtain such a document.

The travel document for foreigners is a German passport replacement document, which can be issued alternatively in special exceptional cases.

You can apply for a travel document for foreigners if you come from a non-EU country, do not have a passport or passport substitute from your home country and cannot reasonably obtain such a document.

As a rule, it is considered reasonable to:

• to apply for the issuance or renewal of a new passport or passport replacement in good time before the expiry of the validity of your passport in your home country and to cooperate in the official procedure, and
• pay the fees set in the country of origin.

It would be unreasonable, for example, if you enjoy asylum in Germany as a politically persecuted person and therefore cannot visit the embassy of your country of origin. High costs for obtaining a passport in the country of origin do not make obtaining a passport fundamentally unreasonable.

When applying for a travel document for foreigners, you should be able to provide proof of your previous efforts to obtain a passport.

In the case of only temporary passportlessness, the issuance of a travel document for foreigners can only be considered if compelling reasons so require.

In addition to the unreasonableness of obtaining a passport, a further prerequisite is that

• your stay in Germany is lawful, i.e. You are either already in possession of a residence title (residence permit, settlement permit, permanent residence permit) or should receive it together with the travel document.
• The aim is to enable them to leave Germany permanently.
• you are in the asylum procedure and
  • there is an urgent public interest in issuing the travel document, or
  • compelling reasons require the issuance of the travel document, or
  • the refusal of the travel document would constitute an undue hardship

and the implementation of the asylum procedure is not jeopardised.

The Foreigners' Registration Office may determine that the travel document should only be valid for certain states or continents.

If the country of origin refuses to issue a passport or passport substitute for reasons that also exist in German passport law, no travel document can be issued.