Dutch Honorary Consulate in Hannover

The Dutch Honorary Consulate is located at Schiffgraben 36, 30175 Hannover, Germany.

This address is confirmed by the Dutch government and the German Federal Foreign Office. Hannover is the capital of Lower Saxony and an important administrative, industrial and trade fair centre in northern Germany.

The city hosts international business events and institutions, making it an important location for economic and professional contacts between Germany and the Netherlands.

Before travelling to Schiffgraben 36, contact the honorary consulate at +49 511 850 53 80 or hannover@nlhonoraryconsul.nl.

The German Federal Foreign Office lists office hours on weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00. These hours do not imply that passport, visa or certificate applications are available at the honorary consulate.

Applying for a Dutch Passport or Identity Card

Regular Dutch passport and identity card applications cannot be submitted at the honorary consulate in Hannover.

Dutch nationals living in Germany can apply at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Berlin. Applications are also possible at participating Dutch border municipalities or certain authorised Dutch embassies in neighbouring countries.

Begin with the official passport and identity card guide for Germany.

Complete a personal checklist for each applicant and application. Gather the required documents and arrange an appointment before travelling.

Passport Appointments in Berlin

The embassy in Berlin uses an online appointment system for Dutch passport and identity card applications.

Appointments may be limited during busy periods. NetherlandsWorldwide explains that new appointment slots are released regularly and cancellations can create additional availability.

After booking, you will receive an email confirmation with instructions for changing or cancelling the appointment.

Every applicant must appear in person, including children.

Documents to Prepare

Your personal checklist determines the documents required for your circumstances. These may include:

• A completed, printed and signed application form.
• Your printed personal checklist.
• All current and expired Dutch and foreign passports or identity cards.
• Proof of residence and nationality when required.
• Birth, marriage or nationality records relevant to your application.
• Legalised documents or translations where applicable.
• Parental or guardian consent documentation for eligible minor applicants.
• A passport photograph meeting Dutch requirements.

If you are applying for both a passport and an identity card, book separate appointments.

Bring all documents listed in your checklist. The embassy may be unable to process an application if documents are missing.

Proof of Residence in Germany

For applicants aged 18 or over, the country-specific guidance identifies a recent extended registration certificate from the German residents‘ register as an accepted document for demonstrating residence and nationality.

This certificate is commonly known as an erweiterte Meldebescheinigung and should be no more than one year old.

Requirements for children and individual nationality circumstances can differ. Follow your personal checklist before requesting documents from the local registration office.

Applying at a Dutch Border Municipality

Dutch nationals who live abroad can also apply for a passport or identity card at a participating border municipality in the Netherlands.

This may be useful if you are travelling from Hannover to the Netherlands.

Each municipality determines its own appointment availability, fees and collection arrangements.

Confirm eligibility and the required documents before booking travel.

Collecting Your New Passport or Identity Card

The embassy in Berlin will notify you by email when your document is ready.

The published collection hours are Monday to Thursday, 13:30–15:00.

You must book an online appointment for document collection.

Your new passport or identity card must be collected or arranged for eligible delivery within three months of notification. After this period, the document will be destroyed.

Passport Delivery to Hannover

If you apply for your passport at the embassy in Berlin and do not live in the immediate vicinity of Berlin, the embassy can send an eligible new passport by registered mail through Deutsche Post.

The service uses registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt, called Einschreiben Rückschein.

To request delivery, bring the completed consent form for shipping travel documents and a label showing your name and address to your application appointment.

If you do not have an address label, the embassy can provide one.

When postal delivery is selected, your previous passport is invalidated during the application process. Consider upcoming travel plans before choosing this option.

Postal Delivery of Dutch Identity Cards

The requirements for Dutch identity cards differ from those for passports.

If you apply at the embassy in Berlin, do not live in its immediate vicinity and do not have a Dutch citizen service number (BSN), you may be eligible to receive your new identity card by registered mail.

The same consent form and address-label requirements apply.

If you have a BSN, you must collect your new Dutch identity card in person.

Legalisation of a Signature

The embassy in Berlin provides appointments for legalising signatures on eligible documents.

Check which original documents, identification and fees you need before attending.

Signature legalisation confirms the authenticity of a signature; it does not certify that the contents of the document are correct.

The honorary consulate in Hannover does not offer a separately listed signature legalisation service.

Legalisation of an Identity Document Copy

If you require a legalised copy of your identity document, make an appointment through the embassy in Berlin.

Bring the original identity document and any other materials specified by the official instructions.

A certified copy is not a substitute for an original Dutch passport or identity card.

Certificates of Life

Dutch nationals living in Germany may need a certificate of life for a pension or another administrative purpose.

NetherlandsWorldwide lists appointments at the embassy in Berlin for this service.

Confirm whether the organisation requesting the certificate requires a particular form and which identification documents to bring.

Certificates of Marital Status and Legal Capacity to Marry

Some official Dutch certificates can be requested from the embassy in Berlin by email without an initial in-person appointment.

These include certificates of marital status and legal capacity to marry.

Email bln-ca@minbuza.nl and follow the requirements for your specific certificate.

These certificates are not issued by the honorary consul in Hannover.

Visa Applications

The honorary consulate in Hannover does not accept visa applications.

According to NetherlandsWorldwide, short-stay Schengen visa and airport transit visa applicants in Germany are directed to the Embassy of Luxembourg in Berlin.

Other visa categories may follow different application procedures, including certain Caribbean visas or MVV-related requests.

Use the official appointment guide for Germany to identify the correct procedure.

The Dutch government and the German Federal Foreign Office publish a defined consular district for the honorary consul in Hannover.

The district covers Lower Saxony, subject to the exclusions listed below, and the Detmold administrative region of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Lower Saxony – Excluded Districts

The following Lower Saxony districts are expressly excluded from the Hannover honorary consular district:

• Ammerland
• Aurich
• Cloppenburg
• Emsland
• Friesland
• Grafschaft Bentheim
• Leer
• Oldenburg (district)
• Rotenburg
• Vechta
• Verden
• Wesermarsch
• Harburg
• Stade
• Cuxhaven (district)
• Osterholz
• Wittmund

Lower Saxony – Excluded Independent Cities

The following independent cities are also expressly excluded:

• Delmenhorst
• Emden
• Oldenburg (city)
• Wilhelmshaven

The official wording additionally excludes the city of Cuxhaven.

North Rhine-Westphalia – Included Area

Alongside the remaining parts of Lower Saxony, the consular district includes the Detmold administrative region (Regierungsbezirk Detmold) in North Rhine-Westphalia.

This geographical responsibility concerns honorary representation. It does not mean that residents can submit passport, identity card, visa or certificate applications at the Hannover office.

If you are unsure whether your municipality belongs to this district, contact the honorary consul or the Dutch embassy in Berlin before arranging a visit.