Lost Residence Permit in Berlin: What to Do

Losing your electronic residence permit can be stressful, especially if you use it as proof of your legal status, for online identification or for travel.

In Berlin, the official process is different depending on whether the eAT card itself was lost or stolen, whether only the Zusatzblatt is missing, and whether you are currently in Germany or abroad.

The important thing is to act quickly and use the official Berlin process rather than guessing whether the card will simply be replaced automatically.

Important scope: This article provides general administrative information, not legal or immigration advice. SettlyGo can help you identify the visible official steps, organize documents, prepare questions and support routine German communication. SettlyGo does not determine your immigration status, advise whether you may work or travel, access your eID credentials, block or unblock your card for you, submit immigration applications as your representative, or guarantee replacement or re-entry.

The first steps if your eAT is lost or stolen

Berlin's official service for a lost or stolen electronic residence permit says you should act immediately.

If the card was stolen, report the theft to the police.

Whether the eAT was stolen or simply lost, Berlin says you must also inform your immigration authority. If you live in Berlin, that authority is the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA).

If the online identification function on the eAT was activated, you should also have it blocked to reduce the risk of misuse.

A practical order is:

Report a theft to the police.
Inform the Berlin LEA that the eAT is lost or stolen.
Block the online identification function if it was active.
Start the process for a replacement eAT.

How to block the online identification function

If your eAT's online ID function was activated, Berlin says you can block it through the nationwide blocking hotline 116 116.

The Berlin ServicePortal states that the hotline is available at all times.

You will normally need the Sperrkennwort that came with the PIN/PUK letter for your eAT.

After blocking the online function, Berlin says you should inform the immigration authority about the block as well.

Do not share the Sperrkennwort, PIN or PUK with a helper or another unofficial third party. These are security credentials tied to your identity document.

What if you no longer have the Sperrkennwort?

If you no longer have the blocking password, Berlin says you need to go to the immigration authority so the eAT can be blocked there.

For Berlin residents, the official page directs you to arrange this through the LEA contact process.

Bring your passport when the LEA asks you to appear for this purpose.

The online-ID block itself is currently listed as free of charge.

What if you find the eAT again after blocking it?

A blocked eAT cannot simply be unblocked by calling the hotline.

Berlin says unblocking requires a personal visit to the immigration authority.

There is another important limitation: the old card can only be unblocked if a new eAT has not already been ordered from the Bundesdruckerei.

If replacement production has already started, finding the old card does not necessarily mean it can be put back into service.

Berlin currently lists an unblocking fee of €6 for adults and €3 for minors.

Lost eAT card vs. lost Zusatzblatt

Do not treat these as the same problem.

If you lost only the Zusatzblatt — the supplementary green folded paper/card — Berlin says you do not need to report the loss to the police or immigration authority just because the Zusatzblatt is missing, and you do not need to block the eID function.

However, a replacement Zusatzblatt in Berlin must be issued by the LEA.

So before starting the full lost-card process, check whether the actual plastic eAT card is missing or only the supplementary sheet.

Do you need a new eAT card?

Yes, if the actual eAT card was lost or stolen, Berlin says you need to have a new eAT issued.

The ServicePortal directs people to the relevant transfer/reissue procedure for their residence-title type.

The exact replacement route can depend on whether you hold, for example:

a temporary residence permit;
an EU Blue Card;
a settlement permit; or
an EU long-term residence permit.

Use the official Berlin service matching the title you actually hold rather than choosing a generic residence-permit page.

What if your passport was also lost or stolen?

That creates a separate issue.

The Berlin LEA says that if your passport is lost or stolen while you are in Germany, you should normally contact your country's embassy or consulate about the passport.

If the passport was stolen, keep a copy of the police report because the LEA may ask for it in the replacement process.

If you have a German-issued travel document for refugees, stateless persons or foreigners instead of a national passport, the LEA gives a different contact route.

Do not assume replacing the residence permit also replaces the passport. These are separate documents issued by different authorities.

What if you are abroad when the residence permit is lost?

This is one of the most important special cases.

Berlin's LEA says that if you are abroad and cannot return to Germany because your valid residence permit was lost or stolen, you should contact the German diplomatic mission at your current location.

The diplomatic mission can then coordinate with the Berlin LEA.

Do not rely on a photo of the lost card as proof that an airline or border authority must let you travel. Re-entry requirements depend on your case and the documents available to you.

SettlyGo cannot determine whether you may travel or re-enter Germany. For that question, follow the instructions from the German diplomatic mission and the LEA.

Does losing the card mean your residence status disappears?

The physical eAT card is the document proving your residence title, but losing the card is not the same thing as an authority formally cancelling your underlying residence status.

However, the practical consequences can still be serious because you may temporarily lack the document you normally use to prove your status or exercise the eID function.

Do not make assumptions about employment, travel or other legal effects based only on the fact that the plastic card is missing. Ask the LEA what evidence applies to your specific situation while the replacement is pending.

What should you tell the LEA?

When contacting the LEA, keep your message factual and easy to process.

Useful information can include:

your full name;
date of birth;
the type of residence title, if known;
whether the card was lost or stolen;
the approximate date and place of the loss;
whether the eID function was active and has already been blocked;
whether your passport was also lost or stolen; and
the police-report details if there was a theft.

Do not send passwords, PINs, PUKs or other authentication credentials.

If you have a copy or photo of the old eAT for your own records, it may help you identify the title details, but only send documents through the official channel if the LEA asks for them.

What about a police report?

Berlin explicitly says a theft should be reported to the police.

For a simple loss, the Berlin ServicePortal focuses on informing the immigration authority and blocking the online ID function where applicable.

If you are unsure whether the card was lost or stolen, describe what happened accurately rather than claiming a theft only to obtain a report.

Keep the police report safely if one was issued, because it can be relevant when replacing documents.

Current LEA appointment process

Berlin has changed how many immigration appointments are allocated.

The LEA states that its old general online appointment-booking system has been permanently taken out of service for many immigration matters. Depending on the service, Berlin now uses online applications or contact forms and then allocates appointments after reviewing the case.

For lost-card steps that require personal attendance, follow the current instructions on the specific ServicePortal page instead of buying or searching for a supposedly guaranteed LEA appointment.

Do not pay a third party for an appointment slot.

Fees and timing

Berlin currently lists no fee for blocking the online ID function.

If a blocked card is later eligible to be unblocked, Berlin lists €6 for adults and €3 for minors.

A replacement eAT is a separate process and can have its own fee and production time depending on the type of residence title and replacement procedure.

Because replacement-card timing can vary, do not plan around a specific delivery date unless the LEA has given you one for your case.

Common mistakes newcomers can avoid

Waiting several days before reporting the loss

Berlin tells eAT holders to act immediately. Report a theft, inform the LEA and block the online function where applicable.

Blocking the card but not informing the LEA

Berlin says the immigration authority should also be informed after the online-ID function is blocked.

Sharing the PIN or Sperrkennwort with someone helping you

A helper does not need your credentials to explain the official steps or help you prepare a message.

Treating a lost Zusatzblatt like a lost eAT card

The official steps are different. Losing only the supplementary sheet does not trigger the same police/reporting and eID-blocking process.

Assuming the old card can always be reactivated if found

Berlin says unblocking is only possible before a replacement eAT has been ordered from the Bundesdruckerei.

Trying to solve an overseas loss only with the Berlin LEA

If you are abroad and cannot return because the residence permit is missing, Berlin directs you to the German diplomatic mission at your location.

Buying an LEA appointment

Use Berlin's current official contact and application channels. Do not pay for unofficial appointment slots.

Practical checklist

If your eAT is lost or stolen:

I confirmed whether the plastic eAT card or only the Zusatzblatt is missing.
If it was stolen, I reported the theft to the police.
I informed the Berlin LEA about the loss or theft.
If the online-ID function was active, I blocked it.
I kept the Sperrkennwort, PIN and PUK private.
If I do not have the Sperrkennwort, I am following the LEA's in-person blocking process.
If my passport is also missing, I contacted the appropriate passport-issuing authority.
I checked the replacement procedure for my exact residence-title type.
If I am abroad, I contacted the German diplomatic mission where I am staying.
I am not assuming anything about work or travel rights without official guidance for my case.

How SettlyGo can support you

A SettlyGo helper can provide practical administrative support such as:

helping you find the correct Berlin ServicePortal and LEA pages;
helping you organize the timeline of what was lost and what actions you already took;
helping you prepare a clear message to the LEA;
supporting an ordinary German phone call or administrative conversation; and
accompanying you when language or communication support is useful.

SettlyGo does not determine your immigration status, advise whether you may work or travel, access your eID credentials, block or unblock your eAT, submit immigration applications as your representative, contact a consulate as you, or guarantee a replacement card, appointment or re-entry decision.

Final takeaway

If your electronic residence permit is lost or stolen in Berlin, act quickly: report a theft to the police, inform the LEA, block the online-ID function if it was active, and follow the official replacement route for your residence-title type.

If only the Zusatzblatt is missing, the process is different. If you are abroad, contact the German diplomatic mission where you are staying.

Check the current Berlin ServicePortal guidance for lost or stolen eAT cards and the Berlin LEA eAT information before acting because contact and replacement procedures can change.

For practical help organizing requirements, preparing questions or handling German administrative communication, book SettlyGo support.