Overview

• Since May 1, 2025, German citizens must submit biometric ID and passport photos digitally, but many municipalities report significant technical and logistical issues.
• Cities like Bottrop, Dresden, and Essen face software failures, with some unable to process QR-coded photos or requiring citizens to use in-office photo setups.
• Key equipment like PointID terminals and QR-code scanners remain undelivered in towns such as Fürstenfeldbruck, forcing reliance on paper photos or manual workarounds.
• The Federal Interior Ministry attributes the issues to local implementation errors, while municipalities cite delays in equipment delivery and software compatibility problems.
• Data security experts warn that biometric photos stored on Amazon Web Services servers could be exposed to U.S. authorities under the Cloud Act, raising privacy concerns.