There is an identification requirement in Germany. Germans are required to have identification once they reach the age of 16. However, this does not mean that you have to carry the document with you at all times.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, you must be able to identify yourself within a certain period of time if requested to do so by authorised authorities such as the police. In Germany, this requires an identity card, a replacement document or a passport. Failure to comply with the regular identification requirement is considered an administrative offence and may be punished with a fine.
In response to an enquiry from tuenews INTERNATIONAL, the Federal Ministry of the Interior stated that minors under the age of 16 are not subject to the identification requirement in Germany. “They cannot therefore be asked to present an identity document if they do not have one. Only when travelling to other countries must they carry their own identity document.”
Sources and further information at:
Federal Ministry of the Interior—Identity cards & passports
www.gesetze-im-internet.de—Identity Card Act §1 Obligation to carry identification
Deurag—Obligation to carry an identity card
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