PIN letter

type: Article

Your PIN letter contains important information about your ID card with the eID function. So please keep this letter for future reference.

When applying for your ID card, you will receive a PIN letter from your local ID issuing authority. The PIN letter contains important information about the eID function of your ID card.

Please keep this letter for future reference.

In the letter, you will find two concealed areas (scratch fields) containing:

  • your one-time PIN, five-digit (or transport PIN),
  • your personal unblocking key, ten-digit (PUK)

 This information is for your eyes only.

Replacing the one-time PIN with your chosen PIN

You can use the eID as soon as you have set a six-digit PIN that you chose yourself.

In other words: If you do not set your own six-digit PIN, you will not be able to use the eID.

You can set your six-digit PIN at any time free of charge. The five-digit one-time PIN is needed to set your own six-digit PIN:

  • in a software for the eID, e.g. the AusweisApp or
  • at a self-service terminal.

 If you set your own six-digit PIN as soon as you pick up your ID card, or later at your local ID issuing authority, you will not need a one-time PIN. Afterward the one-time PIN is no longer valid.

AusweisApp

AusweisApp – an easy and secure way to prove who you are online.

Download the free app here.

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How to set your six-digit PIN for the eID using the AusweisApp

1. Reveal your one-time PIN

In your PIN letter, carefully scratch off the field labelled “One-time PIN” (previously known as “transport PIN” or “PIN”).

The field contains a five-digit code – the one-time PIN. 

2. Download the software

To set your six-digit PIN you will need to use suitable software, such as the AusweisApp. You can download the AusweisApp in the Google Play Store or in Apple´s App Store.

The AusweisApp can only be used on an NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet, or on a PC or laptop with a card reader. A list of compatible devices is available here.

3. Change your PIN

The following steps apply to the AusweisApp; the menu items may differ in other software. 

  1. Go to the start page of the AusweisApp installed on your device and select “Change PIN”.
  2. Select the option “5-digit Transport PIN”.
  3. Follow the instructions in the AusweisApp and hold your ID card against the NFC interface of your smartphone or tablet, or insert your ID card into the card reader.
  4. Enter the one-time PIN (or transport PIN) from the scratch field in your PIN letter.
  5. Choose your own six-digit PIN and enter it twice in the relevant field.
  6. The six-digit PIN will then be stored on the ID card.

If you have removed your ID card from the device in the meantime, you will be prompted to place it back on the device to verify the one-time PIN or to set the six-digit PIN.

You can find guidance on how to find the NFC interface of your device here.

Depending on the age of your PIN letter, you might still see the old name "AusweisApp2" for the AusweisApp, as well as the terms "transport PIN" or "PIN" for the one-time PIN.

Your personal identification number (six-digit PIN)

Only you should know your six-digit PIN. Do not use an easy-to-guess combination of numbers, e.g. 123456, or your date of birth or other numbers that can be read on your ID card.

You can change your PIN any time on your smartphone or computer. You will need to use suitable software such as the AusweisApp.

You can also change your PIN any time at a self-service terminal.

At an ID issuing authority, you can change your PIN or receive a new one if you have forgotten it.

If you enter the wrong PIN twice, you must enter the six-digit card access number (CAN) to enable a third attempt. You can find the CAN on the front of your ID card.

If you enter the wrong PIN three times, the eID will be blocked. It can be unblocked by entering the PUK. The PUK can only be used to re-enter the correct PIN. To set a new PIN, please contact your local ID issuing authority to learn about the available options.

Please note: To be able to use the signature function you need a special signature PIN. You can set this PIN yourself when you load a signature certificate on your ID card.

Activate the eID and reset PIN

Your local ID issuing authority will help you free of charge if

  • your eID has been deactivated,
  • you cannot find your PIN letter with the one-time PIN (or transport PIN),
  • you forgot your six-digit PIN; or
  • the PIN has been blocked.

One way to find your local ID issuing authority is at servicesuche.bund.de.

Your personal unblocking key (PUK)

You need your personal unblocking key (PUK) to unblock your PIN if you enter the wrong PIN three times. The PUK can only be used to re-enter the correct PIN. To set a new PIN, please contact your local ID issuing authority to learn about the available options.

You can use your PUK no more than ten times. After that you will have to reset your PIN. You can set your PIN free of charge at an ID issuing authority.

Your blocking code

You will need your randomly generated blocking code if you want to block the eID.

With a blocked eID, you can no longer apply for government services online and instead have to make an appointment at the authority responsible for your request. However, you can still use your ID card as a photo ID in everyday life or at electronic border crossing points (called Smart Borders or eGates).

Have you lost your ID card or has it been stolen? Please immediately take the steps described here.

Information for children under 16

When applying for an ID card, every person, regardless of age, receives the corresponding PIN letter. This procedure applies from 17 February 2025.

If you have not yet reached the age of 16 when applying for the ID card, the eID function and the one-time PIN remain disabled. However, you should still keep the PIN letter and the included PUK safely for future reference. After your 16th birthday, you can ask your ID issuing authority to activate the eID free of charge. You can then set your own six-digit PIN; you will not need a one-time PIN.

Many parents apply for an ID card for their young child solely as a travel document for trips within the European Union. Nevertheless, you will still receive the corresponding PIN letter. If the child does not reach the age of 16 during the validity period of the card, the PIN letter can simply be disposed of in household paper waste.

The processes at the card manufacturer Bundesdruckerei GmbH are designed for approximately 11 million applicants annually. To conserve resources, the PIN letter has been reduced to a single DIN A4 page.

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