France Embassy Berlin

Before your visit

The French Embassy is at Pariser Platz 5, directly next to the Brandenburg Gate. The building by architect Christian de Portzamparc opened in 2003 on the site of the pre-war French embassy.

• Getting there: Brandenburger Tor station (S-Bahn and U5) is right in front of the building.
• Visa applicants: Berlin only handles visas for diplomats. All other French visa applications in Germany go to the Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main.

About the French Embassy in Berlin

The embassy represents France in Germany, its closest partner in the EU. The Élysée Treaty of 1963 and the Aachen Treaty of 2019 are the basis of Franco-German cooperation, which ranges from joint cabinet meetings to youth exchanges through the Franco-German Youth Office.

France has six consulates general and a dense network of honorary consuls in Germany.

Which French office is responsible for me?

The Federal Foreign Office also lists Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein under the embassy. French citizens there usually go to the Consulate General in Hamburg, which receives visitors by appointment only.

Consular services

• French passports and identity cards
• Registration in the register of French nationals abroad
• Civil status: births, marriages and PACS
• Elections and electoral lists abroad
• Visas for diplomats (other visas: Consulate General in Frankfurt)

Documents checklist

Renewing a French passport or ID card in Germany

• Fill in the online pre-application on the French government’s ANTS website.
• Book an appointment at the office responsible for your state.
• Bring your old document, an identity photo and proof of residence.
• Fingerprints are taken during the appointment.

Do I need an appointment?

Yes. Passport and identity card appointments are booked online. Several consulates general receive visitors only with an appointment.

Visa information

Travelling from Germany to France

German citizens do not need a visa and can travel with an identity card. Both countries are in the EU and the Schengen area.

• A German identity card or passport that expired less than a year ago is still accepted for entry, but not by every airline.
• Many French cities have low-emission zones that require a Crit’Air sticker for cars.
• Minors under 15 travelling without their parents should carry a certified letter of consent.
• Overseas territories such as Réunion and Martinique accept the identity card, but if your flight stops outside French territory (for example via Mauritius), you need a passport valid for six months.

French citizens in Germany

French citizens can live and work in Germany without a visa as EU citizens.

Other consulates and embassies in Berlin

161 other countries are represented in Berlin, among them: Gabon (embassy), Georgia (embassy), Ghana (embassy), Greece (embassy), Guatemala (embassy), Guinea (embassy), Haiti (embassy), Honduras (embassy), Hungary (embassy), Iceland (embassy), India (embassy), Indonesia (embassy), Iran (embassy), Iraq (embassy), Ireland (embassy), Israel (embassy), Italy (embassy), Jamaica (embassy), Japan (embassy), Jordan (embassy). The full list of all 162 missions is on the overview page for Germany.

Closing days

The embassy is closed on German public holidays in Berlin and on French holidays, including Victory in Europe Day on 8 May, the national holiday on 14 July and Armistice Day on 11 November.

Emergency assistance

French nationals in Germany

Outside office hours, the embassy and consulates general provide an emergency number on their websites.

German nationals in France

The German Embassy in Paris and the consulates general in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Strasbourg are responsible. Honorary consuls in Ajaccio, Avignon, Brest, Dijon, Grenoble, Lille, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Perpignan, Reims, Rennes, Toulouse and Tours help in emergencies, as do honorary consuls in the overseas territories.

Diplomatic missions between France and Germany

France in Germany

Measured in a straight line from Berlin, the nearest other French office is the Honorary Consulate in Leipzig (about 150 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Berlin.

• Berlin – Embassy of France (this page)
• Düsseldorf – Consulate General (480 km) (North Rhine-Westphalia)
• Frankfurt am Main – Consulate General (420 km) (Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate; all visa applications)
• Hamburg – Consulate General (250 km) (Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein)
• Munich – Consulate General (500 km) (Bavaria)
• Saarbrücken – Consulate General (580 km) (Saarland)
• Stuttgart – Consulate General (510 km) (Baden-Württemberg)
• Aachen – Honorary Consulate (540 km) (Aachen region)
• Augsburg – Honorary Consulate (490 km) (Swabia and parts of southern Baden-Württemberg)
• Bremen – Honorary Consulate (310 km) (Bremen)
• Weimar – Honorary Consulate (220 km) (Thuringia)
• Freiburg im Breisgau – Honorary Consulate (640 km) (Freiburg and Tübingen administrative districts)
• Hanover – Honorary Consulate (250 km) (Niedersachen)
• Cologne – Honorary Consulate (480 km)
• Leipzig – Honorary Consulate (150 km) (Saxony)
• Mannheim – Honorary Consulate (480 km) (City of Mannheim)
• Münster – Honorary Consulate (400 km) (City of Münster)
• Nuremberg – Honorary Consulate (380 km) (Franconia and the Upper Palatinate)
• Saarlouis – Honorary Consulate (590 km) (North-western Saarland)

Germany in France

• Paris – German Embassy
• Bordeaux – Consulate General
• Lyon – Consulate General
• Marseille – Consulate General
• Strasbourg – Consulate General
• Honorary Consulates in 14 French cities and in the overseas territories