The Honorary Consulate of Germany in Des Moines is an honorary consular post of Germany in Des Moines, Iowa. It is run by an honorary consul – a volunteer, not a career diplomat – who helps German citizens locally; passports, visas and most other formal consular services are handled by the Consulate General of Germany in Chicago.
Contact Details
| Address | 217 49th Street, Des Moines, IA 50312, United States |
| Telephone | +1 312-218-0279 |
| desmoines@hk-diplo.de | |
| Honorary Consul | Edward James Kempf |
Opening Hours
No regular opening hours are published by the German Missions in the United States. Call or e-mail the honorary consulate to arrange a visit.
Location of the Honorary Consulate
Before your visit
- Appointments by e-mail; fees can be paid in cash or by check.
- The honorary consul reports to the German Consulate General in Chicago.
- Services: according to the German Missions in the United States, the honorary consulate can accept civil-status applications (name declarations, birth and marriage registrations), certify signatures, certify copies of documents, accept applications for German citizenship and help in emergencies such as accidents, illness, death, crime or detention; it does not accept passport applications.
- Location: The honorary consulate is in the Greenwood Estates area of Des Moines, Iowa, about 5 km in a straight line from the centre of Des Moines; the nearest large airport is Eppley Airfield (OMA), about 187 km away. (distances: OpenStreetMap, airports: FAA passenger boarding data CY 2025)
About the Honorary Consulate of Germany in Des Moines
The honorary consul is Edward James Kempf, according to the German Missions in the United States. It is one of 40 honorary consulates of Germany in the United States listed by the German Missions in the United States. Germany also has 8 career consular posts in the United States and its embassy in Washington, D.C. In Germany, the United States is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Berlin (de.usembassy.gov), according to the Congressional Directory.
Which German office handles passports and visas?
For passports, visas and other formal consular services, Iowa belongs to the consular district of the Consulate General of Germany in Chicago, according to the German Missions in the United States. The honorary consulate in Des Moines can help with first steps and pass on documents, but it does not replace that office.
Contact details of the German Consulate General in Chicago, as listed on its page in this directory:
- Address: 676 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
- Telephone: +1 312-202-0480
- Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–15:00; Friday 09:00–12:00
- Website: www.germany.info/us-en/embassy-consulates/generalkonsulat3
What can an honorary consul do?
An honorary consul is not a career diplomat but a local resident – often a business person or lawyer – appointed by Germany and approved by the host country. Depending on the powers granted, the honorary consul can help German citizens in an emergency (lost passport, accident, arrest), pass on applications and documents to the embassy, and certify signatures or life certificates. Passports and visas are not issued by an honorary consulate; they remain the responsibility of the embassy or a career consulate.
Closing days
Honorary consuls set their own office hours; the honorary consulate is usually closed on US federal holidays, whose dates are published by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and may also close on public holidays of Germany.
Emergency assistance
In an emergency, German citizens in the consular district can call the honorary consul on +1 312-218-0279 or contact the Consulate General of Germany in Chicago. In the United States, dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police (GOV.UK travel advice). US citizens who need consular help in Germany can contact the U.S. Embassy in Berlin.
Diplomatic missions of Germany in the United States
Germany in the United States
Measured in a straight line from Des Moines, the nearest other German office is the Consulate General (Illinois) in Chicago (about 500 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Des Moines.
- Washington, D.C. (1,440 km) – Embassy of Germany in the United States
- Atlanta (1,190 km) – Consulate General (Georgia)
- Boston (1,860 km) – Consulate General (Massachusetts)
- Chicago (500 km) – Consulate General (Illinois)
- Houston (1,320 km) – Consulate General (Texas)
- Los Angeles (2,310 km) – Consulate General (California)
- Miami (2,150 km) – Consulate General (Florida)
- New York (1,640 km) – Consulate General (New York)
- San Francisco (2,490 km) – Consulate General (California)
- Des Moines – Honorary Consulate (this page)
- … and 39 more offices in other states (see the embassy page)
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Details checked on 22 October 2026. Sources: German Missions in the United States (Federal Foreign Office) – Honorary Consuls in the US, by state (accessed 22 October 2026), U.S. Office of Personnel Management – Federal Holidays, GOV.UK foreign travel advice: USA (getting help).
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