Germany Consulate Philadelphia

Before your visit

• Appointments by e-mail or telephone; fees can be paid in cash or by check. The honorary consul reports to the German Consulate General in New York.
• Services: according to the German Missions in the United States, the honorary consulate can accept passport applications, accept civil-status applications (name declarations, birth and marriage registrations), certify signatures, certify copies of documents and help in emergencies such as accidents, illness, death, crime or detention; it does not accept applications for German citizenship.
• Location: The honorary consulate is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about 2.7 km in a straight line from the centre of Philadelphia; the nearest large airport is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), about 10 km away. (distances: OpenStreetMap, airports: FAA passenger boarding data CY 2025)

About the Honorary Consulate of Germany in Philadelphia

The honorary consul is Ralf D. Wiedemann, according to the German Missions in the United States. The honorary consulate’s consular district covers the Pennsylvania counties of Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks, and the New Jersey counties of Mercer, Burlington, Camden and Gloucester. It is one of 40 honorary consulates of Germany in the United States listed by the German Missions in the United States (2 of them in Pennsylvania). 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, Pennsylvania belongs to the consular district of the Consulate General of Germany in New York, according to the German Missions in the United States. The honorary consulate in Philadelphia can help with first steps and pass on documents, but it does not replace that office.

Contact details of the German Consulate General in New York, as listed on its page in this directory:

• Address: 871 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Telephone: +1 212-610-9700
• Website: www.germany.info/us-en/embassy-consulates/newyork

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.

Other consulates in Philadelphia

8 other countries are represented in Philadelphia: Austria (honorary), Czech Republic (honorary), Dominican Republic (consulate general), Italy (consulate general), Mexico (consulate), Norway (honorary), Panama (consulate), Poland (honorary).

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 +1 215-948-8121 or contact the Consulate General of Germany in New York. 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 Philadelphia, the nearest other German office is the Consulate General (New York) in New York (about 130 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Philadelphia.

• Washington, D.C. (200 km) – Embassy of Germany in the United States
• Atlanta (1,070 km) – Consulate General (Georgia)
• Boston (440 km) – Consulate General (Massachusetts)
• Chicago (1,070 km) – Consulate General (Illinois)
• Houston (2,160 km) – Consulate General (Texas)
• Los Angeles – Consulate General (California)
• Miami (1,640 km) – Consulate General (Florida)
• New York (130 km) – Consulate General (New York)
• San Francisco – Consulate General (California)
• Philadelphia – Honorary Consulate (this page)
• Pittsburgh (410 km) – Honorary Consulate (Pennsylvania)
• … and 38 more offices in other states (see the embassy page)