Apply for a disabled person's pass

If you have been assessed as having a degree of disability of at least 50, you can apply for a severely disabled person's pass, which will be issued for a limited or unlimited period depending on the prospects of improvement in your state of health.

If you are a severely disabled person from a non-EU country whose residence permit is temporary, the ID card can only be issued for as long as the residence permit is valid.

With the severely disabled person's ID card, you can prove your status as a severely disabled person as well as claim certain rights and - depending on the type of entry in the card - compensation for disadvantages. Examples of compensation for disadvantages are

• special protection against dismissal under employment law
• Entitlement to additional leave
• income tax concessions
• Free transportation on public transport
• use of disabled parking spaces
• parking concessions
• exemption from broadcasting fees
• Reduced admission to events

The severely disabled person's pass indicates the degree of disability and, if applicable, other health features (characteristics). These characteristics are

• aG - exceptional walking disability
• H - helpless within the meaning of the Income Tax Act
• Bl - blind
• Gl - deaf
• RF - Reduction of the broadcasting fee
• B - Authorization to take an accompanying person with you
• G - Significant impairment of mobility in road traffic
• TBl - Deaf-blind

The basic color of the severely disabled person's pass is green. If one of the following signs has been determined: "G", "aG", "H", "Bl" or "Gl", the card is printed in orange. The ID card with the orange imprint allows free transportation on public transport. A valid token is also required for this.

In the event of expiry, loss or change of other important data, you must apply for a new severely disabled person's ID card.

If you submit an application to the competent authority for the determination of a disability, you will automatically be issued with a severely disabled person's pass if the degree of disability is at least 50, provided you already have a passport photo.

If this is not the case,

• you already have an assessment notice or a corresponding administrative or court decision with a degree of disability of at least 50
• or if your existing severely disabled person's ID card is lost, damaged or expires,

you can apply to the competent authority for a (new) severely disabled person's ID card.

You must send a photo/passport photo of yourself to the relevant office for the card to be issued. The responsible office will check the requirements for issuing the severely disabled person's ID card.

If the requirements are met, it will issue a (new) severely disabled person's ID card and send it to you.

The issuing authority will note the degree of disability, validity and other health characteristics in the form of markings on the severely disabled person's pass. The degree of disability is indicated as a number rounded to 10 in the range from 50 to 100. In addition, the card may contain a history on the back, i.e. the date from which individual findings on the degree of disability and compensation for disadvantages have been verified.

To obtain and renew a severely disabled person's ID card, please contact your district administration office or the administration of your independent city.

• You have a notice of assessment of a disability of at least degree 50.
• If you do not have a German passport and come from a non-EU country, you need a valid residence permit.

• Assessment notice of disability of at least degree 50 or corresponding reference number
• Photograph the size of a passport photo (from the age of 10)
  • Exception: For severely disabled people who cannot leave the house or can only do so with the help of an ambulance, the ID card will be issued without a photograph on request. The issuing authority will then note "valid without photo" on the ID card.
• Valid residence permit in Germany (for foreign citizens from non-EU member states)

The competent authority may request further documents from you if necessary.

For the renewal, please do not forget your previous severely disabled person's pass if you already have one.

Fee: gebührenfrei

There are no deadlines to be observed.

You must write your name, date of birth and the reference number of the issuing authority on the back of the photo or passport photo.

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Thuringian Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Labor and Family

27.03.2026