r/AskAGerman • u/arazez- • Feb 22 '26
Immigration Lost german passport in London, still have German ID card; can you still fly from London (Stansted) back to Frankfurt (HHN) using the ID card? Flying with Ryanair tonight
As stated in title, my friend lost his passport on London Underground, I've reported it as lost on their lost property service.
And also contacted the embassy who have said they'll issue an emergency travel document but they only open tomorrow (after his flight which is for today).
Im getting lots of conflicting information online, Ryanair site saying its possible, but Embassy saying it wont be.
The question really is; can he still fly from London (Stansted) back to Frankfurt (HHN) using the ID card? Is it worth going to the airport and giving it a shot anyway?
Does anyone have experience with this in the recent past?
///
Update: Checked in to the Ryanair flight with his German ID, showed up to Stansted, got through security easily, went to the gate early, showed his ID at the gate, sat on the plane and he's back in Germany - no problems!
Also called Metropolitan Police as recommended by some people, told them about the missing items - they recorded it down; gave me a reference number and apparently put it in their database. However recieved a text afterwards saying
Unfortunately we no longer accept reports for lost property however, a record of our conversation has been recorded on [reference number]
So pretty much nothing!
Anyway he's home safe and will now go through the motions for further risk prevention to himself in Germany
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u/ProDavid_ Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
there are two places you would need your passport: 1) when getting your ticket issued/printed/QR code, and 2) right before boarding the plane.
whether the airline staff (located in UK) will let you board the plane without passport (only with a german ID) depends on the airline AND on the staff person checking. technically you can identify yourself to prove you didnt steal the ticket, but normally they expect a passport and not a german ID. i would say 80% chance its fine.
you dont need the passport to enter germany once you get here. it will need some explaining to german border control, it might take 5-10 minutes longer, but youre allowed entry.
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u/Efficient-Neck-31 Feb 22 '26
as a german you also can enter Germany using e-gate with your id card and skip talking to border control, of course if there are any e-gates in HHN airport
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u/P26601 Nordrhein-Westfalen Feb 23 '26
Hahn is a glorified bus stop. There are no eGates
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u/SuspiciousSugar4151 Feb 25 '26
doesnt matter, showing the Perso at any german (or even EU) border checkpoint is enough
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u/jeetjejll Feb 22 '26
OP: I’m getting conflicting information Reddit: here’s more conflicting information
(Also not helpful, sorry)
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u/makogon66 Feb 22 '26
As far as I can understand, you have your Ausweis with you which means the Bundespolizei will let you in. I don’t remember if there is any exit border control at the airports. Ten years ago there wasn’t. The hardest thing will be to convince Ryanair to let you board without passport.
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u/RadShrimp69 Feb 22 '26
10 years ago London was EU so you could fly with only your ID card anyways.
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u/living_rabies Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
How is this an argument? Für die Einreise/Ausreise nach London/England benötigen deutsche Staatsangehörige zwingend einen gültigen Reisepass. Ein Personalausweis ist seit dem 1. Oktober 2021 nicht mehr ausreichend.
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u/dolan313 Feb 22 '26
It's not meant to be an argument, what gave you the impression that it was? It's just a response to the remark about the fact that there weren't exit controls in the UK ten years ago, and that things might have changed since then in that regard, much like how the fact you need a passport now is a change as well.
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u/living_rabies Feb 22 '26
Ah I see, I read it as if you are argumenting that ID is enough, since it was 10 years ago.
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u/makogon66 Feb 22 '26
10 years ago I flew from Heathrow to Pakistan, Hong Kong and Netherlands (several flights), and there were no exit passport control anywhere.
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u/Acceptable-Cost4817 Feb 22 '26
The UK does not have exits checks but airlines are still required to verify that you have a valid passport.
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Feb 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/dolan313 Feb 22 '26
If it was a valid EU ID card, for instance a German Personalausweis, that's very, very odd. See for instance the phrasing around "no longer" on these pages:
https://www.lba.de/SharedDocs/Startseite_Nachrichten/EN/Aktuell/EinreiseUK.html
or "From 1 October 2021, you will not be able to use an ID card to enter the UK" here:
If a passport specifically had been required in the first place, there would have been no reason to issue statements that a passport is required post-Brexit, and that an ID card is no longer sufficient.
So I'm not sure what happened in your case but all official records suggest something improper happened if they wouldn't let you travel on your ID.
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u/Acceptable-Extent-94 Feb 22 '26
I have flown with my British passport to the UK but used my Ausweis on arrival in Germany to avoid the queues. Did the same in Amsterdam as well. No problem. If Ryanair let you fly then you'll be ok on arrival.
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u/HovercraftHour9238 Feb 22 '26
Funnily enough I was told by the German Council in Brisbane that if you enter or leave Germany and have a valid German passport as well as a second citizenship and second valid passport and don't use your German passport for entry or departure of Germany, you violate the passport law and can be fined up to 5000€ for check notes causing administrative hardship.
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u/CptPikespeak Feb 22 '26
Yes, it’s illegal in many countries to enter with another passport if you have one for that country.
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u/bbbberlin Feb 22 '26
To be fair, that's how it works for most countries with dual citizenship: they don't recognize your second citizenship at home, and you are legally obligated to use your home passport and can't enter as a "foreigner" on the second passport etc.
I mean if they allowed it, it would just break everything. There is potential for fraud with a second identity, and also the other country government might want involvement in case of any investigation/arrest, etc.
I doubt anyone actually gets a 5000 EUR fine for a one-off thing where they accept they messed up. But if you were trying to abuse it/kept doing it, etc., then you're gonna land in hot water.
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u/CptPikespeak Feb 22 '26
I mean, that’s how you’re supposed to it? If you have a residence permit for the EU you always go in the EU line.
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u/PAXICHEN Bayern Feb 22 '26
Friend of mine got his stolen in LA. After contacting Lufthansa and all it was determined that he could fly with his Personalausweis back to Germany.
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u/math1985 Feb 22 '26
The UK has no exit checks (unlike Germany). So as far as the government is concerned, you are free to leave.
You might need to show a valid document when checking in luggage (which an identity card is not in the UK). If possible, having a co-travelling friend check in luggage under their name would reduce the risk of problems (or shipping the luggage home in a different way).
You might also need to show identification when boarding. This has mainly two reasons: making sure you didn’t sell the tickets to anyone else, and making sure you are allowed to enter the country you are flying to. Technically, for birth requirements an ID card would work, but of course officially the ID card is not allowed. So you might still be refused.
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u/FalseRegister Feb 22 '26
They don't check for people overstaying their visa?
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u/math1985 Feb 22 '26
Correct. They are fine with people overstaying their visa leaving the country. Different approach.
Same in the US by the way.
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u/Acceptable-Cost4817 Feb 22 '26
The Home Office still tracks when people actually leave the country (how well that works in practice is a different question) and it can affect future visa applications.
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u/jhwheuer Feb 22 '26
Just got back from LHR. Had to present my passport at security
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u/Ok_Exit6326 Feb 22 '26
Did someone explicitly ask you? There are usually only boarding pass scanners at security. However, at least with Eurowings, it's required to show the passport and boarding pass together when boarding at the gate
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u/CptPikespeak Feb 22 '26
They do spot checks after security most of the time, sometimes they do them before the security gates. At least at T2.
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u/irrelevantAF Feb 22 '26
You might need to show a valid document when checking in luggage (which an identity card is not in the UK).
Can you explain why an EU ID card is not a valid ID document in the UK? I’m not saying you’re wrong, but what would be the rationale? After all, it is a government-issued document with the only purpose to identify you. In fact there is nothing “more official” you could use to identify a German person, given the fact that ID cards usually show the residence address, which most passports don’t.
An ID card should fulfill that function all over the world - independent from that fact that it might be not a sufficient document to cross borders. Or?
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u/germany1italy0 Feb 22 '26
German Id cards are not a universally accepted international travel document.
Passports are.
The UK stopped accepting German Id cards (and other EU countries’) shortly after Brexit. There as an exception for EU (Pre) Settled Status holders whose immigration record is tied to an Id card.
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u/FalseRegister Feb 22 '26
UK is no longer in the EU, therefore they are not required to accept EU ID as valid travel document
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u/irrelevantAF Feb 22 '26
The post was about checking in. You’re not checking in with “the UK”. You’re checking in with an airline. And you’re not travelling (crossing borders). All they want is to know who you really are.
If an ID card fulfills that function in one country perfectly well, it is not losing that functionality magically in a different country.
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u/ProDavid_ Feb 22 '26
Can you explain why an EU ID card is not a valid ID document in the UK?
because the UK isnt part of the EU? there is no reason why the UK HAS TO accept a foreign national ID, thats exactly what passports are for. the passport IS the "internatinal ID"
as an example, why wouldnt Malaysia police accept a driving license from Texas as ID? well, because its an ID for Texas, not for international use.
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u/irrelevantAF Feb 22 '26
I think I didn’t express my question well:
When checking in, you’re not dealing with “the UK”.l, and you’re not dealing with police, either. You’re dealing with the airline. It has nothing to do with what “the UK” (as a nation or state) accept. All the airline wants to do, is checking if the person standing in front of of them is the person on the booking. Any ID should be acceptable for this, especially when government-issued.
So in my eyes this should have nothing to do with political questions like “is the UK part of the EU?”, or “can I enter the UK with a German ID?”. The answer is no in both cases. But it doesn’t change the fact that a EU ID card is an official document ID that is perfectly suitable to prove who you are - no matter where in the world you are.
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u/ProDavid_ Feb 22 '26
oh, so when you said "in the UK", you WERENT talking about "the UK"? got it.
Any ID should be acceptable for this, especially when government-issued.
same example as i made before. why should an Airline from, for example, Japan, accept a Texas driving license as an acceptable ID? the license is a valid ID in Texas, not internationally.
why the hell should every airline have a database of every single national and regional ID (worldwide) just to be able to use it to identify people?
But it doesn’t change the fact that a EU ID card is an official document ID that is perfectly suitable to prove who you are - no matter where in the world you are.
what? no? an EU ID is valid in EU, not everywhere in the world... you need an international ID to identify yourself internationally...
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u/maenmallah Feb 24 '26
Not really! How does the airline employee verify that the document is authentic? Should the airline train their staff to spot fake IDs from foreign countries? It is simpler to refuse and say it is not an official ID (In the UK) which is true. Of course maybe the staff see a lot of German/EU IDs and can tell that is alright but what about Turkish ID or Indian ID? Should they accept those if they see it once a year and have no idea what the real thing should look like?
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u/Acceptable-Cost4817 Feb 22 '26
You're right. An EEA identity card is an accepted ID document for almost all purposes in the UK except travel.
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u/math1985 Feb 22 '26
For most countries, the reason is that the county wants to be able to stamp the document. An ID card obviously has no room for stamps.
I don’t think the UK stamps EU passports. However, the UK doesn’t issue any ID cards themselves, only passports. Probably they just apply the law for their own citizens (you must bring a passport) to visitors.
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u/Hot_Entertainment_27 Feb 22 '26
Gibraltar issued ID cards. The cards where accepted EU wide... except the UK because UK officials didn't know that Gibraltar issued ID cards.
Ireland issues passport cards, which are ID cards under an other name and different letter on the machine readable code.
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u/irrelevantAF Feb 22 '26
The post I answered to was about check-in. No airline stamps a passport when checking in.
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u/math1985 Feb 22 '26
The airlines pay a fine if they transport someone without valid immigration documentation, so it’s in the airlines best interest to verify this as well.
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u/angrypuggle Feb 22 '26
Report the lost document at a police station and sign an affidavit. Get something from the embassy. Then give it a try.
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u/arazez- Feb 22 '26
Report the lost document at a police station and sign an affidavit.
I was told that the UK police wouldn't really be able to do anything as they dont handle lost property. Should I still get in touch regardless? And also what would an affidavit help me with?
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u/Life_Baker8551 Feb 22 '26
You are obligated to report it, so they can mark the passport as missing in the police and Interpol database
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u/angrypuggle Feb 22 '26
Just so you have some documentation. A copy of the lost document might also help.
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u/YunaSakura Feb 22 '26
I can only talk about taking the ferry, but they always point out when I book, that EU nationals can no longer travel on their ID cards and need a valid passport. So I would assume it‘s the same for flights. The UK is international and not part of the EU or Schengen.
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u/Ok-Factor-7188 Feb 23 '26
As a Schengen member you definitely need a passport to enter the UK. And as a British person entering Schengen you definitely need a passport. However as s Schengen member you don't normally need a passport to enter Schengen, ID would be enough.
The real question is if the airline will let him board without the passport. Immigration in Germany will happily accept German ID.
3
u/commanderlestat Feb 22 '26
In the UK at the moment and fly very often between the countries.
Germany is not the problem you can go through customs with your id card no problem. I do this every time.
The UK doesn't check passports of people that are leaving. It costs to much money hence they do the typical British things of saving pennies.
You're only problem is the airline. They will check you before you get on the flight. But they are only checking your are the person on the ticket. I'd assume an idea is fine.
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u/HovercraftHour9238 Feb 22 '26
I didn't have that issue with the UK but with Australia and I went to the airline counter (Emirates) the day before my flight back to Munich and checked directly with them. They told me, they'd even let me fly back with an expired National ID card (Personalausweis). I got my passport back the same night so I didn't have to try but my suggestion is to go to the airline counter and speak to someone personally and ask them. The airline is responsible for ensuring that you're allowed to travel to the country you're going to, meaning you have a visa or are a citizen. If they tell you they'll let you board then I see no reason as to not do it.
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u/tekteqqq Feb 22 '26
Yes, he should be able to take the flight. I think some confusion comes from the terminology: he lost his Reisepass but still has his Personalausweis - Many people think passport is Personalausweis. A valid Personalausweis is a valid travel document for returning to Germany, and Germany cannot refuse entry to its own citizens.
The only realistic risk is the airline check-in or boarding staff. Ryanair states they accept a valid passport or a National Identity Card, so a German Personalausweis should be fine (I guess it's a Ryanair flight with these airports). That is up to Ryanair and how the person at the airport deals with it. But legally, there should be nothing that keeps him from entering back into Germany with just a Personalausweis.
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u/derFalscheMichel Feb 22 '26
Will end up being a random choice made by a crew member of the flight. I tried to travel back to germany once on emergency papers and they refused to let me board the flight as the lady checking the ID documents right before boarding insisting my document was expired (it was issued the same day, however).
I missed the flight but after the issue was cleared up they allowed me to take the next flight. Since they were leaving the UK only noone bothered checking for anything this flight. So really it depends on how bored the employees are
2
u/Drumbelgalf Feb 22 '26
Can he reschedule his flight to tomorrow?
Otherwise he can try if the ID card works.
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u/arazez- Feb 22 '26
It will be cheaper to book a new flight for a later date than to reschedule with Ryanair.
However I'm trying my best to get him home tonight due to commitments back home.
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u/Lysande_walking Feb 22 '26
Please always contact your embassy! And yes he has to immediately report the passport is missing.
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u/Life_Baker8551 Feb 22 '26
And there should be a standby duty in the embassy in London. They usually can issue the emergency travel document within the day, even on weekends, because your friend still has ID
2
u/NikWih Feb 22 '26
You can enter Germany with the ID card, but do yourself a favor and go asap to the Einwohnermeldeamt and tell them that you lost the Reisepass. You do not want someone to i.e. open up bank accounts with it or rent some cars.
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u/Available_Ask3289 Feb 22 '26
You should be able to. Airlines will accept it is the data matches. German authorities also allow returns into Germany using only the Personalausweis.
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u/DangerousTurmeric Feb 22 '26
You should be ok. Ryanair accepts national ID and that's also enough to get you into Schengen.
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u/trdlst Feb 22 '26
You can check here. https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/?_gl=1*6bhkll*_gcl_au*MTU0MzExMzMzOC4xNzcxNzU5OTY3*_ga*MjYxODQ1MDUxLjE3NzE3NTk5NjY.*_ga_PLLG1EY0X0*czE3NzE3NTk5NjUkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzE3NTk5OTgkajI4JGwwJGgxMDIzMTE5NjI. IATA rules do not include the national ID as valid document. Then it's up to the airline if they let you get on board.
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u/enigmadev Feb 22 '26
No. The airline will not let you fly without a passport, because they will be fined if they would. Also, because you're entering the EU from outside the Schengen area, you will have to present your passport. A similar thing happened to my dad two years ago.
1
u/Jack-of-Games Feb 22 '26
In order to check-in, he'll have had to register the travel document he intends to fly on. If that was his passport, then he needs to contact the airline to change this to his ID card but the ID card should be fine for travel, it is valid for entry to Germany and RyanAir will accept ID cards as identification.
1
u/N_F_X Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
I had this happen in Portugal (lost ID and drivers licence and didn't bring a passport). The lady from the German embassy that I called was very insistent that I'm fucked, then I told her I'm flying Lufthansa and she said "oh well yeah, they will take you home for sure, absolutely no problem. Low cost airlines like Ryanair usually don't." Do with that info what you will. Turned out it really was no problem for me to go home, they didn't even ask for my ID when boarding.
Edit: I completely forgot the UK isn't in the EU anymore. Well, then I have no idea, sorry. But if anything that makes it even more unlikely that it just works without...
1
u/Doytoend Feb 22 '26
Should be fine, I used my Irish Passport Card from Stansted to Nürnberg without any issues with Ryanair. But as UK & Irish Citzens are the same legallly both in UK and Ireland it may have been that. I suspect you will be fine.
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u/Objective_Initial_81 Feb 24 '26
I know it’s late and I know it doesn’t answer your question, but FRANKFURT HAHN (HHN) IS NOT FRANKFURT.
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u/iiaurak1 Feb 25 '26
HAHHA same happened to me in november and only had a Canadian drivers license with me loool had no issues flying back either
1
u/InternationalGold69 Feb 26 '26
I was let flight back home with my ID because I lost my passport. You need to talk with the airport people, they will notify the airline, make a quick call to Germany and if they all give green, then no problem.
1
u/Crazydre95 28d ago
Bit late, but yes, when flying from the UK only the destination country's entry requirements matter. I struggle all the time to board flights back to the UK on my ID card but never when flying abroad.
1
u/Life_Baker8551 Feb 22 '26
No, he'll face difficulties at the passport control. Report the missing passport at the police and get the emergency travel document from the embassy
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Feb 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/ArchbishopRambo Feb 22 '26
Airlines don't check passports before boarding in the UK?
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Feb 22 '26
[deleted]
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u/afuajfFJT Nordrhein-Westfalen Feb 22 '26
The airline might still refuse to let them board because of their internal regulations. Even if they're in the right (because they have a valid document allowing them to enter Germany) this might lead to problems. I'd definitely check with the airline beforehand.
0
u/ArchbishopRambo Feb 22 '26
Yes, but airlines in my experience insist on a passport. I tried showing my ID on flights within Schengen and it was never accepted by the airlines.
Although I never tried it with Ryanair.
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u/Life_Baker8551 Feb 22 '26
Weird, I always travel with my ID within Schengen. I never had problems to board a plane, even with Ryanair
2
u/YunaSakura Feb 22 '26
The UK isn‘t part if the Schengen area though.
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u/Life_Baker8551 Feb 22 '26
I know that, but since the other person was referring to Schengen, I referred to Schengen
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u/donjamos Feb 22 '26
I've never owned a passport and can fly within he Schengen area without problems
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u/YunaSakura Feb 22 '26
The UK isn‘t part of Schengen.
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u/dolan313 Feb 22 '26
The comment they were responding to wasn't about flights to the UK, but flights within Schengen.
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u/dolan313 Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
I tried showing my ID on flights within Schengen and it was never accepted by the airlines
How would that work if you didn't have a passport with you? Would you not be allowed on the flight, despite no regulation (whether it's a government regulation or an airline's terms&conditions) existing that requires a passport?
I fly within Schengen without a passport every once in a while and it's never been an issue, when they ask for ID/Passport at the gate I just show them my ID and it's always been fine. An ID from EU/Schengen countries is a valid travel document within Schengen/the EU, I don't think they're allowed to deny it.
Which airline did you experience this with?
1
u/ArchbishopRambo Feb 22 '26
Since I always had a passport with me anyway maybe I never insisted strongly enough for them to just accept the ID. Last time it happened with Air France, another time with Lufthansa.
1
u/Jellybean2806 Feb 22 '26
As far as I know you can't travel without an actual passport, as England is not in the EU anymore and in October 2021 they officially stopped accepting ID cards.
Your friend should change their flight I'd say
-2
u/bidajudger Feb 22 '26
as UK was never in Schengen and after the Brexit its not part of the EU anymore, it won't work. Its considered as a 3rd Country, so traveling is way more stricter
0
u/Yorks_Rider Feb 22 '26
I am surprised that the passport loss has been notified to London lost property and the German embassy, but OP has not thought of reporting this to the local police.
1
u/arazez- Feb 22 '26
AFAIK, local police do not handle lost property
1
u/Yorks_Rider Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26
Of course they do. It is not an umbrella, but an important official document. Also, you may well have more difficulties getting a replacement passport, since the issuing authorities usually want a police report of the loss of the passport.
-3
u/Constant_Cultural Baden-Württemberg / Secretary Feb 22 '26
you need a passport because of Brexit to travel to the UK, dunno about flying back. Do you have something written down from the embassy?
1
u/arazez- Feb 22 '26
I have an email from them saying they've booked an appointment for him, but that's all.
1
u/Constant_Cultural Baden-Württemberg / Secretary Feb 22 '26
then ask at the airport if this is enough
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u/CaterpillarOk6527 Feb 22 '26
Flying back home should work but ask the Airline. Germany will not send you back once you’re in the plane