Service Point for Found Foreign Documents
Numerous foreign documents are found in Germany each year and handed over to the police or to local property offices. The Service Point receives passports, ID cards, driving licenses, student cards and all kinds of identification documents from these public authorities and returns them to their holders in Germany via the competent foreigners authority or a diplomatic representation of the country of origin.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do if I find foreign documents?
Foreign documents (passports, identity cards, driving licences, student cards and other identification documents) should be handed over to the local police or lost property office.
Which documents are sent to the Federal Office of Administration?
As the central service agency, the Service Point for Found Foreign Documents processes all found foreign documents sent by public authorities in Germany. Documents which can be directly assigned to their holders (e.g. documents of foreigners registered in Germany) or to an asylum applicant do not need to be sent to the Federal Office of Administration (BVA).
What happens with the documents at the BVA?
Where possible, the Service Point returns them immediately to their owners, usually via the competent foreigners authority or the respective foreign embassy. Documents which can be clearly attributed to an asylum applicant are forwarded to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
What happens with documents which cannot be attributed to an individual?
As a rule, these documents have to be sent to the foreign mission of the country that issued them.
Contact
Service Point for Found Foreign Documents
Federal Office of AdministrationGermany
- Phone
- +49 22899358-74654
- funddokumente@bva.bund.de
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Published 4 August 2025