Question: I am a Polish citizen but currently live and work in Germany. After moving to a new flat, where I intend to stay for a while, I thought I could renew my ID so there will be my German address instead of the old Polish one. I don't want to apply for German citizenship, I just want my ID renewed here, without traveling back to Poland. Also I thought it would be nice if the ID could be in German/English instead of Polish/English to make it easier for local folks. Can I renew it at a normal City Hall in Germany or do I need to get back to my home country or to Polish Consulate?

On the side note, my driving licence also needs an update. It expires in 2 years from now anyway.

Answer: 
**You cannot.** 

The only way of renewing ID is doing it **personally** in your corresponding municipality in Poland. There is no legal possibility to delegate this to anyone else. As far as I know this contradicts EU guidelines, as EU countries have removed resident IDs for EU nationals, instead fully recognizing national IDs for all purposes. So there is still hope that in the future it might change. But right now the rules are clear. There is no way of doing that.

Polish [Ministry of Interior has addressed the issue](https://www.msw.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci/informacje-dla-osob-wy/4932,Informacje-dla-osob-zamieszkalych-za-granica.html):

> 
> Obowiązujący stan prawny nie przewiduje możliwości złożenia wniosku o
>  wydanie dowodu osobistego oraz odbioru tego dokumentu za pośrednictwem
>  pełnomocnika. Zgodnie z rozporządzeniem Rady Ministrów z dnia 21
>  listopada 2000 roku (Dz. U. z 2000 r., nr 112, poz. 1182 z późn. zm.)
>  w sprawie wzoru dowodu osobistego oraz trybu postępowania w sprawach
>  wydawania dowodów osobistych, ich wymiany, zwrotu lub utraty, złożenie
>  wniosku o wydanie dowodu osobistego jak i odbiór dokumentu wymaga
>  osobistego stawiennictwa wnioskodawcy w organie gminy właściwym do
>  wydania tego dokumentu.
> 
> 
> 

Rough translation

> 
> The current state law does not provide for any possibility to apply
>  for an identity card and pick up of said document by proxy. According
>  to decree by the Council of Ministers dated 21 November 2000 (Journal
>  of Laws of 2000 No. 112, item. 1182, as amended. Amended.) on the
>  model of the identity card and the mode of procedure for issuing
>  identity cards, their replacement, return or loss of, an application
>  for an identity card and the pick-up of the document requires
>  appearance in person of the applicant in the municipality competent to
>  issue the document.
> 
> 
>
I don't know the exact procedure for Polish citizens, [it could be easier to go back home and renew it there](https://expatriates.stackexchange.com/questions/682/do-i-need-can-unregister-from-polish-address-when-leaving-poland/685#685) but in any case the local town hall in Germany can't help you with a national ID or passport renewal if you are not a German citizen. You should contact the Polish authorities (and in particular the nearest consulate or consular section).

By contrast, in the EU, the driver's license [should be renewed locally](https://expatriates.stackexchange.com/questions/20/if-i-obtain-a-drivers-licence-in-germany-as-a-non-german-eu-citizen-would-i-ha/288#288), following the same procedure than the locals (which, depending on the country, might or might not be through the town administration – in Germany, it is). Here again, it can sometimes be convenient to renew it back home (even if it's strictly speaking illegal and might require you to be registered as a resident there or lie about your residence on the application form).