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 think that as a resident in Germany (someone living there or intending to live there for more than three months), you are supposed to register at the local Einwohnermeldeamt in Germany - independent of anything else. When you're there you might as well ask them about your Polish ID; there's a good chance that they know what you need to do. 

The nearest Polish consulate or embassy in Germany should be able to renew your Polish passport when you need it; I couldn't say if they will do this if you have a passport that is still valid for another five years, for example. Again, it would be worth asking them about your ID as well.