Diplomatic license plate (Germany)
Diplomatic license plates for motor vehicles differ in their systematic structure from regular license plates and identify the vehicle owner as a diplomatic representation or a supranational organization.
History and general
When the license plates were introduced in the late 1970s, the numbers in the first group were arranged alphabetically up to 153 according to the country names. Even then, some numbers were deliberately kept free, such as the numbers from 31 to 33, 40 to 43, 52 and 53. This sorting can still be recognized, but with gaps and exceptions, as states have renamed themselves, for example (example: Burma → Myanmar ), no longer exist or were newly founded over time (example: Croatia) and therefore either received one of the free numbers or were classified at the end.
The numbers 0 to 9 are not used for the diplomatic corps, as these are reserved for the German government ( Federal President , Federal Chancellor , Foreign Minister ). These are not diplomatic badges as described here.
The numbers 10 to 169 and 200 to 299 are reserved for states, whereby the first number assigned, the 10, stands for the nunciature or the Vatican , since in Germany the papal nuncio is the doyen of the diplomatic corps based on the final protocol to the Reich Concordat of 1933 . For example, when assigning the codes, priority was given to the Vatican representatives. The numbers 170 to 199 and 300 to 399 are assigned to supranational organizations.
Appearance and composition
Vehicle registration numbers of the Diplomatic Corps begin with the number zero for diplomatic personnel (e.g. the ambassador) or the city code of the registration area (usually B for Berlin or BN for Bonn) for other embassy personnel (e.g. technical employees). For the consular corps , the registration area code is issued with a three to five-digit number that always begins with a nine.
To the right of the badges, these labels have a country code and then a one to three-digit number that is usually related to the rank of the holder. Smaller numbers usually indicate a higher rank. Diplomatic badges are issued not only to embassy staff, but also to staff of numerous international and intergovernmental organizations , provided they are granted appropriate privileges.
As a personal identifier, they basically limit the use of the vehicle to the owner of the vehicle. German husbands or wives of foreign ambassadors are not allowed to drive because they do not have all diplomatic privileges and exemptions. Members of the family of diplomats are only partially assigned diplomatic license plates for their own private vehicles. Subordinate members of a diplomatic mission, a consular mission or an international organization do not receive a diplomatic license plate, but an ordinary civil license plate. The issue of diplomatic license plates to German nationals , e.g. B. the German head of an international organization is rare, but not completely excluded.
If a diplomatic license plate is stolen or lost for other reasons, the vehicle is given an alias number. For this purpose, the previous registration number will be supplemented with the letter A until the blocking period of one year has expired. If the alias number is also missing, the additional letter B is used. It should be noted, however, that the diplomatic license plates can also receive the H for historical vehicles. The letter H is therefore left out of the aliases in order to enable a clear assignment.
version 1
This begins with a 0 (digit zero), followed by the approval stamp of the approval district in which the representation or organization is based (usually Berlin). This is followed by the country code, separated by a hyphen another number. The lower this last number, the higher the diplomatic rank; 1 usually has the ambassador's or the head of the organization's vehicle. The second number block ranges from 1 to 199. There are exceptions to this for the USA, 1–500, and the Netherlands, 1–299. If such a license plate is stolen (whether with or without a car, for example as a souvenir), the same license plate can be used again, followed by an A after the last number block. If this license plate is stolen again, the next letter in ascending alphabet is added used. Only persons with a red diplomatic identity card or diplomatic identity card with the code letter D (without restriction according to Art. 37 WÜD ) receive such a code.
- 0 17–1 : Official vehicle of the US Ambassador.
- 0 17–37A would be the subsequent identifier of the stolen 0 17–37.
The additional CD label must be attached to passenger cars .
Variant 2
The only difference to the variant mentioned above is the ID of the approval office instead of the 0. The vehicles are usually numbered from 1 to 999 in Bonn and from 300 to 999 in Berlin. This variant is used for vehicles whose owner has a blue ID card for privileged administrative and technical staff or a protocol ID card for administrative staff with the code letter VB (without restriction according to Art. 37 WÜD ). An additional CD label may not be attached to these vehicles.
- B 17–323 is a vehicle that is registered for an employee of the US Embassy in Berlin.
Variants 1 and 2 are issued by the registration offices in Berlin and Bonn. They are assigned to vehicles of the diplomatic missions located there, but also to international organizations throughout Germany (see below, list of codes of international organizations and intergovernmental institutions ).
Variation 3
This corresponds to the appearance of the earlier German authority plates . However, the three to five-digit number block always begins with a 9 and there is no number block with a country code as shown in the list below. This variant is not used in Berlin and Bonn.
Such plates are only issued to members of a career consulate.
- F-9XXX is, for example, a vehicle in the consular service that is registered in Frankfurt am Main.
Honorary consuls accredited in Germany (often German citizens) do not receive a special registration number, but a normal civil registration number. However, like the professional consuls, you are entitled to attach an additional CC label to your vehicle :
List of codes of states
Variant 2 license plates are issued both in Berlin (B -...) and Bonn (BN- ..). The only exceptions to this are the missions of Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Mauritius and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; License plates for these states are only issued in Berlin.
The list follows an alphabetical order of the German-language country names at the time of issue; the number remains the same for later renaming. Countries added later are either added to vacancies that do not correspond exactly to their position in the alphabet (e.g. Kosovo, Namibia) or added to the end of the list (from no. 154).
List of codes of international organizations and intergovernmental bodies
organization | Seat | Members with diplomatic status | Members of the organizations |
---|---|---|---|
International Labor Organization (ILO) | Berlin | 0-170- | |
European Central Bank (ECB) | Frankfurt am Main | 0-171- | |
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) | Cologne | BN-172- | |
United Nations , The High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) | Berlin | 0-173- | B- or BN-173- |
Joint Organization for Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR) | Bonn | 0-174- | BN-174- |
Liaison office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) [previously: Intergovernmental Committee for European Emigration (ICEM), Bonn] |
Berlin | 0-175- | BN-175- |
Office of the League of Arab States | Berlin | 0-176- | B-176- |
Franco-German Youth Office (DFJW), General Secretariat | Berlin | 0-177- | BN-177- |
European Operations Center for Space Research (ESOC) | Darmstadt | BN-178- | |
NATO EF 2000 and Tornado Development, Production & Logistics Management Agency ( NETMA ) [previously: NATO Organization for Production and Logistics, Munich (NAMMA), Munich] |
Unterhaching | BN-179- | |
European Southern Observatory (ESO) | Garching near Munich | 0-180- | BN-180- |
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) | Heidelberg | 0-181- | BN-181- |
European Commission - Representation in Germany - | 0-182- | ||
European Patent Office (EPO) | Munich | BN-183- | |
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) | Berlin | BN-184- | |
United Nations World Food Program - Berlin Office - | Berlin | 0-185- | B-185- |
European Organization for the Use of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) | Darmstadt | BN-186- | |
European Astronaut Center (EAC) | Cologne | BN-187- | |
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning | Hamburg | BN-188- | |
German-Polish Youth Office (DPJW) | Potsdam | 0-189- | BN-189- |
World Bank (IFC) | Frankfurt am Main | 0-190- | |
European Center for Environment and Health - World Health Organization - Regional Office for Europe | Bonn | 0-191- | BN-191- |
United Nations Environment Program - Secretariat for the Conservation of Migratory Wildlife Species (GMS) | Bonn | 0-192- | BN-192- |
Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) | Bonn | 0-193- | BN-193- |
United Nations Volunteer Program (UNV) | Bonn | 0-194- | BN-194- |
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ISGH) | Hamburg | 0-195- | BN-195- |
United Nations Information Center (UNIC) | Bonn | 0-196- | BN-196- |
UN Secretariat of the Desert Convention (UNCCD) | Bonn | 0-197- | BN-197- |
UNESCO International Center for Vocational Training (UNESCO Center) | Bonn | 0-198- | BN-198- |
United Nations University - Disaster Management Research Institute - | Bonn | 0-199- | BN-199- |
United Nations Platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UNOOSA / UN-SPIDER) | Bonn | 0-300- | BN-300- |
Secretariat for the study "The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity" (UNEP / TEEB) | Bonn | 0-301- | BN-301- |
International Organization for Renewable Energies - Innovation and Technology Center (IRENA / IITC) | Bonn | 0-302- | BN-302- |
World Trust Fund for Crop Diversity (GCDT) | Bonn | 0-303- | BN-303- |
Unregistered states
The following states recognized by Germany and other subjects of international law have no representation in Germany or no code numbers have been assigned to them.
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Cook Islands
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Guyana
- Kiribati
- Comoros
- Order of Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- Nauru
- East Timor
- Palau
- Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Solomon Islands
- Samoa (formerly Western Samoa)
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Seychelles
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
swell
- ↑ Written question from MP Peter Trapp and answer: Investigations against members of the diplomatic service in Berlin 2013. (PDF) Printed matter 17/13660. In: PARDOK - Parliamentary Documentation. Berlin House of Representatives, May 2014, pp. 1–4 , accessed on April 26, 2020 .
- ↑ License plates for company or private vehicles of the members of the organizations with light red diplomatic ID or diplomatic ID with the letter D; Number series from 1 to 99, with car additional plate CD
- ↑ License plates for company or private vehicles of the members of the organizations with a dark red special ID or ID for the international organization with the code letter IO; Number series from 1 to 99; no additional sign
- Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (Hrsg.): Verkehrsblatt. Official Journal of the Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Urban Development of the Federal Republic of Germany , issue 24, 62nd year 2008.