The protocol card (Protokollausweis) must be returned to the Federal Foreign Office (Division 703) immediately prior to departure from Germany.

Only when the protocol card has been deregistered and returned can a successor in the post be registered. The diplomatic missions are asked to ensure that appropriate organisational measures are in place for this.

Deregistration is effected by means of a Note Verbale and the “return form” (Annex PA5, in triplicate). Missions are asked to deregister and return the protocol cards of all persons belonging to the household at the same time.

The member of the mission and the individual family members should be deregistered together on a single form (Annex PA5). A separate return form should be used to deregister any private domestic staff.

Where family members leave the country before the home-based member of the mission, their protocol cards must be deregistered and returned using the appropriate form (Annex PA5) immediately after they have left.

One copy of each return form will be given back to the diplomatic mission as confirmation of deregistration and as a receipt for the returned protocol card(s).

If a protocol card is lost or stolen, the nearest police station should be informed immediately. The police theft or loss report must be submitted to the Federal Foreign Office, division 703, without delay and a new protocol card applied for in accordance with section 1.3.1 above.