Embassies and Consulates in Germany

The new American embassy in Berlin opened with much ceremony on Independence Day 2008, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former President George H.W. Bush as speakers. The structure rises four and a quarter stories and closes the last frontage on the historic Pariser Platz, which was a wasteland during the cold war because of its proximity to the Berlin Wall. It’s now a bustling, traffic-free square dominated by the Brandenburg Gate. A green band of trees, gardens and walkways is created along the embassy’s street fronts. In the courtyard is an American eagle made by Germany’s famous Meissen porcelain manufacturer. Close by are the embassies of World War II allies, Britain and France; the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament; the Holocaust Museum, and the elegant Hotel Adlon The ambassador’s office is in a penthouse, which overlooks the embassy’s rooftop garden. It was so constructed that the horses atop the Brandenburg Gate seem to ride across a field of native American grass.

Also as a security precaution the American Consulate in Frankfurt has moved from its Westend location to the site of a former U.S. Army hospital in an outlying district. The area is large and easily fenced in. It houses many U.S. government agencies and has administrative and logistic functions for many of the other missions in the eastern hemisphere.

Embassy

Pariser Platz 2
10117 Berlin
Tel: 030-2385 174
US Embassy Website

Consulates

Düsseldorf
Willi-Becker-Allee 10, 40227 Düsseldorf
Tel: 0211-788-8927

Frankfurt
Giessener Str. 30, 60435 Frannkfurt/Main
Tel: 069-7535-0

Hamburg
Alsterufer 27/28, 20354 Hamburg
Tel: 040-41171-300

Leipzig
Wilhelm-Seyfferth-Strasse 4, 04107 Leipzig
Tel: 0341-213-840

Munich
Königinstrasse 5, 80539 Munich
Tel: 089-2888-0

In contrast to citizens of most other countries, Americans living abroad must file American tax returns and even pay American taxes in a number of cases. To lead them through the complexities of such matters the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) maintains an office at the Berlin embassy, and IRS people usually tour the embassy and consulates in February and March. (See the separate article on U.S. taxes.)

In addition to the normal services provided (listed in the article) the US State Department provides the following:

In An Emergency — Your family may need to reach you because of an emergency at home or because they are worried about your welfare. They should call the State Department’s Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. The State Department will relay the message to your local Consulate. Consular officers will attempt to locate you and pass on urgent messages.

Distribution of Federal Benefits Payments — Over a half-million people living overseas receive monthly federal benefit payments. In many countries, the checks are mailed to the U.S. embassy or consulate and distributed through the local postal service.

Assistance In Child Custody Disputes — In an international custody dispute, a consul can try to locate the child abroad, monitor the child’s welfare, and provide general information to the American parent about laws and procedures which may be used to effect the child’s return to the United States. Consuls may not take custody of a child, or help a parent regain custody of a child illegally or by force or deception.

E-Mail Subscriber Service: The U.S. Embassy now offers a free e-mail subscriber service that allows Americans in Germany to receive instant messages concerning security and travel warnings, as well as regular updates on voting, taxes, and other issues of importance.

To subscribe to the Germany ACS service, simply send a blank e-mail to [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation message requiring you to send a blank reply to listbot.com. Upon sending the reply, your subscription will be confirmed and you will automatically receive public announcements and other messages in the future