Applying for the severe disability card (Schwerbehindertenausweis)

The severe disability card is available from a degree of disability (GdB) of 50. In North Rhine-Westphalia you apply to the district or the independent city, online or on paper, always with your own signature. Marks such as G or B then appear on the card. We fill in the application for 59 euros.

Severe disability card: the essentials

Threshold
severely disabled from GdB 50 (§ 2 SGB IX)As of: 26.10.2026 · § 2 SGB IX
Responsible office
in NRW the district or independent city where you liveAs of: 26.10.2026 · Bezirksregierung Münster
How to apply
online or on paper, always with signatureAs of: 26.10.2026 · Bezirksregierung Münster
Validity
at most 5 years, open-ended also possibleAs of: 26.10.2026 · § 6 SchwbAwV
All details (4)
Start
valid from the day the application arrives
Objection
objection authority for all of NRW: Bezirksregierung Münster
Processing time
no official statewide figure
Behördenfix fixed price
€59 for filling in; you sign, we send

Please note

  • • You sign the form yourself

The marks on the card

Gsignificantly impaired walking in road traffic
aGexceptionally impaired walking
Bcompanion on bus and train
More rows (5)
Hhelpless in daily life
Blblind
Gldeaf
TBldeafblind
RFreduced broadcasting fee

How we fill in the application with you

  1. 1Give your detailsComplaints, doctors, wish for a card.
  2. 2Pay the fixed price59 euros, no authority fee.
  3. 3Receive the completed applicationAs a PDF, ready to sign.
  4. 4You sign, we sendBy post to your competent office.

Making the application yourself

The way without us, step by step

You can make the application under severe disability law without us, directly to your city or district. This is how the Bezirksregierung Münster, which supervises this in NRW, describes it:

  • Online: you fill in the online form on screen. Then you print the declaration shown, sign it and send it within two weeks to the authority in the address field. Without this signature the application is not processed.
  • On paper: the application is available as a fillable PDF with an information sheet. An informal application also works; the authority then sends a confirmation of receipt and the form.
  • If you want the card, tick this in the application and enclose a current colour passport photo. You can also send the photo later by post or upload it with the access code from the confirmation of receipt.
  • You can enclose medical documents no older than two years. If they are missing, the authority requests them, with your written consent, from the doctors you name in the application.
  • Costs compared: the official pages state no fee for the application. With us you pay 59 euros for filling in the form with your details. You sign, we send the signed application by post to the competent office.
  • We are not an authority. Only the competent authority determines the degree of disability and the marks.

Open the official page

What helps with the application

  • Your health impairments in your own words.
  • Names and addresses of your treating doctors and clinics.
More documents (3)
  • If available: doctors' and clinic reports, rehab reports, findings, no older than two years.
  • For the card: a current colour passport photo.
  • For an application for change: your file reference.

Good to know

Card, replacement and changes

The card shows the assessed GdB and the marks; with it you prove entitlement to disability compensations.

All details (3)

According to the Bezirksregierung Münster, depending on the entry these include free local public transport with supplementary sheet and token, or alternatively a vehicle tax reduction; with mark B, a companion travels free on bus and train; with aG or Bl, a parking permit for parking concessions. With RF you pay, according to the Beitragsservice, a one-third broadcasting fee of 6.12 euros a month.

Only a card in the old format with a free extension field can be extended; otherwise the authority issues a new one. If it is lost or stolen, inform the city or district in writing or in person and receive a replacement card. Report a move or change of name there too.

If the GdB has already been assessed and you only need the card, apply informally. For children under 10, the card is valid at most until their 10th birthday; between 10 and 15, at most until their 20th birthday.

When does help with filling in make sense?

You do not need it if you know your diagnoses and doctors and can manage the online form. The official pages state no fee for the official route, and the authority obtains missing findings from your doctors itself.

It can help if German forms are hard for you to understand, if you have several illnesses and many practitioners, or if you are preparing the application for a relative. We transfer your details completely into the form, you check and sign, we send it to the competent office.

What we do not do: we do not estimate a GdB, promise no mark, do not represent you in the procedure or an objection, and we do not use online accounts.

Questions about the severe disability card

Where do I apply for the severe disability card?

In North Rhine-Westphalia to the municipal bodies, i.e. the district or independent city where you live. Some cities work together, such as Dortmund with Bochum and Hagen. You request the card in the same application for assessment. In other federal states, state law sets who is responsible.

Can I apply for the severe disability card online?

Yes, in NRW there is an online application under severe disability law. It does not work entirely without paper, though: after filling in, you print the declaration shown, sign it by hand and send it within two weeks to the competent authority. Without the signature the application is not processed.

What does GdB 50 mean?

From a degree of disability of 50, a person counts as severely disabled under § 2(2) SGB IX, and a severe disability card is issued on application. The GdB is assessed in steps of ten from 20. Several impairments are assessed together; the total is not the sum of the individual values.

What are the benefits of a severe disability card?

With the card you prove entitlement to disability compensations, for example with employers or authorities. The Bezirksregierung Münster names, among others, local transport with a token or alternatively a vehicle tax reduction, a free companion with mark B and a parking permit with aG or Bl. Which apply depends on the GdB and marks.

How do I extend the severe disability card?

According to the Bezirksregierung Münster, only a card in the old format with a free extension field can be extended. Otherwise the city or district issues a new card. The card is limited to at most five years; it can be open-ended if no significant change in health is expected.

Which marks are there?

The Severely Disabled Card Regulation names G, aG, H, Bl, Gl, RF, TBl and 1. Kl. on the back and B on the front. Each mark proves the health conditions for a specific compensation, such as RF for the reduced broadcasting fee or B for a companion. They are assessed in the same procedure as the GdB.

Official sources

Sources (6)

Reviewed by M. Gabal on 27.10.2026

Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). Behördenfix fills in the application with your details; you sign, and we send the signed application to the competent office. We do not use online accounts. We are not an authority, give no legal advice and do not assess your individual case.

In these cities (5)
Related services (4)
What we do and what we don't
  • We fill in applications based on your details, file them and follow them up.
  • We give no legal or tax advice and do not assess chances of success.
  • We are a private service, not a public authority.
Have the application filled in· 59 €