Create meetup in Berlinchevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
wants to browse a market at fmd_goodRiverwalk Center
want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
wants to go to fmd_goodWildlife Reserve
wants to go to fmd_goodWildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Boil & Bake
wants to eat breakfast at fmd_goodBoil & Bake
wants to eat breakfast at fmd_goodBoil & Bake
wants to eat breakfast at fmd_goodBoil & Bake
explore Berlin Guides
Berlin Hidden Gems (2026)
kirstin
Berlin on a Budget: Tips 2026
annette
Where to Stay in Berlin (2026)
frieda
3 Days in Berlin: Itinerary 2026
rabeakurth
Things to Do in Berlin (2026)
viktoria
Best Food in Berlin (2026)
bar_chart Trends in Berlin
Contact form to activate e-ID?
I hope not, cos they… Since Landesamt für Einwanderung(LEA) original OTV system for getting appointments online is permanently shut down, the only way to get an appointment now is their contact form?
I hope not, cos they hardly reply for contact form, the last time I used the contact form, nobody replied after months, I don't even remember what was my request because there's no acknowledgment email even being sent.
I can't activate my Blue card e-ID at a regular bürgeramt because it's issued by LEA, it has to be activated by them....
fwiw the LEA has a specific email for eID issues that's separate from their general contact form - it's eid-berlin@lea.berlin.de. i sent them a polite german email with my case number and they responded in about 4 days, got an appointment for 2 weeks later. also worth noting that the keplerstrasse office has weird hours, they're closed on wednesdays and fridays for walk-ins, learned that the hard way standing outside for nothing
the walk-in thing at keplerstrasse works but only if you get there by 6am, sometimes they run out of numbers by 7.30. i'd also try emailing the lea's IT support directly at eid-berlin@lea.berlin.de, got a reply in 3 days when i had the same issue last year. worst case you can mail your blue card and a prepaid return envelope to their postfach with a note asking for activation, they've done that for a few people i know
You're right that the contact form is basically a black hole. I've heard the same from multiple people.
What I'd try instead is showing up at the LEA's office on Keplerstraße on a Tuesday or Thursday morning before they open. They've been known to hand out emergency walk-in numbers for specific issues like e-ID activation when you explain the online system is broken. Bring your passport, blue card, and any LEA letters you have.
If that doesn't work, write to the Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit about the lack of response on your contact form. Sometimes that gets things moving faster than anything else.
i'd say skip the big names and look at studiowest in prenzlauer berg, they do amazing japanese style but the waitlist is like 6 months. if u want something quicker, the artists at bitterlich tattoo in mitte are super underrated, especially for fine line. and honestly, walk past the instagram hype, go to a shop in person and ask to see their portfolio book, that's where the real stuff is.
The Berlin tattoo scene is pretty spread out, so it depends on what style you're after. For fine line and minimalist work, I'd look at A Fine Line in Kreuzberg, they're booked out weeks in advance for a reason. If you want bold traditional, check out Die Wilde Ecke in Neukölln, they've been around forever and the artists there are solid. Honestly, your best bet is to scroll through Instagram and find someone whose healed work you like, not just the fresh photos, because that's where the real skill shows.
One thing nobody's mentioned yet is the tattoo convention at Arena Berlin, usually in early summer. It's a good way to see a bunch of styles in one afternoon and talk to artists face to face without committing to a shop. I found my guy there three years ago, he works out of a tiny studio near Boxhagener Platz and does amazing neo-traditional, but he rarely posts on Instagram so you'd never discover him otherwise. Bring cash if you go, a lot of the booths only take that on the day.