Reichstag dome: registration, tickets and entry

Is the Reichstag dome free to visit?

Yes. Visiting the dome and roof terrace is free, but only with prior registration with the German Bundestag.

The Reichstag dome and roof terrace are open daily, and the Bundestag does not charge admission. The audio guide, which accompanies you on the way up and down in the dome, is also free. It is issued on the roof terrace. However, there is no box office: without prior registration and confirmation, you will not pass the security check.

If you see 'tickets' for the Reichstag online, you are not buying admission but a related service: a guided tour with a guide and access to the plenary chamber, a pre-arranged time slot, a private tour or a table at the rooftop garden restaurant. These can be useful, but they are not necessary to visit the dome.

How do you book the Reichstag dome?

The easiest way is via the online form at visite.bundestag.de. Alternatively, you can register by fax or post; telephone registration is not possible.

Here’s how the online registration works:

1. Open the request form at visite.bundestag.de and select the visit to the dome and roof terrace.
2. Enter your preferred date and possible times. Admission is every 15 minutes.
3. For each person, provide their surname, first name and date of birth. Groups must submit a complete list of participants.
4. Submit the request and wait for confirmation from the visitor service, which will arrive by email, fax or post.

You can contact the visitor service by post at: Deutscher Bundestag, Besucherdienst, Platz der Republik 1, 11011 Berlin. For fax registration, the Bundestag’s pages list different numbers, so check the current details directly on bundestag.de.

How far in advance do I need to book the Reichstag dome?

Requests can only be made for the current month and the following month. Appointments for next year can be requested at the earliest from November.

The Bundestag states verbatim: “Visits to the dome can only be requested for the current month and the following month.” So if you plan at the beginning of October, you can request dates in October and November, but not yet December. We have not found an official minimum notice period for online requests. Still, plan early: the later you request, the less availability there usually is.

It is important to distinguish between a request and a booking. The form only sends a request. Your visit is only confirmed once you receive the confirmation from the visitor service. This confirmation is personal and non-transferable, so you cannot pass it on to friends.

Can you get Reichstag tickets on the same day?

Yes, if there are still spaces available: at the service centre on Platz der Republik, in person and at least two hours before your visit.

According to the Bundestag, the service centre is centrally located on Platz der Republik in front of the Reichstag Building. Access from the north, i.e. from the side of the Paul-Löbe-Haus and the main train station, is currently limited due to construction work. There, you can register for a same-day visit if spaces are still available, up to two hours before. Appointments for the following two days are also issued here.

Service centre opening hours:

• 1 April to 31 October: 8 am to 8 pm
• 1 November to 31 March: 8 am to 6 pm
• at weekends: 10 am to 6 pm
• Tuesdays during sitting weeks only until 2 PM

Bring a valid official photo ID in the original for each person aged 16 and over, such as an identity card or passport. Young people aged 14 and 15 need a document with their name and photo; a student ID is sufficient. Copies are not accepted.

What do I need on the day of my visit?

Your confirmation, a valid photo ID in the original and as little luggage as possible. Bags and coats will be X-rayed; there are no lockers.

The ID will be checked twice: when collecting your access pass and again at the entrance. Adults aged 16 and over need an identity card or passport, while 14- and 15-year-olds only need a document with their name and photo. In the entrance area, bags, coats and other items will be scanned, and you will pass through a metal detector.

For security reasons, you cannot bring large luggage, and there is no storage on site. So do not arrive directly from the station with a suitcase. Also prohibited are weapons and dangerous items such as knives, certain tools, whistles, bottles, pepper spray and laser pointers, as well as clothing or materials with racist, xenophobic, violent, discriminatory, antisemitic or extremist content. The Bundestag does not specify how early you should arrive for the dome visit, but allowing extra time for the security check is still wise. For more practical advice, see our tips for visiting the Reichstag dome.

Can a confirmed dome visit be cancelled?

Yes. The Bundestag explicitly states that even confirmed appointments may be cancelled at short notice on site.

Whether the dome is open depends, according to the Bundestag, on the parliament’s current work schedule, special events in the Reichstag Building, and weather or security conditions. A visit to the dome cannot therefore be guaranteed. This applies to free registrations as well as to any paid tour, as providers on GetYourGuide are also bound by the Bundestag’s decisions.

There are also fixed closing days: the dome is closed all day on 24 December, and from 4 PM on 31 December (last entry at 2:30 PM). In 2026, the dome will also be closed from 19 to 30 October for maintenance work, though the roof terrace will remain accessible. For questions about closures, you can contact the visitor service by phone on +49 30 227-32083. However, you cannot register there.

Even during dome maintenance, the roof terrace remains open: guided tour of the government district including the plenary chamber and roof terrace, registration included.

Government district with Reichstag and roof terrace · 2.5 hours · cancellation up to 4 days before

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Is entry to the Reichstag free?

Yes. All other Bundestag visitor offers, such as a talk in the plenary chamber or attending a plenary session, are free and require registration.

As well as the dome, the Bundestag offers a 45-minute talk in the visitor gallery of the plenary chamber. It covers the parliament’s work, tasks, composition and history, plus the building’s architecture. Talks are in German, with one in English at 11 am on Tuesdays and one in French at 1 pm. Afterward, you usually have the chance to visit the dome, subject to parliamentary operations, weather and security.

During sitting weeks, you can also watch a plenary session from the visitor gallery on Wednesdays at 14:00 and on Thursdays and Fridays at 09:00, each lasting about one hour and without interpretation. You must request both in writing and well in advance from the visitor service. To see which paid tours include the plenary chamber, check our overview of Reichstag tours.

When is a paid Reichstag tour worth it?

If you want to see more than the dome, your preferred slots are fully booked or you do not want to handle registration yourself.

Free registration is the right option for most visitors. A paid tour makes sense in three cases: you want a guide to take you through the plenary chamber and the government district, your travel dates fall outside the Bundestag’s booking window or the slots are fully booked, or you prefer a pre-arranged appointment where someone else handles the registration. The guided tour of the Reichstag, dome and government district lasts 2 to 2.5 hours per the listing, is available in German or English, and includes the plenary chamber, roof terrace and dome.

If breakfast above the rooftops is your top priority, check out the options at the Käfer Dachgarten-Restaurant . The table shows the routes at a glance.

Plenary chamber, roof terrace and dome with a guide in 2 to 2.5 hours, the provider handles Bundestag registration.

Reichstag, dome and government district with a guide · 2 to 2.5 hours · cancellation up to 4 days before

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Frequently asked questions