Registering a birth and birth certificate

When a child is born, the birth must be reported to the Standesamt (civil registry office) of the place of birth, and the birth is then certified there 1234. After the birth is registered, you can receive a birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde); three certificates for official purposes are free in Berlin and München, and in Hamburg the certificates needed for Elterngeld, Kindergeld and Mutterschaftshilfe are free, while additional copies may cost extra 1234.

Who needs this

• Parents must report the birth to the responsible Standesamt. In Berlin, the place of birth matters, not the parents’ place of residence 1.
• In Hamburg, a sorgeberechtigtes Elternteil (parent with custody rights) is responsible for reporting the birth 2.
• If the child is born at home, parents usually must provide the birth notification themselves; in Berlin this is within one week 1, in Hamburg within one week from the day after birth 2, and in München within one week 4.
• In Hamburg, a birth must also be reported if the child was stillborn 2.

Step by step

1. Identify the responsible Standesamt in the child’s place of birth 134.
2. If the child was born in a hospital or birth center, the facility usually reports the birth and forwards the birth notification (Geburtsanzeige) 1234.
3. If the child was born at home, submit the birth notification and the required original documents to the Standesamt 124.
4. If needed, submit the parents’ name declaration (Namenserklärung) signed by both parents; in Köln, this can also be informal and handwritten 13.
5. The Standesamt reviews the documents, certifies the birth, and issues the birth certificates 1234.

Documents

• Birth notification (Geburtsanzeige) or, for home births, the birth notification or certificate from the midwife, doctor, or birth attendant 1234.
• Valid identity card or passport of the parents 134.
• Mother’s birth certificate; in some cases the father’s birth certificate as well 1.
• Marriage certificate, if applicable 134.
• Acknowledgment of paternity (Vaterschaftsanerkennung), if the parents are not married and such a declaration exists 134.
• Custody declaration (Sorgeerklärung), if applicable and the parents are not married 13.
• If the mother is divorced or widowed, documents showing the dissolution of the marriage or the spouse’s death 134.
• For foreign documents, a translation by a sworn interpreter or translator is required in Berlin, Köln and München; Berlin also requires some documents to be apostilled or legalised 134. Berlin, Köln and München state that original documents are required 134.

Cost and time

• Berlin: the birth registration is free; a birth certificate for private records costs 12.00 Euro, a certified copy from the birth register costs 12.00 Euro, an international birth certificate costs 12.00 Euro, and each additional document of the same type issued at the same time costs 6.00 Euro 1.
• Hamburg: the birth certificates needed for Elterngeld, Kindergeld and Mutterschaftshilfe are free; one birth certificate costs 19.50 Euro, and each additional certificate in the same processing step costs 8.50 Euro 2.
• Köln: the birth registration is free; the first additional certificate of a format costs 10 Euro and each further one costs 5 Euro 3.
• München: the birth certificate costs 12 Euro per copy; three free certificates are provided for Kindergeld, Mutterschaftshilfe and Elterngeld 4.
• München states that processing currently takes about 4 weeks once complete documents have been received 4. Hamburg says processing depends on the individual case 2.

Deadlines

• Berlin: if the child is born at home, the birth must be reported within one week 1.
• Hamburg: report the birth within one week from the day after birth; if the child was stillborn, report it no later than the third working day after birth 2.
• München: if the child was born at home, report the birth within one week 4.

City by city

• Berlin: the birth is reported to the Standesamt of the district where the child was born; free certificates are issued for Elterngeld, Kindergeld and Krankenkasse purposes 1.
• Hamburg: if the child was born in a hospital or birth center, the institution usually handles the report; if born elsewhere, original documents must be sent to the Standesamt 2.
• Köln: hospitals handle the formalities for hospital births; for home births or births in a birth center, at least one parent must appear in person after arranging an appointment 3.
• München: there are two responsible Standesämter, and which one is responsible depends on the district where the child was born; for certain districts and for some hospital births, Standesamt München-Pasing is responsible 4.