Applying for re-certification of a birth abroad without a place of residence in Germany

If you or your child were born abroad, it may be useful to re-certify the birth in a German birth register.

If you or your child were born abroad, you can, under certain conditions, apply for the subsequent certification of the birth in a German birth register. There is no obligation to re-certify – duly issued birth certificates from abroad are generally recognised in Germany. However, the subsequent certification in a German birth register can be advantageous, because the local registry office can then issue you with a German birth certificate. Any translations and certifications of the foreign birth certificate will thus be omitted in the future. A subsequent certification can also be useful if the name or the parentage relationships in Germany are to be proven bindingly.

The competent registry office is the registry office in whose jurisdiction the foreign-born person last had his residence or has his habitual residence. If there is no jurisdiction thereafter, the registry office certifies the civil status case in whose jurisdiction the applicant was last domiciled or has his habitual residence.

If there is no jurisdiction thereafter, the registry office I in Berlin is responsible for the subsequent certification.

• As a rule, you will need the following documents:

• Complete foreign birth register extract or – if not available – birth certificate of the child, possibly with translation, legalisation or apostille
• Birth certificates of the parents, possibly with translation, legalization or apostille
• Parents' ID cards
  • naturalisation certificate, if applicable
  • or citizenship certificate
• if the mother is or was married:
  • Marriage certificate, possibly with translation, legalisation or apostille
  • and in case of termination of marriage: proof of dissolution
• if the parents are not married to each other:
  • if applicable, proof of acknowledgement of paternity and the mother's declaration of consent
  • where applicable, proof of joint parental authority

The submission of further documents may be required. This depends on the foreign document system and can only be assessed after examination of the application.

Forms: Yes
Online service available: No
Written form required:
Personal appearance required:

• The child has acquired German citizenship by descent from a German parent or by naturalisation.
• Eligible applicants are:
  • the person to be entered
  • their parents
  • their children
  • the spouse or partner

Application for a judicial decision to the district court competent for the competent registry office.

In principle, the application can be submitted via the German mission abroad if you are resident abroad.

• All documents and identity documents must be presented there in the original.
• If necessary, certified copies can be made at the diplomatic mission, for which additional fees apply.
• As a rule, the diplomatic mission can also determine whether a name declaration is required. In this case, a corresponding declaration can be recorded on the spot.

Basically none; if the German parent was born abroad after 31.12.1999, the child acquires German citizenship in the case of habitual residence abroad only if the certification of the birth in the German birth register is requested within one year after the birth of the child, unless the child would otherwise become stateless.

Depending on the individual case

There are fees according to the state law, to which the competent registry office is subject.

The certification in the birth register of the registry office I in Berlin is subject to a fee. There are fees according to Berlin state law.