Hamburg.com IASON page

Check maintenance claims against a person living abroad and forward them to the relevant authorities

If the other parent lives abroad and does not pay maintenance to you, you can assert your maintenance claim abroad. You can get support in enforcing your maintenance claim.

  •  

Detailed description

If the parent who has to pay you maintenance for your child lives abroad, you must assert your maintenance claim abroad. For example, it must be clarified how the income situation and cost of living there affect the amount of your maintenance claim. In addition, German courts cannot issue binding instructions for foreign countries. Your request must therefore be forwarded to the responsible authority abroad.
 
There are international agreements designed to simplify these cross-border procedures. In almost all countries there are therefore offices that handle international maintenance matters centrally. In Germany, this central office is the Federal Office of Justice.
 
If you need support in enforcing your maintenance claim abroad, you can contact a guardian and ask them to assert maintenance claims against the parent living abroad on your behalf. The guardian acts as the legal representative of your child who is entitled to maintenance. If you set up a guardian, they can fill out the application forms required for the procedure for you and forward them to the relevant authorities.

 

Information

Prerequisites

  • You are the parent of a minor child.
  • The other parent does not live in Germany.

Documents required

  • Child’s birth certificate
  • Your valid identity card or passport
  • Enforceable copy of the maintenance order

Please note

There are no special features.

Deadlines

No.

Procedure

Establishment of a guardianship:

  • You contact the responsible authority and apply for guardianship to be set up. You may need to provide documents. Guardianship can often be set up immediately.

If you have appointed a guardian, the guardian can take over the following procedural steps for you:

Asserting maintenance claims abroad:

  • The local district court responsible for your place of residence will inform and advise you, upon request, about the options available for collecting maintenance payments abroad and what documents are required for this purpose.
  • You will receive an application form from the responsible district court.
  • You return the completed application form along with all necessary documents to the district court.
  • The local court will forward your application to the central authority responsible in Germany.
  • The central authority responsible in Germany will contact the central authority abroad and forward your application.
  • The central authority responsible in Germany conducts the procedure with the foreign central authority. They will be informed about the course of the procedure and the outcome of the procedure.

Processing time

The processing time varies and depends in particular on the procedure in the respective countries and the cooperation of the person obliged to pay maintenance.

Fees

Establishing a guardianship is free of charge.


The central offices for international maintenance matters operate free of charge.


There may be costs for the translation of documents, which you will have to pay.

Legal remedies

The legal assistance and the district court only provide support and mediation when pursuing maintenance claims against a person living abroad, which is why no legal remedies can be lodged.

Legal basis

Law on the enforcement of maintenance claims in dealings with foreign states (AUG):

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aug_2011/


Hague Maintenance Convention 2007

www.bundesjustizamt.de/DE/Themen/Buergerdienste/AU/HUUE2007/HUUE2007/HUUE2007_node.html

Find out your responsible facility

Angaben zur Zuständigkeit

Haven't found the right one yet?

To Hamburg Service startpage

Keywords: single parent abroad International care Civil Code Entertains certification

Last updated: 22.03.2025