Prerequisites
You must report the birth if
- the birth did not take place in a hospital or other obstetric facility (for example: birthing centre) and
- You were present at the birth of the child or
- learned about the birth in another way and
- the parents with custody are prevented from registering the birth.
You must be over 16 years old to report a birth.
Documents required
If the parents are married to each other, you will need the
- Parents’ birth certificates
- Marriage certificate or a certified copy from the marriage register
If the parents are not married to each other, you will need the
- Mother’s birth certificate
- if paternity has already been acknowledged:
- the declaration of paternity recognition and the mother’s declaration of consent
- the father’s birth certificate and
- if applicable, the declaration of care.
You must also present the marriage certificate if the marriage has since ended in divorce or the husband has died.
You also need
- the parents’ identity cards, passports or recognised passport replacement documents.
If a midwife was present at a home birth, the certificate of delivery must also be presented.
Please note
If the child is born in a hospital or other facility that provides obstetric care, the birth notification will be handled by that facility. In this case, you should ask the maternity facility in good time what papers and documents you need to bring with you to the delivery date.
If you are planning a confidential birth, please contact a counseling center or the hospital or other facility that provides obstetric care.
If the birth did not take place in a hospital or other facility that provides obstetric care, but at home (home birth), a parent with custody must report the birth in writing or in person to the registry office within one week. If the parents are unable to report the birth, the birth must be reported by another person who was present at the birth.
Deadlines
- You must report the birth of a child to the registry office responsible for the place of birth within one week.
- The day of birth is not included in the calculation of the notification period.
- If the child was stillborn, you must report the birth no later than the third working day after the birth.
