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Apply for a birth certificate

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If you need proof of your birth or the birth of your child, you can apply for a birth certificate.

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Detailed description

After birth, every child in Germany must be registered in the birth register. After this registration, you can also apply for a birth certificate. This proves the birth of a person and contains information about the place and time of birth as well as the first and last name. It usually also contains information about the person's gender and parents.

You will need a birth certificate in various contexts throughout your life. For use abroad, it can also be issued on a multilingual form. You can use this in many countries without translation.

You can have an (international) birth certificate issued at the registry office that registered your birth. In federal states where there is a central registry network, you can also obtain the birth certificate from any other registry office in the registry network.

 

Information

Prerequisites

You can get a birth certificate if you:

  • are at least 16 years old and
    • are the person to whom the birth certificate refers or whose
    • Spouse or life partner (within the meaning of the Registered Life Partnership Act) or their
    • Ancestor or descendant or their
    • Siblings with legitimate interests.

Further requirements:

  • Other persons, including close relatives such as aunts or uncles, will only receive a certificate if they can credibly demonstrate a legal interest (for example, through a letter from the probate court).

Documents required

When applying, you must submit:

  • Your identity card or passport (if applying in writing: copy),
  • when applying for or collecting by an authorised person:
    • written authorization of the authorized person,
    • Your identity card (original or copy) or
    • Passport (original or copy) and
    • the identity card or passport of the authorized person
  • for other people:
    • where applicable, proof of their legal interest

Please note

  • You can apply for birth certificates in writing (post, email, fax) or in person. Applications cannot be made by telephone.
  • If you no longer know the location of the civilly registered event, please write to the General Register of Hamburg's Civil Registry Offices. There you can find out which civil registry office recorded the civil status event.
  • For birth certificates from births that occurred more than 110 years ago, please contact the Hamburg State Archives (see links).
  • For civil status events (birth, marriage, death) that were recorded in a Hamburg registry office from 2009, additional certificates can be issued in all Hamburg registry offices. These certificates are marked with the addition "Certificate in accordance with Section 67 Paragraph 3 of the Civil Status Act". Please note that these certificates are not recognized abroad. For such purposes, please use certificates that were issued by the registry office that was originally responsible.

Civil status certificates contain personal data, so their issuance is subject to data protection restrictions.

Deadlines

no

Procedure

You must apply for a birth certificate at the registry office that registered the birth.

Personal application:

  • Visit the registry office that registered the birth.
  • You must present your identity card or passport for identification purposes.
  • You usually pay the fee when you apply at the registry office.
  • In addition to you, a person you trust can also order and collect the certificate for you. To do so, the person must present:
    • a written power of attorney from you,
    • Your identity card or passport (original or copy)
    • the identity card or passport of the authorized person.

Application by post, email or fax:

  • Send an informal letter to the responsible registry office asking them to issue you a birth certificate.
  • Your letter should contain the following information
    • Name first Name
    • Date and place of birth
    • Name, first name of parents
    • if known: registry office and registration number
  • Please enclose a copy of your identity card or passport with the letter.
  • When the certificate is sent to you by post, you will receive a fee notice.

You can also request documents electronically using the online document request service.

Processing time


  • Processing the application usually takes 2 to 10 days.

  • If you appear in person, the certificate will be handed over immediately if it is already an electronic register.

Fees

- 18.00 EUR, each additional in the same processing step 8.00 EUR.


- Certificates for pension purposes are free of charge.

Legal remedies

If the issuance is refused, you can submit an application for a court order to the Hamburg District Court, Sievekingplatz 1.

Legal basis

Section 55 paragraph 1 number 4 of the Civil Status Act (PStG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__55.html




§ 59 Civil Status Act (PStG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__59.html




§ 62 Civil Status Act (PStG)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__62.html




§ 50 Civil Status Ordinance (PStV)

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstv/__50.html

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Last updated: 09.10.2024