Apply for a multilingual birth certificate

If you need proof of birth to present to foreign authorities, you can apply for a multilingual birth certificate.

Use Online-Service

Detailed description

You can have a multilingual birth certificate issued on the basis of the birth register. The multilingual form contains, among others, English, French, Spanish and Italian. The certificate does not require any further authentication, legalization or apostille in the states party to the Convention.

Information

Important notes

Prerequisites

You can have a multilingual birth certificate issued 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

To apply for a birth certificate you will need:

Your identity card or passport (when applying in writing: certified copy),
when applying through a representative:
- written power of attorney of the authorized person,
- their identity card or passport (original or certified copy)
- and the representative's identity card or passport
certain persons must also demonstrate a legal or legitimate interest

Please note

With a birth certificate you can prove the birth of a person, their first and last names as well as information about their parents.
You cannot apply for a birth certificate by telephone.
If you do not know the location of the civilly registered event, please write to the General Register of Hamburg's Civil Registry Offices (see links). There you can find out which Hamburg Civil Registry Office recorded the civil status event.
For civil status events (birth, marriage, death) that were certified in a Hamburg registry office from 2009 onwards, further certificates can be issued in all Hamburg registry offices.
These certificates, which are issued by a registry office other than the one that issued the certificate, are provided with the addition "Certificate in accordance with Section 67 Paragraph 3 of the Civil Status Act".
With this addition, documents are not recognized abroad, for example birth certificates for entry into the USA. These must be issued by the registry office with original jurisdiction.
For birth certificates from births that occurred more than 110 years ago, please contact the Hamburg State Archives (see links).
You can obtain an apostille from the Ministry of the Interior and Sport, Office for Migration.

Deadlines

Procedure & Fees

Procedure

Apply for a birth certificate at the responsible registry office.

You can apply for the multilingual birth certificate online.
- Use the online service “Certificate Request” in the service portal at hamburg.de.
You will be guided through the application process.

You can apply for the multilingual birth certificate in writing by post, fax or email.
- Send an informal letter to the responsible registry office asking them to issue you an international birth certificate.
- Your letter should contain the following information:
- Name first Name
- Date and place of birth
- Surname, 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, you will receive a fee notice.

You can apply for the multilingual birth certificate in person.
- Visit the registry office that registered the birth. Please find out about opening hours beforehand.
- You must present your identity card or passport for identification purposes.
- You usually pay the fee cashlessly when you apply at the registry office.
- In addition to you, a person you trust can also apply for and collect the certificate on your behalf. In addition to a written power of attorney, they must present your identity card or passport (original or certified copy) and their own identity card or passport.

Processing time

The processing time is 3 to 10 days.

In the case of a personal visit, the certificate will be handed over immediately.

Fees

There is a fixed fee of EUR 18.00.

For each additional document in the same processing step, a fixed fee of EUR 8.00 applies.

Legal notes

Legal remedies

If the registry office refuses to issue a certificate, you can submit an application for a court order to the Hamburg District Court, Sievekingplatz 1, 20355 Hamburg.