Giving birth in another country can get pretty complicated. If you are unsure how to apply for your baby's birth certificates and register his/her birth in Germany. Here are the details you need...
Once you have given birth in Germany, you are expected to register your child's birth. This must be done within 7 days of the baby's birth date.
The birth can be registered by a number of people:
Hospital Births/Birthing House Births (Geburtshaus)
If you give birth in a hospital or at a Geburtshaus (birthing house), they are obliged to register the birth of your baby. Often the person who will do this will come directly to you to take your documents, however, it is worth asking your hospital/Geburtshaus of choice how they do this ahead of time, so you are prepared.
The documents you will need to bring with you for registering the birth are:
Make multiple copies of these documents and bring the copies as well as the originals
When registering the birth through the hospital or Geburtshaus, you will have your original documents checked (as listed above) and they will take the necessary originals/copies of the documents. In exchange they will hand you a confirmation of the birth (Geburtsbescheinigung) which you must keep.
They will likely ask you how many copies of the birth certificate (and International Birth Certificate if you are ordering those) you wish to order. It is worth keeping in mind to order a couple of extra birth certificates as this is the easiest and quickest way to do it and they can be helpful in the future.
If, for any reason, it isn't possible to register the birth through your hospital/Geburtshaus, you will need a Anzeige der Geburt form, from where you gave birth, to take to the hospital (along with your documents) to register the birth yourself (see the list of who can do this above) within 7 days of the baby's date of birth.
* It is recommended to get your birth certificates and marriage certificate translated if they aren't in German. Not all Standesamt end up requiring this, but some do. If you are an EU citizen, you can ask your embassy to produce international versions of your documents for occasions such as this. This service is often free or cheaper than hiring a professional translator.
Home Births
If you plan on giving birth at home, you will be given a form (Anzeige der Geburt) by your attending midwife which you will need to present to the Standesamt in your district (Bezirk) yourselves (your partner can do this for you as long as they have the documents listed above). The form must be handed in to your Standesamt within 7 days of the baby's date of birth.
General Information
When will I receive my baby's birth certificates?
You will normally receive a date to go to the appropriate Standesamt to pick the birth certificates up, but if you didn't, it takes roughly 14 days for the birth certificates to be ready. If you haven't received a date, then call the Standesamt who will be processing your child's birth certificate (phone numbers listed at the bottom of this post) to see if the certificates are ready.
What will I receive?
When picking up your birth certificates, you will automatically receive 3 that are free of charge. These 3 or 4 birth certificates have allocated purposes which are for:
1. Elterngeld
2. Kindergeld
3. Health Insurance (Mutterschaftshilfe)
4. for religious purposes (eg. baptism) if appropriate
Each certificate will have a title on them telling you which certificate needs to go to where. If you are unsure, make sure to ask whilst at the Standesamt. I recommend writing stamped envelopes, with the appropriate addresses to send the above birth certificates to ahead of time, along with any letter you wish to include. That way, all you need to do is place the birth certificates in to the envelopes and they are ready to send.
How much will my baby's birth certificates cost?
Then you have the standard birth certificates and international birth certificates that are for you. Here are the charges:
Birth certificate €10, additional copies €5
International birth certificate €10, additional copies €5
Which Standesamt do I go to?
You need to go to the Standesamt that is in the district where your baby was born. For example, if you live in Prenzlauer Berg but your baby was born in Friedrichshain, then you will need to go to the Friedrichshain Standesamt to pick up your baby's birth certificates.
Here is a list of the Standesamt locations in Berlin:
Bezirksamt Friedrichshain – Kreuzberg
Address:
Schlesische Str. 27. A
10997 Berlin
tel. 030-90298-115
email. standesamt@ba-fk.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-12:30
Tue: 08:30-12:30
Thu: 13:00-18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Charlottenburg – Wilmersdorf
Address:
Alt- Lietzow 28
10587 Berlin
(office can be found on the 1st floor, no lift)
tel. 030-9029-12354
email. geburtenbuch@charlottenburg-wilmersdorf.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-12:00
Tue: 08:30-12:00
Wen: 08:30-12:00
Thu: 15:00-18:00
Fr: 08:30-12:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Mitte
Address:
Parochialstr.3
10179 Berlin
tel. 030 9018-243 07
email. standesamt@ba-mitte.berlin.de
Opening Times:
MO: 9:00-12:30
Tue: 9:00-12:30
Thu: 9:00-12:30 & 15:00-18:00
Bezirksamt Pankow
Address:
Breite Str. 24 A-26
13187 Berlin
tel. 030-90295-2215
email. standesamt@ba-pankow.verwalt-berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-13:00
Tue: 08:30-13:00
Thu: 13:00-18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Neukölln
Address:
Standesamt
Blaschkoallee 32
12359 Berlin
(Room 212, 1st floor)
Tel. 030/90239 3697/-2880/ -3004/-2129 /- 3636
email. standesamt@bezirksamt-neukoelln.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 8:30-13:00
Tue: 11:00-15:00
Thu: 14:00-18:00
They accept cash payments
Bezirksamt Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Address:
Freiherr- vom- Stein- Str.
10825 Berlin
tel. 030-90277-6300
email. standesamt-urkunden@ba-ts.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 9.00-13.00
Tue: 9.00-13.00
Thu: 13.00-18.00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Lichtenberg
Address:
Egon- Erwin -Kisch- Str.106
13059 Berlin
tel. 030-90296-3553 – 3557
email. standesamt@lichtenberg.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 09:00 – 12:30 (only for newborns)
Tue: 10:00 – 13:30
Thu: 14:00 – 16:00 or 16:00 – 18:00 ( only with appointment)
They accept cash and EC card payments
Appointments can be booked online
Bezirksamt Marzahn – Hellersdorf
Address:
Alice-Salomon-Platz 3
12627 Berlin
tel. 030-90293-2171
email. standesamt@ba-mh.Verwalt-Berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:00 – 12:00
Tue: 08:00 – 12:00
Thu: 14:00 – 18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Appointments can be booked online
Bezirksamt Reinickendorf
Address:
Standesamt
Eichbornddamm 215-239
13437 Berlin
(Room 244A, Frau Burkowitz)
tel. 030-90294-2165
email. standesamt@reinickendorf.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo, Tue; Fri: 09:00 – 13:00
Thu: 14:00 – 18:00
Bezirksamt Spandau
Address:
Carl-Schurz-Str. 2/6
13597 Berlin
tel. 030-90279-2518
email. standesamt@ba-spandau.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 09:00-13:00
Tue: 09:00-13:00
Wen: 11:00 bis 13:00
Th: 14:00 bis 18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Address:
Standesamt Steglitz-Zehlendorf von Berlin
Kirchstr.1/3
14163 Berlin
tel. 030-90299-7474
email. standesamt@ba-sz.berlin.der
Opening Times:
MO: 8.30-13.00
Tue: 8.30-13.00
Wen: 8.30-13.00 (only with appointment)
Thu:14.00-18.00
Fri: 8.30-12.00 (only with appointment )
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Treptow-Köpenick
Address:
Alt-Köpenick 21
12555 Berlin
tel. 030-90297-0
email. standesamt@ba-tk.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-12:30
Tue: 08:30-12:30
Thu: 14:00-19:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
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For ideas of what to do with children in Berlin, check out my 'To Do in Berlin' section.
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The birth can be registered by a number of people:
- The mother
- The father (when the dad shares legal custody / Sorgerecht)
- The midwife who was present at the birth
- The doctor who was present at the birth
Hospital Births/Birthing House Births (Geburtshaus)
If you give birth in a hospital or at a Geburtshaus (birthing house), they are obliged to register the birth of your baby. Often the person who will do this will come directly to you to take your documents, however, it is worth asking your hospital/Geburtshaus of choice how they do this ahead of time, so you are prepared.
The documents you will need to bring with you for registering the birth are:
- Passport of both parents
- Birth Certificate of both parents(-to-be) (translated in to German)*
- Declaration of paternity / Vaterschaftsanerkennung (only if parents aren't married)
- Diplomas for any parent who has a Master's Degree or higher ( only if you wish for your qualifications to be included on the birth certificate)
- Parents' marriage certificate (translated in to German)*
- Registration documents of you and your partner (Meldebescheinigung)
Make multiple copies of these documents and bring the copies as well as the originals
When registering the birth through the hospital or Geburtshaus, you will have your original documents checked (as listed above) and they will take the necessary originals/copies of the documents. In exchange they will hand you a confirmation of the birth (Geburtsbescheinigung) which you must keep.
They will likely ask you how many copies of the birth certificate (and International Birth Certificate if you are ordering those) you wish to order. It is worth keeping in mind to order a couple of extra birth certificates as this is the easiest and quickest way to do it and they can be helpful in the future.
If, for any reason, it isn't possible to register the birth through your hospital/Geburtshaus, you will need a Anzeige der Geburt form, from where you gave birth, to take to the hospital (along with your documents) to register the birth yourself (see the list of who can do this above) within 7 days of the baby's date of birth.
* It is recommended to get your birth certificates and marriage certificate translated if they aren't in German. Not all Standesamt end up requiring this, but some do. If you are an EU citizen, you can ask your embassy to produce international versions of your documents for occasions such as this. This service is often free or cheaper than hiring a professional translator.
Home Births
If you plan on giving birth at home, you will be given a form (Anzeige der Geburt) by your attending midwife which you will need to present to the Standesamt in your district (Bezirk) yourselves (your partner can do this for you as long as they have the documents listed above). The form must be handed in to your Standesamt within 7 days of the baby's date of birth.
General Information
When will I receive my baby's birth certificates?
You will normally receive a date to go to the appropriate Standesamt to pick the birth certificates up, but if you didn't, it takes roughly 14 days for the birth certificates to be ready. If you haven't received a date, then call the Standesamt who will be processing your child's birth certificate (phone numbers listed at the bottom of this post) to see if the certificates are ready.
What will I receive?
When picking up your birth certificates, you will automatically receive 3 that are free of charge. These 3 or 4 birth certificates have allocated purposes which are for:
1. Elterngeld
2. Kindergeld
3. Health Insurance (Mutterschaftshilfe)
4. for religious purposes (eg. baptism) if appropriate
Each certificate will have a title on them telling you which certificate needs to go to where. If you are unsure, make sure to ask whilst at the Standesamt. I recommend writing stamped envelopes, with the appropriate addresses to send the above birth certificates to ahead of time, along with any letter you wish to include. That way, all you need to do is place the birth certificates in to the envelopes and they are ready to send.
How much will my baby's birth certificates cost?
Then you have the standard birth certificates and international birth certificates that are for you. Here are the charges:
Birth certificate €10, additional copies €5
International birth certificate €10, additional copies €5
Which Standesamt do I go to?
You need to go to the Standesamt that is in the district where your baby was born. For example, if you live in Prenzlauer Berg but your baby was born in Friedrichshain, then you will need to go to the Friedrichshain Standesamt to pick up your baby's birth certificates.
Here is a list of the Standesamt locations in Berlin:
Bezirksamt Friedrichshain – Kreuzberg
Address:
Schlesische Str. 27. A
10997 Berlin
tel. 030-90298-115
email. standesamt@ba-fk.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-12:30
Tue: 08:30-12:30
Thu: 13:00-18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Charlottenburg – Wilmersdorf
Address:
Alt- Lietzow 28
10587 Berlin
(office can be found on the 1st floor, no lift)
tel. 030-9029-12354
email. geburtenbuch@charlottenburg-wilmersdorf.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-12:00
Tue: 08:30-12:00
Wen: 08:30-12:00
Thu: 15:00-18:00
Fr: 08:30-12:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Mitte
Address:
Parochialstr.3
10179 Berlin
tel. 030 9018-243 07
email. standesamt@ba-mitte.berlin.de
Opening Times:
MO: 9:00-12:30
Tue: 9:00-12:30
Thu: 9:00-12:30 & 15:00-18:00
Bezirksamt Pankow
Address:
Breite Str. 24 A-26
13187 Berlin
tel. 030-90295-2215
email. standesamt@ba-pankow.verwalt-berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-13:00
Tue: 08:30-13:00
Thu: 13:00-18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Neukölln
Address:
Standesamt
Blaschkoallee 32
12359 Berlin
(Room 212, 1st floor)
Tel. 030/90239 3697/-2880/ -3004/-2129 /- 3636
email. standesamt@bezirksamt-neukoelln.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 8:30-13:00
Tue: 11:00-15:00
Thu: 14:00-18:00
They accept cash payments
Bezirksamt Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Address:
Freiherr- vom- Stein- Str.
10825 Berlin
tel. 030-90277-6300
email. standesamt-urkunden@ba-ts.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 9.00-13.00
Tue: 9.00-13.00
Thu: 13.00-18.00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Lichtenberg
Address:
Egon- Erwin -Kisch- Str.106
13059 Berlin
tel. 030-90296-3553 – 3557
email. standesamt@lichtenberg.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 09:00 – 12:30 (only for newborns)
Tue: 10:00 – 13:30
Thu: 14:00 – 16:00 or 16:00 – 18:00 ( only with appointment)
They accept cash and EC card payments
Appointments can be booked online
Bezirksamt Marzahn – Hellersdorf
Address:
Alice-Salomon-Platz 3
12627 Berlin
tel. 030-90293-2171
email. standesamt@ba-mh.Verwalt-Berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:00 – 12:00
Tue: 08:00 – 12:00
Thu: 14:00 – 18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Appointments can be booked online
Bezirksamt Reinickendorf
Address:
Standesamt
Eichbornddamm 215-239
13437 Berlin
(Room 244A, Frau Burkowitz)
tel. 030-90294-2165
email. standesamt@reinickendorf.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo, Tue; Fri: 09:00 – 13:00
Thu: 14:00 – 18:00
Bezirksamt Spandau
Address:
Carl-Schurz-Str. 2/6
13597 Berlin
tel. 030-90279-2518
email. standesamt@ba-spandau.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 09:00-13:00
Tue: 09:00-13:00
Wen: 11:00 bis 13:00
Th: 14:00 bis 18:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Address:
Standesamt Steglitz-Zehlendorf von Berlin
Kirchstr.1/3
14163 Berlin
tel. 030-90299-7474
email. standesamt@ba-sz.berlin.der
Opening Times:
MO: 8.30-13.00
Tue: 8.30-13.00
Wen: 8.30-13.00 (only with appointment)
Thu:14.00-18.00
Fri: 8.30-12.00 (only with appointment )
They accept cash and EC card payments
Bezirksamt Treptow-Köpenick
Address:
Alt-Köpenick 21
12555 Berlin
tel. 030-90297-0
email. standesamt@ba-tk.berlin.de
Opening Times:
Mo: 08:30-12:30
Tue: 08:30-12:30
Thu: 14:00-19:00
They accept cash and EC card payments
If you would like to support the time and work that goes in to writing Berlin for all the Family, I would really appreciate it.
For ideas of what to do with children in Berlin, check out my 'To Do in Berlin' section.
Sign up for the weekly email newsletter & never miss a post: here.
Berlin for all the Family can also be found on: