Standesamt: Obtaining the Geburtsurkunde
The first and most critical document after birth. Without the Geburtsurkunde, health insurance, parental allowance, child benefit, and all other documents are blocked. Deadline: 1 week.
WHAT TO DO
What and when
The Geburtsurkunde is your child’s first official document. Without it, nothing else is possible:
- Health insurance enrolment
- Kindergeld and Elterngeld
- Residence permit or passport for the child
- Kita registration
Under §18 PStG, birth must be registered within 1 week. In practice: as soon as possible.
What you need to do
Step 1: Get the Geburtsanzeige from the hospital
The hospital issues the Geburtsanzeige (birth notice) before discharge. This is not the same as the Geburtsurkunde — it is the document you take to the Standesamt.
Step 2: Visit the Standesamt at the place of birth
Book online (available in most cities via the Bürgerportal) or come during opening hours.
| Situation | Documents |
|---|---|
| Married couple | Passport/ID of both + Heiratsurkunde |
| Unmarried couple | + Vaterschaftsanerkennungsurkunde |
| Documents in Cyrillic | + certified translation |
| Foreign parent | + valid Aufenthaltstitel |
Step 3: Order multiple copies
Immediately order 6–8 certified copies (beglaubigte Abschriften), each costing approx. €10–15. They are needed for all subsequent steps.
We visited the Standesamt on day 3 after discharge. Ordered 8 copies — all were used. Large cities often offer online booking: no need to queue.
If your name is transliterated differently in your German and foreign passport — bring both. The Standesamt will decide which version goes into the German document.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which Standesamt handles the registration? ▾
The Standesamt at the place of birth (where the hospital is located), not your home Standesamt. For home births: where the birth actually took place.
My documents are in Cyrillic — do I need a translation? ▾
Yes. Documents in non-Latin script (passport, marriage certificate) require a certified German translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung). Best arranged in advance during pregnancy.
What is the Geburtsanzeige des Krankenhauses? ▾
A medical certificate from the hospital confirming the birth. It is handed out automatically at discharge — you do not need to request it specifically. Do not forget to take it with you.