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.