The birth certificate is an important document for you and your child. Once your child is born, you will have to deal with a number of authorities. We will show you how to apply for the birth certificate, what you need for it, and what else you should know about the birth certificate.
Table of contents
What Is A Birth Certificate?
The birth certificate is an official document. It is issued by the registry office. The competent registry office is the one in whose district the child was born.
The birth of a person is documented on this certificate. This requires information on the first name, surname, sex and place of birth. The legally valid parents are also entered there. In the case of an adoption, for example, these are not the natural parents.
How Long Do I Have To Apply For The Birth ertificate?
Within one week, or within seven days, after the birth, the parents or custodians must report the birth to the registry office and apply for the birth certificate in accordance with Section 18 of the Personal Status Act (PSG).
If it is not possible for the parents to apply for their child’s birth certificate, any person who was present at the birth is entitled to do so. For example, a doctor or midwife can theoretically register the birth at the registrar’s office on behalf of the parents. Some hospitals offer a service that relieves new parents of the burden of dealing with the authorities.
In public or private hospitals and birthing facilities, it is also the case that the birth of a child is reported to the registry office with the so-called birth announcement. The institution is obligated to report the birth. In the case of a home birth, midwives, obstetricians or doctors can issue a birth certificate, which is then presented to the registry office.
The seven-day deadline is therefore useful because the birth certificate is important in any further dealings with the authorities. For example, applying for child benefit, parental allow ance or registering the child with the health insurance company cannot be done without the birth certificate.
Applying For A Birth Certificate – These Documents Are Necessary
To apply for a birth certificate, it is important to bring the necessary documents that contain all the important data about the birth and the parents.
You Will Need These Documents:
- Birth certificates of both parents.
- Marriage certificate (for unmarried parents: the declaration of acknowledgement of paternity and the declaration of custody).
- Identity cards or passports of both parents.
- Certificate of birth from the midwife or hospital.
- Declaration of name, if it is not included in the certificate of birth.
This is not an exhaustive list. The documents required may vary depending on the specific case. It is best to contact the relevant registry office for information on the necessary documents if you are in doubt.
Cost Of Applying For A Birth Certificate
The costs for applying for a birth certificate are determined by the registry offices. They, therefore, vary from state to state. Basically, it is a small fee of about 10 euros. Additional documents such as an international birth certificate or a certified copy of the birth certificate usually cost around 5 euros.
Apply For A Birth Certificate Online
If the opening hours of the registry office are not compatible with your own working hours, this is no reason to despair. At many registry offices, the birth certificate can now also be applied for online via the registry office’s website. There are additional fees for this, but you save yourself a trip to the office and get the notice sent to your home by mail.
This Information Is Contained In A Birth Certificate
The birth certificate contains basic and important data about the child’s birth:
- Name of the registry office.
- Number of the birth entry and the year of birth.
- First name of the child (At this point it is also decided whether the name you have chosen for your child is acceptable).
- Birth name (Here the last name of the child is meant. If the parents are married and have the same name, the child also gets this name. If only one parent has custody of the child, the child will take his or her last name or a corresponding application must be made).
- Gender.
- Date of birth.
- Place of birth.
- First and last names of both parents.
- Religious affiliation of the child and parents.
- Place of the competent registry office.
- Date of issuance of the birth certificate.
- Name and signature of the registrar performing the notarization.
What To Do When The Birth Certificate Is Available
As soon as the birth certificate has been issued, all further official procedures can be completed. An important step is the registration of the child at the registration office.
It may well be that the registry office passes this information on to the residents’ registration office, but to be on the safe side you should find out whether the child still needs to be registered yourself. In addition, the issuance of the birth certificate makes it possible to apply for child benefits, parental benefits and to register the child with the health insurance company.
Applying for a birth certificate is an important step for new parents. By issuing the birth certificate, the birth of your baby becomes official and you are officially a family from that moment on. Once all the official formalities have been completed, you can concentrate fully on your new family’s happiness.
