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21.11.2019 - Article

Registration of child's birth

There is no legal obligation to register the birth of a child to a German parent abroad, nor to request a German birth certificate.

However, It is recommended that you register the birth or request a German birth certificate under certain circumstances – for example, if the child is to live in Germany in the foreseeable future.

In certain cases, you may need a declaration of your child’s name when applying for a passport. This declaration differs from the birth certificate, but it can be given as well together when you register the birth.

Name declaration for a child

If a child of German parents is born outside of Germany, the child' name is not automatically evident according to German law, even if in the foreign (e.g. Singaporean) birth certificate of the child a surname is already indicated.

Children of parents who carry a common surname according to German law automatically receive the surnames of their parents. If the parents carry different surnames at the time of the birth of the child, a name declaration for the child is usually necessary.

A name declaration is usually necessary when applying for a passport, or when the registration of a German birth is requested.

Birth certificates for persons born in Germany

Obtaining a birth certificate from Germany

To obtain a birth certificate from the Federal Republic of Germany, you must contact the competent German agency (i.e. the “Standesamt” or Registrar's Office). Your letter should be addressed to the Standesamt of the place (Village, Township, City) where you were born. You can find the contact information for your Standesamt by searching the World Wide Web for the key words: Standesamt+place where you were born.
Information about the fee will be sent to you with the certificate. Please do not forget to mention your name and address!

The German Embassy in Singapore recommends to order the international version of the birth certificate. This version is already translated into several languages, including English and French, and will save you the expense of a translation.

Information of the Standesamt I in Berlin on obtaining German birth certificates (in German only)

Obtaining birth certificates from former eastern German territories

In order to obtain a German birth certificate from the former eastern territories of the German Reich and Prussia, please contact the registrar's office “Standesamt 1” in Berlin. The address is:

Standesamt 1
Schönstedtstraße 5
13357 Berlin (Mitte)
Germany
E-Mail: urkundenstelle@labo.berlin.de

If the relevant register is available at the Standesamt, a birth certificate will be issued. Otherwise (eg if registers have been destroyed during the war), you will receive written confirmation that the Standesamt is not in a position to issue a birth certificate in your case. When inquiring, please include a postal address, as birth certificates can not be sent via E-Mail.

Legalisation of German birth certificate for usage in Singapore

Sometimes Singaporean officials ask for a legalised birth certificate. To legalise a German birth certificate, please contact the Embassy of Singapore in Berlin

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