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.

Your signatures on the application form and the copies of your documents must be certified for the civil registry. These certifications can only be carried out by a German mission abroad.

The fees for the certification of your signatures by the German Embassy are 60.00 EUR (without name declaration) / 85.00 EUR (with name declaration). The fee for the certification of copies (including the making of copies) depends on the individual case.

The responsible civil registry in Germany charges separate fees for the registration of the birth and for issuing German birth certificates. These fees are subject to the respective state law of the responsible civil registry and may also be dependent on the case. However, you should expect to pay between 80 and 160 euros for the birth registration and approx. 10 - 15 euros per certificate.

Usually, the civil registry will first send a request for payment of the fees before processing of the application begins. The fees for the civil registry cannot be paid via the German missions abroad, but must be paid directly to the civil registry

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