Birth Certificates
Available
Fees: There is a fee for each certificate and for any additional copy. The same amount is charged for certificates issued on an "international" form.
Document Name: Geburtsurkunde
Issuing Authority: Local registrar's office (Standesamt) where the birth occurred.
NOTE: For former East Germany, this applies only to those civil status cases that occurred after October 2, 1990. For events occurring prior to this date, documents from this part of Germany are issued by the district office where the event occurred.
Special Seal(s) / Color / Format: Local registrar’s office official seal, signed by the recording official/ white paper/ different formats depending on issuance date
Issuing Authority Personnel Title: Standesbeamter (recording official)
Registration Criteria: To be checked with issuing authority
Procedure for Obtaining: The requested certificates are usually mailed out by the registrar's office with the fees being collected on delivery. The applicant may enclose a self-addressed and stamped return envelope and use German postage stamps or a collection-only check for payment.
Certified Copies Available: Yes, “beglaubigte Abschrift aus dem Geburtsregister“
Alternate Documents: Auszug aus dem Geburtseintrag (extract from birth registration). This document is also issued by the German registration office (Standesamt) where the birth was registered.
Exceptions: None
Comments: In lieu of the birth certificate, you may also request an “Auszug aus dem Geburtenregister” (extract from the birth register). This document is a certified copy of the birth register listing name, date of birth, place of birth, name of parents, in case of adoption, name of adoptive parents.