Report home birth to the registry office
If you gave birth to your child at home, you must notify the registry office of the birth.
Responsible authority
the registry office of the place of birth
Contact
Details
Prerequisite
A home birth has taken place and you
- are the mother,
- are the father with custody of the child,
- were present at the birth as a midwife or doctor, or
- are another person and know about it.
Procedure
You must appear in person at the registry office of the place of birth.
The birth will be notarised there.
After the birth has been notarised, you will receive a birth certificate if the child's name has already been established, otherwise a birth certificate.
Deadlines
within one week of the birth
As the mother, you only have to register the birth when you are able to do so.
Note: If the child's first name or surname is not yet known when the birth is registered, you must register it with the registry office within one month.
Required documents
- medical certificate or certificate from the midwife about the birth
- Parents' identity card or passport (or a recognised passport substitute)
- if the parents are married: additionally
- notarised printout from the marriage register or
- Birth certificates and the parents' marriage certificate
- if the mother is unmarried: additionally
- Birth certificate of the mother
- if the mother is divorced or widowed: additionally
- notarised printout from the marriage register or
- Birth certificate and marriage certificate of the mother and divorce decree or death certificate
- if the parents are not married and paternity has already been recognised or is to be recognised before the birth is notarised: additionally
- notarised copy of the father's declaration of recognition
- notarised copy of the mother's declaration of consent
- for an unmarried father: birth certificate
- for a father who is or was married: birth certificate and marriage certificate (and divorce decree if applicable) or extract from the marriage register
- for foreign parents: additionally
- Proof of residence permit to prove that the child has acquired German citizenship
Please note: It is not necessary to submit documents from registers kept at the relevant registry office. The registry office may request further documents if this is necessary to prove information.
Costs
The notarisation of the birth is free of charge.
You will receive three birth certificates once. You can use these to apply for
- Parental allowance
- Child benefit
- Maternity benefit
Each additional birth certificate, for example for the family register or for religious purposes, costs 20.00 euros.
Miscellaneous
The registry office informs the registration office about the birth of your child.
Have you lost a birth certificate or do you need a certified copy from the register of births?
You must apply for this at the registry office for a fee.
Legal basis
- § 19 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG) (Anzeige durch Personen)
- § 21 Personenstandsgesetz (PStG) (Eintragung in das Geburtenregister)
- § 33 Personenstandsverordnung (PStV) (Nachweise bei Anzeige der Geburt)
- § 5 der Verordnung des Innenministeriums zur Durchführung des Personenstandsgesetzes (PStG-DVO) (Erhebung von Gebühren und Auslagen) in Verbindung mit Anlage 1 (Gebührenverzeichnis)
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 08.05.2025