If the mother is married at the time of the child’s birth, the mother’s husband is automatically the child’s legal father, unless another man—who is the biological father—has validly acknowledged paternity. Legal paternity gives rise to a wide range of rights and obligations.

Acknowledgment of paternity is necessary if you are not married to the mother at the time of the child’s birth.

The mother and the child must consent to the acknowledgment of paternity for it to be valid.

You must have your declaration of acknowledgment of paternity notarized. This also applies to the consent of the mother and the child. The consent of the mother who has custody includes the consent of the child, provided the child has not yet reached the age of 14.

Certification is available, in particular, at the following locations:

• Civil Registry Office
• Youth Welfare Office
• Notary

If no other man has (yet) been designated as the child’s father, it is irrelevant to the validity of the acknowledgment whether the child is biologically descended from the man acknowledging paternity. However, if you are not the child’s biological father, your paternity established through acknowledgment may be revoked through a legal challenge.

If the child has already been registered as the child of another man, that man’s consent and the child’s biological descent from the man acknowledging paternity are additional requirements for the acknowledgment to be valid. In such cases, the results of a genetic paternity test must be submitted to the civil registry office for the paternity to be recorded in the birth registry.