If you or your child were born abroad, you can apply to have the birth subsequently certified in the German birth register under certain conditions.

There is no legal obligation for subsequent certification. A proper foreign birth certificate (if necessary with translation, legalization or apostille) also constitutes proof of birth. Subsequent certification can be advantageous if the name or parentage is to be bindingly proven in Germany.

Furthermore, the competent registry office can issue further documents (also multilingual) at any time after notarization.

The following should also be noted for the acquisition of German citizenship for children born abroad:

If the German parent was born abroad after December 31, 1999, the child only acquires German citizenship with habitual residence abroad if certification of the birth in the German register of births is applied for within one year of the child's birth, unless the child would otherwise become stateless. If both parents are German nationals, the aforementioned deadline applies if both German parents were born abroad after December 31, 1999 and have their habitual residence there.

Different documents are required depending on marital status and personal circumstances.

As a rule, the following original documents are required:

• Complete foreign birth register excerpt or, if not available, birth certificate of the child, if necessary with translation, legalization or apostille,
• Birth certificates of the parents, if necessary with translation, legalization or apostille,
• Parents' identity documents,
• naturalization certificate, if applicable
• or certificate of citizenship.

If the mother is or was married:

• Marriage certificate, if necessary with translation, legalization or apostille
• and in the case of termination of marriage: Proof of dissolution.

If the parents are not married to each other:

• If applicable, proof of acknowledgment of paternity and the mother's declaration of consent,
• If applicable, proof of joint parental custody.

The submission of further documents may be required. This depends on the foreign document system and can only be assessed after the application has been examined.