How to obtain 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 village/town/city where you were born. You can find the contact information for German Registrar's Offices by searching the Internet for the key words: Standesamt+place where you were born. Many Registrar's Offices take orders for issuing of a birth certificates via e-mail.

We recommend requesting the international version of the birth certificate. This version is already translated into several languages, including English, and will save you the expense of a translation.

The German phrase for asking for an international birth certificate is as follows:

„Ich bitte um Ausstellung einer internationalen Geburtsurkunde für ... (first name/middle name/last name), geboren am ... (date of birth) in ... (place of birth). Eltern: ... (name of father) geboren am ... (date of birth) in ... (place of birth) und ...(name of mother) ... (maiden name of mother) geboren am ... (date of birth) in ... (place of birth).“

Please indicate the month of your date of birth in letters and not with numbers, since doing so could lead to a mix-up. When inquiring, please include a postal address, as birth certificates cannot be sent via e-mail.

Information about the fee will be sent to you with the certificate. Fees will normally have to be paid into a German bank account. More information on this can be found on the website of the relevant Registrar's Office or by telephonic enquiry.

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 I“ in Berlin. The address is

Standesamt I
Schönstedtstraße 5
13357 Berlin
Germany

e-Mail: urkundenstelle„at“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 Registrar's Office is not in a position to issue a birth certificate in your case. When inquiring, please include a postal address, as birth certificates cannot be sent via e-mail.

Birth certificates for persons born in Namibia

You can register a birth at the German Embassy Windhoek for entry into the German Civil Registry. Further information is availabe here: Registration of a birth