How to Get My Birth Certificate From Germany

To get your birth certificate from Germany, write directly to the Standesamt (civil registry office) in the town where your birth was recorded. That office holds the record and is the only body that can issue a certificate. German embassies and consulates abroad cannot issue one for you, and Germany has no central registry that covers the whole country.¹

The process itself is not complicated once you know which office to contact and which version of the document you need. Where it gets more involved is paying from outside the eurozone, getting the certificate recognized in the United States, and handling births that fall outside the standard system.

Find the Right Standesamt

Each German birth is registered locally, and the Standesamt in that municipality keeps the record for 110 years before it moves to a public archive.² Knowing the exact place of birth matters more than any other detail.

Search online for “Standesamt” plus the name of the city or town. Most offices have their own website with contact details and, in many cases, a downloadable application form. If you are not certain which municipality registered the birth, start with the nearest larger city; smaller towns sometimes fall under a neighboring Standesamt’s jurisdiction.

Choose the Right Type of Certificate

Germany issues more than one document from the birth register, and asking for the wrong version can mean starting over.

Geburtsurkunde is the standard birth certificate. It shows the essentials from the original entry: name, date, place, and parents. It does not reflect later changes such as adoptions.
Beglaubigter Ausdruck aus dem Geburtenregister is a certified extract from the register that includes changes recorded since the original entry, such as name changes and adoptions. German authorities often require this version when you register a marriage.
Internationale Geburtsurkunde is a multilingual version on a standardized form with fields in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Italian. Countries that are party to the CIEC Convention accept it without further legalization or apostille.

If you plan to use the document in the United States or another English-speaking country, the international version can save you the cost of a separate certified translation. Ask for an “internationale Geburtsurkunde” or “mehrsprachige Geburtsurkunde” in your application.¹

Who Can Request the Certificate

Under Section 18 of the Civil Status Act, you can request your own birth certificate without giving a reason. The same automatic right extends to your spouse or registered partner, your descendants, your ascendants (parents, grandparents), and your siblings. Anyone outside that circle must show a legitimate legal interest in the record.²

If you are requesting a certificate for a relative rather than yourself, be ready to include documentation of the family link, such as your own birth or marriage certificate.

What to Send With Your Application

The Standesamt needs enough detail to find the entry. Include at least:

Full name at birth of the person on the record
Date and place of birth
Full names of both parents, including the mother’s maiden name

Add the parents’ dates and places of birth if you know them. Extra detail speeds the search, particularly in larger cities where the office handles a heavy volume.¹

You will also need a copy of a valid passport or government-issued ID. If you are requesting for someone else, include proof of the relationship. Some Standesämter publish their own application forms; use those when available, since it cuts down on back-and-forth. Foreign-language documents you submit may need a certified German translation, and in some cases the office will ask for an apostille on them as well.

How to Submit and Pay From Abroad

Most people outside Germany apply by mail, sending the completed application and copies of supporting documents to the Standesamt. Use a tracked shipping method and address the envelope for international delivery. A growing number of municipal websites accept online submissions with document uploads, but availability varies; larger cities are more likely to offer it. Check the specific office’s website before mailing.

If the Standesamt wants a certified signature, a U.S. notary public can witness it, though the office may then ask for an apostille on the notarization. A German embassy or consulate can also certify your signature.³ Confirm what the office actually requires before paying for anything extra.

A standard Geburtsurkunde costs about 12 euros, the international multilingual version is the same, and additional copies of the same type ordered at the same time run about 6 euros each.⁴ Fees can vary slightly by municipality.

Payment typically comes after processing. The office sends an invoice, and most expect a bank transfer through the SEPA system. Without a European account, services like Wise provide an IBAN you can use to send euros at low cost. A standard international wire from a U.S. bank works too, though fees are higher. When you first contact the Standesamt, ask them to include their BIC and IBAN on the invoice so you can send the transfer without another round of emails.

Processing Times

A standard request to a local Standesamt usually takes four to six weeks.⁵ There is generally no expedited option; offices work through requests in the order received. Communication tends to come by mail or email, and a polite follow-up in German is appropriate after a reasonable wait.

If your certificate needs an apostille or has to travel through additional legalization, add several more weeks. Start early if you have a deadline.

Using the Certificate in the United States

A German birth certificate is issued in German. The international multilingual version is accepted without further legalization in CIEC countries, but for use in the United States you often need two additional pieces: an apostille and, in many cases, a full certified English translation.

The Apostille

An apostille authenticates a German public document for use in Hague Apostille Convention countries. German embassies and consulates cannot issue apostilles; only designated authorities inside Germany can.¹ Because a birth certificate is a state-level document, the apostille comes from a state authority, and the specific office varies by German state (an interior ministry, a regional administrative authority, or another designated body).⁶ Ask the Standesamt when you order the certificate which office handles apostilles in that state.

Certified Translation for USCIS

If you are filing the certificate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, foreign-language documents must be accompanied by a full English translation. The translator has to certify in writing that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from German into English, and the certification should include the translator’s name, signature, address, and date.⁷ The English fields on an international multilingual certificate may satisfy some requirements, but USCIS can still ask for a standalone translation. Check the instructions for the specific form you are filing.

If the Birth Was in a Former German Territory

The Standesamt I in Berlin serves as the central registry for civil records from former eastern territories, including East Prussia, West Prussia, Upper Silesia, Lower Silesia, and Pomerania.⁸ Contact that office if the birth occurred in one of those regions.

Two things to be prepared for: many records were destroyed or lost during and after World War II, so a particular entry may no longer exist, and processing times run much longer than a local request. The Bundesportal gives about five months as a typical estimate, and complex searches can take longer.⁹

If You Were Born on a U.S. Military Base

Births at U.S. military hospitals in Germany were not registered with German civil authorities. No Standesamt has these records, and Germany cannot issue you a birth certificate. Contact the U.S. Department of State for a Replacement Report of Birth Abroad instead.¹ If you were born in a civilian German hospital, even as the child of U.S. military personnel, the birth was likely registered at the local Standesamt and you follow the standard process.

Older Records

Standesämter keep birth records for 110 years, then transfer them to public archives under state archive laws. For births before roughly 1916, contact the relevant city or state archive rather than the Standesamt. Records past the 110-year mark also become publicly accessible, so anyone can request them without showing a family relationship. For more recent records, the eligibility rules in Section 18 still apply.²

1
Federal Foreign Office. Obtaining a Birth Certificate if born in Germany
2
deutsche-flagge.de. Civil Status Act (PStG) – Working Translation
3
Federal Foreign Office. Certifications and Notarizations
4
Bundesportal. Geburtsurkunde beantragen
5
Standesamt Lichtenberg von Berlin. Birth Certificate Information
6
Federal Foreign Office. Apostille Authorities
7
U.S. Department of State. Information about Translating Foreign Documents
8
Landesarchiv Berlin. Standesamt I in Berlin
9
Bundesportal. Apply for a Birth Certificate if You Were Born Abroad or in a Former German Territory