Geburtsbeurkundung (Anzeige einer Geburt) / Bremerhaven

A child has been born and you need a birth certificate.

The registry office in whose district the child was born is responsible for certifying the birth of a child. If your child is born in Bremerhaven, the Bremerhaven registry office is responsible for certifying the birth, regardless of where the parents live.

Notification of births:

The birth of the child is reported to the registry office within one week of the birth.

If your child was born at Bremerhaven Reinkenheide Hospital, the birth will be registered by the hospital.

We ask you to call the registry office after the birth and ask whether the birth notification has already been received.

Notification of a home birth:

The birth of a child must be reported verbally (in person) to the competent authority in whose jurisdiction it was born.

The birth of a child must be reported within one week .

The day of birth is not included when calculating the notification period.

If a child is stillborn or dies in childbirth, the notification must be made no later than the third working day following the birth.

The following are obliged to report a home birth in the following order

• each parent of the child, if they have custody of the child,
• any other person who was present at the birth or is aware of the birth from their own knowledge.

No documents required.

At Bremerhaven Reinkenheide Hospital, you will be given a form for naming the child. This must be signed (signed by both parents in the case of couples with joint custody) and brought along to the birth certification. You can also find the form in the Forms section.

All certificates, documents and identity papers must be presented in the original at the registry office. It is also necessary to present the parents' identity card or passport or national passport and, if applicable, the electronic residence permit (eAT).

The translation of foreign documents must be carried out by a sworn translator and submitted together with the original document.

Please note: In many cases, foreign documents must be certified (e.g. apostille). Please enquire in person at the registry office in good time before the date of birth whether this is necessary in your case.

This list is not exhaustive. Further documents may be required in individual cases.

The documents for the birth certification are collected at the registry office during opening hours.

After notarization, you will receive three birth certificates free of charge (for applying for child benefit, for applying for parental benefit and for maternity assistance from the health insurance fund).

We will also be happy to issue additional birth certificates for your records. One certificate costs €13, each additional, identical certificate issued at the same time costs €7.

Notarization of birth(s) will occur during the in-person visit when all documentation is complete. No appointment necessary.

The birth of a child must be notified to the competent authority within one week. The day of birth shall not be included in the calculation of the notification period. If a child is stillborn or dies in childbirth, the notification must be made no later than the third working day following the birth.

If necessary, please bring an interpreter with you when you visit the registry office in order to avoid communication problems when receiving your requests.

From the birth of your 7th child, it is possible for the Federal President to become an honorary godparent. You can find an information sheet and the relevant application form in the Forms section.