Registering your child at birth - Germany - South Africans in Germany

Registering your child at birth - Germany

Welcoming a baby in Germany is a beautiful experience, but it comes with a few bureaucratic hoops to jump through. It is important to understand the process of registering your child, applying for documents, and making sure your little one is travel-ready if you’re planning to visit South Africa. This guide is tailored specifically for South African parents living in Germany.

General Information

Your newborn must be registered at the local registry office (Standesamt) within seven days of birth. This registration is essential to receive an official birth certificate and a tax identification number (Steuer-ID) — yes, even newborns get one in Germany!
Once the Geburtsurkunde (birth certificate) is issued, you can proceed to apply for Kindergeld (child benefit) and a passport for your child.

From the Standesampt Stuttgart:

“Die Geburt Ihres Kindes müssen Sie innerhalb einer Woche beim Standesamt des Geburtsortes anmelden. Dafür benötigen Sie eine vollständig ausgefüllte Geburtsanzeige, in der Sie u.a. die Vornamen für Ihr Kind festlegen.
Schriftliche Anzeige bei Geburt in einer Klinik
Bei der Geburt eines Kindes in einem Krankenhaus oder in einer sonstigen Einrichtung, in der Geburtshilfe geleistet wird, meldet der Träger der Einrichtung die Geburt direkt beim Standesamt.
Mündliche Anzeige bei einer Hausgeburt
Bei einer Hausgeburt muss die Geburt von der Mutter, dem Vater oder jeder anderen Person, die bei der Geburt dabei war, im Standesamt angezeigt werden.
Das Standesamt teilt die Geburt des Kindes nach deren Beurkundung dem Bürgerbüro am Wohnsitz der Eltern mit. Das Bürgerbüro informiert das Finanzamt. Die Eltern erhalten dann automatisch vom Bundeszentralamt für Steuern die Steuer‐ID des Kindes zugesandt.”

Summary (in plain English)

You must register your child’s birth with the registry office in the place of birth — not where you live — within one week.
You’ll need to submit a completed Geburtsanzeige (birth notification form), where you declare your child’s name(s).
If your baby is born in a hospital, the hospital will typically send the birth information directly to the Standesamt.
If it’s a home birth, the mother, father, or any witness must report the birth in person to the Standesamt.
After the registration is complete, the Bürgerbüro (citizens’ office) at your home address is informed automatically.
The Bürgerbüro then informs the Finanzamt, and you’ll receive your child’s tax ID by post from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern (Federal Central Tax Office).

🗺️ Important: You must register your baby in the Bundesland (federal state) where the birth took place, not necessarily the one where you live. For example, if you live in Baden-Württemberg but your baby is born in Bavaria, the birth must be registered in Bavaria.

Naming your child

There are rules and regulations on naming your child. First of all, it depends on your marital status, and then the name itself.
The most confusing law is that it must be gender clear, so it has to indicate whether it is a boy or a girl. There have been some changes to this law, and names can now be gender-neutral, with the additional paperwork, of course. All names must be approved by the Standesamt.

In Baden-Württemberg, the following rules apply. This might be different for your Bundesland, so always make sure.

You have the following options for naming:

First names
If both parents have custody, they can jointly determine the first name of their child.
If only one parent has custody, they can choose their first name.

You can determine the first name yourself.
Names are not allowed which, by their nature, are not first names or that negatively affect the best interests of the child.
Surnames, objects or products as a First name are also not allowed.

Surname
When determining the surname of your child (also known as the maiden name), you must consider the following:

If you are married to each other and have a married name. The child then receives your married name as the maiden name.
If you are married to each other but do not have a married name. You can then choose either the surname of the mother or the father as the child’s maiden name.
This provision then also applies to all other children.
If you are not married to each other and one parent has sole custody of the child. Then the child receives their family name. As the parent with custody, you can also give the child the surname of the other parent. But this is only possible with their consent.
If you are not married to each other but have joint custody. Then you can choose either the family name of the mother or the father for the child’s maiden name.

From one of our Facebook Members:
“We have chosen an Afrikaans girl’s name, which is apparently seen as a gender neutral name in Germany.
We had to get the name ‘Beurkundigt’. We have also been told that either we need to give a second name which identifies the gender or we need to sign a document (Erklärung zum Vornamen eines Kindes) stating that we are aware we are giving our child a gender neutral name.
FYI, it is very much a girl’s name in SA, but as with the name Yolandi, apparently it is gender neutral here. So, something one might want to get out of the way and discuss with the Standesamt before the 7-day registration.”

What Happens After the Birth?

(Timeline: Day 1–7 after birth)

🏥 If You Gave Birth in a Hospital

The hospital will issue a Geburtsbescheinigung (birth certificate for registration purposes).
They often assist with submitting documents to the local Standesamt (registry office).
This should be done within one week of birth.

🏡 If You Had a Home Birth

You must report the birth to the Standesamt yourself.
You’ll need the midwife’s documentation and proof of identity of both parents.
In some cases, a doctor’s confirmation may also be required.

Registering the Birth (Geburtsanzeige)

Timeline: Within 7 days at the local Standesamt

You might need the following: confirm this with the relevant Standesamt

Valid passports of both parents (and residence permits if applicable)
Unabridged Marriage certificate (translated and apostilled if not German)
Unabridged Birth certificates of both parents (may need official translation and be apostilled)
Hospital birth certificate (Geburtsbescheinigung)
Proof of address (Meldebescheinigung)

Important Tip: If you’re unmarried, the father will need to acknowledge paternity (Vaterschaftsanerkennung), ideally before the birth.

Receiving the Child’s Birth Certificate (Geburtsurkunde)

Even if you’re not German, your child will receive a German birth certificate because they were born on German soil. You’ll get this from your local Standesamt (civil registry office).
Once everything is approved, the Standesamt will issue several versions of the Geburtsurkunde for different purposes (Elterngeld, health insurance, etc.).
Expect it to take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the region and whether documents need to be translated/verified. Reality check: It can take longer, even 2 months or more, depending on the Standesamt and region.

💡 Tip: Some hospitals offer a birth registration service (for a small fee). They submit your documents directly to the Standesamt—super convenient!

International Birth Certificate

This multilingual version (in several languages, including English) is essential for South African birth registration and passport applications.

Ask for it when applying for the German birth certificate.
Tell the Standesamt how many copies you want—more is always better!
You might need an apostille (official certification) for South African use.

Checklist for South African Parents

Task	Timeline	Who to Contact
Register birth	Within 7 days	Local Standesamt
Apply for SA birth registration	ASAP after German registration	South African Embassy
Apply for SA passport	At time of SA birth registration	South African Embassy
Apply for Elterngeld	Within first few months	Elterngeldstelle
Apply for Kindergeld	As soon as you have the tax ID	Familienkasse

Citizenship

Germany

As a rule, children born to a German and a non-German parent, or to parents with dual nationality, acquire the nationalities of both parents at birth, according to the principle of descent. See Section 4 of the Nationality Act

South Africa

Section 28 of the Constitution outlines rights to which children are entitled, including rights to a name and nationality. The SA Citizenship Act, 1995 (Act No. 88 of 2005) as amended by the South African Citizenship Amendment Act, 2010 (Act No. 17 of 2010) translates, and gives effect to, the Constitution’s provisions. Expanding on citizenship in South Africa it says it is obtained by birth, descent or naturalisation.

The basic principle of the South African citizenship is that a child follows the citizenship or nationality of his or her parents. If one parent is a South African citizen, the child will be a citizen by birth. A foreign child adopted by South African citizens becomes a citizen by descent whilst a naturalised citizen is one who has complied with the requirements for naturalisation as set out in section 5 of the South African Citizenship Act. – source DHA

Two sections in the South African Citizenship Act is of importance

Section 10 – Deprivation of citizenship in case of children

Whenever the responsible parent of a minor has in terms of the provisions of section 6 or 8 ceased to be a South African citizen, the Minister may, with due regard to the provisions of the Children’s Act, order that such minor, if he or she was born outside the Republic and is under the age of 18 years, shall cease to be a South African citizen.

Section 13 – Resumption of South African citizenship

(2) A minor who has in terms of section 10 or a provision in any of the laws referred to in Schedule 2 ceased to be a South African citizen and who is resident in the Republic or has returned to the Republic for permanent residence therein, may at any time after attaining the age of 18 years make a declaration in the prescribed form stating that he or she wishes to resume South African citizenship, and if the Minister deems it fit, he or she may order that such a declaration be registered, and upon registration thereof, such person shall resume his or her former South African citizenship.

Registration in South Africa

After a child born to South African parents is registered in Germany, the next step would be to register the Child in South Africa

Registering your child in South Africa while in Germany

Registering your child in South Africa while in Germany If you are a South African citizen living in Germany and have recently welcomed a child, it is essential to register your newborn with the South African Department of Home Affairs. This process ensures that your child is officially recognized as a South African citizen and can obtain a birth certificate and passport. South African citizenship by descent Under Section 2(2) of the South African Citizenship

📌 Pro Tips from Other Parents:

Visit the Standesamt before baby arrives to clarify what documents they’ll need.
Prepare South African documents ahead of time, especially if you’re not already in possession of unabridged versions.
Each Bundesland (federal state) may handle things slightly differently, so always double-check with your local offices.
If you’re planning to travel soon after birth, you’ll need to plan months in advance!

Useful Terms

German Term	English Translation	Definition / What It Means
Geburtsurkunde	Birth Certificate	Official document confirming the child’s birth; needed for passports, Kindergeld, and embassy registration.
Geburtsanzeige	Birth Notification	Form submitted to the Standesamt listing the details of the newborn; includes chosen names and birth details.
Standesamt	Registry Office	Local civil office responsible for registering births, marriages, and deaths.
Bürgerbüro	Citizens’ Office	Handles address registration and informs the tax office after a child’s birth is registered.
Steuer-ID	Tax Identification Number	Unique number assigned to each resident in Germany, including newborns, used for taxes and benefits.
Kindergeld	Child Benefit	Monthly financial support provided to parents by the government for each child.
Elterngeld	Parental Allowance	State-paid benefit for parents taking time off work to care for a newborn.
Vaterschaftsanerkennung	Acknowledgement of Paternity	Legal declaration by the father (if parents are unmarried) to be recognised as the child’s father.

South Africans in Germany