Registering a birth and acknowledging parentage of a child in Germany

• Is your child born in a hospital in Germany? Then the hospital will notify the birth to the local civil registry.
• Is your child born at home in Germany? Then you must register the birth yourself at the registry office in the place of birth. It is not possible to register the birth at the Dutch embassy in Berlin.

If you live outside the Netherlands, you can have the German birth certificate converted into a Dutch birth certificate at the municipality of The Hague’s Foreign Documents Department. This is not mandatory, but it can be useful if you ever need an extract from the birth certificate in the future. Having the document converted does not take care of your child’s registration in the Non residents Records Database (RNI).

If you live in the Netherlands, you must also register the birth with the municipality where you live, using the foreign birth certificate. Do this as soon as possible once you return to the Netherlands. The municipality will then process your and your child’s details in the Personal Records Database (BRP).

If your child is born in Germany, you can acknowledge the parentage of your child with the local authorities in Germany. Acknowledging parentage of your child does not automatically grant you parental responsibility for your child. You must have this recorded in a so-called 'Sorgerechtserklärung' or 'Sorgeerklärung'. This can be done at a notary or the Jugendamt.

If you live in the Netherlands or if you are a Dutch national and live abroad, you can always acknowledge parentage in the Netherlands of your child born in Germany. You can do this at the municipality or a notary. You can also authorise someone to do this in the Netherlands on your behalf. To do this, you must get a notary to draw up a power of attorney. You cannot acknowledge parentage of your child at a Dutch embassy or consulate-general.

Acknowledging parentage does not automatically grant you parental responsibility for your child.

Acknowledgement of parentage in the Netherlands is legally valid in Germany. However, you must register the acknowledgement of parentage in Germany. You can do this at the Standesamt in your child's place of residence.

Find out more about acknowledging parentage in the Netherlands on Government.nl.