We recently welcomed our first child 😊. Born in Germany! If someone had told me 10 years ago, I would not have believed it.
Anyways, just like for all things, why make things simple when Germans can make them complicated? The process to "register" a newborn and get their birth certificate and then later an ID card is not the simplest. Here is a short summary that hopefully will help other parents in the future. This article is specifically about Pankow in Berlin. Each district handles things slightly differently.
Things not covered in this article:
- The fact that you'll need an "assigned" midwife from early in the pregnancy until a few months after the birth. You'll see her (him?) on a regular basis throughout pregnancy, and every day just after birth.
- Prenatal classes for both parents
- Gynecological follow-up during pregnancy and all of the medical exams
- Elternzeit (parental leave)
- The medical exams after the birth (U examinations)
This article mostly focuses on the fun part: paperwork. 😆 If you're looking for a complete TODO list of everything that needs to be done when expecting a child and afterwards, open this PDF.
German part
Before the birth
Vaterschaftsanerkennung
If you're not a married couple, you'll need a Vaterschaftsanerkennung (acknowledgment of paternity) + Sorgerechtserklärung (declaration of custody). Get both months ahead, you do not want to deal with it after the birth, you'll have enough to deal with. It will take an appointment in person, with both parents. It requires a great level in German, or an accompanying German friend who can translate. For both documents, you can go to:
- your local Jugendamt (youth welfare office) – free. This is my recommendation. You can book the appointment by calling.
- the Standesamt (registry office) – usually a fee of around €30-40 - only the acknowledgment of paternity takes place, not a declaration of custody
- a district court – free
- a notary – usually free for the Vaterschaftsanerkennung
Deciding on a hospital
In Germany, it's is highly recommended to "book" a hospital. Some hospitals offer "group tours"/visits once a week, every week, sometimes in English. Then, usuallly after 28 weeks of pregnancy, you need to call a hospital and let them know about your intention of giving birth there. You will then usually go in person and meet the midwifes. The (non) availability of a neonatal unit and/or a familiy room could also be a deciding factor. Also the English skills of the midwifes is something to take into account.
After the birth
Registering the birth
This is the first thing to do. Ideally, within the first week after birth.
You'll need to register your newborn in order to obtain a Geburtsurkunde (birth certificate) from your Standesamt. This will "unlock" many following steps. Some hospitals will send documents on your behalf to the Standesamt, specifically:
- A form in which the parents fill out information about themselves and their newborn, and where you also pick a last name
- Vaterschaftsanerkennung
After leaving the hospital, you need to send an email to the Standesamt with your own birth certificates (both parents) and a copy of your ID cards (Personalausweise). Ask them in the same email if any other document is missing. In my experience, we only sent them our birth certificates per email and they replied two days later asking for our ID cards. As I'm writing this article, it's been 3 days since I replied back and we're still awaiting the Geburtsurkunde.
Getting your newborn a health insurance card
Through a public insurance, you can get free insurance for your kid by applying for a family insurance. Just reach out to your insurance and tell them about your newborn, they'll walk you through the process (it's surprisingly as easy as filling out ONE form!).
Elterngeld
Supposedly it can now be done 100% online but only if you have a BundID, which as a Frenchman I cannot have unfortunately because the French national ID card system is not yet fully connected to the German one. So in our case, we will have to print out a PDF, fill it out and send it by mail.
Bear in mind, this must be done within the first 3 months following the birth.
Kindergeld
I have not done this part yet. I will update the article later accordingly.
Bear in mind, this must be done within the first 6 months following the birth.
German ID card
Yet to be done... I will update the article later accordingly.
French part
After the birth: Déclaration de naissance
To get a French birth certificate, you have two options:
-
Quick option: you have 2 weeks after the birth to send the following documents to the ambassy and arrange an appointment:
- Parents' birth certificates that are less than 3 months old, copie intégrale (original document printed out and stamped by the city hall of your birth place), in French
- National ID cards
- Proof of address document
- Any document from the hospital with a stamp that "proves that the birth took place"
- Vaterschaftsanerkennung
-
Slow option (Transcription du certificat de naissance allemand): wait for the german Geburtsurkunde. Then you can send all the documents by mail, no need to go in person.
Later, to get your newborn a French ID card, you'll need another appointment and similar documents, alongside their French birth certificate and a photo.
Hope this helps!