The birth of a child born to German parents in Ireland may be registered in the German birth register in order to obtain a German birth certificate.

Do I have to register the birth of my child?

Registering a birth with the German registry office is not always obligatory, but might be necessary in cases where there are questions of legal parentage or Name.

Attention:

You were born outside Germany after 31.12.1999? The birth of your child must be registered in the German birth register in order for the child to obtain German citizenship. The application needs to be filed within one year after the birth of your child. Read here.

What is the application process?

The application can be made at your local German Embassy and will then be forwarded to the registry office in Germany. If you previously resided in Germany, the registry office at your (last) place of residence is the competent authority. If you have never resided in Germany, your application will be forwarded to the Registry Office I in Berlin, where the processing time is currently between 3 to 4 years.

How to Apply

• If a name declaration is necessary, it can be done with the application for birth registration. In that case, both parents and children 14 years and older must appear in person to apply.
• Bring all documents and certificate listed below in the original.

• All documents that are not in German or English must be furnished with a German translation. Note that the registry office might also ask for German translations of English documents.

Information concerning data protection with regard to the processing of your application can be found here.

Required documents

• Application form, fully completed
• Proof of identity (passport/ID) of both parents and the child (not necessary in case of registration of babies)
• Proof of citizenship of both parents (e.g. passports, citizenship certificates, naturalization certificates)
• Birth certificate of the child
• Birth certificates of both parents
• Marriage certificate of the parents if applicable
• In case of previous marriages: divorce order or death certificate of late spouse
• Acknowledgement of paternity if applicable
• Custody agreement if applicable
• Name certificate if applicable
• Proof of Irish address (e.g. utility bill)

• Fee for certification of signatures and copies for the verification of signatures is ca. 80,00 Euros plus ca. 28,00 Euros for the certified copies. Fees can be paid in cash or with credit card (Master-/ Visa card). We cannot accept Maestro- or American Express cards. Payment with mobile phone, smart watch or through an online payment provider is not possible. For security reasons, mobile phones have to be switched off before entering the premises and locked into our onsite storage lockers.

Note: Not all possible cases and scenarios can be represented here. Additional documentation might be requested depending on your specific case.

Scheduling an appointment

In order to prepare your birth registration certificate, please fill out the application form but do not sign it before the day of your appointment, and send it via email to the Embassy.

Please send a scanned copy of the form and of the necessary documentation (siehe Antrag einreichen) stating briefly as email subject “Birth registration” together with a phone number to info@dublin.diplo.de. The consular section of the Embassy will then schedule an appointment with you.

Fees charged by the registry office

The registry offices' fees differ from one federal state to another. The Registry Office I in Berlin will likely charge the following:

Registration of a birth Euro 80,-, increased by Euro 80,- if foreign law is to be observed in your specific case. The issuing of one birth certificate will be Euro 12,-, the issuing of each additional copy at the same time 6,- Euro. The application will only be processed once payment has been received. You will be notified by email about the exact amount and the banking Details.