If you gave birth to your child at home (home birth), i.e. not in a hospital or other facility where obstetric care is provided, the birth must be reported personally by you to the registry office.

Notification of home birth must be made by a custodial parent. If you and the other parent are prevented from reporting the birth, the birth must be reported to the registry office by another person who was present at the birth.

The home birth must be reported within one week from the day following the birth, in the case of a stillborn child, no later than the third working day following the birth. The notification is made to the registry office responsible for the place of birth. Here it does not matter where you are registered at the time of birth.

After the birth, you will receive free birth certificates from the registry office to apply for maternity benefits, child benefits and parental benefits. These certificates are issued only once for the respective purpose. The birth certificates can only be issued after the birth has been recorded in the birth register. Additional certificates for private purposes are issued in the desired number for a fee. The fees vary depending on the registry office.

The registry office informs the registration office about the birth of your child.
. After the certification of the birth, you will receive a birth certificate, if the names of the child have already been determined, otherwise a certified register printout
.

You can report the home birth of your child personally as the mother or custodial father. However, it is also possible for the birth to be reported by another person who was present at the birth.

To report a home birth, you will need the following documents:

• medical certificate or certificate of the midwife / obstetrician about the birth
.
• the identity card, passport or a recognized passport replacement document of both parents of the child
.
• if you are married: additionally a certified printout from the marriage register with references or birth certificates and the marriage certificate of the parents
.
• if you are single as a mother: additionally your birth certificate
.
• if you are divorced or widowed as a mother: additionally a certified printout from the marriage register with references or your birth certificate and your marriage certificate and the divorce decree or death certificate
.
• if the parents are not married to each other and paternity has already been acknowledged or is to be acknowledged before the birth is notarized: in addition, a certified copy of the father's declaration of acknowledgment, a certified copy of the mother's declaration of consent and the father's birth certificate
.
• If the name of one of the parents has changed: a proof of the name change
.
• if the parents have already established joint custody: a certified copy of the declaration of custody
.
• if the parents are foreign: additionally a proof of the residence title to verify the acquisition of German citizenship of the child
.

Note: The registry office may require additional documents if this is necessary to prove information. Documents from abroad must be submitted in the original and each with a German translation by a recognized translator.

The home birth is

• in the case of a child born alive (live birth) within one week from the day following the day of birth and
.
• in the case of a stillborn child (stillbirth) no later than the third working day following the birth
.
• to be announced.

In calculating the notification period, the day of birth is not included.

If the child's first name or surname have not yet been determined when the birth is announced, you must notify the registry office of this within one month.

The processing time varies from region to region and depends on the individual case structure.

Notification of a birth at the registry office is free of charge.

The notification of birth is free of charge. Chargeable certificates for private purposes can be paid additionally in cash or with EC card.