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Birth Registration of a Child Born Abroad
The birth of a child born to German parents in Zimbabwe may be registered in the German birth register in order to obtain a German birth certificate.
Must the Birth of my Child be Registered?
Registering a birth with the German registry office is not 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 launched through your German Mission 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, whose processing time currently takes between 3 and 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 plus two simple copies each.
- 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.
Zimbabwean documents are only accepted in legalized form by German registry offices, which carry out the post-certification.
Legalization can only be carried out with the original documents or certified copies (Zimbabwean registry office), in particular a pre-certification by the Zimbabwean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is absolutely necessary. For more information, please visit https://harare.diplo.de/zw-en/service/-/2164308For pre-certification, you must contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ZIM), Legal and Consular Affairs Department. Sometimes clients mistakenly contact the “Ministry of Home Affairs”.
For any enquiry, Contact the Director for Legal and Consular:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
P. O. Box 4240 Munhumutapa Building Samora Machel Avenue/ Sam Nujoma Street Harare, Zimbabwe
Telephones: + 263-242-794681-6 + 263-242-793372-5 + 263-242-706114-5 Fax: + 263-242-705161
Email: legalconsular@gmail.com
- Information concerning data protection with regard to the processing of your application can be found here.
Both legal guardians and children of 14 years and older must appear in person.
- German application form, fully completed
(courtesy translation in English - for your convenience only) - 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 (in case of Zimbabwean documents please see legalization)
- Birth certificates of both parents (in case of Zimbabwean documents please see legalization)
- Marriage certificate of the parents if applicable (in case of Zimbabwean documents please see legalization)
- In case of previous marriages: divorce order or death certificate of late spouse
- in case of children born out of wedlock: proof of the marital status of the mother at the time of birth of the child
- Acknowledgement of paternity if applicable
- Custody agreement if applicable
- Name certificate if applicable
- fee for certification of signatures and copies
Note: Not all possible cases and scenarios can be represented here. Additional documentation might be requested depending on your specific case.
Fee 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 80,- Euro, increased by 80,- Euro if foreign law is to be observed in your specific case. The issuing of one birth certificate will be 12,- 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.
