Informations
German Certificates
WARNING!
We warn you about dubious providers on the Internet! Please apply for the certificate in person at the relevant registry office or use our online form.
We can request the following documents for you from the responsible registry office:
Who can request the certificate?
Civil status certificates must be issued upon request to the persons to whom the register entry relates, as well as their spouses, life partners, ancestors and descendants. Other people have the right to have civil status certificates issued if they credibly demonstrate a legal interest; For the birth register or death register, proof of a legitimate interest is sufficient if the application is submitted by a sibling of the child or the deceased. Persons over 16 years of age are eligible to apply.
In special cases (adoption, change of first name according to the Transsexuals Act) and in the event of possible blocking notices, the group of people who can request the issuance of civil status certificates is limited.
A legal interest that must be credibly demonstrated to the registrar exists if the document is used to pursue one’s own legal interests, e.g. B. is required for the documentation of an inheritance certificate application. On the other hand, according to current case law, only a legitimate interest is recognized for purposes of family research, for example.
How can documents be requested?
- Personal consultation at the relevant registry office
- Written request at the registry office (some registry offices also offer an online form)
- Request online using our online form
In order to avoid greater effort and waiting times, we recommend that you use our online service. This is a private service. We do not take on any official tasks. It is cheaper to request the civil status certificates directly from the registry office. However, ordering via our service is usually easier and more convenient.
Required information
- Date of the civil status case (date of birth, marriage or death)
- Name of the person to whom the document relates
- Name of the person requesting the document as well as the family relationship or the justification for the legal interest
Further information can be obtained from the relevant registry office.
Fees for civil status documents
The fees for requesting civil status certificates through German-certificates.com vary and depend on the federal state and the number of documents.
Archive
Older civil status cases
The retention period for civil status documents is 110 years for births, 80 years for marriages and 30 years for deaths, calculated from the time of the respective civil status case. Any civil status books/documents beyond this will be passed on to the archive.
Civil status cases before 1876
It is only since 1876 that civil status cases have been certified by registry offices. Until then, the churches have recorded the registration of births, marriages and deaths in their respective books.