Dear parents-to-be,

The time will soon come and your family will be getting bigger. I can well imagine how much you are already looking forward to your new addition. I wish you all the best for the future, lots of happiness and many happy moments together!

The birth of a child is a very special event. We have designed the parents' folder for you so that the formalities to be completed are as simple and transparent as possible. In this parents' folder we have described which documents you need, for example, to pre-register your child if you wish to give birth in a clinic in Wiesbaden.

I am happy to recommend that you pre-register your child at the Wiesbaden registry office so that you can concentrate fully on your new family happiness after the birth. Our visualizations in the folder or our explanatory video will give you an overview of everything you can do before the birth and what other options are available after the birth in cooperation with the staff at the registry office.

Take the opportunity to register your child before the birth from the start of the maternity protection period.

Send us your documents digitally and we will prepare everything for you. You can use our digital mailbox (opens in a new tab) for this purpose. Please state the expected date of delivery and the hospital where the delivery is to take place.

You will need a personal appointment at the registry office for paternity acknowledgements. To make an appointment, please send an e-mail to geburtenwiesbadende.

You can find all the important information about acknowledging paternity, naming and giving a name in our information sheets.

After the birth, please fill out the birth announcement at the hospital completely and legibly and hand it in there. The hospital will send it to us within a week.

Birth notifications are processed as quickly as possible at the registry office.

We will send you three birth certificates by post free of charge for a specific purpose
1. for child benefit (family benefits office)
2. for parental allowance (pension office)
3. for assistance with pregnancy and maternity
(for submission to your health insurance company)

If you need additional birth certificates (opens in a new tab), you can order them online.

Maral Koohestanian
Head of Department for Smart City, Europe and Public Order

Please note

Have you already registered a child in Wiesbaden or got married here and your data is still up to date? Then prenatal registration is not necessary. Please fill out the birth registration form at the clinic completely and legibly. For unmarried parents, please see our information sheet on acknowledging paternity and naming. If you are same-sex parents, we will be happy to advise you.

Information sheet on naming

Giving a first name
The custodial parents or the parent with sole custody determine the child's first name(s). The right to choose a first name is not regulated by law in Germany. Nevertheless, certain guidelines must be observed. Among other things, the first name must be recognizable as such. When looking for a suitable name for your offspring, you should think above all about the well-being of your child and not harm them by giving them a first name.

If you have any questions about the admissibility and origin of names, please contact the German Language Society. Information is subject to a fee: Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache e.V., Spiegelgasse 11, 65183 Wiesbaden, Tel: 0900 1888128 (1.86 €/min.).

Family naming
The parents are married and have a joint married name:
The child receives this married name as a family name.

The parents are married and do not have a joint married name:
For the first child, the parents must decide whether the child should have the mother's or the father's surname. This decision is binding for all subsequent siblings.

The mother is unmarried
The child is given the surname that the mother had at the time of the child's birth.

The parents are not married and paternity has been acknowledged:
The child is given the surname used by the mother at the time of the child's birth.

The parents are not married, there is an acknowledgement of paternity and a prenatal name assignment: The child is given the father's surname (see information sheet on name assignment).

The parents are not married, there is an acknowledgment of paternity and a prenatal declaration of custody
For the first child, the parents must decide whether the child should have the mother's or the father's surname. This decision is binding for all subsequent siblings.

You decide on the first name(s) and surname after the birth of your child at the clinic (birth announcement) and confirm this with your signatures.

Please note that deviations are possible when choosing a name under foreign law.
We will be happy to advise you on this.

Information sheet on acknowledging paternity

What is it for?
Acknowledging paternity enables the father to be entered on the child's birth certificate. Acknowledging paternity establishes the family relationship between father and child with consequences under maintenance and inheritance law. The father does not become custodial through the acknowledgment of paternity.

Effectiveness?
Acknowledgment of paternity is permissible even before the birth, but only becomes effective with the birth of the child. The child's mother must consent to the acknowledgement of paternity for it to take effect. If the mother and/or father of the child are minors, the legal representatives must give their consent. An acknowledgement of paternity is not effective as long as the paternity of another man exists.

Special case?
Qualified acknowledgement of paternity: If a child is born during divorce proceedings. The registry office will be happy to advise you here.

Where & costs?
Youth welfare office - free of charge
Registry office - free of charge
Notary's office - please enquire about the costs at your chosen notary's office

Information sheet on giving a name

What is the purpose?
By giving a name, the custodial parent (usually the mother) gives the child the surname of the non-custodial parent (usually the father). The granting of a name requires an acknowledgment of paternity. The father is not automatically entitled to custody once the name has been granted. The granting of a name is irrevocable.

Effectiveness?
Naming is permitted before birth, but only becomes effective with the birth of the child. The father of the child must consent to the granting of the name for it to take effect.

Where & costs?
Registry office - €23.50Notary's office - please enquire about the costs at your chosen notary's office

Frequently asked questions

We have compiled the most important addresses relating to children. If you have any further questions, you can contact your registry office.

Parental allowance
You will receive a birth certificate from the registry office. You can use this to apply for parental allowance at the Hessian Office for Care and Social Affairs. Hessisches Amt für Versorgung und Soziales, Mainzer Str. 35, 65185 Wiesbaden, Tel: 0611 71570 - E-Mail: poststellehavs-wie.hessende

Child benefit
You will receive a birth certificate from the registry office. You can use this to apply for child benefit from the
family benefits office. Family Benefits Office, Employment Agency, Klarenthaler Str. 34, 65197 Wiesbaden, Tel: 0800 45555-30 - Email: familienkasse-hessenarbeitsagenturde

Maternity assistance
You will receive a birth certificate from the registry office. You can use this to apply for pregnancy and maternity assistance from the mother's health insurance fund.

Declaration of custody
Parental custody means that the parents have the right and the duty to care for the child. If the parents are married, they are entitled to joint parental custody. If the parents are not married at the time of the child's birth, they can assume joint custody. This requires a declaration of custody. The declaration of custody can be made - even before birth - at a youth welfare office (free of charge) or a notary (for a fee). Otherwise, the mother has parental custody. The youth welfare offices provide advice on the subject of declarations of custody. Wiesbaden Youth Welfare Office: Tel: 0611 313452 - e-mail: beistandschaftenwiesbadende

Ordering documents
How can I order documents?
Certificates can be ordered directly online (opens in a new tab). The issuing of certificates costs €12, each additional certificate costs €6. For social security purposes, you will receive the certificates free of charge.

Who can order certificates?
Certificates can only be issued to authorized persons. Authorized persons are generally persons to whom the certificate relates, as well as their spouses, ancestors and descendants. Other persons only have this right if they can credibly demonstrate a legal interest or if they are authorized by an authorized person. Please indicate the authorization.