If you or a close family member were born abroad in ascending or descending lineage, you can apply for the subsequent certification of the birth in the birth register (formerly birth register) at the registry office in Germany.

You apply for certification at the registry office responsible for your German place of residence or the German place of residence of the person entitled to apply. If neither a current nor former German place of residence can be determined, you can apply for certification at your responsible German mission abroad or at the registry office Berlin I.

You are not obliged to have the birth certified retrospectively. Birth certificates from abroad are often recognized in Germany as long as their authenticity is beyond question.

However, the subsequent entry in the birth register can be advantageous, because the local registry office can then issue you with a German birth certificate. This means that you no longer have to have the foreign document translated and certified for future requests.