Dear expectant parents, 

The big day is almost here, and your family is about to grow. I can well imagine how much you’re already looking forward to your new arrival. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for your future together, lots of luck, and many happy moments as a family!

The birth of a child is a very special event. To ensure that the necessary paperwork is as minimal and straightforward as possible for you, we’ve put together this parent information packet. In this parent’s guide, we’ve outlined which documents you’ll need, for example, to pre-register your child if you plan to give birth at a hospital in Wiesbaden. 

I highly recommend pre-registering your child at the Wiesbaden Registry Office so that you can focus fully on your new family life after the birth. Through the visuals in the folder and our explanatory video, you’ll get an overview of everything you can take care of before the birth and what other options are available after the birth in collaboration with the staff at the Registry Office.

Take advantage of the opportunity to register your child even before birth, starting at the beginning of your maternity leave.

Send us your documents digitally, and we’ll take care of everything. To do so, use our digital mailbox (opens in a new tab). Please include your expected due date and the hospital where you plan to give birth.

You’ll need to schedule a personal appointment at the registry office for paternity acknowledgments. To schedule an appointment, please send an email to geburtenwiesbadende. 

Our information sheets provide all the important details about acknowledgment of paternity, naming the child, and assigning a name.

After the birth, please fill out the birth notification form at the hospital completely and legibly, and submit it there. The hospital will forward it to us within one week. 

Birth notifications are processed by the Registry Office as quickly as possible.

You will receive three fee-exempt birth certificates from us by mail
, each for a specific purpose: 1. for child benefit (Family Benefits Office)
, 2. for parental leave benefit (Social Security Office)
, and 3. for pregnancy and maternity assistance
(to be submitted to your health insurance provider).

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

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

NOTE

Have you already registered a child in Wiesbaden or gotten married here, and are your details still up to date? Then prenatal registration is not necessary. Please fill out the birth notification form completely and legibly at the hospital. Unmarried parents should refer to our information sheet on acknowledgment of paternity and naming. If you are same-sex parents, we would be happy to advise you.

INFORMATION SHEET ON NAMING

You will determine the first name(s) and last name after your child’s birth at the hospital (birth notification form) and confirm this with your signatures.

Please note that naming practices may differ under foreign law.
We would be happy to advise you on this matter.

Choosing
a First Name The parents with joint custody 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. However, certain guidelines must be followed. Among other things, the first name must be recognizable as such. When searching for a suitable name for your child, you should above all consider your child’s well-being and ensure that the name you choose does not cause them harm.

If you have questions about the acceptability or origin of names, please contact the Society for the German Language. There is a fee for this information: Society for the German Language (Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache e.V.), Spiegelgasse 7, 65183 Wiesbaden, Tel: 09004 888128 (€1.69/min.).

Choosing a Last Name

• The parents are married and share a married name: 

      The child receives this married name as their birth name. 

• The parents are married and do not have a common married name, or the parents are not married but there is an acknowledgment of paternity and a prenatal declaration of custody:

      The parents may choose the mother’s last name or the father’s last name
  as the child’s birth name (if a parent’s last name consists of multiple names, only a portion of those names may be used
 as the child’s birth name) or

      a double surname consisting of the surnames of both parents (if a parent’s surname
  consists of multiple names, only one of them may be used to form the double surname
 ).

      As a rule, the double surname is written with a hyphen; however, it may also be formed without a hyphen
  by declaration.

      The chosen birth name also applies to any future children the parents have together (binding effect).

• If the parents are not married, but paternity has been acknowledged and a name has been assigned before birth (see information sheet on naming):

      The child receives the father’s last name (if his last name consists of multiple names,
 only a part of those names may become the child’s birth name) or

      the child receives a double surname consisting of the surnames of both parents (if one parent’s surname
  consists of multiple names, only one of them may be used to form the double surname
 ).

      As a rule, the double surname is written with a hyphen; however, by declaration, it may also be formed without a hyphen
 .

• The parents are not married, paternity has been acknowledged, or
  the parents are not married and paternity has not been acknowledged:

      The child receives the mother’s last name (if the last name consists of multiple names,
 only part of the names may become the child’s birth name).

INFORMATION SHEET ON ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PATERNITY

Why?
Acknowledgment of paternity allows the father to be listed on the child’s birth certificate. Acknowledgment of paternity establishes a legal parent-child relationship between the father and the child, with consequences regarding child support and inheritance rights. Acknowledgment of paternity does not grant the father custody rights. If, in addition to acknowledging paternity, you also wish to establish joint custody, it is recommended that you schedule an appointment with the Youth Welfare Office (or a notary), as you can handle both the acknowledgment of paternity and the custody arrangement in a single appointment, thereby saving yourself trips to government offices.

Important
: Please remember to schedule your appointment for acknowledgment of paternity (and, if applicable, a declaration of custody) as early as possible before the child’s birth with the relevant agency in your place of residence.

Validity?
Acknowledgment of paternity is permissible even before birth, but it does not take effect until the child is born. The child’s mother must consent to the acknowledgment of paternity for it to take effect. If the child’s mother and/or father are minors, their legal guardians must give their consent. An acknowledgment of paternity is not valid as long as another man is recognized as the father.

Special
Case: Qualified Acknowledgment of Paternity: If a child is born during divorce proceedings. The registry office will be happy to advise you on this matter.

Where?
Youth
Welfare Office, Registry
Office, Local
Government Offices, Notary’s Office 

(please note that fees may apply)

INFORMATION SHEET ON NAMING

Why?
By assigning a name, the parent with custody (usually the mother) gives the child the last name of the parent without custody (usually the father). Alternatively, the child may also receive a double surname consisting of both parents’ surnames. The assignment of a surname requires acknowledgment of paternity. The assignment of a surname does not automatically grant the father custody. The assignment of a surname is irrevocable.

Effectiveness?
The assignment of a name is permitted even before birth, but it does not take effect until the child is born. The child’s father must consent to the assignment of the name for it to take effect.

Where?
Registry
Office, Local
Government Offices, Notary’s Office

(Please note that fees may apply)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

Parental Allowance
You will receive a birth certificate from the registry office. With this, you can apply for parental allowance from the Hessian Office for Social Affairs and Welfare. Hessian Office for Social Affairs and Welfare, Mainzer Str. 35, 65185 Wiesbaden, Tel: 0611 71570 - Email: poststellehavs-wie.hessende

Child
Allowance You will receive a birth certificate from the registry office. With this, you can apply for child allowance at the
Family Benefits Office. Family Benefits Office (Child Benefit Division), Employment Agency, Klarenthaler Str. 34, 65197 Wiesbaden, Tel: 0800 45555-30 - Email: familienkasse-hessenarbeitsagenturde

Maternity
Benefits You will receive a birth certificate from the registry office. With this, you can apply for pregnancy and maternity benefits through the mother’s health insurance provider.

Declaration
of Parental Responsibility Parental responsibility means that parents have the right and the duty to care for the child. If the parents are married to each other, they share parental responsibility jointly. If the parents are not married to each other at the time of the child’s birth, they can assume joint parental responsibility. A declaration of parental responsibility is required for this. The declaration of custody can be submitted—even before the birth—to a youth welfare office (free of charge) or a notary (for a fee). Otherwise, the mother has parental custody. Youth welfare offices provide advice on the topic of declarations of custody. Wiesbaden Youth Welfare Office: Tel: 0611 313452 – Email: beistandschaftenwiesbadende

Ordering
Certificates How can you order certificates?
Certificates can be ordered directly online (opens in a new tab). The fee for issuing a certificate is €12, with each additional certificate costing €6. You can obtain certificates free of charge for social security purposes.

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