Applying for subsequent certification of a birth on foreign seagoing vessels

Source: Serviceportal Rheinland-Pfalz

Each ship sails under a specific national flag and therefore legally belongs to the territory of that country while underway. If you have a child on a foreign ship, this is subject to the same rules as a birth in that country.

If one of the parents has German citizenship, your child will also have German citizenship. If only the father has German citizenship and the parents are not married, the father must first acknowledge paternity.

You can have your child entered in the German birth register, but you are not obliged to do so.

Your child can later apply for subsequent certification, i.e. a German birth certificate, themselves. Likewise, the wife, husband or descendants can later apply for a German birth certificate for the person born on the foreign ship.

You apply for notarization at the registry office in whose district you have or last had your place of residence in Germany.
If you do not have or have never had a place of residence in Germany, submit the application to Standesamt I in Berlin.
Alternatively, you can apply for certification via your competent German diplomatic mission abroad. You must present the originals of all documents and IDs there.
If necessary, certified copies can be made at the diplomatic mission abroad, for which additional fees will be charged.

The birth to be notarized took place on a foreign sea-going vessel.
The person for whom you are applying for certification has German citizenship or is recognized as a refugee or stateless person in Germany.
You are entitled to apply as:
- Parent or parent for the child to be registered
- the person to be registered themselves
- as a descendant of the person to be registered
- as a spouse or partner

Different documents are required depending on marital status and personal circumstances.

As a rule, the following original documents are required:

Complete foreign birth register excerpt or, if not available, foreign birth certificate of the child, if applicable with:
- Translation
- legalization
- apostille
Birth certificates of the parents, if applicable with:
- Translation
- legalization
- Apostille
Parents' identity documents
Certificate of naturalization or certificate of citizenship, if applicable

If the mother is or was married

Marriage certificate, if applicable with:
- Translation
- legalization
- apostille
and in the event of termination of marriage: Proof of dissolution

If the parents are not married to each other:

Proof of acknowledgment of paternity, if applicable
Declaration of consent by the mother
Proof of joint parental custody, if applicable

The submission of further documents may be required. This depends on the foreign document system and can only be assessed after the application has been examined.

Application Deadline: 1 Year
Wenn Sie als deutsches Elternteil oder als deutsche Eltern nach dem 31.12.1999 im Ausland geboren wurden, erwirbt Ihr Kind die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit bei gewöhnlichem Aufenthalt im Ausland nur, wenn Sie innerhalb eines Jahres nach der Geburt die Beurkundung der Geburt im deutschen Geburtenregister beantragen. Eine Ausnahme besteht, wenn das Kind dadurch staatenlos würde.

Applying for subsequent certification of a birth on foreign seagoing vessels

Process flow

Requirements

Which documents are required?

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Legal basis

Applications / forms

Professionally released on

Translation note