Recognizing Paternity in Berlin
How to get the father of your baby on the German birth certificate if you’re not married
What is a Vaterschaftsanerkennung?
If you are not married to your partner and you are expecting a baby in Germany, you will have to acknowledge paternity for Germany to legally recognize the father of your baby. This is done through a legally binding document known as a Vaterschaftsanerkennung. The name of the father will then be printed on your child’s birth certificate.
How to Get a Vaterschaftsanerkennung in Berlin
In Berlin, these are done in person at the Jugendamt (youth agency) or the Standesamt (registry office). There are several of them in Berlin, and you’ll need to go to the one responsible for your district. If you want to do a custody agreement at the same time, go to the Jugendamt. Red Tape Translation would be happy to let you know which one you should visit if you decide to take an interpreter with you.
You can make an appointment, and both the mother and father of the baby should be present. You can do it before the child is born. If you don’t have a good understanding of the German language, you can bring a professional German/English interpreter or a person that you trust along with you to translate. If taking a friend, just keep in mind, it’s not a walk in the park, particularly if you’re covering custody agreements while you are there. The language is complex, and they read passages from the German Civil code, which even Germans have trouble understanding. Take someone whose German is good enough to handle legalese.
The case worker at the Jugendamt will fully explain the obligations associated with recognizing paternity, according to German law. You will be given an opportunity to ask questions, and at the end of the appointment, you will both sign the agreement.
What about custody?
A custody agreement is a separate matter from acknowledgement of paternity. It can sometimes be handled at the same appointment (if you’re at the Jugendamt), through a different agreement.
What else do I need to know?
It doesn’t cost anything.
It is a legally binding document, and it’s complex.
The mother of the child must consent to the paternity agreement.
The father must be present to voluntarily acknowledge the obligations of legal paternity.
Parents, don’t forget to bring your birth certificates. You may need certified translations of them – send them to Red Tape Translation as a PDF if you like, and we’ll get you a quote.
Everyone shows ID and signs the forms – including the translator.
The whole appointment can take around an hour.
Want to take a translator with you? It’s a good idea if you are in Berlin and you don’t understand German. Contact Red Tape Translation to book a language expert for your appointment.
Hi please I want to know if both patents can request for vaterschaft since both of the parents have duldung I’D but the lady is having a son who is a Deutcher and the lady is in process of getting her Documents but she also pregnant now
I have baby with polish woman in Garman we signed(Urkunde uber Anerkennung der Vaterschaft mit zustimmungserklarung) woman was married before but now divorced we wait for divorce catificate,to make birth catificate with my name, can i get parmitt with it ?
You might be able to get a residence permit if you are the parent of a child who has the right to live in Germany. But it’s hard to tell without knowing more. Try talking to a lawyer about your case if you are not sure.
I left Germany to my homecountry ( in Africa) while pregnant due to the end of my studies Visa. My baby father is German, we did not get time to recognize the paternity before my departure. And the Germany embassy in my country told us that currently they are not giving this service.
Can you please, advise another way to aknowledge the paternity?
Kind regard
I’m not aware of another way, and I don’t even know which is your home country. Ask the German embassy if there is another way.
Please how can i do the Paternity recognition without the father is illegal staying in Germany but the the girlfriend is holding Germany passport and 7 months pregnant
The father needs to be present at the appointment with a valid ID document (i.e. passport or similar) and needs to accept the rights and obligations and sign the document. The mother needs to agree and sign too.
hello Kathleen,
i am an international student from a Non-Eu country, my girlfriend who is german is 4 months pregnant. i have a valid student visa, and we agree to get a paternity certificate. i am concerned will it affect my student visa? what can i do? please i will need your advice, thanks
Hi femactive. Congratulations! No, it won’t affect your current student permit. Besides, having custody of a German baby will also making staying in Germany easier for you, you can get this permit instead of your student permit, and you’ll have full access to the job market. You do need A1 German, though. Good luck with fatherhood!
Will they need my Adress or I can use my baby mother Adress
If you’re the baby’s father, you will need to give the address at which you are registered in Germany. The mother will have to do the same.
I require the acknowledgement of paternity document urgently of which my fiance applied for. How can I get it? I am stuck in south Africa and would like to relocate to be with the father. However I cannot get my visa nor my child’s without it
Both mother and father need to be present at the appointment. I am not sure how you’d get it if you are not in the same country, I’m sorry! Wish I had more information for you.
Hi,
is this the same as DNA?, and what happens if the father of the child doesn’t live in Germany, yet you want to invite him through the unborn baby?
Is that even possible?
A DNA test might be used to determine paternity, but not necessarily. Inviting the father of a child to Germany to live with you as a family unit depends on so many factors. Has he acknowledged paternity? Do you have joint custody? Is the parent living in Germany living here legally? Etc. Good luck.
Hello, I am married to a German woman and I have a permanent residence permit ( unbefristet). Another girl is pregnant for me but she doesn’t have a stay permit ( illegal) here. Can I do the fatherhood for yo get a stay?
Thank you
Hi Pass, if you acknowledge paternity of the child, it might be possible for the child to get a residence permit based on your legal residence in Germany. But it’s also not that simple – I’d recommend you talk to a lawyer and get it right.
Hard to say for sure without knowing all the details, but you’d need to acknowledge paternity and share custody of the child.
Hi, in case the German father refuse to do Vaterschaft before baby’s birth, will my baby get a birth certificate? How? And how long will the process take?
Thank you.
You can ask for a court order to determine paternity if he refuses, or you can get a birth certificate issued with no father’s name on it.
That sounds tricky. You might need to get a court involved to determine paternity. It could take months.
Hi Kathleen,
I am separated with my German husband for more than 7 years. I have a permanent visa here in Germany. I am currently 3 months pregnant and the biological Father is a French citizen. He refused to support my baby and initially he wanted that I terminate my pregnancy. Any advice for me? Thanks
If you decide to keep and raise your baby, you might be able to ask the court to determine that the biological father is the father so that he is then obligated to provide for your son or daughter. Talk to the Jugendamt for more information.
Hi am living in the refugee camp and I’ve a baby with a German, how do we do the Vaterschaft. And is it necessary to do the vaterschaft before the birth certificate or the other way round
Hi Jennifer, you have to visit the Standesamt, the Jugendamt or a notary to do the paternity declaration. If you want to also get joint custody at the same time, I’d recommend doing it at a Jugendamt. You can do it while you’re pregnant – take your Mutterpass. The advantage is that the father’s name would then be on the birth certificate from the get-go. You can also do it after the birth if necessary.
Hello. My question is almost similar to the one asked on January 15, 2021 at 4:32 am. My girlfriend is from Sweden but stays and works in Germany, she is 8 months pregnant. I am currently stuck in South Africa and I need the acknowledgement of paternity in order to get the visa. I was told since my girlfriend is not German, we will have to do the acknowledgement of paternity through the Swedish embassy. Meaning I will have to sign the document at the Swedish embassy here in South Africa and she will sign at the Swedish embassy in Germany. I want to know if this is indeed the procedure or is it possible to do the acknowledgement of paternity through the German embassy?
I have to say I don’t know what the procedure for your specific case is, but it does sound plausible that it would happen at the Swedish embassy in Germany and South Africa simultaneously.
Hello, does anyone know what kind of questions do they ask during the Vaterschaftsanerkennung appointment? Just making sure if my German is good enough for it.
Thanks in advance!
If your German isn’t good enough, or mum’s German isn’t good enough to handle these sort of things, they’ll request that you bring an interpreter, you won’t have a choice. But they don’t normally ask too many questions, instead they recite passages of the law to you so that you know what you’re signing. If you’d like to take an interpreter, have a look here.
Hey im 28 and my dad isn’t on my birth certificate but we want to change it now he’s living in the U.S would he have to come to Germany in order for him to get on my birth certificate
I have no idea. But it might be possible for him to visit a consulate or embassy in the US and sign the document there instead. Worth asking the embassy in your place of residence!
If you sign a Vaterschaftsanerkennung, after finding out years later you have a child…. do you have to pay back child support?
I’m afraid I have no idea!
Hello Kathleen, thanks for your help.
I’m an asylum seeker with failed application and i’ve been given deportation letter. I gave birth to my daughter in Germany and the father lives in another EU country. How can he help my residency in Germany and getting German passport for my daughter please?
I am so sorry to hear about this, Vivian. If the father of your child is neither a resident nor a citizen of Germany, I’m not sure how he could help you obtain German residency unless he moved here himself. Could you move you and your daughter in with him in whichever country he resides and get him to acknowledge paternity, then contact authorities in that country? I can’t really help much in this instance, but wish you luck in getting it sorted.
Hello,
I would like to declare paternity. I am an American citizen. I was born in Vietnam and my birth certificate has the wrong birthdate and they refuse to change it.
Hello Kathleen,
I am a British citizen and my girlfriend is German. I live and work in the UK and she lives and works in Germany. We are in a long distance relationship.
My girlfriend is pregnant and is due in July. We want to do the Acknowledgment of Paternity as soon as possible.
She has told me though that I need to show evidence of my divorce. She says this is to prove that I was not married for the conception.
I don’t know why that would matter or what complications that will bring.
I am actually going through a divorce and have my Decree Nisi but I am waiting for my Decree Absolute. That means, technically, I was still married when we conceived.
Can you please help with explaining what issues may be caused by this?
I can’t really help you there, I’m sorry. Not my area of expertise! Hope you got some good advice though and sorted it out.
Hello Kathleen, I’ve signed Vaterschaft Anerkennung with the father of the child who is German but he’s not available to sign the birth certificate. Will my child still get a German citizenship or will it affect my child? Because they want to issue the certificate without his name on it, will my child still be German since we already acknowledged paternity? Thanks
I don’t know the answer to this and suggest you contact a lawyer. Perhaps you already have! Good luck.
Hallo , i am an ausbildung stundient and i have a 3year visa. I discovered that i am pregnant but my boyfriend doesn’t have a German visa (illegal). Are they any chances for him to sign up for his child
I would talk to a lawyer about this situation. Congrats on the pregnancy!
Hello, I am a German citizen and so is the father of my child. I was previously married and I am still waiting for my divorce papers to arrive (we were married and divorced in South Africa). Will I need to present my divorce papers for the Vaterschaftsanerkennung or is it enough that the biological father is claiming paternity before the child is born? Thanks in advance : )
You will need your divorce papers.
The mother of my daughter is polish born but a German citizen.After we broke up she falsely lied on me and with a help from an ex police officer they initiated my arrest and alleged extradition to the United States on bogus charges.After sitting in jail for 2yrs I was acquitted by jury on all the charges.Got deported to ghana even though by the time of my arrest I had my German documents which expired while in jail.I have been trying to reach out to her to reestablish contact to my daughter in Berlin but she has blocked me on all her social media accounts.How can I find my daughter?Please I need help
I’m so sorry it took quite a while to get a response. What an incredible story! I don’t have any ideas for how to reconnect with your daughter if you don’t have any digital contact – it will be challenging for you to find out where she is living under these circumstances, but all the same, I hope you manage to reestablish contact if that’s what everyone wants.
Hi
Please what if you are a married woman, having permanent permit ,staying with your German husband and using his surname also .
And you get pregnant for someone who doesn’t stay in Germany but in your Home country.and if your husband too doesn’t want to be involved with the child .
Will your Child get your husband’s surname that you use or his father’s name ,without his father living here in Germany.
In Germany under German law, the father of children born to a woman who is married is automatically the husband, and so the family name, if chosen under German law, would either be the mother’s name or the husband’s name. If you want to change those circumstances, I’d suggest you discuss your options with a family lawyer.
if a married man(has a wife) impregnates a woman(has a husband) who is also married,
who is the father of the child; the biological father or the legal father?
In Germany, if the mother of the child is married, the father is always determined by default to be the husband of the child’s mother, unless a declaration is made to the contrary.
Hallo Is birth certificate compulsory in signing of vaterschaft?
Yes, if the child has already been born.
until what age, after the birth of the child can we make the recognition of paternity and the sorgerechts ?
There is no deadline for paternity acknowledgement in Germany, as long as there is no OTHER paternity already acknowledged for the same child. Same for custody declarations in Germany.
Hello,
I am the father of a German girl born in Germany. I live in California. Is there a way I can obtain copies of her birth certificate and proof of fatherhood or Vaterschaftsanerkennung from California?
She is 11 and we have completed all the paternity tests years ago.
I would approach your closest German embassy / consulate to see what the procedure is for recognising paternity from abroad.