After the birth

You do not have your birth certificate, but you need it for a marriage or other official act, for example? Then you can apply for a birth certificate to be issued.

As a single parent with at least one child in the household who is entitled to child allowance or child benefit, you can apply for the tax relief amount for single parents and thus for tax class 2.

A diaper subsidy or diaper bonus is granted by some cities or municipalities to cushion increased disposal costs in households with newborns or relatives in need of care.

Please select your place of residence.

If you have a child, you can apply for child benefit.

As an expectant mother, you can apply for maternity benefit from the Federal Social Security Office (BAS) for the period of protection before and after childbirth and for the day of childbirth. You must meet certain requirements for this.

If you are unable to run your household due to pregnancy or childbirth, you are entitled to household help under certain conditions. You can apply for this from your statutory health insurance fund.

If you become a mother, you can receive maternity benefit. You are also entitled to maternity benefit after a miscarriage from the 13th week of pregnancy, provided you take maternity leave.

Have you applied for guardianship for your child and no longer need it? Then you can terminate the guardianship at the local youth welfare office.

If you require proof of birth from the former German territories or from the consular and colonial registers, you can apply for a birth certificate. You can obtain this from the registry office I in Berlin.

To protect your health, there are public preventive measures in Germany that you can take advantage of and, if necessary, must observe. Here you will find information on compulsory vaccination programs as well as preventive and early detection examinations.

If you wish to make a declaration acknowledging paternity of a child and a declaration of consent by the mother, this can be publicly notarized at any registry office, youth welfare office or notary's office.

If you as parents are not married to each other at the time of your child's birth, you can obtain joint custody by both submitting declarations of custody.

If you wish to make a declaration recognizing the maternity of your child, insofar as this is required by your home law or the law of the country in which the child has its habitual residence.

Early help offers various services for families with children from 0 to 3 years of age. The staff at your regional coordination office are available to answer your questions and help you with any challenges you are currently facing.

If you receive social assistance or basic income support and do not have adequate health insurance, you may be entitled to health treatment benefits.

If you look after your child after the birth, the parental allowance compensates for part of the loss of income.

Here you will find information on your rights and obligations regarding birth, child maintenance obligations in cross-border family situations, as well as information on surrogacy and adoption.

If your child was born at home, you must report the birth to the registry office.