Your new baby is here. Congratulations! Here you will find information about what you need to do now.

1. Registration

1.1 Registry office (Standesamt)

After your baby is born, you have to register it at the registry office within 1 week. You will receive the registry office's address and telephone number from in the hospital.

You have to go to the registry office in the town your baby was born in. It is okay for the father of the baby to go alone to register the child.

These are the documents you need to bring:

• Identity card or passport of mother and father
• Birth certificate (obtained at the hospital). Important: Write down your baby's name on the back of the birth certificate. The mother's and father's signature also have to be on the back of the birth certificate.
• Family book or birth certificates and marriage certificate of mother and father. In Germany, the baby automatically receives the mother's surname. If mother and father are married or the father recognises paternity, the baby can also receive the father's surname. You can ask the registry office or the youth welfare office in this case.

1.2 Residents' registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt)

You must also register your baby at the residents' office in the town hall of the city you live in. It is possible that the registry office will automatically register your baby at the town hall. However, it is better to go and ask, and pick up a registration certificate for your baby. If you are still seeking asylum, you should also register your baby at your city's asylum office. Only then will your baby receive asylum-seeker benefits.

1.3 Immigration office (Ausländerbehörde)

1.3.1 Asylum seekers

If you are still an asylum seeker, you have to go to the immigration office and register your baby in your residence permit. Take the birth certificate with you.

Ask whether the immigration office will inform the Federal Office of Migration and Refugees (BAMF) about your baby and apply for its asylum. If not, you must do it yourself!

1.3.2 Refugees

You are already recognised as a refugee or a person with subsidiary protection status. Then you must make an appointment with the immigration office to apply for your baby's residence permit. Bring a passport photo and the birth certificate to the appointment. You will also need to report the colour of your baby's eyes and its size.

You can apply for family asylum for your baby. The baby will then receive the same protection status as you. Ask the immigration office about this.

2. Health insurance (Krankenversicherung)

2.1 General information

You must register your baby with your health insurance company. During the first few months, your baby often has to see a paediatrician. You must take your baby to the U-examinations (large yellow booklet) and to get all necessary vaccinations (small yellow booklet).

 

2.2. How to register your baby

You can call your health insurance company first and inform them about the birth of your baby. You will then need to fill out the family insurance application form (Antrag auf Familienversicherung) and send it to your health insurance company with a birth certificate. If you have problems filling in the form, you can also go to an office of your health insurance company. They will help you there.

3. Job Centre (Jobcenter)

3.1 General information

If you receive unemployment benefit II (Arbeitslosengeld II), you must also register your baby with the Job Centre. From the day of birth, your baby is entitled to unemployment benefit II.

3.2 How to apply for unemployment benefit II

You have to hand in the filled out form Annex Kl together with a copy of the birth certificate to the job centre.

Then you should receive a new notice of benefit from the job centre within the next 3 weeks.

4. Child benefit (Kindergeld)

4.1 General information

From the day of birth, you are entitled to child benefit for your baby. This does not apply if you are an asylum seeker.

4.2 How to apply fo child benefit

Find all the forms that you have to fill in and send to the family department (Familienkasse) in charge here: Application for child benefit & Appendix: Child

5. Parental allowance (Elterngeld)

5.1 General information

Starting from the day of birth, you have 3 months to apply for a parental allowance. If you still have the status of an asylum seeker, you will not receive parental allowance.

5.2 How to apply for parental allowance

Find detailed information including further links to PDF forms here: parental allowance

6. Kindergarten

6.1 General information

In Germany it is often difficult to get a place for a child in a kindergarten. Therefore it is important to register your baby as early as possible in a kindergarten. This way, your chances of receiving a kindergarten place for your child when it turns 2 years old are higher.

Find more information and helpful addresses here: Kindergarten in Germany