Recognition of paternity
Your way to the application
The declaration of acknowledgment of paternity can be made at registry offices, youth welfare offices, local courts or notaries. It must be publicly notarized.
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Why should I specify a location?
With the help of the location information, we can display the information, forms and services suitable for you and your responsible office.
Which location should I specify?
For example, your place of residence if you want to apply for a passport or the company location if you want to register a business.
To declare paternity, you will need:
- Your identity card, passport or ID card and
- the birth certificates of the mother and father.
- In the case of recognition before the birth: the mother's passport.
- In the case of recognition after the birth: the child's birth certificate.
Notarization at the youth welfare office or registry office is free of charge. Notarization at a notary or at the local court may incur costs.
Simply explained
Acknowledgment of paternity is important if parents are not married to each other at the time of the birth of a child. In these cases, the father has no legal relationship to his child without a notarized acknowledgement of paternity.
The relationship between father and child is only legally recognized when the father declares in a voluntary declaration of intent that he is the father of the child. Paternity must be publicly notarized. The mother must consent to the acknowledgement of paternity. Her declaration of consent must also be publicly notarized.
Information on acknowledging paternity can also be found in this explanatory video.
What requirements must be met?
Paternity can be acknowledged if the following conditions are met:
- There is no other paternity for the child.
- The mother agrees to the acknowledgement of paternity.
If the mother does not have custody of the child in question, the child's consent is required. In the case of a child without legal capacity or a child under the age of 14, the consent of a legal representative is required.
Acknowledgements and consents must be given in person.
What do I get?
Acknowledging paternity leads to the following rights and obligations:
- A relationship is established between the child, father and his family.
- The child can be given the father's surname.
- The child and his mother have maintenance claims against the father.
- The child can be covered by the father's family health insurance.
- If the father is German and the mother is a foreigner, the child receives dual citizenship.
- The father has the option of taking parental leave.
- The child has a right to contact with the father.
- If the father dies, the child has inheritance rights.
- If the father dies, the child receives an orphan's pension.
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