If you are an Indian citizen and your baby is just born in Germany, here are the things you need to do as soon as the baby has arrived.
A newborn always brings joy to the family. The first hours and days are always exciting and overwhelming to the parents. To avoid confusion and organize your post delivery life easier, check out our checklist once you are settled.
Citizenship
Indian expatriates in Germany often wonder whether their newborn in Germany receives German citizenship or Indian citizenship.
A child born in Germany after 1 January 2000 may acquire German citizenship even if neither parent is German.
For this however, one parent must have lived legally in Germany for a minimum of eight years and have an unlimited residence right or a residence permit for three years. Between the ages of 18 and 23, children who become German citizens in this way must decide whether to retain the German citizenship or take their parents' citizenship.
Your child will automatically become an Indian citizen if you do not fall under any of the categories pointed out above. However, the child will officially become an Indian citizen only after you register him / her in the Indian consulate.
Read FAQs on the website of The Federal Foreign Office for more info.
How do I get my child's Indian citizenship?
Get the birth certificate
Within seven days of delivery, you are required to register your baby's birth at the local registry office (Standesamt) where the baby is born.
Nowadays, you can do this online through the hospital.
It is also possible for the mother to register the birth of the child herself. As an alternative, you can also have the father, the midwife, a relative, or a close friend register the birth on behalf of the parents with an authorisation letter.
Documents required to register the birth at Standesamt
A copy of both the parents’ birth certificate (A translated version if not in English).
Marriage certificate (A translated version if not in English).
Copy of the passport of both the parents
Application form (you will get the application form either when you register at the hospital for the delivery or when you arrive at the hospital at the time of the delivery)
After submitting your application online, you can apply for a birth certificate on your city's citizen portal (muenchen.de for people in Munich or berlin.de for Berliners). It may take a week or two to receive it by post; yes, you can only receive it by post.
Usually, multiple copies of the birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) will be sent to you. You may use them to apply for the child benefit (kindergeld), health insurance, parental allowance (elterngeld), etc.
If you need to get any documents translated to German, or from German to English, Beglaubigung24 is a trustworthy translation service you can rely on.
You’ll also have the possibility to request for additional copies and international versions of birth certificates (in English) which you may use to apply for the passport and for other purposes.
If the online submission is not possible in your city, you or the representative you authorise will be able to do the same at the local citizen's office.
How to register my baby as an Indian citizen in Germany?
Registering your baby as an Indian citizen in Germany is a four step procedure.
An online application form has to be filled on the web portal of Government of India
You also need to upload the below documents to complete step
Photograph of the child (Indian passport size (35x35 mm / 2 x 2 inch), white background, JPG format, the size should not exceed 20 KB)
Signatures of the both the parents (JPG format less than 20 KB in size)
Birth Certificate of the child issued by local German Authority (PDF format, less than 1 MB)
Copies of passport of both parents (first and last page of the passport) [ PDF format, less than 1 MB]
Print out of the form that was submitted online to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before submitting it, make sure both parents have signed it.
You may submit the form in person at the Office of the Consulate General of India in the city you live or send it to the consulate along with the supporting documents as per the checklist mentioned below.
If there’s no Indian consulate in the city you live in, you can go to the Indian consulate in a nearby town. Alternatively, you can also post the application to the Indian consulate nearest to you.
An application Fee must be paid at the counter if you are visiting the consulate in person. If you send the application by post, you can make a bank transfer. However, the payment may be made in advance (as it may take 2 to 3 working days to get reflected in their bank account).
Ensure that the supporting documents include proof of payment. Otherwise, the application will be sent back to you without processing.
Documents required to register my child as an Indian citizen in Germany
Print-out of the form filled online
Copy of Birth Certificate issued by the local German Authority
Copies of passports of both parents
Copy of Address proof (Meldebescheinigung/ Personalausweis)
Self-addressed envelope with stamp of Euro 4.05 (if applicants requests for dispatch of Birth Certificate by Post)
Please refer to the respective Indian consulate’s website for the information about the fees and bank account details.
Please note that:
The child is eligible for registration as Indian Citizenship by “Descent” only if any one of the parent (or both the parents) hold Indian nationality at the time of birth of the child.
The Indian Consulate reserves the right to contact you for any additional documents, if necessary.
The applicant may be called for a personal-interview or the verification of original documents if necessary.
Please also note that the application for Indian citizenship must be made within one year of the child's birth on the prescribed form
How to get Indian Passport for my child born in Germany
Upon receiving Indian citizenship, you can apply for your child's Indian passport.
Checklist of Documents and procedure to apply for Indian passport:
Go to ‘Passport Seva at Indian Embassies and Consulates’, website, select Germany from the list of countries, and fill out the application form on behalf of your child.
Print-out of the field passport application form.
Instead of signature, take a thumb impression of your child in the signature box on the first and last pages of the application form (Note that the left thumb impression if the child is a boy and right thumb impression in case of girl)
Copy of birth certificate issued by the local German authority
Copy of the Indian birth certificate
2 photographs of the child (one pasted on the designated place in the application form and other stapled on the last page of application form)
Self-attested copies of parents' passports and residence permits / visas
Copy of Meldebescheinigung (Proof of residency/address)
A Consent Letter from parents (please refer to your respective consulates website for the form)
Annexe G – applicable if either one of the parent has not given consent (please refer to your respective consulates website for the form)
As mentioned above, you may submit the form in person at the Office of the Consulate General of India in the city you live or send it to the consulate along with the supporting documents as per the checklist mentioned below.
If there’s no Indian consulate in the city you live in, you can go to the Indian consulate in a nearby town. Alternatively, you can also post the application to the Indian consulate nearest to you along with the supporting documents.
A processing fee must be paid at the consulate if submitting the form in person or transfer the corresponding amount to the consulate’s bank account if you are sending the application via post. You may check the consulate’s website for the fee info.
For sending the new passport by Post, please also send a medium sized self addressed and stamped (EUR 4.05) envelope along with your application
Please note that the child’s presence may not be necessary at the consulate.
Processing Time of the application for Indian passport in Germany
Depending on the rush at the consulate, it may take around 6-8 weeks for issuing the new passport.
You can also apply for both Indian citizenship as well as Indian passport in one go. However, make sure you include both applications as well as separate copies of supporting documents in the envelope. The Indian consulate will send back the applications if separate copies of supporting documents are not included in the envelope when you send them.
In our experience, applications sent to the Indian consulate by post are considered as prioritised as in person applications. Therefore, we recommend sending all your applications by post to avoid any unnecessary waiting time at the consulate.
Apply for the residence permit for the Indian child in Germany
When you receive your child's passport, the rest of the process is the same for anyone residing in Germany.
Requirements
If both parents (in the case of shared parental responsibility) or the parent with the sole parental responsibility are in possession of a valid residence title when the child is born
Your baby was born in Germany and is registered as living in a household with the custodial parents
The residence permit for the child can be obtained from any local citizens office (Bürgeramt) in Germany if you meet one of the above criteria. While the condition is the same in most cities, some Bürgeramts will require you to meet additional criteria as well. Therefore, before your appointment, you should check with your local citizen's office.
The Bürgeramt may refer you to the local foreigner's office (Ausländerbehörde) if your family's situation differs, such as if one parent is a European citizen.
You can get a free consultation at your local foreigners office if you're not sure where to begin.
The section 33 of the residence act (Aufenthaltsgesetz - AufenthG) defines every scenario for residence permit in Germany.
Some frequently asked questions
Can Indian parents get financial assistance for their newborn in Germany?
Yes, Indian parents in Germany may be eligible for financial assistance through various government programs, such as child benefits and parental leave.
