Documents
Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
Such certificates are available from the local registrar’s office (Standesamt) where the birth, marriage, or death occurred. For the former East Germany, this applies only to those civil status cases that occurred after October 2, 1990. For events occurring prior to this date, documents from this part of Germany are issued by the district office where the event occurred.
A registrar’s office charges a fee for each certificate and for any additional copy as well. The same amount is charged for certificates issued on an “international” form. The requested certificates are usually mailed out by the registrar’s office with the fees being collected on delivery. The applicant may enclose a self-addressed and stamped return envelope and use German postage stamps or a collection-only cheque for payment.
Civil status certificates from former German areas east of Oder and Neisse (boundaries of 1938), now belonging to Poland or Russia, are difficult and sometimes impossible to obtain. After World War II, a number of these documents were returned to Germany. Information regarding these documents can sometimes be requested from local registrars’ offices. More detailed information pertaining to these documents can be obtained at the Standesamt I in Berlin, Rueckerstr. 9, 10119 Berlin.
The following substitutes may be used for unavailable personal documents:
The Familienstammbuch which some German families maintain. Births, marriages and deaths are entered in such books, and officially certified at the time of the event;
Extracts from church books and parish registers. Access to or copies of these books can be requested from the following archive offices:Evangelische Kirchenbuecher:
Evangelisches Zentralarchiv
Kirchenbuchstelle
Jebensstr. 3
10623 Berlin
Katholische Kirchenbuecher:
Bischoefliches Zentralarchiv
St. Petersweg 11-13
93047 Regensburg
If the desired documents cannot be obtained, these archive offices will furnish a negative response (Negativbescheinigung). In such cases, it is generally recommended that the document-seeker apply for a Familienbuch under the provisions of section 15a of the German Law on Civil Status (Personenstandsgesetz), which is maintained by the civil registrar having jurisdiction over the family’s place of residence. The civil registrar issues extracts or copies from this book that are fully recognized as formal certificates of birth, death, or marriage.
Police Records
(Fuehrungszeugnis) Available.
Each person over the age of fourteen may obtain an individual certificate of conduct. The application can be made verbally by personal appearance or in simple written form to the registration authority at the following addresses mentioned below. Former residents of Germany, no longer registered in Germany, can apply for an individual record through the German Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence, or directly with the Bundeszentralregister in Bonn. The application form is available at the German Embassy/Consulate, or directly from the Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof Dienststelle Bundeszentralregister. Personal appearance: Besucherservice, Adenauerallee 99-103, 53113 Bonn. Their office hours are Mondays - Wednesdays: 7:30 – 16:00; Thursdays: 7:30 – 15:30; and Fridays 7:30 – 14:00. Written requrests may be sent to: Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof, Dienststelle Bundeszentralregister, Sachgebiet BZR 32 - Internationale Rechtshilfe, 53094 Bonn.
The fee for every certificate of conduct is €13. Payment may be made by remission of a non-negotiable check or bank transfer to the following account of the “Bundeszentralregister” – Deutsche Bundesbank, Bonn Branch, Sortcode: 380 000 00, Account no.: 380 010 05; IBAN-No.: DE24 3800 0000 0038 001005; BIC/swift-No.: MARKDEF1380. Fees charged by banks for the redemption of a (foreign) check must be added to the fee for the certificate of conduct.
Processing time - minimum of three to four weeks. More detailed information about downloading the application form and payment of fees can be obtained directly from their website.
Court Records
Available. Court records involving criminal or civil proceedings are available from the court that has jurisdiction.