Required documents

The following documents are required as originals with one photocopy each:

• Duly filled application for registration of a child’s birth,
• Valid passports for both parents
• Birth certificates of both parents (Rwandan Certificates must be legalized by the German Embassy)
• Child’s birth certificate (“acte de naissance”) - stating the parents’ names (Rwandan Certificates mustLegalization of Rwandan documentsby the German Embassy)
• If you wish to make a choice of law declaration (also refer to name declaration of a child), proof that the child bears the intended name under the law of the respective country (passport or birth certificate issued by the authorities of that country)
• If you are married: your marriage certificate (Rwandan Certificates must Legalization of Rwandan documents
• If applicable divorce decree absolute for divorcees (in case of foreign certificates please Contact the Consulate)
• Naturalization certificate for naturalized German nationals or “Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis” if you have one
• Translations of foreign language documents into German by a translator certified in Germany

• Please note that the Embassy cannot predict how long this process will take. Processing times may vary considerably depending on the complexity of the case and the individual Registrar’s Office.

In order to hand in the birth registration application for your child and if you live in Rwanda, please book an appointment via phone or through our Contact the Consulate.

If you are not sure whether a name declaration for your child is needed in your case please Contact the Consulate

Fees

• The fee for the name declaration is around 80 Euro. Please note that the German Embassy can only accept cash in RWF. We kindly ask you to provide an exact amount. However, due to exchange rate fluctuations the fee may change slightly without further notice.In addition the German Embassy has to charge a fee for the certification of the photocopies required by the Registrar.
• Your application will then be forwarded to the competent Registrar (Standesamt) in Germany, where it will be processed. The Standesamt (Registrar) in Germany will charge a fee for initiating the procedure and issuing the birth certificate. The fee amounts to about 70-120 EUR. You will have to pay the fee directly to the Registrar's Office in Germany.

Name declaration

Different possibilities include:

1. A child whose parents are married at the time of the child’s birth and who bear a married name (Ehename) will obtain the parents’ married name as birth name. In cases where the parents are married, but do not have a married name, the parents will have to make a name declaration in order for the child to obtain a birth name, even if the child has already been registered abroad under a certain name.
2. A child whose parents are unmarried at the time of the child’s birth will usually have the mother’s surname as birth name. Therefore, if you want the child to have the mother’s name in these cases, a name declaration is not necessary. If the parents want the child to bear the father’s name they will have to do a name declaration.
3. A double name combining the parents’ surnames or the possibility according to Rwandan law to create a name (Eigenname), is usually not possible according to German law.

Required documents

The following documents are required as originals with two photocopies each (please note that Rwandan documents have to be presented in legalized form.

• Valid passports for both parents
• Birth certificates of both parents (Rwandan Certificates must Legalization of Rwandan documentsby the German Embassy)
• Child’s birth certificate (“acte de naissance” - stating the parents’ names) ( must Legalization of Rwandan documents)
• If you wish to make a choice of law declaration (see above, no. 3), proof that the child bears the intended name under the law of the respective country (passport or birth certificate issued by the authorities of that country)
• If you are married: your marriage certificate (Rwandan Certificates must Legalization of Rwandan documents)
• Divorce decree absolute for divorcees (in case of foreign certificates please Contact the Consulate)
• Naturalisation certificate for naturalized German nationals or “Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis” if you have one
• Proof of residence (e.g. utility bill or bank statement)
• A deregistration certificate (“Abmeldebescheinigung”) from your last German residence or a current registration certificate (“Meldebescheinigung”) from your (last) place of residence in Germany (very important!)
• translations of foreign language documents into German by a translator certified in Germany
• Birth certificates (full version - stating the parents’ names) of all other children of the parents including older siblings. (Rwandan Certificates must Legalization of Rwandan documents)

• In case a German spouse was not divorced in Germany, please let the Contact the Consulate in which country the divorce took place and when the petition for the divorce was filed.
• Please note that, as a rule, applicants who are late or do not have the required documentation cannot be seen that day and will have to make a new Appointment.
• Your name declaration will then be forwarded to the competent Registrar (Standesamt), where it will be processed. As soon as the Registrar confirms the name and issues a name confirmation certificate, this will be send to your address and you can then apply for a passport for your child. The Standesamt (Registrar) in Germany will charge a fee for the certificate. You will need the certificate for the passport application.
• Please note that the Embassy cannot predict how long this process will take. Processing times may vary considerably depending on the complexity of the case and the individual Registrar’s Office.