Documents & ID
How long does a Geburtsurkunde take?
Estimated wait
1 day – 21 days
Typically ~14 days
Based on published sources
Timeline guide
- Faster cases~8 days
- Average cases~14 days
- Slower casesUp to 21 days
If you don't know which office holds the record, locating it can add weeks (Berlin and Munich cite up to 8 months for the paid search service). That search time is not the normal issuance time.
Ordering a copy of an existing birth certificate online or by post takes roughly 1–2 weeks of processing plus a few days' postal transit — Munich officially states "about two weeks plus mail". At the register office (Standesamt) counter it is usually issued the same day.
More details
The processing clock starts only once the right Standesamt — the one that registered the birth — receives a complete, paid request.
Sources
Last updated: 10 Jul 2026
Information is for general knowledge only.