If your habitual abode is in Uganda, you can acknowledge paterinty in accordance with German law at the German Embassy in Kampala. The requirement for this is that your case has a certain connection to Germany. This is usually the case if one of the parties involved has German citizenship.

If you would like to acknowledge paternity or consent to an acknowledgement of paternity, please send an email with the subject “Acknowledgement of Paternity” with scans of the following documents (in PDF format) in advance to the German Embassy in Kampala using visa@kamp.diplo.de. We will prepare the notorizations and contact you to make an appointment.

Case constellation 1 – German father + Ugandan mother

• Current non-marriage certificate of the child's mother (visit the URSB website)
• Current passport/ID copies of both parents (personal data pages)
• Birth certificate of both parents
• Child’s birth certificate (a verification will be required if it is a Ugandan birth certificate; for more information on verification of ugandan documents click here)
• Details of the place of residence and contact addresses of both parents

Case constellation 2 – Ugandan father + German mother

Note: If an unmarried German mother resides in Uganda, acknowledgement of paternity cannot be certified under German law (Article 19 Para. 1 EGBGB).

• Current passport/ID copies of both parents (personal data pages)
• Child’s birth certificate (a verification will be required if it is a Ugandan birth certificate; for more information on verification of ugandan documents click here)
• Details of the place of residence and contact addresses of both parents

Case constellation 3 – Prenatal recognition of paternity

• Current pregnancy certificate/current medical certificate confirming the pregnancy
• Current passport/ID copies of both parents (personal data pages)
• Birth certificates of both parents
• Details of the place of residence and contact addresses of both parents
• If applicable, non-marriage certificate (only required for Ugandan mothers)
• Note: the acknowledgement of paternity is not possible if the German mother habitually resides in Uganda, see 2.

In individual cases, additional documents may be required, e.g.:

• Certificate of naturalization if one parent acquired German citizenship through naturalization.
• Divorce decree if the child's mother was previously married and this marriage was dissolved through divorce.
• Death certificate of the spouse if a previous marriage was dissolved by death.

Documents to be submitted (1 original + 1 copy):

1. Complety filled-in questionnaire for document verification (see downloads); if necessary including a sketch map
2. Valid passport (colour copy of personal data page, page with signature of the issuing authority)
3. Long birth certificate
4. Marriage certificate or non-marriage certificate (not older than 6 months)
5. School certificates, if necessary university degree certificates
6. if applicable, wedding photos
7. if applicable, divorce certificate
8. if applicable, affidavit

Please take note of the Information in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) about the necessity of data transfer to third countries.

Documents to be submitted (1 original + 1 copy):

1. Complety filled-in questionnaire for document verification (see downloads); if necessary including a sketch map
2. Valid passport (colour copy of personal data page, page with signature of the issuing authority)
3. Long birth certificate
   
4. Court order for custody, if applicable: death certificate of the deceased parent
   
5. School certificates
   

Please take note of the Information in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) about the necessity of data transfer to third countries.

Documents to be submitted (1 original + 1 copy):

1. Complety filled-in questionnaire for document verification (see downloads); if necessary including a sketch map
2. Valid passport (colour copy of personal data page, page with signature of the issuing authority)
3. Long birth certificate of the ugandan parent
   
4. Long birth certificate of the child
   

Please take note of the Information in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) about the necessity of data transfer to third countries.

Documents to be submitted (1 original + 1 copy):

1. Complety filled-in questionnaire for document verification (see downloads); if necessary including a sketch map
2. Valid passport (colour copy of personal data page, page with signature of the issuing authority)
3. Long birth certificate of the ugandan spouse
   
4. Ugandan marriage certificate
   
5. Wedding photos

Please take note of the Information in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) about the necessity of data transfer to third countries.

Documents to be submitted (1 original + 1 copy):

1. Complety filled-in questionnaire for document verification (see downloads); if necessary including a sketch map
2. Valid passport (colour copy of personal data page, page with signature of the issuing authority)
3. Long birth certificate of the ugandan parent
4. Long birth certificate of the child
   
5. if applicable: Marriage certificate of the parents

Please take note of the Information in accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) about the necessity of data transfer to third countries.

If you got married in Uganda, it is advisable to have your marriage registered in Germany as well. Having a German marriage certificate will simplify other processes when you return to Germany.

With effect from January 1, 2009, family registers will no longer be kept in Germany; existing family registers will be continued as marriage entries. Instead, marriage registers are created and maintained at the registry offices.

The following documents are required to apply for marriage registration (1 original + 1 copy):

• Completed and signed application for certification of a foreign marriage in the German marriage register (see downloads; Note: application form is available only in German)
• If necessary, proof of name declaration in the marriage (see downloads; Note: application form is available only in German)
• Ugandan marriage certificate
• Proof of the nationality of both spouses (e.g. passports, certificates of naturalisation if not nationality since birth)
• Birth certificates of both spouses
• If applicable: divorce decree, marriage certificates of previous marriages, death certificates
• If the marriage was not concluded in Germany or Uganda: non-marriage certificate from the respective home country

Important information:

Please also note that documents that are not issued in German, English or French must first be translated by a translator based in Germany.

Verification of Ugandan documents: Requirements for the legalization of public documents from Uganda are not met at the moment. Ugandan documents can therefore be checked for authenticity, legal conformity and correctness of content at the discretion of the responsible German authority if they are to be used in the German jurisdiction. Further information can be found under the keyword verification.

Name declaration: If the application of the registration of your marriage in the German marriage register also includes a name declaration, the application must be signed by both spouses and certified by the diplomatic mission abroad. In this case, both spouses must be present. If you only want to apply for the registration of your marriage in the German marriage register, only one spouse must be present. A public certification is not necessary in this case.

Fees: The diplomatic mission abroad will forward your application to the relevant registry office in Germany. If you still are or were registered in Germany as your place of residence, the respective registry office at your place of residence is responsible for the entry in the marriage register. Otherwise, the registry office I in Berlin is responsible.

If the application needs to be certified by the diplomatic mission abroad, a fee of €79.57 at the current exchange rate of the Embassy Kampala in Uganda shillings will be charged. Fees can only be paid in cash and not by credit card.

Furthermore, the responsible registry office charges a fee for entry in the marriage register and for issuing German marriage certificates. These fees are subject to the applicable state law.

Please also note the information on property law for marriages in the following section.

If you need a certificate of no impediment for a marriage abroad, you must apply for this at your registry office in Germany. If you live in Uganda, you can download the application for a marriage certificate from the downloads below (please note the application form is only available in German) and submit it to the embassy.

To have your signature authenticated, please book an appointment using our online booking system. For the authentification of the application, the embassy charges a fee of EUR 56.43 at the current exchange rate of the Embassy Kampala in Uganda shillings. Fees can only be paid in cash and not by credit card.

You must then forward your application to the relevant registry office in Germany. If you still are or were registered in Germany as you place of residence, the respective registry office at your place of residence is responsible for the entry in the marriage register. Otherwise, the registry office I in Berlin is responsible.

For children of German citizens born in Uganda, it is advisable to have the child's birth recorded in the German birth register. If you still are or were registered in Germany as your place of residence, the respective registry office at your residence is responsible for the entry in the marriage register. Otherwise, the registry office I in Berlin is responsible.

Recording the birth of a German child born in Uganda can also be done by the German diplomatic mission abroad. There is generally no deadline for registering a birth in the German birth registry, but it is advisable to register the child as soon as it is born. If the mother and father do not have a common family name at the time of the child's birth, a name declaration is usually required.

The following documents are required to apply for a birth certificate (1 original + 2 copies):

• Completed application form to record an oversee's birth abroad in the German Birth Register (see downloads; Note: application form is available only in German)
• Long birth certificate of the child
• Parents' birth certificates
• Proof of the parents' nationality (passport/citizenship card)
• if applicable, the child’s passport
• if applicable, marriage certificate of the parents
• if applicable, divorce decree from one parent
• if applicable, death certificate of one parent
• if applicable, acknowledgement of paternity
• if applicable, custody decision
• if applicable, name declaration (see downloads; Note: application form is available only in German)
• if applicable, certificate of citizenship

In individual cases, additional documents may also be required.

Important information:

Please also note that documents that are not issued in German, English or French must first be translated by a translator based in Germany.

Verification of Ugandan documents: Requirements for the legalization of public documents from Uganda are not met at the moment. Ugandan documents can therefore be checked for authenticity, legal conformity and correctness of content at the discretion of the responsible German authority if they are to be used in the German jurisdiction. Further information can be found under the keyword verification.

Name declaration: If your application includes a name declaration or you also want to apply for a passport at the same time, both parents must be present. Otherwise only one parent must be present. A public certification is not necessary in this case. The name declaration requires certification from the foreign mission however.

Fees: The amount of fees to be paid (including for the issuance of respective documents) depends on the regulation of the respective federal states and can usually be found on the homepage of the responsible registry office. The current fees in the state of Berlin can be found on the website of the registry office I in Berlin using the following link.

The fees will be requested separately. Please wait for the payment request and do not make an advance payment of the fee.

For the certification of the photocopies of the documents €24.37 at the current exchange rate of the Embassy Kampala in Uganda shillings will be charged.
If the application includes a name declaration which needs to be certified by the German embassy, a fee of €79.57 at the current exchange rate of the Embassy Kampala in Uganda shillings will be charged. Fees can only be paid in cash and not by credit card.

Please note that the processing time at the registry office I in Berlin can be up to 2 years.