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Declaration of consent to an acknowledgement of paternity
If the parents of a child are not married at the moment of the child’s birth, the paternity of the child’s father can only be established by the acknowledgment of paternity.
If the parents of a child are not married at the moment of the child’s birth, the paternity of the child’s father can only be established by the acknowledgment of paternity.
An acknowledgment of paternity usually contains two parts:
- Declaration of the father that his is indeed the father of the child
- Declaration of the mother that she agrees to the paternity
In Canada, both declarations are usually given at the time the birth is registered. As proof of paternity, the official birth certificate is sufficient. The declaration of the father in this form is also valid according to German law. If the mother of the child is not a German citizen, her declaration is also valid in this form in accordance with German law.
- If the mother of the child is a German citizen, and if the child was born in the province of Quebec or New Brunswick, the mother must give an additional declaration of consent in front of German authorities before the paternity can be regarded as valid.
Such a declaration hast to be notarized and, within Canada, can be done at the German consulate in Toronto or Vancouver. If the child is over 18 years old by now, their declaration of consent is also necessary.
All persons who need to give a declaration have to appear in person at the consulate in Toronto or Vancouver. The declaration is subject to a fee.
The following documents have to be presented in advance to prepare the declaration:
- Birth certificate of the child (if born in Canada, the “long form”/“registration of life birth”, issued by the respective province, is required.)
- Valid German passport of the mother
- If the child is older than 18 years: valid German passport
- If applicable: additional documents proving acknowledgment the paternity, if child was born outside of Canada.
If you are unsure whether a declaration of consent to the acknowledgment of paternity is necessary, please also get in touch with the competent consulate.
Once the consulate has reviewed your documents, we will get in touch with you directly to arrange an appointment. Please do not use our online appointment system for matters of paternity.
The declaration of consent has to be notarized before a name declaration or a passport on the name of the father can be applied for.
If necessary, you can book appointments for a name declaration or passport application on the same day as the declaration of consent to the paternity. Please familiarize yourself with the requirements for the name declaration or passport application before you book an appointment.
If you are unable to travel to Toronto/Vancouver, but can travel to Germany, you can give the declaration of consent to the paternity before a German notary public. Please be advised that a notary public will take a fee for the procedure.
