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Birth Bureaucracy
There is a fair bit of paperwork that needs to be completed before and upon the birth of your child. Hopefully the following notes will be of some help. Although it is often stated that foreign language documents (birth/marriage certificates) have to be officially translated, our experience is that this is not necessary (at least for documents in English). The documents should be acquired in the order they appear below.
Baby Package (Wäschepaket)
If you have a baby in the city of Vienna, you are entitled to a free box of baby goodies from the Viennese government. As long as you are a registered Vienna resident and have completed the first two checks in your Mutter Kind Pass, you are entitled to the package regardless of whether you have private or state medical insurance. There are two packages to choose from: the baby package or the toddler package. Most mothers opt for the baby package which includes all sorts of useful things including a blanket, various items of clothing, muslin cloths, hat, rattle, socks and a nappy/diaper rucksack.
To register for the baby package you should visit a Department for Children and Family (Amt fuer Jugend und Familie – Mag Elf) social worker in a Parent-Child Centre (Eltern Kind Zentrum – see below for locations) or the hospital you will be giving birth in (see here for details) before you give birth. You need to bring along your Meldezettel (residency certificate) and Mutter Kind Pass. In return you get a card which you must remember to take with you to the hospital. While you are there, a social worker will come around and give you the package when you present the card. If you had a home or ambulant birth (going home shortly after the birth) or gave birth in a hospital where the packages are not distributed, you can pick up the package from your nearest Parent-Child Centre. You will need your Mutter Kind Pass, the birth certificate of the baby, and your meldezettel.
Eltern-Kind Zentren:
5th District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Ziegelofengasse, Ziegelofengasse 24-26
10th District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Katharinengasse, Katharinengasse 16
11th District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Rosa-Jochmann-Ring, Rosa-Jochmann-Ring 5/Stiege 13
12th District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Längenfeldgasse, Längenfeldgasse 28
16th District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Ottakringer Straße, Ottakringer Straße 194-196
21st District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Anton-Bosch-Gasse, Anton-Bosch-Gasse 29
22nd District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Langobardenstraße, Langobardenstraße 128/Stiege 10
23rd District
Eltern-Kind-Zentrum Rößlergasse, Rößlergasse 15
Birth Certificate (Geburtsurkunde)
Where to go | Registry office (Standesamt) for the district in which your baby was born (Note: Not the district in which you live) |
What to take | If parents are married - Birth certificates of parents - Marriage certificate of parents - Proof of parents nationality - Residence registration of parents (Meldezettel) If mother is unmarried - Birth certificate of mother - Proof of nationality of mother - Residence registration of mother (Meldezettel) Acknowledgement of paternity - Personal appearance of father - Father's birth certificate - Proof of nationality of father - Residence registration of father (Meldezettel) |
Cost | Free |
Comments | - Documents are sent by the hospital directly to the responsible Standesamt so you will need to allow two or three days after the birth for this to happen. - The baby must be registered within one week of the birth - You will also receive a separate confirmation of birth to present to the Krankenkasse if you are claiming maternity pay (Wochengeld) - If your baby is born in the AKH you can register the birth there. |
Residence Registration of the Child (Meldezettel)
Where to go | There are two possibilities. If you complete a residence registration form beforehand (generally in hospital), the meldezettel can be acquired at the registry office (Standesamt) at the same time as picking up the birth certificate. Otherwise, you must make a separate trip to your local Vienna District office (Bezirksamt) or for outside Vienna at the local authority (Gemeindeamt) |
What to take | - Meldezettel form - completed - ID with photo of the person registering the child - Birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) of the child |
Cost | No charge |
Comments | - Within three days of returning from hospital - Residence registration forms are available at the district offices, registry offices, most maternity wards or can be downloaded from the internet |
National Health Insurance (Sozialversicherung)
Where to go | Your employer or the local office of the Gebietskrankenkasse (Bezirksstelle) |
What to take | - Birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) of child |
Cost | No Charge |
Comments | - Your child can be added to either the mother or the father's insurance if both parents have their own Krankenkasse insurance - Once registered, the child will be sent an e-card - Registration with the Krankenkasse should take place as soon as possible after the birth - This step is not necessary if you have private insurance only |
Proof of Nationality (Staatsbuergerschaftsnachweis)
Where to go | Austrian Nationality: - Registry office (Standesamt) if you are registering the birth at the same time, otherwise in the District office (Bezirksamt) or in the Staatsbürgerschaftsevidenz in the 20th district. All other nationalities: - Relevant embassy/consulate |
What to take | Austrian Nationality: - Birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) and residence registration of (Meldezettel) of child, proof of nationality and marriage certificate of mother and father All other nationalities: - As per instructions from your embassy |
Cost | Austrian nationality: - Euro 26.40 |
Comments | - If at least one parent holds Austrian nationality, you can apply for Austrian nationality for your child |
Full Maternity Pay (Wochengeld)
Where to go | Local office of the Gebietskrankenkasse (Bezirksstelle) |
What to take | Applying for Wochengeld before the birth: - Salary confirmation for maternity pay (from your employer) - Confirmation of the estimated due date from your doctor Applying for Wochengeld after the birth: - Birth certificate of child - Confirmation from hospital if you had a caesarean or a multiple birth (Bescheinigung) |
Cost | No Charge |
Comments | - In Austria, working parents with Krankenkasse insurance are not allowed to work from 8 weeks prior to the estimated due date until 8 weeks after the birth (or 12 weeks if the birth was by caesarean and/or a multiple birth). This period is known as Mutterschutz. - During Mutterschutz, Wochengeld is paid instead of a regular income. - The amount is based on the average pay over the past three months plus an additional amount to cover the 13th and 14th payments. |
Child Support (Familienbeihilfe)
Where to go | Local tax office (Wohnsitzfinanzamt) – documents can also be sent by post |
What to take | Details of the following documents must be given on the form but need not be provided with the application: - Birth certificate of child - Marriage certificate |
Cost | No Charge |
Comments | - Child support is paid to all families where at least one parent has a Krankenkasse insurance - The amount is determined by the age of the child. In 2008, the monthly amount for a child aged 0-3 was €105.40 - The application form can be found in the package presented to new mums by the Vienna government (Waeschepaket) - Paid for two months in advance |
Maternity Benefit (Kinderbetreuungsgeld)
Where to go | Maternity Office of the National Health Insurance (Karenzstelle der Gebietskrankenkasse) – 1070, Andreasgasse 3 or the equivalent if you are insured under a different system. |
What to take | - Passport of mother - Confirmation of entitlement to child support (Bestaetigung der Familienbeihilfe) - Birth certificate of child - Application form or will be sent by post if you have been claiming Wochengeld |
Cost | No Charge |
Comments | - Any mother in a family that is claiming family benefit (Familienbeihilfe) is eligible to claim maternity benefit. - The laws relating to Kinderbetreuungsgeld changed from January 1, 2008. There are now three possible options for claiming maternity benefit: 1. 30 plus 6 - €14.53 per day (ca. €436 per month) claimed until the child is 30 months old. If both parents share the maternity leave this amount can be claimed until the child is 36 months old. 2. 20 plus 4 - €20.80 per day (ca. €624 per month) claimed until the child is 20 months old. If both parents share the maternity leave this amount can be claimed until the child is 24 months old. 3. 15 plus 3 - €26.60 per day (ca. €800 per month) claimed until the child is 15 months old. If both parents share the maternity leave this amount can be claimed until the child is 18 months old. - You have to choose and stick with one of the above options. - To qualify for the full kinderbetreeungsgeld, you have to provide evidence that you have been to regular medical checks with your child by sending in pages from your Mutter-Kind-Pass (when you do this differs between the options). Failure to do so will result in the monthly payment being reduced. - While claiming maternity benefit, your earnings may not exceed €16,200 per year. |
Embassies in Vienna
You will have to call your home country's Embassy or Consulate to find out how to obtain Proof of Nationality for your child. Here is a handy list of all Embassies and Consulates in Vienna to make it easy to find phone numbers and Web sites.