Certificate Service — Civil Registry Research
The bridge between the civil registry and the parish book.
If the oldest ancestors you know of were born after 1925, online sources no longer reach back far enough — and German civil registry offices release records only to direct descendants.
With your power of attorney we contact the competent authorities and obtain the birth, marriage and death certificates of your parents and grandparents — the anchor for deep research in the parish books.
Pilot phase — the first orders are handled by hand so we can refine the process with real registry offices. Processing takes up to 12 weeks.
Why this service?
Online sources such as digitized parish books and FamilySearch reliably reach back to around 1875. Before that we find ancestors in the parish books, often into the 16th century.
The gap sits in between: births, marriages and deaths between roughly 1900 and today are documented in the civil registry offices — and that data is protected by the German Civil Status Act. Direct descendants may request it; nobody else.
If all you know are your parents’ or grandparents’ birth dates, our online research often has nothing to latch on to — the oldest anchor sits too close to the present. Certificates from the registry office move that anchor back a generation, and the deep research can begin.
How it works
01
You give us the target persons
In a short form you name the parents or grandparents whose certificates you want — with place of birth or death as far as you know it. We identify the competent registry office ourselves.
02
You confirm the power of attorney by email
For direct ancestors (parents, grandparents) a written authorization is enough. You receive a confirmation link and thereby declare that we may enquire on your behalf.
03
We file the applications
For each certificate we write a complete application with reasoning, the power of attorney and proof of your identity. Filed via the authority’s own portal, by email, or by registered post.
04
The certificates land in your chronicle
Incoming certificates are scanned, transcribed and tied into your chronicle as sourced evidence. The parents and grandparents named become the new anchor for the next generation.
Prices
All prices include registry-office fees, postage, drafting the applications and tracking them. See the FAQ for the refund policy if a certificate cannot be found.
Single
one certificate
$129
One specific certificate from one civil registry office.
- Up to 1 certificate
- Fees and postage included
- We handle the power of attorney
- Auto-bridge into your chronicle
Recommended
Lineage
up to 5 certificates
$449
One complete ancestral line (e.g. parents + grandparents on your father’s side).
- Up to 5 certificates
- Fees and postage included
- We handle the power of attorney
- Auto-bridge into your chronicle
Family
up to 12 certificates
$949
Several lines — typically four grandparents plus their birth, marriage and death certificates.
- Up to 12 certificates
- Fees and postage included
- We handle the power of attorney
- Auto-bridge into your chronicle
Add-On
Add-On to the Premium Chronicle
The Family bundle at −20%, booked together with a Premium chronicle.
$949
$759
−20% bundle
GDPR-compliant
Processed in the EU under a standard data-processing agreement; data is deleted once the order is complete.
12-week SLA
Registry offices take 3–8 weeks. If it runs longer, we escalate or refund the tier price.
Refund guarantee
80% refund for certificates that cannot be found, 100% if access is refused under a blocking period despite a valid power of attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this service for?+
For anyone whose oldest known ancestors were born after roughly 1925. In that corridor online sources (parish books, registers) do not yet reach back, and the civil registry offices release data only to direct descendants. With your power of attorney we bridge the gap.
Which certificates can you obtain?+
Birth, marriage and death certificates of your direct ancestors. The German Civil Status Act imposes blocking periods (births 110 years, marriages 80 years, deaths 30 years). Within those periods records are released to direct descendants only — exactly our field of work.
What kind of power of attorney do you need?+
A simple written authorization. You confirm by email that we may obtain records from the registry office on your behalf. Some authorities may require notarization — in that case we tell you and discuss the cost with you.
How long does it take?+
Registry offices typically take 3–8 weeks to answer, depending on the region and the effort involved. We follow up automatically when processing runs long. SLA: 12 weeks, after which there is an escalation or a refund.
What happens if the certificate cannot be found?+
If the registry office cannot locate a certificate (for example because it was lost in the war), we refund 80% of the tier price per certificate not found. If access is refused under a blocking period despite a valid power of attorney: 100% refund. Hard costs (fees, postage) are not refundable in the event of a refusal.
Can you also enquire in Austria or Switzerland?+
We are building the service out for Germany first. Austria and Switzerland will follow — write to us if you have a specific need and we will move your case up.
Can I combine this with a chronicle?+
Yes — the certificate service is designed as an add-on to the Premium family chronicle and then costs 20% less. The ancestors found become the anchor for deep research in the parish books.
Important legal notice
We can only request certificates of your direct ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents), because the German Civil Status Act imposes blocking periods. Records concerning siblings, cousins or more distant relatives are generally not available. In borderline cases we get in touch before filing.
For details see Terms of Service § 9 and Privacy Policy, section 4b.
Ready to close the gap?
Ordering takes two minutes: pick a tier, enter your contact details, pay. We settle the rest by email.
Order now