The time it takes to get a birth certificate varies significantly depending on the country and region:
- In Germany, processing times vary by location. Generally, it takes about 2 to 5 days in some regions, but in bigger cities like Berlin, it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks or even longer in some districts. Some reports mention waiting times from 1 week to 2 months depending on the Standesamt (registry office) and location
- In Australia (Victoria), it usually takes up to 14 days (2 weeks) for a birth certificate, but for newborn birth registration and certificate, it can take up to 28 days (4 weeks)
- In New South Wales, Australia, processing times for newborn birth certificates are up to 4 weeks online, up to 5 weeks by post, and priority services can reduce this to 2 weeks
- In California, USA, the average processing time for a certified copy of a birth certificate is about 7 to 9 weeks
Summary by location
Location| Typical Processing Time
---|---
Germany (varies)| 2 days to 6 weeks (up to 2 months in some cases)
Victoria, Australia| Up to 14 days (2 weeks); newborns up to 28 days (4 weeks)
New South Wales, Australia| Up to 4-6 weeks depending on application method
and priority
California, USA| 7 to 9 weeks
Thus, the time to get a birth certificate depends largely on the local registry office's workload and procedures, with some places offering faster turnaround (a few days) and others requiring several weeks or even months.
