Adoption Vermittlungsakten Einsicht erhalten

As an adopted person, you can inspect the files on the mediation of your adoption yourself from your 16th birthday. Unless the interests of other affected persons – such as those of your biological parents – conflict with or outweigh the insight.

If you want to find out about your family background as an adopted child, you must contact the adoption agency that arranged your adoption. As a rule, these offices belong to the youth welfare offices, but there are also adoption agencies of independent carriers, for example the churches.

The specialists at your placement office will let you view the files, support you in your research and will be available to answer your questions.

An inspection of the file is not possible for you if there are overriding personal interests of persons involved.

In individual cases, the adoption agency may endeavour to ensure that your biological parents and siblings also have access to the files. However, there is no right to inspect files for members of your family of origin.

The register of births is kept by the registry office responsible for a person's place of birth.

A long retention period for adoptions files was only introduced at the beginning of 2002. If the adoption took place a long time ago, there may no longer be any mediation files.

If the adoption took place before 1977, no adoption agency was involved. At that time, a notarial contract was sufficient, which the district court had to confirm. In this case, an inquiry may refer you to the court involved.

• Proof of one's own identity by
  • Identity card
  • Passport or
  • similar document

• If you would like to consult the mediation files:
  • You are
    • have been adopted and at least 16 years old, or
    • Parents who have adopted your child and have custody of your child
• If you would like to receive the information or documents from the registry office:
  • Documents from the civil register at the registry office can be requested:
    • parents who have adopted their child,
    • their parents,
    • legal representation of the child and
    • the child at least 16 years old.
  • After the death of the child, information from the civil status register may also be obtained:
    • other persons to whom the entry in the register relates (i.e. the biological parents) and
    • their spouses, life partners, ancestors and descendants.
• Other persons have a right of access if they demonstrate a legal interest.

There are no costs for the inspection of the adoption placement file.

The fees for activities of a registry office are regulated by state law and therefore vary from state to state.

If you wish to inspect your placement file as an adopted person, please contact the competent adoption agency directly:

• Before a personal visit, you should make a telephone request and make an appointment.
• The competent adoption agency will give you and your parents with custody, as far as this is possible in individual cases, access to the files on the placement of your adoption.
• The specialists will inform you about your origin and life situation, provided that they have information about it and do not conflict with the interests of other people.

There are no deadlines.

• Action before the administrative court if the adoption agency of a youth welfare office denies access to files or the provision of information from the civil register
• Action before the district court if the adoption agency of a free carrier – such as a church – refuses to inspect the files

• Grant access to mediation files
• Access to the placement files for adopted children from the age of 16
• Access to the mediation files for parents who have adopted their child
• Insight can be denied if the interests of other affected parties speak against it
• responsible: Adoption agency through which adoption was mediated

Forms available: No
Written form required No
Informal application possible: Yes
Personal appearance required: No

Online services available: No