Documents (birth, marriage, death) - retroactive issuing of civil status documents

General requirements

The original birth certificate, marriage certificate or death certificate must have already been issued at an earlier date.

The following persons have a right to the issuing of civil status documents:

The persons concerned, their spouses, ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.) and offspring (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.), not their siblings.
Persons who can prove a legal interest except if the interests of the person concerned are worthy of protection.
Authorities and public bodies for the implementation of laws.

The term "document" also includes transcriptions from the birth, marriage and death registers as well as international documents.

Documents required

Please bring a valid official photo documentation to your personal appointment.

Contact

Birth and death after 31 December 1938, marriage after 31 July 1938

Documents are available at the registry office that first issued the civil status document. Marriages between 1 August 1938 and 31 December 1938 took place at regional district offices (Bezirkshauptmannschaft). The registers for this period are available at the registry offices of the town or district where the marriage took place.

Birth and death before 1 January 1939, marriage before 1 August 1938

Documents are available from the competent church offices (Roman Catholic parishes, Protestant parishes, Old Catholic parishes, Greek-Orthodox church, Jewish Community).
If the person concerned was not a member of a church at the time of their birth, marriage or death, or if the bridal couple or parents of a child (birth) were members of different churches, the documents are available at the civil status register (Zivile Altmatrik) of Municipal Department 35, Dresdner Straße 93, 1200 Vienna, Phone +43 1 4000-35089, Fax +43 1 4000-99-35070, E-mail: post-stb@ma35.wien.gv.at.
Documents of persons registered in the Austrian military register (Österreichische Militärmatrik) are available at the Austrian State Archives (Österreichisches Staatsarchiv), Nottendorfer Gasse 2, 1030 Vienna, Phone: +43 1 795 40-0. Exception: There were civil registers (Zivilregisterführung) from 1 October 1895 in all former Hungarian regions that today form part of Burgenland. Civil status documents for this region are available at the registry offices of the town or district where the birth, marriage or death took place.

Please note: Many registry offices that may be mentioned in original civil status documents were merged and do not exist any longer. To find the competent registry office please see Historische Wiener Standesämter (in German - overview of past and present registry offices in Vienna).

Public hours: Monday to Friday 8 am to 12 noon, Thursdays 3.30 pm to 5.30 p.m.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 7.30 am to 3 pm, Thursdays 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm
Exceptions: opening hours on Good Friday, Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year’s Eve (31 December) from 8 am to 11 am, closed on public holidays
Please note: Thursday afternoons are usually very busy and you should expect some waiting time.

Fees

The fee for written applications (letter, fax, e-mail, online order) is at EUR 14.30. There is no fee for applications in person or by telephone.
There is an additional fee of EUR 9.30 for each civil status document.
There is a fee of EUR 10.40 for transcriptions from the family register (marriages before 1 January 1984).
The registry office contacts you in writing regarding the fee for written applications.
There are no fees for authorities and public bodies that apply for the issuing of documents.

Billing and payment (German)
For questions about payment please contact: Municipal Department 6 - Accounting Department 40 (German).

Deadline

Documents are issued immediately if you go to the registry office in person. Documents that were ordered in writing (letter, fax, e-mail, online order) are sent to you by registered mail.

Please note

If a birth, marriage or death has been registered at a registry office in Vienna, you can get the civil status document at any registry office in Vienna if you go there in person.

Loss of documents (German)

A separate permit is required when filming with animals. Please allow for enough processing time, keep in mind the relevant deadlines and legal requirements: Animal welfare provisions for events involving animals (German)