1. Register the birth
Some public hospitals will register the birth and will even hand/send you the birth certificate. Check with your hospital to find out if they offer this service otherwise you will have to do it yourself at the Registry Office (Standesamt) in the district where the birth occurred. This must be done within one week and you should be able to obtain the birth certificate at the same time. You may also be able to use the Digitaler Babypoint online service if you have a Handysignatur.
2. Obtain a birth certificate
If you did not get the birth certificate from the hospital or online, you need to go to the Registry office (Standesamt) near where your child was born, not where you live! Check with the hospital for the right address. Pre-preparation is highly recommended: check carefully which documents you will need, and whether you need translations. See https://www.wien.gv.at/amtshelfer/dokumente/urkunden/standesamt/geburtsurkunde.html for details.
3. Get a registration of residence (Meldezettel) for your child
This can often be done together with the birth registration but can also be completed separately at your local authority (Bezirk- or Gemeinde-amt). The forms can be downloaded online. You should already have a Meldezettel for yourself; this is a similar process. For further details, see: https://www.wien.gv.at/english/living-working/registration/.
4. Register your child with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (MA35)
All foreign nationals, including EU citizens, should be registered at MA35 in some form or other. Your baby also needs to be registered here in order to get their e-card and for you to receive your maternity payments. Remember, check the opening hours before you go; arrive early and be prepared for a (really long!) wait; and preferably ensure you leave with the relevant document, even if it means waiting an additional hour or so. If you are not conversant in German, it is recommended that you take a translator – bureaucrats are not readily willing to speak English. MA35 is a rite of passage for all foreigners in Austria, even newborns and their worn-out parents!
5. Obtain an e-card for your child
Children are attached to the health insurance of both parents and so you must notify your health insurance company/ies of the birth. The Standesamt where you registered your child may do this automatically but this is not the case with all – check with them. The e-card will be sent by post, and normally takes 14 days. For more information, please check: https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/themen/familie_und_partnerschaft/geburt/3/1/Seite.080300.html.
6. Apply for childcare allowance (Kinderbetreuungsgeld)
Once again, you need to contact your health insurance company for this. You need to know which parental leave (Karenz) payment scheme you want (see section on Parental Leave). Be aware of the fact that once you have chosen, you cannot change the model.
7. Register online with the public kindergarten system (MA10)
This can wait a few months unless you plan on having your child start kindergarten early. MA10 is the public kindergarten system, but even if you do not intend to use the public system, you still need a registration number. See Childcare and Kindergarten/Krippe for more information.
8. Have the first pediatrician’s appointment
If your baby’s e-card has not arrived at this point, you can sign a document stating that you will present the e-card within 2 weeks of the appointment. Do not forget your Mutter-Kind Pass so the visit can be documented.
9. Notify your employer of how much maternity leave you plan to take
Ideally, do this a couple of weeks before the end of the Mutterschutz period (normally 8 weeks after the birth).
10. Apply for your child’s passport(s), particularly if you will need it to visit family abroad
MA35 is the place to go for Austrian passports; otherwise, contact your country’s embassy for passport requirements. Enjoy making those first passport photos! Remember that to apply for an Austrian Passport, at least one parent must be an Austrian Citizen.