General information

Under German naming law, a person must have at least one forename and one surname. Other countries’ legal systems do not always make this distinction between names. This is the case, for example, in countries where the personal name (chain of names) is taken as a whole (this includes Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Jordan).

Since 24 May 2007, naturalised Germans and others who acquired their name under foreign law and whose name is now subject to German law have been able to adapt their name to German law by making a Declaration of Adaptation of Name under Article 47 of the Introductory Act to the German Civil Code (EGBGB).

As a result, the following adaptation options may be available:

• If, for example, you have a name consisting of several parts that do not function as a forename and surname, you can designate individual name components as your forename and surname (e.g. in the case of Sri Lankan proper names or Arab multi-component names).
• If your name has just one part, you can designate this as either your forename or surname and choose something new for the missing part of the name.
• Parts of a name that are not recognised under German law can be dropped (e.g. a patronymic).
• You can also take the original form of a name that has been altered according to gender or family relationship.
• You can also choose to take the German form of a forename or surname. If there is no German form of the forename, a new forename can be chosen (e.g. “Piotr Meierow” becomes “Peter Meier”).

Other options may also be possible.

The Declaration of Adaptation of Name is a special feature of German law. It cannot be guaranteed that the new name will be recognised outside of Germany, in particular in your former home country.

A Declaration of Adaptation of Name can only be made once and is irrevocable.

What documents are required?

If you want to start preparing what you need for your application, please first read our information about the process involved here.

If you wish to file a Declaration of Adaptation of Name, the following documents are normally required:

• Cover letter
• The form Declaration of Adaptation of Name to German Law, fully and legibly filled in - please write normally (not block capitals) and do not sign the form
• Valid German passport or identity card and other passports, if applicable (the ID page of the passports is all that is needed) and, for Germans who do not also possess British citizenship, proof of residential status in the United Kingdom
• Certificate of naturalisation
• Birth certificate
• Proof of residence in the United Kingdom (e.g. council tax bill or utility bill)
• Certificate of deregistration from Germany or an up-to-date registration certificate from your (last) German place of residence, if applicable
• Marriage certificate, if you are married
• Decree absolute, if you have been divorced; if the divorce was granted abroad, it is essential you read the information on the recognition of foreign divorces on the following page: Marriage-related matters
• If you have children, children’s birth certificates – it is the long version that is needed, which also includes the name of the parents
• Translations of all foreign-language documents (not usually required in the case of international multilingual or English-language birth and marriage certificates)

How do I submit my application?

PLAIN COPIES (not the originals!) of the documents listed must be sent BY POST to the Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh before you book an appointment. Click here for details of what the process involves.

The originals of the documents listed above only need to be presented at your appointment.

Additional documents may be required, depending on the case, and the registry office may ask you for them after you have submitted your application. In particular, you may be asked for German translations of documents (including English-language ones). In addition, apostilles are increasingly being required on foreign documents. Click here for information on applying for apostilles on British documents.

You can find further guidance on name declarations (processing time, fees) here.