Who is in charge of name declarations/ civil status certificate applications?

It is normally the registry office in your last place of residence in Germany that is responsible for processing your declaration. If neither party to the application has ever lived in Germany, the responsible registry office will be Standesamt I in Berlin. In many cases, you can hand in your declaration in person at the registry office if you are in Germany. In that case, please get in touch with the concerned authority directly to enquire about the required documentation and to arrange an appointment.

Information on handing in your application at a German Mission

The German missions in the UK do not process civil status applications and name declarations themselves, but can, if you wish, forward them to the registry office responsible. The German missions can also advise you on the consequences of your name declaration under German law.

Please note that it is required to get your application checked prior to booking an appointment.

Please send plain photocopies (not originals!) of the required documents to the relevant mission:

Please do not send your documents more than once as this would lead to extra work on our side and does not accelerate the process.

Please note that the processing time at the London Embassy depends on the individual case, but is on average about four months. The whole process (including the processing time at Embassy and later at the registry office) usually takes six to twelve months, but is on average about two to four months. Please refrain from update enquiries.

If you have posted your application to us, we will contact you in due course. Upon confirmation you will be able to book an appointment. After you appointment, the application will be sent to the German registry office where the final processing takes place.

Application categories and declaration forms