What are you looking for?

Content
Number of results found No suitable keywords found. Please enter your complete search term.

Navigation

Welcome

Naming law and name declarations

Article

Surnames that appear on foreign documents and certificates are not always automatically valid under German law. You may need to make a name declaration to register the desired name.

The reform of German naming law came into force on 1 May 2025. Among other things, it is now possible for spouses and children to take a compound surname under German law.

Further information is available from the Federal Ministry of Justice, which has published FAQs on the new law.

The information provided here on naming law is not legally binding, but has been carefully compiled for you and is regularly updated. The legal situation has changed frequently, may keep changing, and some elements are subject to different interpretations.

Article

Name declaration for minor children

Up until now, the name a German child can take has been governed by German law, regardless of what was written on a foreign birth certificate.
Article

Name declaration for adult children

A name declaration may also be necessary in the case of a child of legal age who is applying for a German passport for the first time. In addition, since 1 May 2025, people of legal age can redefine their current birth name once in accordance with the new options through a name declaration.
Article

Declaration of married name

The surname of a German citizen generally does not change automatically as a result of marriage. For this reason, a name declaration may be required before a passport can be issued for you in your new chosen name.
Overview "Consular services"
Top of page