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FAQ
Frequently asked questions about naming law, name declarations and more.
Please understand that we may choose not to respond to questions already answered on our website.
Click on the questions below to find out more
You can obtain a German birth certificate by retrospectively registering your birth. More information can be found here.
Are the circumstances listed on our website applicable in the case of your child?
- You need to file an application for retrospective registration of the birth so your child will become a German national and be able to apply for a German passport.
Are these circumstances not applicable?
- Retrospectively registering the birth makes it easy to apply for a passport and helps ensure any visits to German government agencies in general go smoothly. However, retrospective registration of the birth is not obligatory in your case. Consequently, you are not obliged to submit a German birth certificate when applying for a passport.
No. The name on your German birth certificate is also valid for your passport.
It is not obligatory for other German authorities to use the name shown on a German passport. Every Passport Section has to check, among other things, what your name is currently under German law.
You can usually apply for a passport in the same name. It occasionally happens, though, that the registered name is later found not to be valid (yet). Before applying for a passport, please read the information on our website about names and name declarations carefully.
Your German passport can only show your current name under German law. If you want to change your name under German law, you can only apply for a German passport in your new name once the name change process is complete.
If you think your existing name has been written wrongly on your passport, please contact the Passport Section using the contact form.
There are various ways to change your name under German law. Please read the information on this on our website carefully.
Only your current name under German law can be used on your German passport. It is not generally a problem for the German authorities if someone with dual nationality has a different name under British law.
However, we are aware that people sometimes encounter problems/questions from the British passport office (HMPO) the next time they apply for a passport. Please contact the British authorities directly for detailed information.
We generally recommend having all your official documents in the same name.
No, unfortunately that is not possible.
If none of the civil-law options set out here applies to your situation, a name change under public law is your only possible route. However, there are strict criteria to be met. You do not have an automatic right to change your name. You van find more information about changing one’s name under public law here.
Please also be aware that only the competent authorities in Germany can make binding decisions on names.
No. You keep the name you were using under the law of the country you were previously a citizen of. Therefore you can apply directly for a German passport in that name. If you wish to change your name after naturalisation, you will have to do so under German law.
You can choose a forename and surname from your existing chain of names by means of a “declaration of adaptation of name”. You can find the information you need here.
You can retrospectively register your birth so as to obtain a German birth certificate, which serves as official proof. Further information can be found here.
If you wish to officially notify German authorities of your name, you can apply for a German birth certificate – even if you already possess a German passport.
In short, having a German birth certificate will make life easier for you/your child in future.
You can generally also use your foreign, e.g. British, birth certificate in dealings with German authorities. But different countries usually have different laws. This means the details appearing on foreign birth certificates cannot always be re-used for German passport applications.
German authorities automatically accept German birth certificates. It is easier, then, for you to apply for a German passport. If, for example, you move to Germany, it may also make dealing with other German authorities, German universities or German employers easier. What’s more, German authorities will not need proofs of authenticity like apostilles or translations if a German birth certificate is available.
Another benefit of retrospectively registering your birth in the German register of births is that the existence of a register entry in Germany makes it easier for future descendants to prove they are of German descent and/or prove their birth name if, for instance, they wish to apply for German passports or documents.
When retrospectively registering a birth, you can also file a name declaration at the same time. So it is advisable to also do the name declaration when you apply to retrospectively register a birth. Detailed information on registering a birth can be found here.
You can obtain a German birth certificate by retrospectively registering your birth. Further information can be found here.
Please note that the registry office is likely to have to conduct extensive checks which may prove lengthy and expensive. On the other hand, having a German birth certificate would help you avoid any problems or requests for various additional documents whenever you apply for a passport in future.
No, you do not need to notify the German Embassy or the Consulate General in Edinburgh of your marriage. But if you would like to have a German marriage certificate, the marriage must be retrospectively registered in the German marriage register. You can find more information on registering a marriage here.
If you wish to change your name following your marriage, you can file a declaration of married name. You can find out about declarations of married name here.
General information about the process involved and appointment booking can be found here.
German authorities automatically accept German marriage certificates. If, for example, you move to Germany or have a lot of dealings with German authorities, having a German marriage certificate will make life easier for you. What’s more, German authorities will not need proofs of authenticity like apostilles or translations if a German marriage certificate is available.
If you acquired a married name abroad, the German marriage certificate would also serve as official proof of your surname.
There is a lot of information on these subjects on our website. Please read it all through carefully first, as your question might be answered there.
If your question is not answered on our website, we are happy to advise you on the matter. You are also welcome to contact the relevant registry office in Germany directly, as the registry office is responsible for handling applications regarding retrospective registrations and name declarations and taking all decisions on these. This is normally the registry office in your last place of residence in Germany or the registry office that issued your document. Detailed information can be found here.
Please note that our Honorary Consuls are not able to advise on family law matters.
Please send us the documents first for preliminary checking. You will receive an email from us when the preliminary checks are complete and you can book the appointment. Information about the process involved and appointment booking can be found here.
Please first send us the documents that you do have for preliminary checking. Please explain briefly in your cover letter why the document in question is missing. We will contact you if we have any questions.
Missing documents can result in problems at the registry office. For this reason, please make sure your documentation is as complete as possible.
Detailed information about the process involved and appointment booking can be found here.
Please first send us the documents for both matters together for preliminary checking. You will receive an email from us when the preliminary checks are complete or if we need further information. Further information about the process involved and appointment booking can be found here.
We will send you an email shortly confirming receipt of the documents. It will also give an indication of how long it will take to process the application (normally up to 3 months) and tell you your case reference number at the German Embassy London. We will be in touch once we have examined your case. Please do not enquire about the progress of your case as this will delay processing.
Further information about the process involved and appointment booking can be found here.
Your choice of married name is generally irrevocable for as long as the marriage exists. Exception: You chose a married name prior to May 2025. In that case, as of 1 May 2025 you can take up the option offered by the new naming law to revoke your married name or specify a new compound name by means of a joint declaration.
Both parents/ spouses have to have their signature on the form authenticated. Therefore, please tell us in your cover letter if your spouse or the other parent lives in a different country. Then we can give you more information.
No. We will gladly advise you, but it is the registry office that makes any official decisions regarding your name declaration.
You pay a fee to the Embassy in London, the Consulate General in Edinburgh or to one of the Honorary Consuls for the authentication of your signatures and documents. This fee is charged regardless of the outcome of the declaration and therefore cannot be refunded if the declaration is rejected.
When you file a name declaration you pay fees for the authentication. This is necessary to enable the registry office to process your application without you having to travel to Germany and go to the registry office in person.
The registry office charges separate fees for processing your application and issuing the required documents or certificates.
“Birth name” is the family name or (colloquially) surname shown in the register of births. It is normally derived from the name of one’s parents.
“Married name” is the shared family name used by a married couple. It is derived from the name of one or both spouses and is entered in the German register of marriages when you get married in Germany or retrospectively register a marriage that took place abroad.
“Civil partnership name” is the joint family name used by registered civil partners. The rules are the same as for a married name.
“Accompanying name” is the part of the family name that a spouse or civil partner can add to the joint name.
“Family name” is a general term referring to the surname currently in use. It may be the birth name, or the married or civil partnership name with or without an accompanying name.
A change of name by deed poll under British law without any recognisable connection to an event in family law is not generally recognised in Germany.
If you have changed your name by deed poll, please note that your name/ your child’s name has not changed under German law.
If none of the civil-law options set out here applies to your situation, a name change under public law is your only possible means of changing your name under German law. However, there are strict criteria to be met. You do not have an automatic right to change your name. You can find more information about changing one’s name under public law here.
Your child may have acquired German citizenship through adoption.
If you already have a German birth certificate or a recognition decision from a German court including the desired parents, your child is also German and you can apply directly for a German passport for your child.
If not, please DO NOT book a passport appointment yet. The reason is that, if you adopt a child abroad (including the United Kingdom), the authorities first have to check whether the adoption can be recognised under German law. Therefore please get in touch with the team for civil status matters using the contact form on our website.
You can only apply for a German passport once that is done.
Surrogacy is prohibited under German law (as in many other, but not all, countries). Specifically, medically assisting with egg and embryo donation is an offence under section 1 of the Embryo Protection Act (Embyronenschutzgesetz), and the placement of surrogate mothers is an offence under section 13c of the Adoption Placement Act (Adoptionsvermittlungsgesetz). However, neither the surrogate mother nor the prospective parents entering into a surrogacy arrangement are liable to prosecution in Germany. This is one of the main reasons why babies are born - legally according to the law in force there - to surrogates abroad.
For this reason we strongly advise you to look into this in detail and possibly consult a lawyer. If the child has already been born, please get in touch with the team dealing with civil status matters using the contact form on our website.
Information on the Self-Determination Act, which also applies to German nationals abroad, can be found here.
If you do not have a German birth certificate, you can apply for a certificate of validity in the declaration form. This will enable you to apply for a German passport with your new details.
You want a German birth certificate showing your current details, and already have the abovementioned certificate? You can retrospectively register your birth and fill in the form with your current details. Please send us a copy of the certificate for our preliminary checks. Further information can be found here.
You want to file a declaration under the Self-Determination Act and apply for a German birth certificate at the same time? Please contact us beforehand so we can give you more information.
No, a declaration under the Self-Determination Act only relates to the forename and gender entry in the civil status records.
However, since the new naming law came into force on 1 May 2025, according to the FAQs of the Federal Ministry of Justice, people who have changed their gender entry are able to adapt their surname by name declaration to match their current gender entry.
There are various ways to prove the authenticity of a foreign document for German authorities. Further information can be found here.
No. Unfortunately, only British authorities are able to provide definitive information on British law and the actions of the authorities.
There have been frequent changes to the legislation, with more changes to come, and some elements are subject to different interpretations. In particular, on 1 May 2025 the reform of German naming law came into force, offering new options regarding choice of name.
We update the information on our website regularly. We can only ever provide information on the situation at the time. Thank you for your understanding.