Dienstleistungen
Apply for a name change in accordance with the Name Change Act
You can only have your surname and first name changed in exceptional cases.
Please note: Name changes of Germans by foreign authorities are invalid in Germany.
This does not apply if the requirements of the International Convention on the Change of Surnames and First Names of 4 September 1958 are met.
Responsible department
depending on where you live, either the city administration or the district office
Details
Prerequisite
- You have German citizenship.
- You are entitled to asylum, a foreign refugee, a stateless person, a homeless foreigner or a quota refugee.
- You live or usually reside in Germany.
- There is an important reason that justifies the change of name.
An important reason exists if the private interests of the name bearer worthy of protection in the name change outweigh- the public interest or
- a private interest of third parties in retaining the name.
An important reason may exist, for example, if the surname
- sounds offensive or ridiculous or
- causes significant difficulties in spelling or pronunciation,
The name change must not create a false impression of family connections.
It is also out of the question if you do not like your name, for example in the case of names of foreign language origin. A name change is also not justified in the following cases: You want to
- make identification by creditors more difficult,
- to prevent a name from dying out.
First names of children between the ages of one and 16 may only be changed for serious reasons in the best interests of the child.
Procedure
You must apply for the name change in writing to the competent authority. For minors, the legal representative submits the application. To change the name of an entire family, one application is sufficient, on which all those affected are listed. A corresponding form is available from the relevant office or can be downloaded.
Explain the reasons for your application in detail. The authority must weigh up all the circumstances of the individual case and make a decision. The longer the name has been used, the greater the public interest in retaining the name.
The competent authority then carries out the necessary investigations. In the case of persons over 14 years of age, it involves various authorities, such as the police. It obtains information from the debtor register at the local court and, if necessary, from other authorities.
If the requirements are met, you will receive a document about the name change. The change of name becomes effective upon notification. The notification takes place when the responsible office sends you the notification of the name change.
Please note: If another person is involved (e.g. the other parent in the case of a name change for a child after the parents have divorced), you will initially only receive a notification of the name change. This will state that you must wait until the name change can no longer be contested by legal means. In these cases, the name change becomes effective under the following conditions:
- The other person involved accepts the name change or
- the objection authority or the courts confirm it.
The name change authority notifies other bodies of the name change. These include
- the registration office,
- the registry office that keeps the birth register
- the registry office that keeps the marriage register (if the spouses' married name is changed or established)
- the competent authority that was involved in the establishment of the civil partnership (in the event of a change or determination of the civil partnership name of the civil partners) Civil partners).
As soon as the name change has taken effect, you must have various documents (identity card, passport, driving licence, vehicle registration document) changed. You must apply for these changes yourself.
Deadlines
none
Required documents
- valid identification document (e.g. passport, identity card)
- Proof of residence or habitual abode (e.g. identity card, registration certificate)
- notarised copy of the birth register of the applicant and all persons to whom the change of surname is to apply
- certified copy from the marriage register if the applicant was or is married
- Certificate of good conduct for persons who are at least 14 years old
- Declaration as to whether the applicant has previously applied for a change of surname
If this is the case, you must also provide this information:- the administrative authority to which the previous application was submitted and
- the decision taken by the authority
Note: In certain cases, further documents may be required. It is therefore recommended that you obtain information on this from the competent authority at an early stage.
Note: If your eligibility to apply is based on a special status (e.g. as a person entitled to asylum), you must prove this with the document provided for this purpose.
The authority may request proof of income if this is necessary for the assessment of the fee.
Costs
The amount of the fees depends on the fee statutes of the local authority responsible.
Miscellaneous
none
Legal basis
Namensänderungsgesetz (NamÄndG):
- § 11 Gesetz über die Änderung von Familiennamen und Vornamen
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Innenministerium Baden-Württemberg, 04.03.2025
