Surname change child - renaming

  • Service description

    If you are entitled to parental custody of a child - alone or jointly with another parent - and your spouse/partner is not a parent of the child, you can give the child that you have taken into your joint household your married name or civil partnership name by making a declaration to the registry office. You can also prefix or append the married name or civil partnership name to the name that the child has at that time.

  • Procedure

    You can submit the declaration of name change at any registry office. The declaration becomes effective as soon as it arrives at the registry office that keeps the birth register entry for the child.

    You will receive a certificate of the name change on request.

    The marriage or civil partnership register and the birth register are updated.

  • Responsible office

    Registry office

  • Prerequisites

    • The spouses or civil partners have a married name or civil partnership name and live in the same household as the child.
    • One spouse or partner has custody, the other is not a parent of the minor child.
    • The other parent must consent to the name change if he or she also has custody of the child (the family court can replace the consent of the other parent if the name change is necessary for the child's welfare).
    • The child must consent to the declaration when he or she reaches the age of five.
  • Which documents are required?

    • Birth certificate of the child
    • Identity cards or passports
    • Marriage certificate
    • Declaration of consent of the custodial other parent
    • Proof of custody
    • Declaration of consent of the child, if applicable

    Further documents may be required in individual cases. You can enquire about these at the registry office.

  • What fees are incurred?

    A fee of EUR 23.50 is charged for the notarisation of the declaration, unless the municipality has set a different fee by statute.

  • What deadlines do I have to observe?

    There are no deadlines to be observed.

  • Legal basis

  • What else should I know?

    If you, your spouse, your partner or your child do not speak German, you must use an interpreter at your own expense.

  • Short text

    • Surname change child - renaming
    • The child's name can be changed if the spouse is not the child's parent and the child is to be given the married name.
    • Prerequisites:
      • The spouses or civil partners have a married name or civil partnership name and live in the same household as the child.
      • One spouse or partner has custody, the other is not a parent of the minor child.
      • The other parent must consent to the name change if he or she also has custody of the child (the family court can replace the consent of the other parent if the name change is necessary for the child's welfare).
      • The child must consent to the declaration when he or she reaches the age of five.
    • A fee of EUR 23.50 is charged for the notarisation of the declaration, unless the municipality has set a different fee by statute.
    • Responsibility: Registry office
  • Typing

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Responsible departments

Responsible employees