Surname Change of surname at birth

  • Service description

    If your birth name or the name you used before the marriage or civil partnership was not your family name/ civil partnership name during the marriage (married name) or civil partnership, you have the following options after the divorce or dissolution of the civil partnership:

    • You can take back your maiden name or the name you used until your married name/partnership name was determined.
    • You can prefix or add the following names to your married name/partnership name:
      • Your maiden name or
      • the name used at the time of the declaration on the determination of the married name/partnership name.
  • Procedure

    You can have the name declaration notarised either by a notary or by a registrar. The declaration becomes effective as soon as it arrives at the registry office that notarised the marriage.

    You will receive a certificate confirming the change of your surname.

    The register of marriages/partnerships and the register of births are updated.

  • Responsible office

    Registry office

  • Prerequisites

    • Divorce or
    • Dissolution of the civil partnership
  • Which documents are required?

    • Passport or identity card,
    • if you go to the registry office that keeps the marriage register/register of civil partnerships:
      • Final divorce decree / decision on the dissolution of the civil partnership
    • in addition, if you are attending another registry office:
      • certified printout from the marriage register/register of civil partnerships and the final divorce decree/decree on the dissolution of the civil partnership or
      • Notarised printout from the marriage register/register of civil partnerships with registered divorce/dissolution of civil partnership.
  • What fees are incurred?

    The fee for the declaration is 23.50 euros if it is submitted to the registry office and the municipality has not set a different fee by statute.

  • What deadlines do I have to observe?

    There are no deadlines to be observed.

  • Legal basis

  • Short text

    • Surname Change of surname at birth
    • Have you divorced or ended your civil partnership and would like to change your name? If your birth name or the name you had before your marriage or civil partnership was not your family name (married name or civil partnership name), you can:
      • take back their maiden name or the name they used until their married name was chosen.
      • Prefix or add the following names to the married name:
        • Your maiden name or
        • the name used at the time of the declaration on the determination of the married name.
      • You can discard a companion name prefixed or appended during the marriage.
    • The fee for the declaration is 23.50 euros if it is submitted to the registry office and the municipality has not set a different fee by statute.
    • Responsibility: Registry office
  • Typing

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Responsible departments

Responsible employees