Straight to:
Please read the information thoroughly to find out if a name declaration is required, especially after a birth, marriage or divorce abroad.
If a German citizen is born abroad, the birth may be registered upon request at the competent Registrar’s Office (“Standesamt”) in Germany and a German birth certificate will be issued.
The name of a German national is governed by German law, even if his or her name is shown differently on a foreign birth certificate.
The name of a German citizen does not change automatically by marriage alone. Therefore, a name declaration might be necessary before a German passport can be issued in the new name.
The name of a German national does not change automatically by divorce or death of a spouse. However, after the divorce or death of a spouse, it is possible to change the name back to the maiden name…
The German law on names is comprehensively and fundamentally conclusively regulated by the provisions of the German Civil Code (BGB). The change of name under public law is of an exceptional nature and…