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Please read the information thoroughly to find out if a name declaration is required, especially after a birth, marriage or divorce abroad.
The changes to German naming law for married and birth names and to private international law as of 1 May 2025 are outlined below.
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 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…