Please find information on the reform of the German naming law here.

Name Declaration for Spouses

The name of a German citizen does not automatically change through marriage.

Do we have to submit a name declaration?

If both spouses wish to have the same name, they have to specify a shared name. If the spouses are married in Germany, they can specify which name they will use during the civil wedding ceremony. The shared name is then stated on the marriage certificate.

Starting May 1, 2025, under German law the married couple will be able to specify a joint last name formed from the two last names. However, the name cannot consist of more than two parts. Joint last names can be written with or without a hyphen.

Also, as in the past, only one name can be designated as the family name. The spouse whose name does not become the married name can add his or her maiden name or birth name with a hyphen in front or behind the married name.

For spouses who already use a married name, there is a transition rule allowing them to create a hyphenated married name from both last names.

If the spouses do not specify a shared married name, they continue to use the last names they have each been using to date.

For Germans living abroad, there is an important change in private international law regarding the right to bear a name.

Starting May 1, 2025, spouses can choose their future name in accordance with the law of the country

1. to which one of them belongs or

2. in which one of them has their habitual residence

at or after the wedding ceremony by declaration at a registry office.

If your spouse is a New Zealand citizen and you choose New Zealand law to govern the selection of your married name, you can use any name you wish.

Previously, this name was not possible under German law, which is why a name declaration was required. With the change in private international law, this is no longer necessary and the married name on the marriage certificate is automatically deemed valid in Germany, if the wedding took place after May 1, 2025. It should be noted that the married name must be stated on the marriage certificate. The subsequent married name on a New Zealand driver's license or a New Zealand passport in the case of a New Zealand-German dual national can be adopted without a name declaration. For exclusively German nationals, a name declaration is still required if the subsequent married name is to be adopted.

The above also applies to registered same-sex partnerships.

If the German spouse was previously married and divorced abroad, please refer to the information regarding recognition of divorces obtained abroad on this page

Which documents do we need to complete?

Download the declaration form here.

Please print out the declaration form and complete it carefully. Do not use block capital letters because this could result in deviated spelling.

How do we have to submit the declaration?

The Registrar’s Office in Germany that was the last place of residency of one of the spouses is responsible for processing the declaration. If neither of the spouses ever resided in Germany, the Registrar’s Office I in Berlin is the appropriate office for processing the marriage registration.

The German Embassy however does not process the declarations, but forwards them, to the appropriate Registrar’s Office in Germany.

Both spouses need to be present during the appointment, since both of their signatures on the form must be notarized.

What documents do we need?

Please present one completed application form as well as the documents mentioned below in the original. Copies are made at the German Embassy/office of the Honorary Consul and then certified for a fee.

• marriage certificate of the spouses
• passports of both spouses
• birth certificates of both spouses
• If you have children: birth certificates of your children
• if applicable, divorce decree
• if applicable, deregistration from Germany (“Abmeldebescheinigung”)

The Registrar’s Offices in Germany have the right to request apostilles and translations of all foreign documents. It is up to the discretion of the competent Registrar’s Office whether the documents are accepted with or without an apostille and translation.

Please see further information on obtaining apostilles: here

What is the fee for a marriage name declaration?

During your appointment at the Embassy, you initially only pay the fee for certifying your signature(s) and the copies of the supporting documents. You can pay the fee in cash in NZ-Dollars at the current exchange rate or with credit card (Visa or Mastercard, the amount will be charged in Euros):

A certificate about the validity of the name declaration can be ordered, which is recommended for future passport applications. The fee for the issuance is set by each Registrar’s Office individually. A certificate about the validity of the name declaration can be ordered, which is recommended for future passport applications. The fee for the issuance is set by each Registrar’s Office individually.

On 14.09.2024, the new fee schedule for Berlin registry offices came into force with an amending ordinance for the implementation of the PStG, which provides for the following important change for name declarations:

If, before a name certificate is issued, the validity of a declaration on the use of a name must be checked on the basis of family law regulations and no German civil status register entry exists, the registry office will now charge a processing fee of €80. This should be the rule for name declarations to Standesamt I in Berlin. In addition, there is a fee for the name certificate (as before €12).

This fee cannot be paid at a diplomatic mission abroad, but must be paid directly to the relevant registry office. Upon receipt of your declaration form, you will receive a request for payment from the registry office.

How long will it take to process the name declaration?

The processing time depends on the Registrar's Office in charge and varies significantly from city to city.