You must apply for the name change in writing to the competent authority. For minors, the legal representative submits the application. To change the name of an entire family, one application is sufficient, on which all those affected are listed. A corresponding form is available from the relevant office or can be downloaded.
Explain the reasons for your application in detail. The authority must weigh up all the circumstances of the individual case and make a decision. The longer the name has been used, the greater the public interest in retaining the name.
The competent authority then carries out the necessary investigations. In the case of persons over 14 years of age, it involves various authorities, such as the police. It obtains information from the debtor register at the local court and, if necessary, from other authorities.
If the requirements are met, you will receive a document about the name change. The change of name becomes effective upon notification. The notification takes place when the responsible office sends you the notification of the name change.
Please note: If another person is involved (e.g. the other parent in the case of a name change for a child after the parents have divorced), you will initially only receive a notification of the name change. This will state that you must wait until the name change can no longer be contested by legal means. In these cases, the name change becomes effective under the following conditions:
- The other person involved accepts the name change or
- the objection authority or the courts confirm it.
The name change authority notifies other bodies of the name change. These include
- the registration office,
- the registry office that keeps the birth register
- the registry office that keeps the marriage register (if the spouses' married name is changed or established)
- the competent authority that was involved in the establishment of the civil partnership (in the event of a change or determination of the civil partnership name of the civil partners) Civil partners).
As soon as the name change has taken effect, you must have various documents (identity card, passport, driving licence, vehicle registration document) changed. You must apply for these changes yourself.