Name: Subsequent determination of a common married name after marriage in Germany

Procedure

The relevant declarations must be made in person at the registry office.

• In the case of determination of the married name:
  Joint declaration by both spouses.
• In case of addition of a name to the married name or re-adoption of the original name:
  Declaration by the corresponding person.

All declarations are publicly recorded by the registry office.

More information

The civil registry office that keeps the marriage register is responsible for the "receipt" and thus for the effectiveness of the declaration. However, the declaration can be made at any domestic registry office.
Example: The marriage was entered into at the registry office in Cologne, but the spouses both live in Bremen.

The registry office in Bremen can record the declaration and then sends it to the registry office in Cologne. The declaration becomes effective the moment it is received by the registry office.

The certified copy of the marriage register to be submitted should not be older than six months.