Before a German passport can be issued, the name of a person according to German law must be clarified. If you have a German birth certificate, the name is usually already established. Therefore, we recommend having foreign births also registered in Germany.

A name declaration is generally necessary after marriage or divorce if a new married name is to be adopted or a previous married name is to be abandoned (e.g. after a divorce).

Changes in German Name Law from May 1, 2025

On May 1, 2025, a law will come into effect in Germany that will bring significant changes to name law, particularly for Germans living abroad.

It affects both birth names and name changes, such as after marriage. In most cases, there will be no automatic change, and you will need to actively submit a new name declaration.

Here you will find more detailed information about the changes.

Since this law changes both the applicable law (e.g., German name law, Canadian name law) and, in German law, allows for hyphenated surnames for married couples, it is recommended to submit a name declaration, possibly in connection with the re-registration of a birth.

You can find an overview of the required documents here.