Family name change
If a change of surname is desired outside the provisions of civil law (i.e. not, for example, on marriage or divorce), this must be applied for as a change of name under public law at the competent authority.
Which documents are required?
- Application with
- a statement of the important reasons
- a statement as to whether a change of name has been applied for before, if so, when and with which competent authority
- a declaration that the applicant is aware that the change of name or the rejection or withdrawal of the application is subject to a fee
- Proof that the applicant is either German within the meaning of Art. 116 Para. 1 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany or stateless, a homeless foreigner, a foreign refugee or a person entitled to asylum, e.g.
- Extract from the family register,
- certified copy from the family register,
- certificate of citizenship,
- passport, travel document, identity card or child ID card
- certified copy of the birth entry for the applicant and for all persons to whom the change of surname is to apply; the documents must be recent.
- If the applicant is or was married, the marriage certificate or a certified copy from the family register.
- In the case of a change of name for family law reasons, a certified copy of the family register that was continued as the marriage entry or the family register extract of the family whose name the applicant wishes to adopt must also be submitted.
- for persons who have reached the age of 14:
- Certificate of good conduct (document type O)
The documents should be submitted in the original. All application documents remain with the responsible office. The original documents submitted will be returned once the copies have been certified.
In individual cases, further documents and evidence may be required to process the application. Information on this can be obtained from the responsible office.
Requirements
- German within the meaning of Article 116 (1) of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (GG), stateless persons, homeless foreigners, foreign refugees or persons entitled to asylum
- Existence of an important reason, which must be explained in detail in the application
For the following reasons for change, further requirements apply, which are included in the respective benefit:
- Declaration by displaced persons, ethnic German repatriates, their spouses and descendants
- Declaration on the name of spouses
- Declaration on the name of life partners
- Subsequent declaration of a joint family name
- Reassumption of the birth name
- Change of a child's surname
What are the fees?
The amount of the fee depends on the administrative effort and the significance, economic value or other benefit of the official act for the applicant.
Process flow
The legal representative (father, mother, guardian, custodian) submits the application for a person with limited legal capacity. A guardian or custodian requires the approval of the guardianship court. The approval of the guardianship court and proof of the result of the guardianship court hearing of the applicant must be attached to the application.
Further questions regarding the application will be answered by the responsible office.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
Deadlines may have to be observed. Please contact the responsible office.
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Who should I contact?
Responsibility lies with the municipality, the joint municipality and the town in which the applicant is resident.
Responsible authorities
Gemeinde Rhede (Ems) - Standesamt
Timetable
Timetable
recipients: Gemeinde Rhede (Ems)
bank: Emsländische Volksbank
IBAN: DE08266614940000164300
recipients: Gemeinde Rhede (Ems)
bank: Sparkasse Emsland
IBAN: DE06266500010017000019
Paypal, Sepa Direct Debit, Bank Transfer, Cash Payment, Bill
Contact
- Rhede (Ems):
- Acknowledgement of paternity
- Application for exemption from presentation of the certificate of marriageability for foreign nationals.
- Application for issuance of a German death certificate in case of death abroad
- Application for the issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage for German nationals, stateless persons, homeless foreigners or foreign refugees within the meaning of the Convention on the Status of Refugees with Habitual Residence in Germany
- Apply for a certificate of notification of death
- Apply for a death certificate
- Applying for a civil partnership certificate
- Applying for a civil partnership certificate for a civil partnership entered into abroad
- Birth Indication
- Birth certificate issuance
- Birth certificate issuance at home birth
- Birth registers
- Conversion of an existing domestic civil partnership into a marriage Application
- Death abroad - application for certification
- Declaration of resignation from the church
- Declaration of the right to a name
- Declaration on the use of the name - Declaration on the use of the name of spouses without a domestic marriage or marriage entry
- Establishment of a civil partnership Notarisation
- Family book: Exhibition
- Family name change
- Home Birth Ad
- Intended for deletion - marriage consummation with custodial partner
- Intended for deletion - marriage consummation with divorced or widowed partner
- Issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage for stateless persons, persons entitled to asylum, recognised refugees and persons whose nationality cannot be ascertained, with habitual residence in Germany
- Marriage consummation only for German citizens
- Marriage consummation with foreign partner
- Multilingual form for issuing death certificates
- Marriage consummation with same-sex partner
- Maternity recognition
- Notification of a death
- Register marriage
- Rhede (Ems):
- Acknowledgement of paternity
- Application for exemption from presentation of the certificate of marriageability for foreign nationals.
- Application for issuance of a German death certificate in case of death abroad
- Application for the issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage for German nationals, stateless persons, homeless foreigners or foreign refugees within the meaning of the Convention on the Status of Refugees with Habitual Residence in Germany
- Apply for a certificate of notification of death
- Apply for a death certificate
- Applying for a civil partnership certificate
- Applying for a civil partnership certificate for a civil partnership entered into abroad
- Birth Indication
- Birth certificate issuance
- Birth certificate issuance at home birth
- Birth registers
- Conversion of an existing domestic civil partnership into a marriage Application
- Death abroad - application for certification
- Declaration of resignation from the church
- Declaration of the right to a name
- Declaration on the use of the name - Declaration on the use of the name of spouses without a domestic marriage or marriage entry
- Establishment of a civil partnership Notarisation
- Family book: Exhibition
- Family name change
- Home Birth Ad
- Intended for deletion - marriage consummation with custodial partner
- Intended for deletion - marriage consummation with divorced or widowed partner
- Issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage for stateless persons, persons entitled to asylum, recognised refugees and persons whose nationality cannot be ascertained, with habitual residence in Germany
- Marriage consummation only for German citizens
- Marriage consummation with foreign partner
- Multilingual form for issuing death certificates
- Marriage consummation with same-sex partner
- Maternity recognition
- Notification of a death
- Register marriage
- Rhede (Ems):
- Acknowledgement of paternity
- Application for exemption from presentation of the certificate of marriageability for foreign nationals.
- Application for issuance of a German death certificate in case of death abroad
- Application for the issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage for German nationals, stateless persons, homeless foreigners or foreign refugees within the meaning of the Convention on the Status of Refugees with Habitual Residence in Germany
- Apply for a certificate of notification of death
- Apply for a death certificate
- Applying for a civil partnership certificate
- Applying for a civil partnership certificate for a civil partnership entered into abroad
- Birth Indication
- Birth certificate issuance
- Birth certificate issuance at home birth
- Birth registers
- Conversion of an existing domestic civil partnership into a marriage Application
- Death abroad - application for certification
- Declaration of resignation from the church
- Declaration of the right to a name
- Declaration on the use of the name - Declaration on the use of the name of spouses without a domestic marriage or marriage entry
- Establishment of a civil partnership Notarisation
- Family book: Exhibition
- Family name change
- Home Birth Ad
- Intended for deletion - marriage consummation with custodial partner
- Intended for deletion - marriage consummation with divorced or widowed partner
- Issuance of a certificate of no impediment to marriage for stateless persons, persons entitled to asylum, recognised refugees and persons whose nationality cannot be ascertained, with habitual residence in Germany
- Marriage consummation only for German citizens
- Marriage consummation with foreign partner
- Multilingual form for issuing death certificates
- Marriage consummation with same-sex partner
- Maternity recognition
- Notification of a death
- Register marriage