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Change first name

Service Description

If you want to change your first name, there must be an important reason that justifies the name change. An important reason exists if the private interests of you as the bearer of the name, which are worthy of protection, in the change of name outweigh the following

  • the public interest or
  • a private interest of a third party in retaining your name.

A name change is not possible if you do not like your name, for example in the case of names of foreign origin. A name change is also not justified if you want to make identification by creditors more difficult.

Process flow

You must apply for the change of your first name in writing.

  • Ask your competent authority for the application form or download it and fill it out completely. For minors, the legal representative makes the request.
  • State in detail the reasons for your request. The authority must weigh and decide, taking into account all the circumstances of the individual case. The public interest in retaining the name weighs more heavily the longer the name has been used.
  • Your competent authority collects an advance on fees and then carries out the necessary investigations. In doing so, it involves various agencies, such as the police, in the case of persons over 14 years of age. It obtains information from the debtors' register at the local court and, if necessary, from other offices.
  • If the requirements are met, you will receive a certificate of the name change. The name change becomes effective when the certificate is handed over. Otherwise, you will receive a notice of refusal.
  • The name change authority will notify other authorities of your name change. These include
    • the registration office,
    • the registry office that keeps the birth register,
    • the registry office that keeps the marriage register or the civil partnership register.
  • Once the name change has taken effect, you must have various documents (identity card, passport, vehicle registration document) changed. You must apply for these changes yourself.

Note: If another person is involved, for example the other parent when changing the name of a child after the parents have divorced, you will initially only receive a notice of the name change. This will state that you must wait until the name change can no longer be challenged 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 opposition authority or the courts confirm the name change.

Who should I contact?

Please contact the relevant registry office in your municipality for the application.

Competent authority

The counties or independent cities are responsible for processing the application.

Requirements

  • You have German citizenship.
  • You are entitled to asylum, a foreign refugee, a stateless person, a homeless foreigner or a quota refugee.
  • There is an important or serious reason justifying the change of name. Important reasons are, for example:
  • religious motives,
  • if the name is a trigger for psychological problems (for example by association)
  • if there is a danger of confusion
  • if the name sounds offensive or ridiculous and is awkward to pronounce or complicated to write, or
  • after a sex change.
  • For children over 1 year of age and younger than 16, you may change the first name only for serious reasons in the best interest of the child.
  • For persons who have reached the age of fourteen, a certificate of good conduct.
  • For a person with limited legal capacity, the legal representative makes the application (father, mother, guardian, custodian); a guardian or custodian requires the approval of the guardianship court for this. A person with limited legal capacity who has reached the age of 16 must be heard by the guardianship court on the application. 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.

Which documents are required?

  • Registration certificate and valid official photo ID (identity card, passport)
  • Excerpt from the birth register (available at the registry office of the place of birth)
  • in the case of stateless persons: travel document or entry of the foreigners authority in the passport or passport substitute
  • for homeless foreigners or persons entitled to asylum: entry of the foreigners authority in the passport or passport substitute
  • for foreign refugees: Entry of the aliens' authority in the passport or passport replacement.
  • The application must contain a statement as to whether a change of name has been applied for previously, if so when and with which authority.
  • The applicant must also declare that he/she is aware that the change of name or the rejection or withdrawal of the application is subject to a fee.
  • For persons who have reached the age of fourteen, a certificate of good conduct.

For additional documents, please inquire in advance with the name change authority responsible for you.

Please note:
The documents should be submitted in the original in each case. All application documents remain with the authority. The original documents submitted will be returned to you after the copies have been certified.

What are the fees?

The amount of the fee depends on the administrative effort and the importance, economic value or other benefit of the official act for the applicant In case of rejection of the application, a fee in the amount of 10 to 50 percent of the administrative fee is incurred.

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

There are no deadlines to be observed.

Processing duration

The processing time is about 6 months.

Legal basis

Appeal

Forms: Application for name change (available for download on their website or upon request, depending on the responsible office).

Online procedure possible: no

Written form required: yes

Personal appearance required: no

What else should I know?

First call your local authority to find out whether the application has a chance of success.

Note: If the change is successful, you will incur follow-up costs because you will have to reapply for documents, such as your ID card or passport.

Comments

For more information, visit the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Author

The text was automatically translated based on the German content per DeepL.

Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)

Competent Authority

Standesamt

Address
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07768 Kahla
Telephone
036424 77340
Telephone
036424 77341
Fax
036424 77104
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https://www.kahla.de
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