Change surname of a child by naming

You can change your child's name if your spouse is not the child's parent and you want your child to have your married name.

You can submit the declaration of your child's name change at any registry office. The validity of the submitted name declaration is checked by the registry office that keeps the birth register for the child. From there you will receive a certificate of the name change or a new birth certificate.

The custodial parent(s), the spouse and, if the child is over 14 years old, also the child must appear in person at the registry office for the naming.

You can submit the declaration of your child's name change at any registry office. The validity of the submitted name declaration is checked by the registry office that keeps the birth register for the child. From there you will receive a certificate of the name change or a new birth certificate.

• The spouses have a married name and live in a common household with the child.
• One spouse is entitled to custody, the other is not the parent of the minor child.
• The other parent must agree to the name change if he or she also has custody or if the child bears his or her name.

• Birth certificate child
• Identity cards or passports
• Marriage certificate
• Declaration of consent of the other parent if he or she is also entitled to custody or if the child bears his or her name
• Proof of custody
• if applicable, declaration of consent of the child

In individual cases, further documents may be required. You can ask for these at the registry office.

The submission of a family law declaration costs €25.00 in Thuringia. If the declarations are made separately in time, e.g. because the other parent wants to give consent at a different registry office, this declaration costs an additional €25.00 in Thuringia. A newly issued birth certificate showing the change of name costs 10.00 €.

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

Thuringian Ministry of the Interior and Local Affairs

30.08.2022