Determine married name

As a married couple, you can also keep your old last name.
Or you can decide:
We want a common married name.
This can be your last name from birth.
Or that of your spouse.
Or it can be the current last name of one of the spouses.

Tip:
There are many possibilities for the name.
Sometimes there are special features.
For example, in the case of foreign spouses-partners.
Or if the spouses partners have children together before the wedding
.
We recommend:
Get advice from the registry office before making your decision.

You can determine the common marriage name
even after the wedding.
There is no time limit for this.

Have you been married before?
And have taken the name of the last spouse.
Then this name can also be the married name for you and your new spouse.
You can then have a companion name.
So a double name.

You have decided on a married name together?
Then you can no longer change it.

Do you have children together with your spouse?
Then the children also get the married name.
Sometimes, however, the parents have different surnames.
Then you have to decide at the birth of the first child:
Which name should the child get as a surname?
The name of the father or of the mother?
This decision is then also valid for further children.

When you marry, you tell the registry office:
We want to have this name as the marriage name.
Do you want to determine your marriage name only after the marriage?
Then you can do this at the registry office
or at a notary's office.
For this one says: make a declaration.
You must then submit the declaration to the registry office,
where you had the marriage.

For married couples from abroad the rules
from your home country apply.
At least one of the marriage partners has his habitual residence
in Germany?
Then the couple can choose:
Do we want the rules from our home country
or do we want the German rules.

Important:
In this case both marriage partners have to talk together with the registry office.

Both spouses must bring these documents:

• A valid identity card or a valid passport.

In case of a name change after the marriage:
the marriage certificate or a certified copy
from the marriage register.
(You can get this at the registry office,
where you had the marriage ceremony.)

Note:
You may also need to show other documents.
However, we can clarify this only during the personal conversation
in the registry office.

A name change costs 40 euros.

The rules are in this law: § 5 paragraph 1 PStGDVO

 Registry office Stuttgart
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Botnang
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Degerloch
 Registry office Stuttgart-Feuerbach
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Hedelfingen (15Hed-3)
 Registry office Stuttgart-Möhringen
 Registry office Stuttgart-Mühlhausen
 Registry office Stuttgart-Münster
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Obertürkheim
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Plieningen-Birkach
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Sillenbuch
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Stammheim
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Untertürkheim
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Vaihingen
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Wangen
 Registry Office Stuttgart-Weilimdorf
 Registry office Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen

Translated and checked by Braunschweiger Büro für Leichte Sprache
© Lebenshilfe Braunschweig
Images © Lebenshilfe für Menschen mit geistiger Behinderung Bremen e.V.,Illustrator Stefan Albers, Atelier Fleetinsel, 2013