In some cases, a name declaration (or birth registration) might be required before a child can be issued a German passport in the desired surname.

Name declaration for children born abroad

A child born to German parents abroad does not always have a surname according to German law and regulations, even if a name has already been entered into a foreign birth certificate e.g. Irish birth certificate. The name of a German child was previously governed by German law, regardless of the entry in foreign birth certificates. On 1 May 2025, the reform of German law regarding married and birth names and of international naming law came into force. This creates new rules and options for both German and binational families.

Is a name declaration necessary?

• Children born abroad before 01.05.2025

The surname of your child born abroad before 1 May 2025 is usually only determined if you as parents have a common married name at the time of birth (e.g. your marriage took place in Germany before birth). In most other cases a name declaration is necessary to choose a surname for your child.

• If the parents are married at the time of the child’s birth

If the parents are married at the time of the child’s birth and they have a joint last name under German law, the child automatically obtains that parent’s last name as its birth name. A name declaration is not necessary in this case. If the parents have declared a joint last name after marrying in Germany, the name has to be documented by the German marriage certificate or a confirmation of the name issued by the German Registrar’s Office.

In cases where the parents of the child are married but do not have a joint last name, a name declaration is generally required, especially if a compound name is desired. For reasons of legal certainty, we generally recommend submitting a name declaration or a birth registration.

If you have already made a name declaration for a sibling of your child, who was also born in marriage, and have chosen German law and the name of the father or mother, this name is binding for all other children without the need for an additional name declaration. In those cases, please provide the confirmation of the name for the sibling when applying for your child’s passport.

Under German law valid until 1 May 2025, your child initially had no birth name, even if you already possessed a foreign (e.g. Irish) birth certificate showing the desired name? As the Federal Foreign Office understands it, the new law is applicable in this case (see below). Other German authorities may take a different view. In such cases we advise that it is essential to retrospectively register the birth in order to obtain legal certainty and avoid problems with future passport applications.

• If the parents are not married at the time of the child’s birth

As a rule, a child born before 1 May 2025, whose parents are not married to one another at the time of the birth, receives the mother’s surname at birth if she has sole custody (which is usually the case in Ireland if the parents are not married). If the mother’s surname is the desired surname for the child, an additional name declaration is not necessary. If both parents wish a different surname, a name declaration can be submitted.

• Children born abroad from 01.05.2025 onwards

From 1 May 2025 onwards, the name of a German citizen is governed by the place of habitual residence. For children born abroad after 1 May 2025, the rules have been simplified compared to previous regulations: If a German child is born abroad as of 1 May 2025 to parents with a habitual residence in the country of birth, the child’s surname at birth will be determined by the law of the parents’ country of residence. The surname stated on the foreign birth certificate in accordance with the law in the country in question is therefore, in most cases, also valid under German law and may be stated in the child’s German passport without any further name declaration. In the future, the name from the Irish birth certificate is therefore also valid in Germany, as a rule.

Example: Marie Becker and Lukas Schmidt, who kept their surnames after getting married, live in Ireland. Their daughter Lena is born there. The name Lena Becker Schmidt was entered on the Irish birth certificate in accordance with Irish law. This name can now be used without any further declaration and the embassy can issue a German passport for Lena with this name.

• There are no longer different rules depending on the parents’ civil status at the time of the child’s birth. From 1 May 2025, the surname entered on the foreign birth certificate in accordance with the law of that country is generally valid (in most cases).

If the parents wish to use a different surname, they can choose the child’s birth name based on the new options available under German law by submitting a name declaration and opting for German law.

Example: Marie Becker and Lukas Schmidt would like their daughter Lena to have the last name Becker, even though the Irish birth certificate states the name Becker Schmidt. In this case, they can choose German law as part of the name declaration and declare that the child should be given the name Lena Becker.

Note: As of 1 May 2025, it will be possible under German law to take a compound surname made up of the surnames of both spouses or parents as the surname at birth of children. However, the surname may not consist of more than two parts. The compound surname may be written either with or without a hyphen.

I want to change my child’s surname. What choices do I have, which law should I choose?

German Law

Under German law, the surname of the mother or the father, that is all or part of the surname, can be chosen as the child’s birth name. As of 1 May 2025, you can also opt for a compound surname, either hyphenated or unhyphenated, for your child. However, the surname may not consist of more than two parts.

Foreign naming law

If one of the parents or the child themselves has another nationality, the naming law of the country whose nationality the parent or child bears can be chosen for the purpose of the child’s name. If for example one parent is an Irish citizen, the parents can choose whether they want German or Irish law governing their child’s birth name. Choosing a foreign naming law may enable a German child to acquire a birth name that may not be permissible under German law. If foreign law is chosen for a name declaration, this choice of name does not extend to other children.

Please provide proof that the desired name is valid under the law of the country in question (e.g. your child’s passport or birth certificate issued by the country whose law you wish to opt for, if you have one).

How do I submit a declaration?

Which application forms do I need to fill out?

Download the declaration form here: Declaration form in German

Please print out the declaration form and complete it carefully. Do not use block capital letters because this could result in deviated spelling.

Where to submit the application?

The Registrar’s Office in Germany that was the last place of residency of the child is responsible for processing the declaration. If the child has never taken up residency in Germany, then the last place of German residence of one parent is responsible. If neither the child nor the parents ever resided in Germany, the Registrar’s Office I in Berlin is the appropriate office for processing the name declaration.

The Embassy Dublin can provide the required signature authentication on the name application form and forward the name declaration to the relevant Registrar’s Office.

Please contact the Consular Section of the Embassy via the contact form to arrange an appointment for signature authentication. If you would like to apply for a new passport at the same time, you can arrange a passport appointment via the following link, Please inform the Consular Section of this appointment using the contact form. We will then check whether the name declaration can be submitted on the day of your passport appointment.

To enable the embassy to prepare your name declaration, please complete the relevant application form, but do not sign it yet, and send it to the Consular Section of the embassy by e-mail before your appointment.

Which documents do I need?

Normally, the following original documents are required to submit the name declaration:

• the completed application form for the name declaration (not yet signed)
• the child’s birth certificate
• birth certificates of both parents
• valid passports or ID card of both parents
• if applicable, deregistration from Germany (“Abmeldebescheinigung”)
• proof of residence in Ireland (e.g. utility bill)
• if applicable, marriage certificate of the parents
• if applicable, proof of joint custody
• if you have other joint children: birth certificates of your children
• any other relevant documents, e.g. regarding name changes, changes in the civil status of the person (e.g. married, divorced, etc), or changes in citizenship

Documents that are not in German or English should be submitted with a certified translation into German. Documents issued outside the EU should be submitted with an apostille or legalisation (if possible).

During your appointment, certified copies of the originals will be made for forwarding them to the Registrar’s Office (for a fee). The originals will be returned to you immediately.

Please note that the responsible Registrar’s Office may request additional documents at a later date.

Procedure, Costs and Duration - Important information

1. Both parents having the custody of the child must be present in person at the appointment, as your signatures on the name declaration must be authenticated. If you child is 14 old or older, it must also be present in person at the appointment. For general information on name declarations for adult children, please click here.

2. Please bring the originals of all required documents with you. The originals will be returned to you immediately.

3. Documents that are not written in German or English must be accompanied by a certified translation into German. However, the Registrar’s Office may also request a translation for English-language documents in individual cases. Occasionally, apostilles or legalisation are also requested for foreign documents.

4. The Embassy in Dublin forwards the declarations and documents you have submitted to the relevant Registrar’s Office in Germany, which can issue a certificate confirming your new name. For the name certificate the Registrar’s Office will charge an additional fee.

5. Data protection information regarding the processing of your personal data can be found here.

6. The fee charged by the Embassy Dublin for the authentication of signatures on the name declaration form is approx. 85,- Euros. In addition, there is a fee of approx. 31,- Euros for the legislation of the copies that must be provided to the Registrar’s office. Please note that the Registrar’s Office will later charge an additional fee. This fee is determined individually by the respective Registrar’s Office.

7. Processing times for name declarations vary depending on the Registrar’s Office.

8. The declaration only becomes effective upon receipt by the competent Registrar’s Office and is subject to a further comprehensive legal review there.

9. A name declaration may also be necessary under certain circumstances if a passport has already been issued in the corresponding name, but the submission of a name declaration was omitted at the time.