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  4. Declaration under naming law - gender-adapted form of the marital name (Ehename) according to Sorbian tradition and foreign legal systems

Declaration under naming law - gender-adapted form of the marital name (Ehename) according to Sorbian tradition and foreign legal systems

Namensrechtliche Erklärung - Geschlechtsangepasste Form des Ehenamens nach sorbischer Tradition und ausländischen Rechtsordnungen
Machine translation of the German page, 2026-09-15. The German original is binding.
Married couples may use their Ehename (married name) in a gender-adapted form. This applies to members of the Sorbian ethnic group as well as to people whose home country provides for gender-adapted naming or whose name is traditionally used in a gender-specific form in another state. The declaration regarding the gender-adapted form of the name must be made by the spouse who wishes the change. The other spouse's consent is not required. It can be revoked once. After that, a new determination of a gender-adapted form of the name is no longer permitted. Without a declaration, the Ehename (married name) remains unchanged. The declaration can be made before or after the marriage. Even in the case of marriages concluded abroad, a subsequent adaptation is possible, provided it was not already made at the time of the marriage.

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Requirements

• Existing marriage The name adjustment can be declared at or after the marriage. After a dissolution of the marriage it remains possible, as long as the married name is retained. • Affiliation or origin One of the following requirements must additionally be met: • One of the spouses belongs to the Sorbian people. • The spouse has a migration background and their country of origin provides for the use of a gender-specific name. • The married name is traditionally used in a gender-specific form in a foreign legal system. • Public certification The declaration on the use of the gender-adapted married name must be publicly certified. • Interpreter www.justiz-dolmetscher.de/Recherche/ If one of the declaring persons does not have sufficient command of the German language, an interpreter must be brought in at their initiative and expense.

Documents you need

• Erklärung über die Anpassung des Ehenamens an die geschlechtsspezifische Form (Ehenamenserklärung – declaration on adapting the marital name to the gender-specific form) You can submit the declaration in person. • Identity card or passport of the person making the declaration • Marriage certificate (if required) If the marriage took place abroad, an official translation is additionally required. This does not apply, however, if it is an international (multilingual) certificate.

Fees

• None: for an Ehenamenserklärung (declaration of married name) made as part of the marriage • 25.00 euros: for a subsequent declaration of married name • 12.00 euros: certificate of name usage

Legal basis

• Gesetz zur Änderung des Ehenamens- und Geburtsnamensrechts und des Internationalen Namensrechts [Act Amending the Law on Marital Names and Birth Names and the International Law on Names] www.recht.bund.de/eli/bund/bgbl-1/2024/185 • Personenstandsgesetz (PStG) [Civil Status Act] § 41 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstg/__41.html • Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB) [Civil Code] § 1355b www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1355b.html • Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz LPartG [Civil Partnership Act] § 21 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/lpartg/__21.html • Personenstandsverordnung (PStV) [Civil Status Regulation] § 46 www.gesetze-im-internet.de/pstv/__46.html

Who is responsible

Standesamt (registry office) that maintains the Eheregister (marriage register) The Ehenamensbestimmung (determination of the married name) becomes effective at the German Standesamt where the marriage took place and which maintains the Eheregister. Standesamt of the place of residence The declaration can also be submitted at the Standesamt of the place of residence. For marriages performed abroad, the Standesamt of the place of residence also has Zuständigkeit (responsibility).

Responsible for you

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Original

German original

Service number 354022 · same path as the original: service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/354022/