# Changing name after marriage abroad



## JFC (Jul 3, 2014)

Hi,

I hold a German passport and I live permanently in the UK. My partner is from NZ, we are about to get married in the UK. I am trying to figure out how to get my paper work recognized to get my name changed (after marriage) on my German passport. Do I really have to get my marriage registered at a Standesamt to be able to do so? I understand that the German authorities will recognize my marriage certificate if I get an apostil stamp on the document (getting it legalized); than it has to be translated and than I will have to go to my Standesamt in Germany and than I can get a new passport with my new name. Is this right?

Does that also mean that we will have for a while two legal names (one in the UK and NZ and one in Germany? Is this ok?

I am really thankful for your help.


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## Tellus (Nov 24, 2013)

Familily registration is a hard stuff..so it will be best to get in contact with your local Standesamt in Germany. My mother in law had worked at a Standesamt, she often told about her job. 
here 's a site Informationen zur Namensführung in der Ehe - Berlin.de
Your birthplace even could be important - f.e. if you were born in Bavaria or the former GDR or East-Berlin. Than you'll need additionel papers.
Very important: http://www.berlin.de/standesamt1/partnerschaft/ehefaehigkeitszeugnis_unterlagen.html


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## JFC (Jul 3, 2014)

Thank you for this. I have looked at those pages before. I was born in East Germany. We are kind of wondering if its worth doing the whole thing, but I am unsure if there will be trouble later down the road if we are married in basically the rest of the world, but not in Germany.


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## Tellus (Nov 24, 2013)

Is it your volition to change the name? Think it's possible to hold the name and be happy anyway.
A female friend changed her name few times within five years...lot of trouble.
After divorce she renamed to her birthname, than she married again..new name...and in few years ???


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