Apply for a new passport due to name change

You must apply for a passport in person:

• Make an appointment at your local citizens' registration office. The authority in which your main residence is located is responsible.
  • For important reasons, you can also apply for the document in another municipality or at a German diplomatic mission abroad.
• Bring all the necessary documents with you to the agreed appointment.
• The application will be filled out by the authority staff with you on site. All you have to do is sign it.
• The submission of fingerprints for storage in the document is required by law for the application process
  • A flat impression is usually taken of the left and right index finger.
  • Children under the age of 6 do not have to give a fingerprint.
• If you have already applied for a passport before the wedding: After the marriage, you can collect your passport by presenting your marriage certificate.
• You will receive information from your Citizens' Registration Office as to when you can collect your passport.
• You can arrange a collection appointment online, by e-mail or by telephone at many citizens' registration offices. Alternatively, in many cases you can have the ID document sent to your home address by post and handed over in person at the front door.
• You can authorise another person of legal age in writing to collect your documents from the authorities.

The passport authority (mayor or lord mayor) of your place of residence is responsible for issuing a new passport.

• Biometric digital passport photo: taken on site at the authority or by a registered domestic photo service provider (photographer)
• on marriage: marriage certificate
• after the divorce: certified copy of the change of name or civil status certificate
• Registration of a civil partnership: civil status certificate
• Dissolution of a civil partnership: certified copy of the change of name or civil status certificate
• other civil status documents, for example marriage or birth certificate, if applicable

• § Section 11 Passport Act (PassG)
• § Section 15 Passport Act (PassG)
• § Section 25 Passport Act (PassG)
• § Section 5 Ordinance on the Implementation of the Passport Act (Passport Ordinance - PassV)
• § Section 15 Ordinance on the Implementation of the Passport Act (Passport Ordinance - PassV)
• § Section 17 Ordinance on the Implementation of the Passport Act (Passport Ordinance - PassV)

• Is the regular processing time too long for your travel plans? Then your passport office can issue your passport using the express procedure. You will then receive your passport within 3 to 4 working days.
• A temporary passport will only be issued to you if you are unable to obtain your passport in good time before the start of your planned trip, even using the express procedure, and the destination country accepts a temporary passport as an entry document. You will receive this immediately when you apply, so you do not have to wait for it.
• You may keep an old passport that has become invalid, for example as a souvenir. To do this, the passport authority must invalidate the passport.

• Passport becomes invalid in the event of a name change, for example
  • Marriage or registration of a civil partnership
  • Change of name after divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership
  • Changing the order of first names
• Citizens must apply for a new passport after changing their name if a passport is still required for international travel in the future
• Passport can be applied for when registering the marriage, but will only be issued after the wedding