Overview

The last name that is entered on your Namibian birth certificate is not automatically the same as the last name that is entered on your German passport.

• You were born after 1 September 1986, you are of legal age, your parents were married to each other when you were born and do not have a common married name that is valid accordund to German law:

You have to make a name declaration.

• Your German mother was not married at the time of your birth:

At first you automatically use the last name that your mother had at the time of your birth, even if your foreign birth certificate contains a different last name. If no different name declaration has been made for you by your 18th birthday, it is no longer possible to change your name today.

If your mother's name has changed in the meantime, you may be able to join in with this name change. For further information, please contact the Windhoek embassy and describe your individual case

Due to the complexity of German naming law, if you have any doubts, please contact the embassy in advance to clarify whether a name declaration is necessary in your case or whether the desired name is possible.

What documents do I have to bring with me for the name declaration?

Applications must be handed in personally at the German Embassy Windhoek and only after booking an appointment through the following link: Online Appointment System

The online appointment system works optimal on the browsers Microsoft Edge and Firefox. If you cannot access the page properly, please read our information on trouble shooting here:

All documents must be submitted in the original and in duplicate. You cannot make copies at the Embassy, please bring all necessary copies with you.

Foreign language documents (exception: English and French) must be submitted with a translation into German or English.

Please provide the following documents:

• Fully completed form „Declaration on the naming of an adult child“, not yet signed
  Form: Declaration on the naming of an adult child (in German language) PDF / 85 KB
• Namibian birth certificate of the child
• Birth or descent certificates of both parents
• If applicable: confirmation of deregistration of the applicant's last place of residence in Germany
• If applicable: the applicant's current residence permit
• Valid passports of both parents (other identification documents cannot be accepted); if necessary, also the German passport of the German parent, which was issued before the birth of the child and was valid at the time of the birth
• For parents who are married at the time of the applicant's birth: marriage certificate
• If necessary, proof of recognition of paternity (if the parents were not married to each other when the child was born)
• If necessary, proof of the dissolution of the parents' marriage or previous actions of the parents (e.g. divorce decree or death certificate)
• If a German parent was naturalized in Germany: Naturalization certificate
• If a German parent was naturalized in Namibia: Namibian naturalization certificate and German retention permit

Please note: this list concerns documents that have to be presented in routine cases. Since German naming law is very complex and many situations are possible, additional documents can be requested from the German Embassy Windhoek or the responsible registry office in Germany in individual cases.

Fees

There is a fee for the certification of your signature at the diplomatic mission abroad. It must be paid in Namibian Dollar when applying. The Euro amount will be converted at the Embassy’s current exchange rate. Payment can be made in cash or with a Visa or MasterCard credit card. List of fees.

Processing time

The German Embassy Windhoek has no influence on the processing times of the German registry offices and can therefore not provide any information about the status of the procedure.