General Information
Please first read the information in the article “New Name Law Since May 2025”.

Important Notice
To submit a name declaration for a child, both parents must appear in person at the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. For children aged 14 years or older, the child’s presence is also required.

Please book an appointment in advance via our online appointment system.

If you would like to apply for a passport for your child immediately afterward, please make sure to book a separate appointment for the passport application.

Name Declaration for Children Born Abroad
If a child is born to German parents outside of Germany, the child’s official name is not automatically determined—even if:

- A name appears on the foreign birth certificate,
- The parents share a married name, or
- The child has older siblings with a registered birth name.

Since Malaysian name law does not distinguish between given names and family names but rather uses a name chain structure, a name declaration is always required before a German passport can be issued for a child born in Malaysia.

Because Malaysian law does not recognize married or family names, children born in Malaysia do not automatically receive the parents’ married name as their birth name—even if the parents share a common family name.

If the child is to carry the parents’ married name as a birth name, this is only possible through a choice of German law (or the law of another parent with a family name provision) combined with a formal name declaration.

For children of parents without a shared (married) name, a name declaration is still required.

Only after the name declaration has been submitted and processed can, for example, a German passport be issued for the child.

Legal Validity and Process
While the name declaration can be submitted at the Embassy, it is legally made to the responsible civil registry office (Standesamt) in Germany, which also decides on its legal validity.

The declaration becomes legally effective only once received by the registry office in Germany.

Therefore, the name entered in any passport applied for at the same time is initially provisional.

If desired, the registry office can issue an official certificate of name usage (subject to a fee).

If the parents wish to register the child’s birth in the German birth register, the name declaration will be part of that application.

For more information, please refer to our guidance on birth registration and birth certificates.

Required Documents
Please bring the following original documents to your appointment:

- Completed and signed application form
- Child’s original birth certificate
- Parents’ original birth certificates
- Valid passports of both parents
- For children aged 14 and older: the child’s valid passport
- If applicable: parents’ marriage certificate
- If applicable: acknowledgment of paternity
- If applicable: divorce decree from previous marriages of the parents
- If applicable: deregistration confirmation from Germany

Additional documents may be required depending on your individual case.

All foreign documents must generally be submitted with legalization and a certified translation!

Please refer to our page on the legalization of Malaysian documents.

When Does the Name Declaration Take Effect?
The name declaration takes effect upon receipt by the registry office in Germany.
A passport can only be issued once the registry office confirms receipt.
If desired, the registry office can provide a certificate of name usage (subject to a fee).

Fees
Name declaration: applicable fees
Fees will be converted into Malaysian Ringgit at the daily exchange rate of the Embassy.