If your Habitual Residence and Marriage are in Malaysia
Malaysian name law does not recognize a shared family name (married name). If you wish to adopt a common married name after getting married in Malaysia, this is possible by opting for German name law and submitting a formal name declaration.

If German law is chosen, the available naming options will follow German regulations. If foreign law (e.g., the national law of one spouse) is selected instead, the naming options will depend on the respective foreign legal system. Therefore, couples are strongly advised to carefully consider which legal system best suits their intentions before making a choice. The responsible registry office in Germany generally recommends opting for German law if the desired name configuration can also be achieved under German law.

Under German law, the married name can be:

-the birth name of either spouse,
-the current name of either spouse at the time of declaration, or
-a combination of both spouses’ names (maximum of two name parts, with or without a hyphen, and in any order).

It is also possible for the spouse whose name is not chosen as the shared married name to add their birth name or previously used name to the married name (before or after it).

Example: If the married name is “Müller,” the spouse can declare a name like “Müller-Meyer” or “Meyer-Müller.”

In Germany, the married name is usually determined during the marriage ceremony by declaration before a registrar. If such a declaration was not made at the time of your marriage abroad (e.g., in Malaysia), you may submit the name declaration at a later time. However, this declaration must then be officially certified. In Malaysia, this can be done at the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. The Embassy will then forward your declaration to the relevant registry office in Germany.

Responsible Registry Office
The competent registry office is the one at your last place of residence in Germany. If you no longer have a residence in Germany, the central registry office (Standesamt I) in Berlin is responsible.

Required Documents
To submit a name declaration, both spouses must appear in person at the German Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Please bring the following original documents:

- Completed application form (see below)
- Valid passports of both spouses
- Birth certificates of both spouses (with legalization and translation, if required)
- Original marriage certificate (with legalization and translation, if required)
- If applicable: birth certificates of any joint children

Legalization and Translation of Documents

For more information on translations and legalizations, please refer to the following links:
Translation
Legalization