transgermany

Dear all,

I'm a UK citizen living in Germany and need some help! Does anyone have experiences with name changes? It seems impossible to get any kind of information from the UK government...

I understand there are two ways of changing my name, a deed poll or a statutory declaration. A deed poll seems impossible, as I need to have it signed by a UK home owner I've known for 10 years? I've been living in Germany for 7 years, I don't have such friends...

The passport application for a name change says I need a letter from German government confirming I'm using my name, but apparently I need a new passport to change the name I am registered under in Germany?! Isn't this a catch 22?
To be specific a passport name change requires one of the following:
•Tax record eg letter from a tax authority
•Educational record eg school report
•Employment record eg official letter from your employer
•Letter sent to you from a central, regional or local department

How can I receive any of these without a passport in my target name?



Any advice at all would be fantastic!

Thank you all!

Andrea

BritInParis

It's a straightforward process providing you know what to do. Not always easy with HMG these days.

1. Get a deed poll. The UK Deed Poll Service is recommended by HMPO. If you are British and living overseas you will need to have the signing of your Deed Poll witnessed by a lawyer or a notary public.

2. Update your British passport with your new name (and sex if applicable).

3. Present your new British passport to the German authorities as needed.

transgermany

Thank you for your quick reply!

By UK DeedPoll Service, are you referring to this site? UK Deed Poll Service - Apply online
I am worried since that looks like it could be a scam site?

The Deed Poll application forms from the gov.co.uk website, say that I need a statutory declaration from someone who has known me for 10 years, which I can't do. Can a lawyer/notary public replace that role?
https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/overview

BritInParis

That's the one. It's not a scam site - it's the one recommended by HMPO and I've actually used it myself so I can vouch for it.

Which form are you referring to? There's actually no mandatory process you need to follow to legally change your name in the UK - a Deed Poll is just a convenient way of proving that you have changed your name. That's not the case if you're living abroad so you'll need to involve a lawyer or public notary in order to make it a legal document.

transgermany

Thank you again for your reply.

I contacted this Deed Poll Service, and they said that the form I'm talking about is only needed for Enrolled Deed Polls from the government's Ministry of Justice. It isn't required for their deed polls, so I am going ahead with them, and will have it witnessed by a public notary.

BritInParis

Very few people have their Deed Polls enrolled - it's really only for public figures. Glad to hear you're able to move forward, let us know how you get on.

transgermany

I am planning on having the deed poll witnessed this week. However I have a problem still with the passport application.

Specifically the supporting documents for the name change.
According to the passport authority one of the following is required with my new name:
•Tax record eg letter from a tax authority
•Educational record eg school report
•Employment record eg official letter from your employer
•Letter sent to you from a central, regional or local department

However, I don't believe I can obtain any of these in Germany without already having my new passport.
I contacted the Passport Authority about this and received the fololowing reply:
--
I can advise you that we will need to see the one of the documents listed to support the change of name. Therefore you can provide a letter stating the issue, but it will depend on if the examiner will accept it and you may lose the fee paid for the application.
--

Does anyone have experience with this problem?

transgermany

Ah I had misunderstood.
I imagine they want letters sent from *British* government departments, rather than German ones. In that case I imagine I will be able to get such letters after sending the deed poll.

BritInParis

You shouldn't need any of those documents if you have a Deed Poll.

https://www.gov.uk/changing-passport...ange-deed-poll