Application to change a surname or first name (Austria)
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This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
Only for Austrian citizens, and for stateless people and refugees living in Austria: the written application for a change of name under Austria's Name Change Act (NÄG), to the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft) or Magistrat where you live — in Vienna, municipal department MA 63: for the surname, the first name or both, with your details, the name you want and your reasons. In Austria, simply wishing for another surname is a ground of its own (§ 2(1) no. 11 NÄG). Returning to an earlier surname after a divorce is instead a declaration at the registry office. In German, ready to print and sign.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Applicant
- Applicant's address
- Phone
- District authority or Magistrat where you live (Vienna: MA 63)
- Address of the district authority or Magistrat
- City
- Date
- What changes: surname, first name or both
- Academic degree (if any, e.g. Mag., Dr., BSc)
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Applicant's nationality
- First name(s) and surname after the change
- Reason
- Earlier change of name in the last ten years
- Attachments
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Where do I apply for a change of name in Austria, and what goes with the application?
- To the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft) or Magistrat where you live; in Vienna, municipal department MA 63 (§ 7 NÄG). Austrian citizens may apply, and so may stateless people and refugees living in Austria. The authority accepts its own form, which it provides free, or an informal written application like this one — by post, in person or by e-mail (§ 13 AVG). Enclose your birth certificate, where relevant your marriage certificate and the final divorce decision, proof of citizenship and a copy of photo ID. The authority tells you the fees and charges.
- Do I need a special reason to change my name in Austria?
- Not necessarily. § 2(1) NÄG lists grounds such as a ridiculous or offensive name, a name hard to spell or pronounce, or easier integration; but under no. 11 the wish for another surname is enough on its own. Several of these grounds, no. 11 among them, apply to first names too. The authority refuses the change where § 3 NÄG bars it — for example where you obtained the name by a change of name granted on your own application within the last ten years, apart from some exceptions.
- Is going back to an earlier surname after a divorce in Austria also an application under the NÄG?
- No. After the marriage ends you can take back an earlier surname by a declaration to the registry office (Standesamt), in a public or publicly certified document, and only once (§ 93a ABGB); this letter is not meant for that. The choice of name on marrying is likewise declared at the registry office. A change of the gender entry goes to the civil-status authority with expert opinions, not under the NÄG.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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