Who should apply and sign? – Personregistrering.dk - EN

Contents

If you have joint custody
If you have sole custody
The child's opinion on the change of name
Consent from the child
Consent from others - stepparents or foster parents
______________________

If your child is less than 18 years old and you are going to change his/her name, you or the other parent who has the custody, must apply. Even if the child has MitID, he or she cannot initiate an application for change of name.

If you have joint custody

If you have joint custody, you must both sign the application. There are no exceptions.
Please note: If you initiate an application and the other parent does not sign, the fee that was initially paid will not be refunded.

If you have sole custody

If you have sole custody, you alone must sign the application. The other parent does not have to consent to the change of name.

You are free to change your children's first names and family names as long as the new name does not originate from the other parent. In that case, the non-custodial parent must be consulted:
For example:

If your child has a surname from the other parent, either as a middle name or surname, you cannot change or move this name without consulting the other parent. This consultation is conducted by the Agency of Family Law. The registrar will refer the case to the Agency of Family Law, who will contact you.
The other parent has the right to be consulted (according to the Right of consultation). Each case will be valuated as to whether it can be approved or not.

The child's opinion on the change of name

If the child is 0-6 years old: At this age the child does not need to express his/her opinion.
If the child is 7-11 years old the registrar must assess whether or not the child must be heard. The hearing typically takes place at the church office often followed by an adult. However, the adult must not be a parent or another adult that is involved in the change of name - for example, if the child is to be given a name from a stepparent or foster parent, they must not be present at the hearing.

Consent from the child

From the age of 12, the child must sign the application.
Children aged 12-14 years must co-sign the application using a touch screen
Children aged 15-17 years must co-sign the application with MitID
Young people more than 18 years are legally competent and must fill out their own application.

Consent from others - stepparents or foster parents

In some cases, persons other than parents and children must consent to a name change. If you want your child to be named after his or her stepparents or foster parents, the stepparents or foster parents must give their consent. They may also use the self-service with MitID, or they may find the email confirmation that is sent for their co-signature.

> Find the self-service "Medunderskriv ansøgning om navneændring med MitID" to co-sign online (in Danish only)
> Find step-by-step guide to complete an application online