Your ID card is invalid after a name change. So if your surname has changed, for example after getting married or entering into a civil partnership, you must apply for a new ID card. The same applies to your children if their names also change when you get married.

There is one exception: as long as you have a valid passport document, i.e. passport or temporary passport, with the new name, you do not need to apply for a new ID card.

The period of validity depends on your age at the time of application:

• under 24 years: ID card is valid for 6 years.
• from the age of 24: ID card is valid for 10 years.
• A temporary ID card is valid for a maximum of 3 months.

You can submit the application at your local citizens' office at your main place of residence. If you do not apply for your new ID card at your main place of residence, you need an important reason. A surcharge of EUR 13.00 will be added to the fee. If you contact your chosen Citizens' Registration Office in advance, you can find out whether and to what extent the Citizens' Registration Office will accept your reason.

If you need your new ID card immediately after marriage with a change of name or after establishing a civil partnership with a change of name, for example for a trip abroad, you can apply for your ID card with the new name at the earliest 8 weeks before the planned date of marriage or establishment of a civil partnership. As an exception, the Citizens' Registration Office will then enter the date of the planned marriage or civil partnership as the date of issue. The new ID card may only be issued after the marriage has taken place or after the name declaration has been received by the relevant registry office. Before the identity card is issued, the name must be checked against the marriage certificate or the certified printout of the marriage register or the certificate of the name.

When submitting the application, the Citizens' Registration Office will draw your attention to the fact that in all cases in which the marriage date stated at the time of application is subsequently postponed to a later date and consequently the date of issue of the ID card with the new surname is earlier than the new marriage date, the ID card will be invalid. It may not be issued. You may have to apply for a new identity card for a fee.