Self-determination – choosing your gender designation and first names

On 1 November 2024, the Act on Self-Determination in Relation to Gender Registration (SBGG) came into force.

People whose gender identity does not correspond to the gender recorded in the civil register may submit a declaration to the registry office requesting that their current gender entry be amended or removed. At the same time, they may choose new first names.

The procedure is divided into two separate stages by law.

Step 1: Notification of the intended change

Firstly, the proposed change to the gender entry and first names must be notified to the registry office where the actual declaration is subsequently to be made.

You can register:

• in person, by prior appointment, or

• in writing.

There must be a period of at least three months between the registration and the subsequent declaration.

Important: If the actual declaration is not submitted within six months of the application being filed, the application will lapse. In this case, a new application must be filed.

Step 2: Submission of the declaration

The application to change the gender entry and first names may be submitted no earlier than three months after registration.

The declaration must be made in person at the registry office where the application was previously submitted. An appointment must be made in advance.

When will the change come into effect?

The declaration takes effect as soon as it has been accepted by the relevant registry office.

• If the person concerned was born in Beckum, the change usually takes effect immediately upon the declaration being made.

• If the birth register is held at a different registry office, the change will only take effect once the declaration has been received there.