Simplified name change procedure entered into force
A few months ago, we reported to you that the legislature would respond to the sigh of frustration over the complicated name change procedure. You can read this article here.
After all, the procedure was time-consuming and expensive, but the major stumbling block was that there had to be serious reasons to proceed with the change. Despite this complicated procedure, the number of name change applications continued to rise sharply, and this did not go unnoticed by the legislature.
We are pleased to inform you that as of today, July 1, 2024, the change in the law came into effect and today everyone has the right to change their family name once in their lifetime easily and inexpensively without having to justify the change.
Although this simplified procedure applies only to an adult person who wishes to bear the name of his father, mother, adopter or a combination of those names.
If you wish to submit this application please contact:
- the municipality of your place of residence in Belgium
- the last municipality of residence in Belgium if you reside abroad
- the city of Brussels in the absence of any current or former residence in Belgium
This application is thus not subject to special conditions and will be processed within one month. Please note that the name change is extended to the minor children bearing your name and can be granted only once in this simplified manner.
If you wish to change your name for other reasons, you must still meet the old requirements, namely:
- The presence of a serious reason
- Present objective elements supporting this serious reason
- The requested name does not cause confusion
- The requested name does not harm others or the person involved
But what if you have already applied for a name change before July 1, 2024? Then you can still turn to your municipality, waive the application under review and submit a new application (albeit without a refund of the registration fee).
If you still have questions regarding the name change procedure, be sure to contact one of our experts or take a look at the FPS Justice website
