Cerfa 16229: Change Your Surname at the Mairie (France)

What is Cerfa 16229 - change of surname?

Since 1 July 2022, an adult in France can change their family name by a simple declaration at the mairie, without going through a decree. Article 61-3-1 of the civil code limits the choice to the parents' names: the father's surname, the mother's, or both joined in the order you choose, with no more than one surname taken from each parent. Cerfa 16229 is the request.

The form asks for your identity and address, your surname now and where it comes from, the surname you want, and the effect on your children: those under 13 take the new name automatically, those 13 and over only if each of them consents on page 5. You also list the marriage, partner and children's records that need updating, and say how the registrar can reach you to confirm the request a month or more later.

FileIt walks you through every part in English, prints your answers into the official cerfa with accents and non-French letters intact, and can fill in one child's consent page too. You sign it and hand it in at the mairie yourself. FileIt never submits anything.

Who fills it: An adult who wants to take a parent's surname, or both parents' surnames
Filed with: The mairie where you live or where you were born; French nationals abroad use the embassy or consulate
Next step: You confirm the request in person with the registrar at least a month after it is received
Signatures: You, plus each child aged 13 or over on their own consent page
Edition: cerfa N° 16229*03, 7 pages

Who needs to fill out Cerfa 16229 - change of surname?

Adults who want to use their mother's surname, their father's, or both parents' surnames as their family name.
Parents whose children will take the new surname: automatically under 13, and with consent from 13.
French nationals living abroad, through their embassy or consulate.

When to use Cerfa 16229 - change of surname

When you have decided on the new surname and gathered your birth certificate and the records to update.
Only for a surname taken from your parents. Another name needs the decree procedure, which uses a different route.
Not just to use a spouse's or parent's name day to day. That is a nom d'usage, which needs no change of family name.

What you need before you start

Your identity, nationality, address, email and phone number.
Your surname now, the surname you want, and which parent each comes from.
Details of your marriage and your spouse's or PACS partner's birth, if you have them.
Your children's names, dates and places of birth, and a consent page for each child aged 13 or over.

What’s on Cerfa 16229 - change of surname

The 2026 edition has 7 pages. FileIt asks for it in 6 parts, and it is signed by Applicant and Child aged 13 or over:

Votre identité - your identityApplicant
Adresse et contact - address and contactApplicant
Votre demande - the name you wantApplicant
Actes à mettre à jour - civil-status records to updateApplicant
Nationalité, contact et attestation - nationality, contact and signatureApplicant
Consentement de l'enfant de 13 ans et plus - consent of a child aged 13 or overChild aged 13 or over

How to fill out Cerfa 16229 - change of surname, step by step

1 Votre identité

Madame or Monsieur, surname at birth, name in use, first names, date and place of birth, nationality, address and contact details.

2 Votre demande

Your surname now and where it comes from, the surname you want and where it comes from, then the boxes for your children under 13 and aged 13 or over.

3 Attestation

Tick the sworn statement that no other name-change procedure is under way.

4 Actes de l'état civil

Your marriage, your spouse's or partner's birth, and up to three children's births, so those records are updated too.

5 Contact and signature

Say whether you are a foreign national, how the registrar can contact you, then sign. Page 6 is completed later with the registrar.

6 Consentement de l'enfant

Optional: the page a child aged 13 or over fills in and signs to take the new surname.

Common mistakes to avoid

Asking for a surname that comes from neither parent. This procedure only allows the parents' names.
Joining more than one surname from the same parent.
Forgetting the consent of a child aged 13 or over. Without it, that child's surname doesn't change.
Not attaching full copies (copies intégrales) of the records listed for updating.

After you fill it out

Sign the form, add the documents the notice n° 52372 lists, and hand it in or post it to the mairie. FileIt does not send it for you.

Go back to confirm the request with the registrar at least a month after it is received.

Keep the filled PDF in your FileIt vault, and renew your ID card and passport in the new name once the records are updated.

Fill out Cerfa 16229 - change of surname online with FileIt

Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 69 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Ministère de la Justice; filed with the officier de l'état civil of the mairie (or a French consulate abroad) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start Cerfa 16229 - change of surname now — it’s free

Cerfa 16229 - change of surname: frequently asked questions

What is cerfa 16229?

It is the request to change your family name by declaration at the mairie, under article 61-3-1 of the civil code, to take a parent's surname or both parents' surnames.

Which surnames can I choose?

Your father's, your mother's, or both joined in the order you prefer, keeping at most one surname from each parent.

What happens to my children's surname?

Children under 13 take the new surname automatically. A child aged 13 or over only does if they consent, using the page included in the form.

Is the change immediate?

No. The form says you confirm the request with the civil registrar at least a month after it is received. Page 6 is filled in at that meeting.

Do my ID documents change?

The form says your old ID card and passport stop being valid three months after your birth certificate is updated, so you renew them in the new name.

Can I fill in cerfa 16229 online with FileIt?

Yes. FileIt fills the official PDF, including one child's consent page if you need it, and saves it in your vault. You hand it in at the mairie yourself.

Official sources

Blank form (PDF), published by Ministère de la Justice; filed with the officier de l'état civil of the mairie (or a French consulate abroad): https://www.formulaires.service-public.gouv.fr/gf/cerfa_16229.do
Official instructions and guidance: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F36262
Edition shown on this page: Cerfa N° 16229*03 (checked 2026-10-19).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ministère de la Justice; filed with the officier de l'état civil of the mairie (or a French consulate abroad) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.