Do you like your first name and you dream of changing it? You are not the only one: in 2024, nearly 6000 Belgians actually have the request. But is the procedure so simple? A lawyer takes stock.
Olivia, Maëlle, Thomas, Cédric… If most Belgians appreciate the first name chosen by their parents, 10% of them say they are dissatisfied, according to a recent IVOX study for the label site Myynametags.be. Some people find it old -fashioned and old -fashioned when others believe that it does not reflect their personality enough. Good news: Belgian law allows you to modify it. What are the conditions, the steps, the limits? Aurélie Vanholder, lawyer and file manager at the City of Brussels, enlightens us.
Choose the right first name
The choice of first name is a delicate step, long before birth. Some future parents have already found “the” ideal first name before they even learn that they will have a child, when others spend months thinking about the question. But what does Belgian legislation say about this choice?
There is no prohibition in itself, but 2 limits give a framework …
“Belgium works on the principle of freedom of choice in terms of first names, explains Aurélie Vanholder. There is no ban in itself, but 2 limits give a framework: the first name cannot bring confusion and cannot harm the child (or others). Not to confuse, it is for example not putting a family name as a first name or not giving a voluntary first name to a boy (and inversely). Drunch, for example, to avoid giving a brand as a first name (like Nutella), or names with heavy connotation.
“Yes, anyone can change their first names, but to do it in Belgium, you must be of Belgian nationality, or recognized refugee. In terms of territorial competence, the request must be filed with their municipality of residence. If you are a Belgian party to live abroad, it must be your last municipality of residence. If you are Belgian, but that you have always lived abroad, then it will be Brussels.”
And at what price?
In addition to a possible psychological cost -this personal and symbolic approach can be motivated by the need to redefine -, this change also leads to a financial cost. And not everyone is housed in the same brand … “The price of the procedure for changing first name is based on a municipal tax, it therefore varies depending on the town where we are. This goes from € 0 to € 490. For example, in Brussels, it costs 50 €, in Molenbeek, 490 €, and in Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode, it’s free.”
A question of gender?
There is an exception for people who are convinced that the gender mentioned on their birth certificate is not the one they live intimately. “In this case, the municipalities can request maximum 10% of the price they apply, that is to say maximum € 49. Note that these people should not necessarily initiate a process of gender change to benefit from this price. They must simply be able to justify that the procedure is part of this context.”
Administrative procedures
Changing the first name is therefore nothing complicated in itself: the steps are quite limited. “You have to go to the counter of your municipal administration in order to fill out the adequate form. Once the request is made, the time to change first name is 3 months maximum,” explains the expert.
The price ranges from € 0 to 490 € maximum.
It is all the practical consequences of this modification that take the most time. “You must warn the institutions of this change to adapt your identity card, your passport, your driving license, etc. The change is automatic for all the institutions that have access to the national register, such as the mutual, pensions, finances, etc. but this is not the case of the bank for example. Finally, if you are not of Belgian origin, it is also necessary to think that this new first name is authorized in your country of origin, different depending on the country. ”
An increasing phenomenon
If changing the first name remains exceptional in Belgium, more and more citizens request it. “In Belgium, in 2024, it revolved around 6000 people. In 2023, we had 5,800 requests, and in 2022, 5100. These requests increased, because it becomes more accessible and people take the step.”
And you, do you like your first name?
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