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Everything that changes in Germany in May 2025

Married couples can adopt a double name The rules around changing your name in Germany are quite restrictive, but an important liberalisation is set to come in on May 1st. From that date, married couples will be able to opt for a joint double-barrelled second name, either with or without a hyphen. Previously, only one partner was allowed to take on a double name - usually the woman. READ ALSO: Why Germany is changing its complicated rules around double surnames If the married couple opts to simply keep one name, they can still choose a double-barrelled surname for their child. If they don't choose a specific surname for the child, the double surname will be given automatically. Once a name has been picked for the first child in a family, all future children that the couple has together will be given the same name. Germany gets a new government Around 10 weeks after the federal elections took place in February, Germany's new coalition government is set to enter office on May 6th. Conservative veteran Friedrich Merz, who has long dreamt of taking on the most powerful role in the country, is set to replace the SPD's Olaf Scholz as Chancellor on this date. Merz's centre-right CDU and CSU alliance will govern along the centre-left SPD, marking the fifth 'Black-Red' coalition in Germany's history. Advertisement We won't know who the key ministers in the cabinet will be until early May, but SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has so far been tipped for the Finance Ministry , while Boris Pistorius is likely to stay on in defence. The new government has said it will prioritise revitalising Germany at a time of crisis, rebuilding its infrastructure and military capabilities and modernising the country's economy. No more paper photos for residence permits As part of efforts to digitalise administrative processes, only digital photos will be allowed on applications for passports, ID cards and residence permits from May. Over the coming months, photo terminals will be rolled out at Bürgerämter (citizens' offices) and immigration offices around the country. This will allow applicants for ID documents to take their photo on-site when they come for their appointment. People will still be able to go to photo studios and drugstores like Rossmann and DM to get their photos, but these will need to have access to a new encrypted cloud system. Acting Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) demonstrates the use of the digital PointID photo terminals at a press event in Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jan Woitas If you've already got a paper photo ready for your appointment in May, however, don't panic: a grace period is in place until July 31st, meaning local authorities can still accept non-digital photos in some cases. In another helpful change, passports, ID cards and residence permits can soon be sent directly to your home for a postage fee of €15. That means that, from May, you should only need one visit to the immigration office to apply for a new Aufenthaltstitel . READ ALSO: Germany starts next phase of digitalisation for ID and residence cards Germany celebrates two public holidays May is a great time for public holidays, with two Feiertage happening at the beginning and end of the month. On May 1st, marches and wild raves are held to celebrate Labour Day, while Ascension Day - or Christi Himmelfahrt - falls on May 29th. Advertisement Both of these holidays are on a Thursday this year, making it the perfect opportunity to book a couple of Brückentagen - or bridging days. This clever scheme, beloved of workers in Germany, involves strategically using your annual leave to give yourself a longer period of time off around public holidays. In this case, booking Friday 2nd and Friday 30th would give you two four-day weekends in May - all for price of just two days of your annual holiday. READ ALSO: How employees in Germany can make the most of public holidays in 2025 Tougher rules for organic waste You'll want to take extra care while separating your organic waste ( Biomüll ) from the start of May, because Germany is introducing significantly increased fees for violation of its biowaste regulations. From May 1st, you could face hefty fines up to €2,500 if you fail to properly separate inorganic materials from the food and organic waste in your biowaste bin. This comes as part of a new biowaste ordinance to be implemented nationwide. A woman throws banana peels wrapped in newspaper into a garbage can for organic waste. Violations of biowaste rules are about to get much more expensive. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Felix Kästle To stay on the right side of the law (and the refuse collectors), you'll need to ensure that no more than three percent of your waste is inorganic matter, and no more than one percent is plastic, in future. Of course, the best rule of thumb is to follow a "compostable-only" rule, where your Biomüll is reserved for food, garden waste and small scraps of paper. READ ALSO: Why you'll have to take more care sorting your biowaste in Germany from May Microsoft turns off Skype service For a certain group of millennials, this one may have a nostalgic pang: Microsoft is officially retiring is Skype video-calling service in May and shifting its focus to Teams instead. Following the shutdown on May 5th, people who still have Skype accounts can migrate over to Microsoft Teams instead, where all their previous chats and contacts will be waiting for them. Election of new pope Following the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, a new head of the Catholic church is set to be elected by a papal conclave in May. These conclaves generally begin 15 to 20 days after a pope's passing - in this case, between May 6th and May 12th. To elect a new pope, 135 cardinals under the age of 80 will gather in the Sistine Chapel and vote on potential candidates, with a two-thirds majority required to pick the winner. Advertisement Among the electors are three German cardinals: Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, the Archbishop of Cologne; Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Müller is also believed to be a potential candidate to become the next pope, though he is generally seen as an outlier. READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about the Catholic community in Germany