The legal framework
A change of name is effected by an application to the Registrar General's Department, or a deed poll for adults. Birth register entries can be amended in defined circumstances. As everywhere, the legal act is the easy part: the work is aligning every identity document afterwards.
Key points
| Procedure | An application to the registrar general's department, or a deed poll for adults |
|---|---|
| Authority | Registrar General's Department |
| Children | Consent of parents or guardians required |
| Marriage | A spouse's surname may usually be adopted on production of the marriage certificate |
| Documents to update | National identity document, passport, bank records, employer, qualifications |
| Proof | Keep the original instrument permanently — it links the old and new identities |
| Deed poll | Executed before a Justice of the Peace or attorney |
| Registrar General's Department | Records the change against the birth entry |
| Married names | May be assumed with the marriage certificate |
In practice
- Get several certified copies of the deed, order or certificate — every institution wants its own.
- Update in a sensible order: passport or national ID first, then bank, employer, licences, insurers and qualifications.
- Keep the old and new documents together permanently: proof of the link between the two names is sometimes needed years later.
- Tell credit reference agencies, or a name change can look like an identity mismatch.
- Record the deed poll with the Registrar General so the birth entry reflects it.
- Obtain a new certified birth certificate showing the change.
Cost and coverage
Administrative and publication fees are generally modest.
Recent changes
Mismatches between educational certificates and identity documents are the most common practical problem, and are easier to fix soon after the change than years later.
Where to go
- Registrar General's Department for the formal change.
- Passport authority for travel documents.
- Educational institutions and professional bodies for qualification records.
Worth knowing
Update qualifications and professional registrations at the same time as identity documents. A degree in a former name with no documentary link is a recurring obstacle for jobs and visas. Recording the deed poll against the birth entry is what makes the change appear on future certificates. Without it, every certified copy still shows the old name.
Official sources and links
- UN Human Rights Office — ratified treaties and country reviews
- ILO NATLEX — national legislation database