Change of name FAQs |
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| This article will be most useful if you have first read the article entitled ‘Change of name by deed poll’. |
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| Do I need to send my Deed Poll back to you after I have signed it? |
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| No. Once you have executed your Deed Poll, you can start using it immediately to get your documents and records changed. |
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| Do I need to get a solicitor or someone similar to witness me signs my Deed Poll? |
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| No. The witness can be anyone over the age of 18 as long as they know you and are independent of you, that is, not a relative or partner or someone living at the same address. |
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| Are your Deed Polls accepted by the UK Identity and Passport Service? |
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| Yes, our Deed Polls are accepted. |
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| How much does it cost to change my name by Deed Poll? |
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| We charge £9 plus VAT for the pack of documents to change your name. |
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| Will my credit rating be affected if I change my name by Deed Poll? |
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| No. When you complete any application form for credit or a loan, you will be asked on the application form if you have ever been known by a former name. By disclosing your former name, your credit history can be accessed. |
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| Are there any other fees payable after I pay for my Deed Poll? |
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| The only other expense you will incur is the cost of getting your passport reissued in your new name. |
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| Can I get copies of my Deed Poll made so I don't need to keep sending out the original? |
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| Copies of a Deed Poll can only be used in place of the original if they are "legal copies". So yes, we recommend you have a number of copies made and certified from the start so that it is easy to send one to an organisation that you forgot about at the start! |
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| I am trying to find a record of a relative's name change. Can you tell me if they have changed their name by Deed Poll? |
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| This is very difficult. There is no central register of all name changes by Deed Poll. |
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| The only chance you have of locating a Deed Poll is if it was an 'enrolled' Deed Poll. This is a type of Deed Poll that can be enrolled (registered) with the government through the Court Service. Upon enrolment, a Deed Poll becomes a public record and becomes available for public inspection - in the same way the public can inspect past birth, marriage and death records. |
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| Deed Polls that have been enrolled during the past five years are held at the Royal Courts of Justice (Strand, London, and WC2A 2LL. Tel: 020 7947 6221). Before then and going back to 1851, they can be found at the National Archives (Kew, Richmond, and Surrey, TW9 4DU. Tel: 020 8876 3444). However, you need to personally visit the National Archives to search the records (except for Deed Polls enrolled between 1965 and 1983, which are electronically stored and can be searched by telephoning the National Archives. |
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| My name was changed when I was a child and I now want to revert to my birth name. Do I need to do this by Deed Poll? |
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| Yes. Whether you want to change your name to a former name or a new name entirely, you will be required to provide "documentary evidence" of the change. A Deed Poll provides you with the necessary documentary evidence of your name change. After you have reverted to your birth name by Deed Poll, if you are ever asked to prove your identity you can produce your birth certificate alone. However, if you are ever asked if you have been known by any other name, you must declare your previous names and produce your Deed Poll documents if required. |
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| I want to change my name now but I have a holiday booked in my current name. Can I keep my passport in my old name and change it when I get back? |
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| Yes, but we advise you not to. For security reasons, we strongly advise that you do not travel overseas with documents in different names e.g. your passport in one name and your travel documents, credit cards and driving licence etc in a different name. |
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| I was born and live in Scotland and have been told that I cannot change my name by Deed Poll because the name change procedure is different in Scotland. Is this correct? |
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| This is incorrect. Our Deed Poll documents are for use UK wide. |
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| I was married to the father of my daughter when she was born but I do not know his whereabouts. Can I change my daughter's name without the father's consent? |
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| It may be possible to change your daughter's name by Deed Poll if you have made reasonable attempts to locate and contact the father. |
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| I am separated and in the process of divorcing my husband and I now wish to change my name by Deed Poll to my maiden name. Can I also change my title to Miss or Ms? |
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| Yes. |
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| I am changing my surname to that of my boyfriend's. Can I use the title Mrs? |
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| Yes. However, you must ensure that on any application forms, for example for credit, loans, insurance and so on, you make it clear your marital status is single. |
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| I am a male-to-female transsexual and wish to change my name by Deed Poll. Will I be able to use the title Miss or Ms? |
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| Yes. However, if you change your title to Miss or Ms, you must ensure that on any application forms, for example for credit, loans, insurance and so on, you make it clear your sex at birth was male. This is particularly important for insurances because you may get a cheaper rate if the insurer thinks you were born a female. In the event of a claim, you will find you will not get paid out if your sex at birth is established. Furthermore, it is a criminal offence to obtain a financial advantage if you deceive someone. |
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| Can I have Lord or Sir as my first name? |
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| Only if that is a legal title |
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| Do I need to inform everyone that my name has changed? |
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| Yes. Two of the declarations you make on your Deed Poll are that you will entirely abandon the use of your old name and you will only use your new name in future. A list of government departments, companies and organisations that you need to notify is included in your Deed Poll pack. |
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| Can I get my educational certificates changed after I have changed my name? |
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| No, because these were correctly issued in the right name. However, this is not a problem because if you have to produce your educational certificates, say at a job interview, you simply produce your Deed Poll as well. |
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| Will my new passport and driving licence mention my old name? |
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| No, you will receive a brand new passport and driving licence without any mention or reference to your old name. |
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| I want to change my name but I want to continue to use my former name at work because I have built up a good reputation over the years with my clients. Can I do this? |
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| Yes, with the permission of your employer you can continue to use your former name. |
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| I am a British citizen living abroad; can I apply for a Deed Poll? |
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| Yes, you can use your Deed Poll to obtain a new British passport from your nearest British consular office and then use your new passport to get any documents and records changed in the country in which you live. We do suggest however that you check with your nearest British consular office before you make your application to ensure there are no special requirements that must be met before they will issue you with a new passport. For example, the British embassy in Tokyo requires Deed Polls to be witnessed by a solicitor. |
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| I have dual nationality. Will a Deed Poll get both passports I hold reissued in my new name? |
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| Maybe. Our Deed Polls are guaranteed to get your British passport reissued in your new name. However, you need to investigate the procedure for getting your other passport changed by calling the passport section of the issuing country's embassy or high commission in London. We are aware that our Deed Polls have been successfully used in getting passports changed which have been issued by British Commonwealth countries. |
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| I am not a British citizen but I live in the UK. Can I use a Deed Poll to change my name? |
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| Yes, our Deed Polls will get your documents and records changed that have been issued or are held by UK government departments, companies and organisations. Our Deed Polls may get your passport changed but you will need to check with your country's embassy or high commission in London. |
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| I am getting married abroad and have been told that my Deed Poll and birth certificate must be legalised. What is legalising and what do I need to do? |
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| Legalisation is a process whereby the UK government confirms the authenticity of legal documents and certificates issued in the UK. Legalisation enables foreign countries (or their embassies in London) to accept documents such as UK birth certificates and our Deed Polls because their authenticity has been confirmed by the UK government. Legalisation overcomes the problem of foreign countries not knowing whether a Deed Poll issued by us is genuine. The legalisation of documents is handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London. |
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| When you receive your Deed Poll, you should not sign it immediately but take it to a solicitor who must witness you sign and date your Deed Poll document. You should expect to pay between £5 and £10 for this but does ask first. If you have already signed your Deed Poll and had it witnessed by someone other than a solicitor, you need to take your Deed Poll to a solicitor for authenticating. |
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| The solicitor must write (anywhere) on your Deed Poll document "I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this document." It is important that the solicitor signs and prints his or her full name under this statement because the FCO will check the solicitor is on the Law Society's register. You then need to take or send your Deed Poll to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to have it legalised. |
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| The legalisation fee is £27 per document (as at April 2007). |
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