Your passport is the first document to update after a name change, because everything else gets easier once your photo ID matches your new name. Here's exactly how it works.
Get your deed poll from £9.99 →To change the name on your passport you apply for a new passport in your new name. You can't amend an existing one. HM Passport Office will ask for evidence of your name change, and for most people that evidence is a deed poll. If you changed your surname through marriage or civil partnership, your marriage or partnership certificate can be used instead, though a deed poll is needed for first-name changes, double-barrelled combinations and most other cases.
If you don't have a deed poll yet, you can create one now with our free deed poll generator or order a professionally printed version on certificate paper.
Sign in front of an independent adult witness. Your name change is legally effective from that moment.
Use the online passport application and select that your name has changed. Online applications are cheaper and faster than paper forms.
HM Passport Office will ask for your deed poll (or marriage certificate) plus your current passport. Original documents are required, and they're returned to you.
Standard processing usually takes up to three weeks. Once it arrives, use it as your primary ID to update everything else.
You pay the standard fee for a new passport; there's no separate "name change" fee. Fees change periodically, so check the current amounts on gov.uk. Standard processing is usually within three weeks, with paid fast-track options if you're travelling soon.
One important timing point: don't book travel in your new name until you hold the new passport, and don't book in your old name after applying, because your old passport is cancelled during the process. Airlines require the name on the ticket to match the passport exactly.
The process is similar, but the evidence is a child deed poll, signed by those with parental responsibility. Everyone with parental responsibility must consent to a child's name change. Our child deed polls include the correct wording and signature blocks for one or two parents or guardians.
With new photo ID in hand, the rest of your records update far more smoothly: driving licence, bank, employer, HMRC, GP and the rest. Our free interactive name change checklist tracks every organisation so nothing gets missed.
Yes. A correctly worded, signed and witnessed unenrolled deed poll is standard evidence of a name change for passport applications. It does not need to be enrolled with the courts or prepared by a solicitor.
Yes, HM Passport Office requires original documents rather than photocopies. Your deed poll is returned to you after processing. Many customers order certified copies with their printed deed poll so they can update other organisations at the same time.
Your old passport remains valid until it expires or is cancelled by a new application, and some people delay updating it until renewal. Be aware that travelling with ID in your old name while your other records show your new name can cause complications, particularly with airlines.
Standard processing is usually within three weeks of HM Passport Office receiving your application and documents, though it can vary with demand. Fast-track services are available for a higher fee if you need to travel sooner.
Not necessarily. For a straightforward move to your spouse's surname, your marriage certificate is accepted. A deed poll is needed if you are changing first names, double-barrelling, mixing surnames or making any change your certificate does not directly evidence.
Important note: We are an independent document provider specialising in unenrolled deed polls. We are not affiliated with HM Government. We do not offer Enrolled Deed Polls. If you need an Enrolled Deed Poll, visit the UK Government website. This page is general information, not legal advice.