How to Legally Change Your Name From Start to Finish
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In India, every individual has the freedom to legally change their name. However, a person can only maintain one name at a time. Many people have different names on different documents, or some documents may lack a surname, leading to the individual having two names in legal records. This is not legally acceptable. To rectify this, you need to have only one legal name, which requires a name change process. This process legally validates your single name. This blog post explains the legal name change process.
Legal Name Change Process
To legally change your name, you will need certain documents to begin the process. You will have to fill out a gazette form for name change. This involves three main steps:
Preparing an Affidavit: First, prepare an affidavit for your name change. This document will include your old and new names.
Newspaper Advertisement: Publish an advertisement of your name change in a local newspaper of your state.
Applying to the Gazette: Fill out an application to publish your name change in the Gazette of India. Submit the required documents along with the application.
Which documents are required for the Gazette?
Certain documents need to be submitted with the application for publication in the Gazette. These are essential for obtaining the Gazette name change.
1. Affidavit
2. Newspaper clipping
3. Digital format (CD drive)
4. Two passport-sized photographs
5. Identity proof (Aadhaar, PAN, or Passport)
6. Receipt of the processing fee
All these documents must be submitted to the Gazette office along with the application form. You can submit them via post/courier or in person if you live in Delhi. Otherwise, the post/courier option is recommended. Your Gazette name change file will be verified at the office. If all documents and information are correct, your name change will be published in the Gazette of India. After this, you can download the gazette notification from the official gazette website and print it. You can then submit it wherever needed, and this name change gazette will serve as legal proof of your name change.
What to do after the name change gazette is published?
Once you receive the gazette notification, you will apply for the name change in your documents one by one, using this name change gazette certificate as proof. This is accepted as proof of name change in all documents. This includes identity documents first, followed by other documents such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, bank accounts, LIC accounts, and other relevant documents.
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People Also Asked
You can get it made by a Notary Public or a First Class Magistrate.
The entire process can take 30 to 45 days, depending on the preparation of documents and the speed of Gazette publication.
This is the most crucial step to make the name change legal and authentic in government records, especially for government employees and for documents like passports and PAN cards.
This is a public declaration of the name change. Typically, an advertisement needs to be published in local language newspaper.
