Change Your Name by Deed Poll

Legally you must be 16 years of age or more to execute your own Deed Poll in the United Kingdom and over 18 years old in Northern Ireland.

Someone with parental responsibility can only override your wishes in exceptional circumstances and not just because they don’t agree with your choice.  If, however, there is a court order in force forbidding you from changing your name, you’ll have to wait until you are 18 years old.

In general, children under the age of 16 years (in the UK) and under the age of 18 years (in Northern Ireland) can have their name changed by anyone with parental responsibility for the child, provided everyone with parental responsibility agrees.

NameSwitch does not currently offer a Deed Poll service for anyone under the age of 18 (in either the UK or Northern Ireland). This is in line with our general terms and conditions of use.

Yes, absolutely you are able to create your own Deed Poll which will be accepted by most companies and Government bodies. If you live in the UK, you may also contact a local solicitor to draw this up for you. Please refer to the guidance via Gov.uk to determine which is the best route for you: https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/make-an-adult-deed-poll

Note the Gov.uk website encourages you to then enrol/register your deed poll at the Royal Courts of Justice. Enrolling is not obligatory and can take many months. Only 1% of deed polls are enrolled annually. The cost to enrol a deed poll is £50.32.

For further guidance on the difference between enrolled and unenrolled deed polls please refer to this guide.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you may also apply directly to the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI). A fee will be payable of £35 plus £15 for a certificate to be issued. Deed Polls are also accepted in Northern Ireland. Please refer to the guidance via NIDirect to determine which is the best route for you: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/recording-change-name

Yes, our deed polls are accepted in Northern Ireland.

If you live in Northern Ireland, you also have the choice to apply directly to the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI):

A fee will be payable of £35 plus £15 for a certificate to be issued. Deed Polls (such as those created by NameSwitch) are also accepted in Northern Ireland. Please refer to the guidance via NIDirect to determine which is the best route for you: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/recording-change-name

Depending on your chosen package, NameSwitch will generate 1-4 x high quality Deed Polls, printed on specially designed A4 150GSM, foiled and embossed paper.

Our Deed Poll - Premium Service comes with 4 x deed poll originals (and all the letters, forms and instructions needed to change your name).

Our Deed Poll - Standalone Package comes with 1 x deed poll original and there is the option to add-on additional original copies at checkout.

Each one will need to be executed (i.e. signed and dated by yourself and a witness) to become valid for use and deemed to be an original copy.

We recommend having 2-4 original copies to enable multiple name change requests to be sent off in parallel.

When you complete your Deed Poll application with us, your ‘change effective date’ can be a date of your choosing - In the past, present or *near future. Many people like to align the effective date of their Deed Poll to a memorable date. Brides who make a maiden name a middle name, for example, often opt to use their wedding date as a change effective date.

As your witness must actually witness you signing your Deed Poll and then sign it themselves, the ‘execution date’ is the date that you and your witness sign the Deed Poll.

Please note, companies can not accept any name change requests if either the ‘change effective date’ or ‘execution date’ is in the future.

It is best practice to have a UK national witness you signing (executing) your Deed Poll.

• They should be over 18, and have known you for several years
• They should not be related to you, nor live at the same address as you
• They should have an active or retired occupation
• They do not need to be a solicitor, doctor or public sector official.

Your witness will need see you signing your Deed Poll/s and then sign and date each of your Deed Poll/s themselves to confirm that they observed you signing the Deed Poll/s. They will also need to print their name and list their address and current/former occupation (if this hasn’t been entered during checkout and already printed on the Deed Polls).

It’s really important that you review and check your entries before you proceed to payment. If you spot any typos or errors, please ensure you edit your entries.

Once Deed Polls are printed and dispatched by us, NameSwitch reserves the right to charge an additional £29.95-£45.95 (depending on your chosen Deed Poll Package) to cover the cost of a re-print and first class recorded dispatch.

If any error is caused by our systems, we will of course assume the cost and issue an immediate replacement. Please get in touch with thegirls@nameswitch.co.uk if you have any issues that need to be addressed.

You can change your title (i.e. Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Mx etc.) at any time, and you do not need a Deed Poll.

If you do change your title as well as a first/middle/surname, it will be noted and included in your Deed Poll, generated by NameSwitch and in the accompanying letters to ensure that any company you notify of your name change will address you with the correct name and title moving forward.

Note, you cannot use a Deed Poll to change your title to “Lord” or any other such title. A title will only be officially recognised if you’re granted the title via official means (i.e. from the Queen).

You are entitled to register your Deed Poll and put your name on record with the Royal Courts of Justice. Applications can take many months to be processed. There is a fee of £50.32 payable if you choose to go down this route. Your new name will appear on a register published by The Gazette. Note, according to The Gazette, only 1% of deed polls are registered every year.

For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/enrol-a-deed-poll-with-the-courts

For further guidance on the difference between enrolled and unenrolled deed polls please refer to this guide.

If you’re transgender and you want to change your name, you’ll need to change your name by Deed Poll.

If your change of name is stated on your Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) or a new birth certificate (for which a GRC is a prerequisite), then this will also prove your change of name, but you’ll generally need to change your name by Deed Poll first.

If you’re non-binary and you want to change your name, you’ll also need to change your name by Deed Poll.  Please bear in mind that UK law currently only recognises two legal genders (male and female). However, you have the option to request your title be recognised as Mx. Not all companies processes/policies accept this but many are starting to.

If you haven’t been issued a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC)

If you haven’t been issued with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) then you’ll need to change your name by Deed Poll. It is quite common for a Deed Poll to be used, prior to applying for a GRC, as it is a key and symbolic sign that you are living in a new gender.

A Deed Poll will be enough to change your name in your passport.  However, if you want your passport to be in your new gender as well, HM Passport Office will need to see:

• Your Deed Poll, showing that you’ve changed your name to one that’s associated with your new gender
• Evidence showing that your change of gender is “likely to be permanent”.  This can be a report from a medical practitioner (such as your consultant or GP), or a chartered psychologist practicing in the field of gender dysphoria.

You don’t need a GRC to have your passport updated to show your new gender, and you don’t necessarily need to have had sex reassignment surgery.

If you want to change your title to one of the opposite gender, for example from Mr to Mrs/Miss or vice versa, you wouldn’t normally need a Deed Poll.  In general, you’re free to use any social title, and — assuming the new title is part of a change of gender — you simply need to inform record holders of the new title.  The important matter for most organisations is your change of gender.  HM Passport Office for example doesn’t list social titles in passports at all — it isn’t considered to be a legal part of your name.

We offer a special discount for the transgender community. Please get in touch with us thegirls@nameswitch.co.uk to find out more.

IF YOU RESIDE IN THE UK You can use a Deed Poll to update your documents and records in the UK, such as your driving licence and your tax records, but to update your documents in your country of origin, you’ll have to follow your own country’s procedure.

Before applying for a Deed Poll, you should check with your Embassy or High Commission/Consulate in the UK to determine:

• If your country of origin will accept your change of name
• If they’ll issue you a new passport (or amend your existing passport) to show your new name
• What the procedure is for changing your name in your country of origin, and — if they’ll accept a change of name by Deed Poll — whether there are any special requirements for a Deed Poll to be acceptable, for example, that your Deed Poll needs to be witnessed by a solicitor, or needs to legalised.

** Please note that NameSwitch will not be held responsible for any rejection of a UK issued Deed Poll by non-UK Government bodies or organisation. NameSwitch does not offer legal or immigration advice. The guidance offered in these FAQ’s are based on publicly available information. Please ensure you contact your non-UK Embassy/Consulate to understand their specific policies and practices. **

PEOPLE WITH DUAL NATIONALITY

If you are a British national and you hold (or you are seeking to hold) nationality of another country, you should check the rules in that country to see whether your Deed Poll will be acceptable, and what special requirements there may be.  If you are resident in the UK and you also need to apply for a passport in the other nationality, please contact your Consulate/Embassy.

IF YOU ARE IMMIGRATING TO THE UK

UK Visas & Immigration (a division of the Home Office) will accept a Deed Poll as evidence of a change of name, though if you want to keep your existing nationality you should follow the above advice.

If you are claiming asylum or you have already been granted asylum (and you’re a refugee), UK Visas & Immigration will accept a deed poll (as well as other forms of evidence, such as a marriage certificate or decree absolute) when you apply for asylum. The more documentation you can provide to verify your identity, the better.

You may find the following guide for non-UK nationals useful.