Change of Name

What documents do I need to provide?

Examples of documents supporting changes of name are:

• an amended full birth certificate or a change of name certificate issued by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) in the Australian state or territory where you were born (extracts are not acceptable)
• a marriage certificate issued by an Australian RBDM
• an amended citizenship certificate, where personal information on the original document was incorrect
• a divorce or death certificate issued by the appropriate authority

NOTE: A change of name by deed poll, or by reputation in the community, is no longer acceptable for passport issuing purposes within Australia. Anglicised names are acceptable only with a formal name change certificate.

If you were:

• born in Australia or
• born overseas and normally reside in Australia

your name change must be formally registered with the RBDM in the state or territory of your birth or residency and an original certificate provided as evidence of your new name.

If you were:

• born overseas and normally reside overseas

your name change must be formally registered with the local equivalent authority to the RBDM. You must provide an original of your name change certificate (or local equivalent), revised birth certificate or marriage certificate, with English translation from a translating service recognised by your nearest Australian overseas mission. If there is no local system for registering a name change in your country of residence, you should contact your nearest Australian overseas mission.

Name change on marriage (family name only)

For a name change on marriage, if you were married in Australia, you must provide a marriage certificate issued by the RBDM. A marriage certificate issued by a celebrant or religious leader is not acceptable for passport purposes.

If you were born in Australia but married overseas, you will need to register a change of name at the RBDM in the state or territory of your birth.

NOTE: You can still travel on a valid passport in your previous name. In this case, it is recommended that you obtain your tickets also in your previous name.

Children

In the circumstances where one of the child's parents has had a name change since the child's birth, documents proving the link between the parent's current name and their name on the child's birth certificate are required. Examples of these documents are:

• a marriage certificate issued by the celebrant or religious leader
• death certificate
• court order
• marriage certificate or change of name certificate issued by the RBDM

Why do I need to provide these documents?

The Australian passport is one of the most secure in the world and contains a range of the most up-to-date security features designed to prevent the document from being successfully fraudulently altered. Identity theft, where one person illegally claims to be another person, is a growing problem with serious consequences for our security at home and abroad. It is estimated to cost the Australian community over $1 billion a year. You need to provide verifiable documents in order to ensure the continuing security of the Australian passport, and of your identity.

Section 53 of the Australian Passports Act 2005 requires that the name included in an Australian passport must be the applicant’s name at birth or name on the Australian citizenship certificate, unless a name change has been registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM). The changes to the passport name change policy were made to strengthen the passport issuing process.

A birth, marriage or name change certificate issued by the RBDM is printed on secure numbered paper which shows the registration number. The paper also has a number of hidden security features, is signed by the Registrar and includes the Registrar's official seal. Certificates printed on this paper can also be validated through a certificate validation service. The change in passport policy ensures that the authenticity and validity of these certificates can be confirmed and this minimises the risk of accepting fraudulent documents.

Marriage certificates that are not issued by the RBDM were acceptable for passport purposes in the past as proof of marriage and some organisations may still accept them. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, however, stopped accepting them in 2004 and will only accept marriage certificates issued by the RBDM on security paper. This policy in no way impacts on the validity of a marriage certificate for other purposes but simply reflects the stringent requirements that have been introduced to increase the security of the Australian passport.