Change of Name

Passports are issued in your name at birth or citizenship, or in a different name if you have a name change document issued by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or were married and currently reside overseas. 

This policy applies to those people who have changed their names since the issue of their last passports (issued after 20 August 1986) or who are applying for their first Australian passports.

If your name has changed from the name on your most recent evidence of Australian citizenship you will need to provide evidence of this change with your application before a passport can be issued in your new name. You must bring to the interview originals of documents that explain all name changes.

What documents do I need to provide?

Why do I need to provide these documents?

We cannot amend the name in your current passport. After your wedding, for example, you will need to present the marriage certificate issued by the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, with a completed application, current passport, current identification in your new name, and photographs to obtain a new passport.

Changing your name on your passport due to marriage

Unless you are able to lodge, with your application, a marriage certificate issued by an Australian RBDM that supports your name change you will have to obtain a passport in your previous name. You can be issued with a passport in your married name when you present your marriage certificate together with a completed application, current passport, identification in the married name (if available, otherwise identification in previous name), and two photographs (one of which has been endorsed by a guarantor).

If a passport is issued under this arrangement, the replacement passport will be issued free of charge for the remainder of the validity of the original current document only if you have applied for a passport in your married name within one year of the date of your marriage.

This applies to either males or females taking on the family name on marriage.

Changing your name on your passport due to divorce

If you revert to the use of a previous family name following divorce, you will need to lodge the original of your divorce certificate with a completed application, current passport, current identification in new name (if available), and photographs to obtain a new passport.

If a passport is issued under this arrangement, the replacement passport will be issued free of charge for the remainder of the validity of the original current document only if you have applied for a passport in your previous name within one year of the date of your divorce.

This applies to either males or females who have taken on the family name on marriage, and where the applicant reverts to the previously used name.

Changing your name after the death of your spouse

If you revert to your previous name following the death of your spouse, the original of the death certificate and your full birth certificate or marriage certificate issued by the RBDM should be provided. 

If a passport is issued under this arrangement, the replacement passport will be issued free of charge for the remainder of the validity of the original current document only if you have applied for a passport in your previous name within one year of the date of your spouse's death.

Note: Only change of family name (not your given names) associated with change of name on marriage, divorce or death of spouse, will be permitted.

In all cases, a gratis passport is only issued once for a particular event (marriage, divorce, death) within one year of that event for the duration of the passport.