How to Legally Change Your Name in Australia
Unless you are taking your spouse’s surname following marriage, all other name changes must first be registered with Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM).
A legal name change may be needed if you want to change your first name, middle name, surname, spelling, order of names or your entire name. It can also be used to formally adopt a name you have been using socially for years.
For example, you may need to legally change your name if:
- You want to change any part of your given name.
- You want to adopt an entirely new surname.
- You want to change the spelling or order of your names.
- You have been known by a different name for years and now want that name reflected on your official ID and records.
- You want a name that cannot be supported by an existing birth, marriage or other recognised identity document.
Once your legal name change is approved, you will receive official evidence of your new name. You can then use this to update your passport, driver licence, bank accounts, superannuation, employer and other records.
Do I need a legal name change after marriage?
Usually, no.
If you were married in Australia and want to take your spouse’s surname, you generally do not need to register a separate legal name change with BDM. Your official Australian marriage certificate is normally the evidence connecting your previous surname with your married surname.
You can also generally return to your previous surname after separation or divorce without formally registering another name change, although individual organisations may ask for documents showing the connection between your names.
If you want to create an entirely new surname, alter your first or middle names, or make another change that cannot be supported by your existing documents, you will generally need to register a legal change of name.
Where do I apply to legally change my name?
Legal name changes are registered through the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry in each Australian state and territory.
If you were born in Australia, you generally apply in the state or territory where your birth was registered.
If you were born overseas, you generally apply in the state or territory where you live, provided you meet that registry’s eligibility requirements.
The residency rules for overseas-born applicants differ between states and territories. Queensland, for example, currently requires applicants born overseas to have lived in Queensland for the previous 12 months, while NSW requires three consecutive years of NSW residence.
If you were born overseas, check the requirements for your own state or territory before applying.
What will I receive after changing my name?
The document you receive depends on where you were born and the registry handling your application.
If you were born in Australia, your birth record may be updated and you may receive a new birth certificate showing your new name and linking it to your previous name.
If you were born overseas, you will generally receive a change-of-name certificate instead.
This document becomes your proof of name change when updating organisations.
Can I just start using a different name?
You can use a nickname, preferred name or another name socially without registering it.
For example, someone whose birth certificate says Elizabeth may have been known as Liz for most of their life.
Friends, family and colleagues can call you whatever name you choose, but official organisations usually need evidence connecting your old and new names before changing identity documents or important records.
If you want your new name reflected on documents such as your passport or driver licence, or on financial and government records, a registered name change will generally be required unless another recognised document, such as an Australian marriage certificate, supports the change.
Are there restrictions on the name I can choose?
Yes.
Births, Deaths and Marriages can refuse a proposed name in certain circumstances. The exact rules differ between states and territories, but registries generally restrict names that are offensive, misleading, impractical or contrary to the public interest.
There are also limits on how often you can register a name change.
For example, some states generally limit registered name changes to once in a 12-month period and three times in a lifetime, although exceptions can apply.
You may also be asked to provide a genuine reason for changing your name and additional checks may apply in some circumstances.
How much does it cost to legally change your name?
There is no single Australian fee.
Each state and territory sets its own application fee, and prices change over time. Your fee will usually include registration of the name change and an official certificate, although certificate and postage options vary.
Because fees are regularly updated, check your state or territory BDM website before applying rather than relying on an old national price guide.
How long does a legal name change take?
Processing times vary significantly between registries.
You should also allow time to gather your identification documents, complete your application and receive your certificate.
If you have upcoming international travel or another deadline that depends on your new identity documents, allow plenty of time.
What happens after my legal name change is approved?
Registering your new name is only the first step.
BDM does not automatically update your name everywhere else. You then need to notify the organisations that hold your personal details.
Depending on your circumstances, this may include:
- Driver licence
- Passport
- Medicare
- Australian Taxation Office
- Banks and credit cards
- Superannuation
- Employer
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Mobile phone and internet providers
- Professional licences and memberships
- Airlines and frequent flyer programs
- Clubs, subscriptions and other accounts
The legal registration itself may involve one application. Updating your name everywhere afterwards can involve many more.
How can Easy Name Change help?
This is where Easy Name Change can save a significant amount of time.
Instead of researching each organisation separately, Easy Name Change creates a personalised name change kit based on the organisations you need to notify.
Your kit provides the relevant procedures, forms, letters, emails and instructions so you can work through your name changes without having to contact every organisation first to find out what they require.
Easy Name Change has been helping people through the name-change process since 2008 and has helped more than one million people worldwide.
Once you have received your official BDM name change document, you can use Easy Name Change to organise the next stage and update your records in a clear, manageable order.
What is a deed poll?
People still sometimes refer to changing their name in Australia as a “deed poll”, but that terminology is largely historical.
Deed poll was previously used to formally record name changes in Australia. Today, legal name changes are registered through the relevant state or territory Births, Deaths and Marriages registry.
So if you are searching for an Australian deed poll today, what you usually need is a legal change-of-name application through BDM.
