To change your name after marriage in Australia, get your official marriage certificate, decide which married surname you will use, list every organisation holding your current name, prepare the required forms and proof documents, then complete any in-person updates. You do not need to register a legal name change if you married in Australia and are taking an accepted married surname.
How to change your name after marriage in Australia: 5 steps
Changing your name after marriage does not happen automatically. There is no central register that records your name or updates your identification, accounts and memberships. You need to notify each organisation separately.
The process is:
- Decide which married name you will use.
- Get your official marriage certificate.
- Create a complete list of organisations to notify.
- Prepare and send each name change request.
- Complete in-person updates and plan your passport change around travel.
Step 1: Decide which married name you will use
Either spouse can:
- keep their existing surname
- replace their surname with their spouse’s surname
- add their spouse’s surname to their own, with a hyphen or space
- continue using their former name in some situations, such as professionally
The official marriage certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages is the only proof you need to get started. You do not need to register a legal name change. Your birth or citizenship certificate does not change.
If you want an entirely different surname, change your first or middle names, or take a surname other than yours or your spouse’s, you must apply for a legal name change through Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Easy Name Change’s Australian Name Change Survey collected responses from 1,389 people between 2010 and 2019. More than 70% of married-name-change respondents replaced their former surname with their spouse’s surname. Wanting the whole family to share one surname was the leading reason for making the change.
Read our complete guide to married name options, including double-barrelled names and using different names professionally.
Step 2: Get your official marriage certificate
The handwritten certificate you receive at your wedding is your ceremonial marriage certificate. It cannot be used to update your passport, driver’s licence, bank accounts or other official records.
You need the official marriage certificate issued by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state or territory where your wedding took place.
Your celebrant may order this certificate for you. If not, apply directly through the relevant BDM registry after your marriage has been registered.
Check:
- whether your celebrant has already ordered the certificate
- whether the certificate fee was included in their package
- which address the certificate will be sent to
- that all details are correct when it arrives (mistakes are more common than you think!)
Read our guide to ordering your official marriage certificate if you need help applying or want to understand the difference between ceremonial, commemorative and official certificates.
Step 3: Create a complete list of organisations to notify
Easy Name Change customers have an average of 27 organisations to update after changing names.
Your list may include:
- driver’s licence and vehicle registration
- passport
- Medicare, Centrelink and the ATO
- banks, credit cards and loans
- superannuation funds
- employer and payroll
- insurance providers
- utilities and telecommunications
- professional registrations
- investments
- memberships, subscriptions and loyalty programs
- electoral enrolment
- rental, property and council records
Each organisation must be notified separately. Updating your driver’s licence will not automatically update Medicare, the ATO, your bank or any other record.
Create your free personalised Easy Name Change checklist to identify the organisations you use and track each completed update in one place.
Step 4: Prepare and send each name change request
Every organisation has its own process. Depending on the organisation, you may need to:
- complete an online form
- upload a copy of your marriage certificate
- send an email
- post a paper form or signed letter
- provide a photocopy or certified copy
- supply supporting photo identification
- call the organisation
- attend an office or branch
Research the process and evidence requirements before preparing your paperwork. This avoids forms being rejected because you sent the wrong certificate, did not include a certified copy or did not follow the correct process.
Easy Name Change maintains name change procedures for more than 750 Australian organisations. Select the organisations you need to notify and we prepare all personalised forms, letters and emails. Each notification explains what proof to include and how to send it. Your company checklist provides the procedure for every organisation you select, so you can follow along and check off each name change as you go.
After submitting each request, check that your name has been recorded exactly as requested. Pay particular attention to spaces, hyphens and apostrophes. Small inconsistencies between identity documents can cause problems with digital identity checks later.
Step 5: Complete in-person updates and plan your passport change
Some organisations require you to attend in person. These commonly include driver licensing authorities, branch-based banks and Centrelink.
Take your original marriage certificate and photo identification. Requirements vary, so check what each organisation needs before visiting.
Many Easy Name Change customers prefer to update their driver’s licence early because updated government-issued photo identification can make some later changes easier. However, there is no single compulsory order that applies to everyone.
Think carefully before changing your passport if you have international travel booked.
You can continue travelling on a valid Australian passport in your former name, provided your airline tickets, visas and travel authorities match the name shown in that passport.
If travel is already booked in your former name, it is often simplest to complete the trip using your current passport and apply for a replacement after returning.
You may qualify for a free replacement passport if your name changed because of marriage and your current passport has more than two years’ validity remaining. The replacement passport is issued with the same expiry date.
Read our complete guide to changing your Australian passport after marriage before applying or booking travel in your married name.
How long does changing your name take?
There is no official deadline for changing your name after marriage, but leaving records in different names can make identity checks and future applications more difficult.
Online changes may appear quickly, while posted forms, government records and replacement identity documents can take several weeks.
The Australian Name Change Survey found that being too busy was the most common reason respondents delayed changing names for more than six months. Difficulty attending branches during business hours was another major reason.
Set aside time to prepare all your paperwork together and aim to complete the process within a reasonably short period. Keep your checklist until you have confirmed that each organisation has recorded your new name correctly.
What if you were married overseas?
If you married overseas, you cannot order an Australian BDM marriage certificate.
Some Australian organisations may accept a foreign marriage certificate, but most banks and identification changes require a proof document issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages. If you are ineligible for an Australian marriage certificate, you will need to submit a legal name change application. Requirements can depend on where you were born, where you live and which identification or account you are updating.
Read our dedicated guide to changing your name after an overseas marriage.
Get your name change paperwork ready
You can research each organisation, find the forms, prepare your letters and work out which proof documents to provide yourself.
Or select your organisations through Easy Name Change and receive a personalised checklist, forms, letters, email templates and instructions in one place. Simply review your paperwork, attach the listed proof and send each request.
