Nationality
I'm British and I Live inside the United Kingdom
If you are British and currently live inside the United kingdom then there are No Restrictions to being able to change your name. In other words yes you should have no problem changing your name by Deed Poll.
Please Note:
If you are a resident of Jersey then the Jersey Passport Office will require the signing of your Deed Poll to be witnessed by a local solicitor or notary public.
The other alternative if you Live in Jersey is to apply for your passport to any of the seven UK mainland passport offices (or online), who will accept your Deed Poll without the need for it to be witnessed by a solicitor or notary public.
I'm British and i live Outside the United Kingdom
The most important thing to remember when you want to Change your name but Live outside of the United Kingdom is that your Passport must always be in the same name. There are primarily two ways in which you can Change your Passport when living outside of the UK -
Applying through the Foreign Office whilst you are abroad
With passport applications that are handled by the Foreign Office there are 7 Centres in total that handle the Regional processing, additionally to these are the British Embassy / High Commission in the Country where you live. They will accept a correctly filled out and Witnessed (Executed) Deed Poll as proof that you have changed your name.
There are however several Guidelines that they suggest you follow -
- You provide at least 3 official documents that show your New Name,
-- These could be a Bank Statement
-- Letter from a Driving License Agency
-- Utility Bill (Gas / Electric / Tax)
-- Landline Phone / Mobile Phone Bill
- The Deed Poll should be Witnessed by a Notary Public ( What is a Notary Public?)
For more details on any special requirements or restrictions that apply for each Country please view
Oversea Passport Applications
Apply to the HM Passport Office when you are Visiting the United Kingdom
When you Change your name by Deed Poll in the UK whilst visiting from abroad there aren't any restrictions that stop you from changing your name but the one thing you will need is to provide a legitimate residential Address that is located within the UK.
You will need to stay at this temporary address long enough for your Deed Poll application to be processed, sent and then received at the temporary address. The actual time of how long the application takes from start to finish depends on several factors.
For more information on timescales please see
How long does it take to get a new / replacement passport?
I'm British and I Live inside the United Kingdom
If you are British and currently live inside the United kingdom then there are No Restrictions to being able to change your name. In other words yes you should have no problem changing your name by Deed Poll.
Please Note:
If you are a resident of Jersey then the Jersey Passport Office will require the signing of your Deed Poll to be witnessed by a local solicitor or notary public.
The other alternative if you Live in Jersey is to apply for your passport to any of the seven UK mainland passport offices (or online), who will accept your Deed Poll without the need for it to be witnessed by a solicitor or notary public.
I'm British and i live Outside the United Kingdom
The most important thing to remember when you want to Change your name but Live outside of the United Kingdom is that your Passport must always be in the same name. There are primarily two ways in which you can Change your Passport when living outside of the UK -
Applying through the Foreign Office whilst you are abroad
With passport applications that are handled by the Foreign Office there are 7 Centres in total that handle the Regional processing, additionally to these are the British Embassy / High Commission in the Country where you live. They will accept a correctly filled out and Witnessed (Executed) Deed Poll as proof that you have changed your name.
There are however several Guidelines that they suggest you follow -
- You provide at least 3 official documents that show your New Name,
-- These could be a Bank Statement
-- Letter from a Driving License Agency
-- Utility Bill (Gas / Electric / Tax)
-- Landline Phone / Mobile Phone Bill
- The Deed Poll should be Witnessed by a Notary Public ( What is a Notary Public?)
For more details on any special requirements or restrictions that apply for each Country please view
Oversea Passport Applications
Apply to the HM Passport Office when you are Visiting the United Kingdom
When you Change your name by Deed Poll in the UK whilst visiting from abroad there aren't any restrictions that stop you from changing your name but the one thing you will need is to provide a legitimate residential Address that is located within the UK.
You will need to stay at this temporary address long enough for your Deed Poll application to be processed, sent and then received at the temporary address. The actual time of how long the application takes from start to finish depends on several factors.
For more information on timescales please see
How long does it take to get a new / replacement passport?
