About Deed Polls
What is a Deed Poll?
Why is it called a Deed Poll?
What is the purpose of a Deed Poll?
Who can apply for a Deed Poll?
Can I change my children's names?
Are there any restrictions on names?
Is a Deed Poll registered anywhere?
Can a birth certificate be changed?
Why do people change their name?
Answers to other FAQs

Changing your name by Deed Poll
How to apply
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Services for previous clients
Apply for a copy of your archived Deed Poll
Apply for a replacement Deed Poll

General name change information
Introduction
A woman's rights upon marriage
A man's rights upon marriage
A couple's rights upon a civil partnership
A woman's rights upon separation
A woman's rights upon divorce
A woman's rights upon being widowed
A child's rights upon adoption
Changing your name on your passport
Obtaining a copy of your lost Deed Poll
Who to advise after changing your name

UK Deed Poll Service
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If you are British and live outside the United Kingdom and wish to legally change your name, or your children's names, you can use the Deed Poll process, which has been used by hundreds of thousands of British people for over 150 years.

By Deed Poll, you can officially change any part or all of your name.  For example, you can change your forenames, surname (or both), add names, remove names, change the spelling of your names or rearrange your existing forenames. You can change your name by Deed Poll as often as you want, at any time and for any reason provided it is not for deceptive or fraudulent purposes.

Changing your legal name name whilst overseas could not be easier.  Firstly, you need to apply online for a Deed Poll.  We will then prepare and post your Deed Poll documentation to you, in accordance with your chosen overseas delivery service.  When you receive your Deed Poll document, you just need to sign and date it in the presence of a witness [1].  You can then use your Deed Poll to apply for a new British passport from your local British Embassy or High Commission.  When you receive your new passport [2], you can use it to get your local documents and records changed to your new name (your new passport will be accepted as evidence of your change of name as recognised by the British government).

Our Deed Poll documents are accepted by all British Embassies and High Commissions throughout the world and all United Kingdom government departments and agencies, companies and organisations to enable you to get all your documents and records reissued or changed to your new name including your UK driving licence, bank accounts and credit cards etc.[3]

Please click on this link to start the online application process or click on any of the links in the list of site contents (left) to read more about changing your name by Deed Poll.  If after reading our articles you have any unanswered questions about changing your name by Deed Poll, please e-mail us.

Footnotes

[1]  Before you submit your application, we advise you to contact your local British Embassy or High Commission to ensure there are no special requirements that must be met before they will issue you with a new British passport. For example, the British Embassy in Tokyo requires British nationals to have the signing of their Deed Poll witnessed by a solicitor.

[2]  If your current passport contains a visa, your current passport will be returned to you cancelled. You should contact the visa issuing authority to find out if you need to apply for a new visa for your new passport or if the visa in your cancelled passport is still valid.