Procedure for Name Change after Marriage

In India, it is a common practice for the woman to change her last name to her husband’s or husband’s family name after marriage. In order to do this, a few steps need to be followed. In this article, we will discuss the procedure, documents and time taken to change the name after marriage.

There are two ways how this can be accomplished:

*Notarized Affidavit.

*Gazette Publication.

1. Notarized Affidavit

Step 1: File a joint affidavit with a declaration of marriage. This affidavit should include details such as your maiden name, proposed new name, husband’s name, and address.

Step 2: Print the affidavit on an INR 10 stamp paper and have it duly signed by husband and wife

Step 3: Attach the marriage certificate and passport-sized photographs of husband and wife to the signed affidavit

Step 4: Visit a notary to notarize the affidavit. This procedure will incur a legal fee.  

Step 5: Publish an advertisement about the name change in two local newspapers/dailies.

Procedure to change the name on official documents:

It is advisable to change your name in the following documents as well:

*PAN Card

*Passport

*Banks

*Driving License

Following are the steps to change the name in the above-mentioned documents:

1. PAN Card:  Submit an application with a duplicate of the marriage certificate or the gazette affidavit as a confirmation of the name change to the Income Tax Pan Service Unit

2. Passport: Apply for a new passport along with the old passport, marriage certificate, copy of the husband’s passport, and other details to change the name in the passport.

3. Banks: Update your bank account with the new name. Attach the affidavit or the marriage certificate as a supporting document to prove the reason for your name change.

4. Driving License: Submit an application with the marriage certificate, form LLD, form 1, address proof, original driving license, ID proof and the processing fee to the RTO for further processing.

Changing Name in Bank Statements-

You can either go into the bank and request the change, or you can do it online. To change your name on your bank statements online, you will need to login to your account and update your personal information. Once you have updated your information, the new name will appear on your next statement.

If you have any joint accounts with your spouse, you will also need to update these accounts with the new name. You can usually do this by going into the bank and requesting the change, or by calling customer service and making the request over the phone.

2. Gazette Publication

Step 1: Submit a written application with a copy of the marriage certificate and address proof to the Gazette department requesting name change due to marriage.

Step 2: Send the supporting documents to the relevant department for proof by registered post.

Step 3: Request the department to publish the same in the next issue of the Gazette.

Step 4: A Gazette notification will be delivered to your address by registered post within 15 to 20 working days. This can be used as proof of your name change.

Step 5: Publish an advertisement about the name change in two local newspapers/dailies. A sample for the same has been provided below.

Changing your name after marriage can become a very tedious process. This requires one to understand the legal procedure, as well as pay multiple visits to various government offices, which can become very cumbersome.