Guidance on the legal rules and procedures for changing your name in the UK, including deed polls, age requirements, and consent.
Do you need to send us your birth certificate? No. But you will need specific documents to update your passport later. We provide the complete checklist of what you need at every stage.
Almost every UK organisation accepts a correctly executed deed poll. This 2026 definitive list covers banks, the Passport Office, DVLA, HMRC, the NHS, employers and utilities - including whether unenrolled deed polls are accepted and how each one wants to see it.
A master checklist for updating every piece of ID after a UK name change. The right order to do it in, exactly what your passport and driving licence each need, original vs copy rules, and how many deed poll copies to order so you never get stuck.
One deed poll means posting it to one organisation at a time and waiting weeks for each to return it. Learn how to count the originals you actually need from your notify list - and why ordering extra copies up front is the single biggest time-saver.
Your deed poll has arrived in the post-here is exactly what to do next. Learn how to sign and witness it correctly, then notify every organisation in the smartest order so your name change goes through without delays or rejected applications.
Ordering a deed poll online takes about four minutes and costs from £14.49. Here is exactly what you fill in, what arrives in the post, how to sign and witness it correctly, and when to buy extra copies.
