Change of name if born overseas

Change of name if born overseas

Marriage

If you were married outside Australia (including the United Kingdom), you will need to have your foreign marriage certificate legalised by the issuing country's authorities with an apostille (or authentication where an apostille is not possible). Once you have obtained this, you can apply for a passport in your new name using the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form.

If you were married in Australia, you must present your official marriage certificate from the Register of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) in the state where you were married. This is not the ceremonial certificate you receive on the day of the ceremony. You must apply to the RBDM to receive your official marriage certificate. A RBDM certificate does not need to be legalised. Once you have obtained this, you can apply for a passport in your new name using the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form.

Divorce and other name changes

If you are changing your name as a result of divorce or other reasons, you may choose any of the names listed in the table below. If you do not have one of these documents in your desired name, you will need to obtain a new foreign name change document evidencing your new name and have that document legalised by the issuing country's authorities with an apostille (or authentication where an apostille is not possible). The easiest way to update your name is to apply for a new Australian citizenship certificate in your new name. Alternatively, you can obtain a UK deed poll legalised with an apostille that changes your name.

Once you have obtained an approved name change document, you can apply for a passport in your new name using the Application for an Australian Passport Overseas form.

How to legalise your certificate

Your foreign marriage or foreign change of name certificate must be legalised by the country of issue. Legalisation is where the issuing country's authorities affix an apostille to the certificate, or an authentication where an apostille is not possible.

If you’re using a UK document, you must send this certificate to the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to be legalised with an apostille. To find out how to do this, click here.

If using a document issued from outside of the UK and Australia you should contact the Embassy or Consulate of the country of issue to obtain information on how to legalise the document.

Gratis name change

If you have more than two years validity remaining on your current passport, you can replace it free of charge if you are changing your name due to:

• marriage
• divorce
• entering into or ceasing to be in a registered or de facto relationship
• the death of a spouse of partner
• transitioning to a new gender

The passport showing your new name will be issued with the same expiry date as the passport being replaced. You will need to provide evidence of your change in status - eg. marriage certificate, divorce decree, etc.

Alternatively, you can pay the full application fee to have a new 10 year passport issued in your new name.

If you are changing your name for other reasons, you can choose to have a replacement passport issued (fee applies) or a new 10 year passport (full application fee applies).

Approved name change documents