You’ll need a deed poll to
You can usually
change your child’s name
on yourtheir U.K. documents
using your marriage certificate, however some organisations may insist on seeing a deed poll
using your divorce documents
You don’t need any formal document
A deed poll usually won’t help you change your child’s name — you need to follow the procedure of yourtheir country of origin / residence
A deed pollYour original marriage certificateYour divorce documents
will be accepted by HM Passport Office, the DVLA, and all other government bodies, as well as all banks and other organisations in the U.K. and the DVLA,
and — together with your updated passport — by all other government bodies, as well as all banks and other organisations in the U.K.
however if you don’t also update your passport straightaway, some organisations may insist on seeing a deed poll instead.
A deed pollIn general — so long as it’s in English — your original marriage certificateIn general — so long as they’re in English — your divorce documents will be accepted by U.K. Visas & Immigration and HM Passport Office, who will issue youyour child a naturalisation certificate and a passport in yourtheir new name.
Your deed pollmarriage certificatedivorce documents — together with your British passportupdated identity documents from U.K. Visas & Immigration —
will also be accepted by the DVLA and all other government bodies, as well as all banks and other organisations in the U.K.
A deed pollIn general — so long as it’s in English — your original marriage certificateIn general — so long as they’re in English — your divorce documents — together with your updated identity documents from your own country —
will be accepted by the DVLA, HMRC, and all other government bodies, as well as all banks and other organisations in the U.K.
If you eventually applyyour child eventually applies for naturalisation as a British citizen, U.K. Visas & Immigration and HM Passport Office will accept
yourtheir
deed pollmarriage certificatedivorce documents,
and your child’s naturalisation certificate and passport will be in yourtheir new name.
However, if you have a specific reason to apply for a deed poll — for example, you have some documents in the U.K. that you need to update — then we’re happy to process your application.
As evidence of your change of name, you’ll need to show:
- your original divorce documents (your decree absolute, if you got divorced in the U.K.)
- your original marriage certificate
- your original birth certificate
- a signed statement saying that you’ve reverted to your maiden name for all purposes
If you’ve lost the original certificateany of the original documents, you can either get a replacement from the General Register Office (if you were married in the U.K.), or you can change your name by deed poll.
If your marriage certificate isn’tany of your divorce documents aren’t in English, you’ll either have to get itthem translated by an accredited translator, or you can apply for a deed poll.
To update your child’s identity documents from yourtheir country of origin, you’ll have to follow yourtheir own country’s procedure. If you don’t do this, you may have difficulty updating your child’s documents in the U.K.
Please also see our advice for foreign nationals living in the U.K.
You’ll also need to have consent to the change of name from everyone with parental responsibility for your child. If you make an application with us, we’ll work out what sort of consent you need to get, and who from.
You can make an application with us now, so your documents are ready for you to sign on your 16th birthday.
If you want to change your name before you’re 16, one of your parents will have to apply for a child deed poll on your behalf.
You don’t need a deed poll
If you only want to change your child’s social title — that is, to Mr, Mrs, Miss, or Ms — then you don’t need a deed poll. It’s generally enough simply to inform organisations in writing that you’ve changed yourtheir title.