Change Your Passport Name in the UK: The Complete 2026 Guide

At a glance

• A UK passport does not display your home address. GOV.UK's own list of reasons you do not need a new passport includes changing your address or contact details — moving house is one of the most common misconceptions about passport updates.
• Name changes do require a new passport if you want to travel under your new name. You are not editing the existing booklet; HMPO issues a new one and cancels the old.
• Evidence depends on why you are changing your name: a marriage or civil partnership certificate for marriage; that certificate plus a signed statement and evidence of current use for a return to a previous surname; a deed poll, statutory declaration or affidavit for other changes; one of three specified documents for gender changes.
• No countersignature needed for a name change. GOV.UK is explicit that a countersignature is only required where your appearance has changed and you can no longer be recognised from your passport photo.
• Current fees (from 8 April 2026): online adult application £102; paper application £115.50. Check gov.uk/passport-fees for the current figures before you apply.
• Pre-wedding route: you can apply for a passport in your married name up to three months before the ceremony using the PD2 form — but you cannot use it until after the wedding.
• Do not book travel until the new passport is in your hand. Once your current passport is sent in with the application, you cannot travel abroad.

First: the address myth

Searching for "change of address on passport" is understandable — your address changes and your first instinct is to update your documents. But a UK passport does not show your residential address anywhere on it. The personal details page contains your photograph, full name, nationality, date of birth, sex, place of birth, and passport validity dates. GOV.UK's guidance on changing passport information lists exactly what does and does not require a new passport, and changing your address or contact details is explicitly one of the things that does not.

The address you provide on an application form is used only so HMPO knows where to send the finished passport and any correspondence. It does not appear in the issued document.

If you have moved house, you do not need a new passport. Update your DVLA driving licence and your electoral registration, but there is no passport action required until your existing passport expires or another genuine reason to replace it arises.

When you do need to replace your passport

GOV.UK confirms you need a new passport to travel abroad or prove your identity if you change any of the following:

• Your name.
• Your gender.
• Your appearance, if you can no longer be recognised from your passport photo (for example after significant surgery).

You do not need a new passport if you change your address or contact details, get a new job, change your appearance slightly (dye your hair, grow a beard), change your marital status but keep your name, change your title (for example doctor or professor), become a national of another country as well as the UK, or emigrate.

If you are renewing anyway — for example because it is about to expire — you can combine the renewal with a name change in a single application, which is more efficient than paying for two separate ones.

Name change after marriage or civil partnership

What you need

GOV.UK confirms you can get a new passport in your married or civil partnership name either before or after the ceremony, and the name on your passport must match the one you use when you book travel.

To apply after the ceremony, send your marriage or civil partnership certificate with your passport application — this covers double-barrelled names as well as a straightforward change to your spouse's or partner's surname. Your current passport must also go in with the application; it is cancelled and returned to you once the new one is issued.

What name you can use

After marriage or civil partnership you may take your spouse's or civil partner's surname, keep your own name, or create a double-barrelled combination of both. A deed poll is not needed to take a partner's surname — the marriage certificate is sufficient evidence on its own.

Applying before the ceremony: the PD2 route

If you want to travel in your new name immediately after the ceremony — on a honeymoon, for example — you can apply for a passport in your new name up to three months before the date of the ceremony. GOV.UK confirms your old passport is cancelled and the new one is post-dated: you cannot use it before the ceremony, and some countries will not issue a visa against a post-dated passport, so check with the relevant embassy or consulate if a visa is needed for your honeymoon destination.

This route requires the PD2 form ('Passports for newly weds and civil partners'). Part 1 is completed by the religious minister or registrar who will conduct the ceremony; Part 2 is completed by you, the applicant, using your current name and signature, not the name you are changing to. The completed PD2 goes in with your standard passport application and supporting documents.

Because your current passport is submitted with the application, you will not be able to travel abroad in the meantime. Plan accordingly.

The official PD2 form and guidance notes are at gov.uk/government/publications/passports-for-newly-weds-and-civil-partners.

Name change after divorce or returning to a previous surname

Why the decree absolute is not enough on its own

It is a common mistake to assume that sending a decree absolute (or final order) is sufficient evidence to change a passport back to a previous name. It is not — GOV.UK does not list a divorce document among the evidence it asks for on this route.

What you actually need

GOV.UK sets out three things to send when you return to a previous surname:

1. A signed statement confirming you have gone back to your previous name (for example your maiden name) 'for all purposes' — meaning you will not use your married or civil partnership name at all.
2. A document showing you are already using the previous name — for example a payslip, or a letter from your local council.
3. Your marriage or civil partnership certificate showing both names. If you no longer have it, you can order a copy from the General Register Office.

Check gov.uk/changing-passport-information/divorce-or-returning-to-a-previous-surname for the current requirements.

Name change by deed poll, statutory declaration or affidavit

If your name change is not connected to marriage, civil partnership or divorce — a forename change, a complete new name, or any other reason — GOV.UK accepts one of the following:

• A deed poll.
• A statutory declaration.
• An affidavit.

Send it with both proof of any previous name changes you have made and evidence that you are using your new name, such as a payslip or a letter from your local council.

A deed poll can be unenrolled (made and signed with two adult witnesses, valid immediately and accepted by government bodies including HMPO and the DVLA) or enrolled (additionally lodged at the Royal Courts of Justice and published in The London Gazette, creating a public record). Both forms are accepted for a passport application; enrolling is not a legal requirement for the name change itself, though some banks and utility providers may ask for an enrolled deed poll specifically. GOV.UK's guidance on deed polls is at gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll.

Changing gender details on a passport

GOV.UK asks you to send one of the following when you apply:

• A Gender Recognition Certificate.
• A new birth or adoption certificate showing your acquired gender.
• A letter from your doctor or medical consultant confirming your change of gender is likely to be permanent.

A Gender Recognition Certificate is not the only route — either of the other two documents is also accepted on its own. If you are relying on the doctor's or medical consultant's letter and you are also changing your name, you additionally need to provide evidence of the name change (such as a deed poll) and evidence that you are using your new name.

GOV.UK also publishes separate guidance for transgender and transsexual applicants who want more detail on the process. Full current guidance is at gov.uk/changing-passport-information/gender.

How to apply

Online

Most applicants use the GOV.UK digital service via gov.uk/changing-passport-information, which links through to the online application. The online journey walks you through the questions, lets you upload a digital photograph, and allows you to pay by card. Supporting documents (your current passport and original certificates) are posted separately to HMPO after you submit the online form. The online fee is £102.

By post

You can get a paper application form from a Post Office with a Check and Send service, or by calling the Passport Adviceline. You will need printed passport photographs meeting HMPO's requirements. The paper fee is £115.50.

Countersignatures

GOV.UK is explicit on this point: you do not need a countersignature if you are changing your name or adding a title. A countersignature is required only where your appearance has changed and you cannot be recognised from your existing passport photo. Guidance on who can act as a countersignatory is at gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications.

Unexpired visas

If you change your name, unexpired visas in your old passport may become invalid. Check with the embassy or consulate of the country that issued the visa before you travel.

Fees (from 8 April 2026)

| Application type | Fee | |---|---| | Standard online (UK, adult) | £102 | | Standard paper/postal (UK, adult) | £115.50 | | Standard online (UK, child) | £66.50 | | Standard paper/postal (UK, child) | £80 |

These fees apply to name-change applications in the same way as any other renewal — there is no separate charge for updating your name. Always verify the current fee at gov.uk/passport-fees before you apply, as fees are updated periodically.

What happens to your old passport

Your existing passport is submitted with the application. GOV.UK confirms that when you are issued a passport in a new name, your old passport is cancelled — any time left on it is not carried over, because you are sent a fresh 10-year passport rather than a continuation of the old one.

Keep the cancelled passport. It contains any visas and entry stamps that may be useful evidence of your travel history for future visa applications or immigration queries.

What to do if travel is coming up

A name-change application means your current passport leaves your possession. If you have booked travel, think carefully before applying:

• If your trip is not imminent, submitting the name-change application now is generally sensible, but check current processing times on GOV.UK before you apply — they vary significantly through the year.
• If your trip is imminent, you may be better off travelling on your existing passport in your previous name (making sure your ticket matches) and applying for the name change afterwards.
• If you are a newly-wed travelling immediately after the ceremony, the PD2 pre-wedding route described above allows you to arrive at the honeymoon destination with a passport already in your married name.
• If you need a passport urgently, GOV.UK sets out paid Online Premium and 1 week Fast Track services — check gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently for eligibility and current turnaround.

Do not book non-refundable international travel on the assumption that a new passport will arrive by a specific date. Processing times are not guaranteed.

This guide provides general information about how UK passport name changes work in England and Wales. It is not a substitute for legal advice on your specific circumstances. Information was verified against GOV.UK guidance current as at August 2026 and is subject to change.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: August 2027 or on regulatory change.