Can a birth certificate be changed?
It is not usually possible for a birth certificate to be changed. When you change your name by Deed Poll you would simply keep your Deed Poll document with your birth certificate, and show both documents together when required.
There are some circumstances where a child’s birth certificate can be amended to show a new name, and if you do obtain a new birth certificate for your child you do not need to also change your child's name by Deed Poll.
These circumstances are limited, and if the father's surname has been shown on the child's birth certificate for example, it is not possible to have it removed.
Rules vary, so please contact the General Register Office for advice (see below), but the most common example of when a child's birth certificate can be changed is if the parent's marry and the father's name is added to the birth certificate.
In Scotland, an application can be made through the local Registration Office to record a new name in the birth register for anyone aged two years and upwards. A revised birth certificate will then show the original name and the new name, in much the same way as a Deed Poll does. The fee for recording a change of name via the register office is £49
Due to the higher cost, plus the time it takes to record the new name through the GRO (General Register Office), most people who were born in Scotland prefer to change their name by Deed Poll. Also, the Deed Poll is preferable because a revised birth certificate cannot generally be used to change existing documents, whereas a Deed Poll can.
It is also sometimes possible to obtain a new birth certificate if you have changed gender and you have adopted a new name that reflects this.
If you apply to the Gender Recognition panel and obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate you may then be able to obtain a new birth certificate which shows your new gender and your new name. Contact details for the Gender Recognition panel are also shown below.
The contact details for the General Register Offices are as follows:
England and Wales
Tel: 0151 471 4805 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
Email: registeringbirths@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.gro.gov.uk births
Scotland
Tel: 0131 334 0380
(8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 4.30pm Friday)
Web: http://gro-scotland.gov.uk
Northern Ireland
Tel : 028 9025 2000
Email: groreg.nisra@dfpni.gov.uk
Web:
www.groni.gov.uk
Gender Recognition Panel
Tel: 0845 355 5155
Gender Recognition Panel
PO Box 6987
Leicester
LE1 6ZX
Website: www.grp.gov.uk
The Name Change Company offers links to external websites to provide information we feel will be useful to you. The Name Change Company infers no affiliation to (or reponsibility for the content of) other websites.
See also...
- Are there any documents that I can't have changed?
- Can a birth certificate be changed?
- I have dual nationality. Will I be able to have both of my passports reissued in my new name?
- Can I have my name amended on a foreign passport?
- How do I have a UK driving licence reissued in my new name?
- Who should I notify first after I change my name?
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