One sentence in the Home Office's name policy catches out people who have just signed a deed poll: "Foreign nationals will only have the name contained in their passport and national identity card included in their eVisa." A valid deed poll changes nothing on your immigration record until your own country issues a passport in the new name.
A name change with a foreign passport happens in two countries: a deed poll or statutory declaration here, and your country's own procedure there, which may want the UK document apostilled and translated. A name changed abroad needs an English translation before HM Passport Office (HMPO) or a bank will act on it.
Below: enrolment, the passport-first rule, foreign name changes, spellings, Scotland, Northern Ireland and children.
Can a foreign national change their name by deed poll in the UK?
Yes. GOV.UK says "If you're 16 or over, you can make a deed poll yourself", with no nationality condition: you use the set wording, sign in your old and new names before 2 witnesses aged 18 or over, and can use it "straight away as proof of your new name". The exception: "If you're a permanent resident overseas, you cannot change your name by deed poll."
Enrolment, which puts the change on public record, is narrower. The Enrolment of Deeds (Change of Name) Regulations 1994 require the applicant to be "a Commonwealth citizen", and the court's form guidance lists British, Commonwealth and British dependent territories citizens. An Indian, Nigerian or Cypriot citizen can enrol; a Polish, Brazilian or Chinese citizen cannot.
| Route | Who can use it | Cost | What it involves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unenrolled deed poll | Anyone 16 or over, unless permanently resident overseas | No official fee | Set wording, signed in both names before 2 witnesses |
| Enrolled deed poll | British, Commonwealth and British overseas territories citizens, 18 or over | £53.05 | Forms LOC020, LOC021 and LOC027, a declarant, a notice in The Gazette, several months |
| Statutory declaration | Anyone | The witness's fee | Made before a solicitor, notary, commissioner for oaths or justice of the peace; HMPO and the DVLA accept it |
| Marriage or civil partnership certificate | Anyone taking a spouse's surname | None | "You do not need a deed poll to take your spouse's or civil partner's surname" |
Some banks, phone companies and energy providers "may only accept an enrolled deed poll", so ask first.
Why does my foreign passport have to change first?
Because the Home Office wants one name for all official purposes. Its Use and change of names guidance says holders of non-British passports and identity cards "must also provide evidence they have amended the details", and "The names used in these documents take precedent to names used in other supporting documents, such as marriage certificates and deed polls."
- Your eVisa. To change your name in your UKVI account, "you'll need an identity document that proves that it has changed". Apart from recognised refugees, stateless people and some humanitarian protection holders, foreign nationals "must produce a passport or their EEA Identity Card in the new name".
- Your first British passport. HMPO expects dual nationals to align their other passport first, with exceptions, and an observation linking the names, where official evidence shows the other country forbids the change or requires travel there to make it.
- Naturalisation. The Home Office's nationality forms guide says it "will not normally issue a certificate of registration or naturalisation in the name that is different from a person's official documents", so change your other passport before you apply.
Can I change the name in my other passport from the UK?
It depends on the country; the UK deed poll is often only supporting evidence. HMPO's country profiles record:
| Country | What HMPO's country profile says |
|---|---|
| Poland | Name changes other than by marriage "can be done at a registry office or consulate (overseas)" |
| Russia | An adult needs a Russian Change of Name certificate, available at a consulate; "Russia does not accept UK documents to change a child's name" |
| Ukraine | Holders of a passport stamped "non-resident" can align it through Ukraine's embassy or missions in the UK |
| Germany | "Only a registrar in Germany can decide if a name can be changed" |
| Nigeria | A person living abroad "can only change their name by marriage or divorce" |
| Pakistan | Citizens "cannot change their name more than once or revert back to their previous name", with narrow exceptions |
Expect the foreign authority to want the UK document legalised and translated. The FCDO apostilles documents "sealed with a wet ink court seal", and others once "certified by a UK 'public official', such as a UK notary or solicitor", so an unenrolled deed poll needs that certification first.
The translation rule is the other country's. Poland's consulate in London, which forwards name change applications to a Polish registrar for £53, wants Polish translations from a sworn translator on the Polish Ministry of Justice list, a sworn translator authorised in an EU or EEA state, or the consul. A translation certified for UK use does not meet it. See when you need a translation and an apostille.
Do I need certified translations to enrol a deed poll?
Yes, for anything not in English or Welsh: "you'll also need to provide certified translations of them." The exhibits are copies of a birth certificate, valid passport or naturalisation certificate; if married, your marriage certificate and your spouse's written consent; if divorced or widowed, the decree absolute, final order or death certificate; and any adoption documents.
The statutory declaration (LOC021) comes from a "declarant" who has known you "for 10 years or longer", is a British or Commonwealth citizen and a UK householder, and is not a relative. If nobody has known you that long, you add a witness statement explaining why and a judge decides. Forms with mistakes "will be sent back". So translate each foreign exhibit in full, with every name spelled exactly as on the deed poll.
How do I prove a name change made abroad?
With the foreign document that made the change, translated in full. HMPO's caseworker guidance accepts "deed polls enrolled in overseas courts", notes "There is no legal requirement for an overseas deed poll to be enrolled", and accepts "overseas equivalents of statutory declarations or affidavits" where the country allows a change of name.
The document must show "the link between their old and new name", and every change must link back to your birth or naturalisation certificate or last passport; if a link is missing, HMPO wants a statutory declaration covering every name. You also send one document showing the new name in use, such as an employer's letter from the last 12 months or a foreign passport issued after the change.
On translations, GOV.UK's passport pages ask for "a certified translation", while HMPO's paper guidance wants one "signed and stamped by a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation", so for a paper application use a translator who meets that. Visa and citizenship files follow paragraph 39B(f) of the Immigration Rules; see British citizenship documents. The DVLA wants originals, and its GOV.UK guidance says nothing about other languages, so ask before posting a foreign certificate.
Is a different spelling of my name a name change?
Usually not. A Cyrillic, Arabic or Chinese name has more than one Latin spelling, and HMPO does not ask dual nationals to realign a Russian passport where "the variation in the name is due to transliteration of the Cyrillic characters into Latin script". It also accepts differences of only a hyphen, space or apostrophe if the name order is unchanged.
Translations should follow your current passport and note any different source spelling once; a deed poll made to "fix" a transliteration creates a second name to explain. See passport and ID translation.
How do name changes work in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Scotland. People born or adopted in Scotland can record a change with National Records of Scotland, which updates the birth certificate: £40, plus £10 per extra family member, by post. Over 16 you get "one forename change" and "up to 3 surname changes, with a gap of at least 5 years between each". Born outside Scotland, NRS says use "the name change process in your country of birth", a deed poll, or a statutory declaration signed before a notary public or justice of the peace.
Northern Ireland. People born or adopted there can record a change with the General Register Office for Northern Ireland for £35; adults may change a forename once and a surname up to three times, five years apart. Others use a deed poll.
Changing a child's name when a parent lives abroad
Enrolling a child's deed poll needs "the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility" or a court order, and you "must try to reach an agreement" before applying for one (form C100, £270). HMPO applies the same consent rule to a child's passport. A consent letter from a parent abroad in another language, and any foreign certificate among the exhibits, needs a certified translation.
Check the other country first: Russia does not accept UK documents to change a child's name, and for a child under 14 both parents apply to its guardianship authorities.
Why name changes get stuck
- Deed poll signed, foreign passport unchanged, so the eVisa and British passport stay in the old name.
- Enrolment by a non-Commonwealth citizen, or with a declarant who is a relative.
- A broken chain: birth name, first marriage, divorce, deed poll, with one link missing or untranslated.
- Spelling drift: the translation spells the new name differently from the deed poll.
- A certified translation offered where the other country wants its own sworn translator.
Checklist: before you change your name with foreign documents
Questions people ask
Can a non-British citizen change their name by deed poll in the UK?
Yes. Anyone aged 16 or over can make an unenrolled deed poll unless they are permanently resident overseas. Enrolment with the High Court is limited to British, Commonwealth and British overseas territories citizens, so other nationals use an unenrolled deed poll or a statutory declaration.
Will my eVisa show my new name after a deed poll?
Not on the deed poll alone. The Home Office puts only the name in your passport or national identity card on your eVisa, so you change your national passport first and then update your UKVI account. Recognised refugees and stateless people are the main exception.
Do I need a deed poll if I married abroad?
No. GOV.UK says you do not need one to take your spouse's or civil partner's surname, and HMPO accepts a marriage certificate that links the old and new names. A foreign certificate needs a full certified translation; see marriage certificate translation.
Does my home country accept a UK deed poll?
Many treat it only as supporting evidence for their own procedure, and some refuse it: HMPO's profiles say Russia does not accept UK documents to change a child's name. Expect to need an FCDO apostille and a translation into that country's language, often by a sworn translator there.
How long does an enrolled deed poll take?
GOV.UK says "It can take several months", and you can ask the Deed Poll Office for an update 6 months after applying. Once approved, the office seals your deed and posts it back, and a notice appears in The Gazette.
How much does it cost to translate a name change document, and how fast is it?
Official Translations charges £29.95 per page, a page being up to 300 words, with a signed certificate of accuracy that meets paragraph 39B(f) of the Immigration Rules. Most single-page documents arrive as a signed PDF by email within 24 hours, and a printed copy by post is £14.95.
