Change of name

Changing your name in an Indian passport

To change your name in an Indian passport you need three things in hand before you apply: two original full newspaper pages carrying your advertisement, a notarised affidavit on stamp paper, and your other photo IDs already updated to the new name. You then apply for a reissue at your own Passport Seva Kendra.

The process

Four steps, in order

The advertisements and the affidavit come first; the passport appointment is the last step, not the first. Doing them out of order is what adds weeks.

Publish two newspaper advertisements
Announce the change in two papers — one in your regional language and one in English — placed in the local edition for your permanent-residence area. The ad states your old name, your new name, and your address. Keep the full original newspaper pages, not clippings: the passport office wants the whole page, masthead and date included.
Swear a notarised affidavit
Have an affidavit prepared on stamp paper declaring the change from your old name to your new one, and get it notarised. This is the legal instrument that ties the two names together; the newspaper ads are its public notice.
Update your Aadhaar and PAN first
Change your name on Aadhaar and PAN to the new name before the passport appointment. If your supporting IDs still carry the old name, the application stalls — the passport office is matching your new name against documents that must already agree with it.
Apply at your Passport Seva Kendra
Book the appointment and carry the two original newspaper pages, the notarised affidavit, and your updated IDs. You apply at your own PSK — the process is the same wherever in India you live.

If you live in Gujarat

Major name changes in Gujarat are scheduled at the Ahmedabad Passport Seva Kendra, which handles these cases for the state, rather than at your local Post Office PSK. Rajkot is a last resort, used only where Ahmedabad genuinely will not work. Applicants elsewhere in India apply through their own regional arrangements — the ads-and-affidavit process above is the same for everyone.

Avoid these

What gets a name change rejected

Nearly every rejection we see comes down to one of three things — all of them avoidable before you ever reach the counter.

Clippings instead of full pages

A cut-out of just your advertisement is refused. Submit the entire original newspaper page, so the masthead and date prove where and when it ran.

The wrong edition

The ad must appear in the edition that circulates where you permanently live. An ad placed in a different city’s edition does not count, even in the same paper.

IDs still in the old name

If your Aadhaar or PAN still shows the old name at the appointment, the application cannot proceed. Update them first — this is the single most common reason a name change is sent back.

What the ad looks like

Real name-change advertisements

Two advertisements from cases we have handled — one in a regional-language paper, one in English — so you can see exactly what yours needs to say and how it is laid out.

Regional-language daily. The same wording, set in your state language. A photograph of the printed advertisement will appear here once it is ready.

English daily. The English notice, placed in a second paper. A photograph of the printed advertisement will appear here once it is ready.

Common questions

Passport name changes, answered

The questions people ask most before starting a name change.

What do you need to change your name in an Indian passport?

Three things, in hand before you apply: two original full newspaper pages carrying your name-change advertisement (one regional-language paper, one English), a notarised affidavit on stamp paper declaring the change, and your other photo IDs — Aadhaar and PAN — already updated to the new name. You then apply for a reissue at your Passport Seva Kendra with all of it.

Do I need a newspaper advertisement to change my name after marriage?

For a change of surname after marriage you can usually apply with a marriage certificate and, where names do not match, a joint declaration — a newspaper advertisement is not always required for that. A full change of name, or a change not tied to marriage, does need the two newspaper advertisements and the notarised affidavit. Which route applies depends on exactly what is changing, so confirm your case before spending on ads.

Where do I apply for a major name change in Gujarat?

In Gujarat, major name changes are scheduled at the Ahmedabad Passport Seva Kendra rather than at the local Post Office PSK — the Ahmedabad centre handles these cases for the state. Rajkot is a last resort only where Ahmedabad is not workable. This is a Gujarat routing rule; applicants in other states apply through their own regional arrangements.

How long does a passport name change take?

The passport reissue itself runs on the normal timeline — roughly 30 working days after the appointment, or a few working days under Tatkal — but the preparation is what takes time. Placing the two advertisements and getting the affidavit notarised, then updating Aadhaar and PAN, typically adds a few weeks before you are ready to book. Start the ads and the ID updates early.

Name-change assistance

Let us run the name change end to end

A name change is the part of the passport process most worth handing over: the ad wording, the right papers and editions, the affidavit, the order the IDs must be updated in, and — in Gujarat — the Ahmedabad appointment. We do all of it and tell you exactly what to carry.

Our service charge is separate from the government fee and the advertisement costs, and we state every figure before you commit.

Name-change guidance last reviewed 25 August 2026. The Gujarat routing detail is specific to Gujarat; the ads-and-affidavit process is national.

Two required fields · about 30 seconds

Changing your name in an Indian passport

Publish two newspaper advertisements

Swear a notarised affidavit

Update your Aadhaar and PAN first

Apply at your Passport Seva Kendra