Name Change Gazette in Chennai

To change your name legally in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), you will have to make a notarized affidavit. Then you will have to publish newspaper advertisements. After these two steps are completed, you will have to apply along with all the necessary supporting documents to the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette. This process is now available online! You can use the eGazette Tamil Nadu portal to accomplish the entire process easily from the comfort of your home.

To make your new name legally recognized by both government and private institutions, you will have to follow the Tamil Nadu Gazette procedure. The applicant must be an Indian citizen. Usually, the applicant must be 18 years or older (or a guardian can apply for a minor) and should not have any ongoing legal cases.

In Tamil Nadu, you will have to follow the State Gazette route for a personal name change, in contrast to states that depend on the Central Gazette.

The Tamil Nadu Government Gazette notification serves as the ultimate official document that makes your name change officially recognized by all the government bodies, including banks and passport offices.

There are several reasons why people in Chennai opt for a name change:

• Marriage – The majority of the women in India adopt the surname of their spouse. Therefore, they decide to remarry with a different name/surname.
• Divorce – Many women revert back to their maiden name after divorce to remove their spouse’s name.
• Spelling Errors – People opt to change their names to fix the clerical errors in their important documents.
• Religious Conversion – Many people opt to change their names after a religious conversion.
• Child Documentation – Cultural or legal reasons can be the reason to change names.
• Stage/Professional Name – Very often, artists, actors, and public figures opt to change their name to achieve professional success.
• PAN, Aadhaar, Ration Card, Birth Certificate Errors: People often change their names to fix the clerical errors in documents like PAN, Aadhaar, Ration Card, and Birth Certificate.
• Gender Transition – People may opt for a name change to update their new identity legally post-transition.
• Official/Legal Errors – Very often, People request a name change to fix the Inconsistencies in important government records.

You have to put your name change in the Tamil Nadu Gazette, yes. It is essential and is a compulsory procedure in most instances. The final document that grants your name a legal status in the eyes of all the government circles. The Gazette notification will enable you to update your important documents, like Aadhaar, PAN, and passport among others. It ensures that your change of name is lawful and all the government institutions in the country acknowledge it.

Prepare Required Documents:

• Affidavit: You will have to make a notarized affidavit with your old and new names. The affidavit must contain the reason behind the name change.
• ID Proof: You will have to submit your proof of identity, such as Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, or Voter ID (carrying your old name).
• Address Proof: You must submit your proof of address; the accepted documents include your Voter ID, utility bill, rent agreement, etc.
• Photographs: Keep ready two or more recent passport-size photos.
• Newspaper Ads: You will have to submit the newspaper clippings of your name change advertisement—one in a national English daily and the other in Tamil.
• Soft Copy (CD or Pen Drive): You may have to submit a CD or pen drive as some offices require these.

Newspaper Advertisement

• You will have to publish your name change ad in two newspapers, one in a national English daily and another one in Tamil.
• Your newspaper notification must carry your old and new names and the date of the Affidavit.
• Don't forget to retain the original published clippings.

Gazette Application Submission

• Fill out the Tamil Nadu Gazette name change application form accurately.
• Attach all necessary supporting documents and a digital copy (CD, PEN DRIVE) if needed.
• You can submit your application by visiting the Government Press in person in Chennai or you may submit your application through the eGazette portal.
• You will have to pay the applicable fee. It typically ranges between ₹500 and ₹1,000.

Approval and Gazette Publication

• Your application will be thoroughly reviewed by the e-Gazette department after submission.
• Once approved, your new name will be published in the Tamil Nadu Gazette.
• The entire process usually takes 15 to 45 working days. It depends on the workload and how complete your application is.

Use the Gazette Certificate

• After publication, you can obtain/download the name change Gazette notification.
• You can use it to update your important official records in banks, schools, passport offices, etc.

• Notarized Name Change Affidavit
• Newspaper Advertisements (English & Tamil)
• Government-issued ID with old name
• Current Address Proof
• Passport-size Photos
• Completed Gazette Application Form
• Marriage/Divorce/Adoption/Conversion/Gender Transition Certificate (if applicable)
• Birth Certificate + Guardian’s Affidavit (for minors)

The usual time for a Gazette publication in Tamil Nadu is:

• It usually takes 15–30 days if your application is flawless.
• It may take 25–45 days if the submitted documents need any kind of clarification, or the workload is high.
• It may take up to 60 days in exceptional or intricate cases.
• Online applications typically proceed faster and smoothly.

You can fill out the Tamil Nadu Gazette Booking Form or you can apply online through the Official eGazette Portal to hasten the process.

• Marriage: e.g., “Rajalakshmi Devi” to “Rajalakshmi Arjun”
• Divorce: Reverting from “Meena Varun” to “Meena Ravi”
• Religious Conversion: “Praveen Kumar” to “Paul Praveen”
• Spelling Correction: From “Karthik” to “Karthick”
• Adoption: “Deepa Rani” becomes “Deepa Sharma”
• Astrology/Numerology: “Arun” to “Aarunn”
• Gender Transition: e.g., “Sridhar” to “Shristi”

Steps to update your passport after the Gazette notification is published:

The necessary documents required are:

• The name change Gazette Notification (original & photocopy)
• Your old Passport
• You will have to submit your updated Identity Proof, such as your Aadhaar card or PAN card.
• You will have to submit your updated address Proof such as an electricity bill, rent agreement, telephone bill, postpaid mobile bill etc.
• You may have to submit the notarized name change affidavit (Annexure ‘E’, if needed)
• 2 or more Passport-size photos may be needed.
• In cases of Marriage/Divorce/Adoption, please carry the proper certificate (if needed)
• You may have to submit the newspaper clippings of your name ad (if needed).

You can submit your application via the Passport Seva Portal or you can visit the PSK (Passport Seva Kendra) in Chennai for processing.

If you want to correct or update a name on a birth certificate:

Apply via:

• Your Local Municipality Office
• You can apply via Online: eSevai portal or https://crstn.org/

Required Documents are:

• Gazette Notification
• Existing Birth Certificate (copy/original)
• Notarized Affidavit for Name Change
• Government-issued ID
• Address Proof
• Name Change Newspaper Ad (if required)
• Correction Application Form

Timeline:

• Usually, the processing time takes 2–4 weeks.
• You will have to submit all your originals & photocopy sets along with the applicable fees.

You can submit your application for a name change in the Gazette online or you can submit it offline.

• Offline Submission: You can submit your application along with all the necessary supporting documents by visiting the following address in person:
  The Directorate of Stationery and Printing, 110, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600002
  Contact Numbers: 044-28520038, 044-28544412.
• Online Submission: The Tamil Nadu government allows applications to be submitted online via its e-Gazette portal. You will have to register on the portal and fill in the application form accurately to avoid delay or rejection. Don't forget to upload scanned copies of all the necessary supporting documents with your application.

You will have to pay the applicable fee with your application. Without this payment, your application will not be accepted. The exact amount will be confirmed at the time of submission of your application. The approximate cost of publishing a name change Gazette notification in Tamil Nadu typically ranges between ₹700 to ₹1500. It’s best to reach out to the relevant directorate for the most accurate and up-to-date fee information.

Once your application gets approved, your new name will be published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette. You can obtain a copy of the Gazette; it is the ultimate document that makes your new name legally recognized by all the government bodies across the country. It is a crucial document and you can use it to update your important documents such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, Passport, Bank account details, Property card, Driving Licence, Ration Card, Voter ID, among others.

In Chennai, there are no requirements of difficulty in changing your name. The official process is available by the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette. Although you may change your name because of marriage, divorce, or any other personal reasons, the Gazette certificate is the legal evidence of changing your name in any records.