Here’s a detailed breakdown of the steps involved in the Legal name change procedure:
Create an affidavit on stamp paper with your old and new name, and the reason for the change.
It must be signed by two witnesses and notarized by a notary public.
Publish an advertisement in two newspapers: one in English and one in a regional language.
This serves as a public notice of your name change.
Submit the affidavit and newspaper clippings to the Department of Publication for Gazette notification.
Once published, your name change is officially recognized.
Once your application is approved, we will email the approved Gazette copy directly to your provided email address.
Gazette notification gives you a formal legal status of your corrected name by the government and government institutes.
Makes sure that all your documents such as passport, Aadhaar card, bank accounts, and academic records are consistent.
On employment, visa, banking and court procedures where identity proof is required, it is used as a verified document.
International travel, visa interviews and immigration processing require matching names on all the documents.
Helps prevent errors that can lead to legal problems or delays in future personal or professional matters.
Make a notarized affidavit on Rs. 20/- non-judicial stamp paper mentioning your old and new name and reason of change.
Publish a “Name change” advertisement in a local newspaper, one in local language (Tamil) & one in English.
Provide ID proofs like your Aadhar card, passport or voter ID.
If applicable, offer certificates of education.
Attach your three current passport photographs.
Make online payments to get the name change application processed.
The application, Demand Draft (DD) and other required documents should be submitted to the Department of Publication.
A name change gazette in Tamil Nadu is an official government publication that legally documents and verifies an individual’s new name. Publishing a name change in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette is mandatory to get formal legal recognition of the new name. Gazette publication allows applicants to update their official documents, such as passports, Aadhaar, and bank records, with the new name without hassle. It is credible proof that the name change has been done legally and is widely accepted by government and private sector institutions.
To apply for a name change in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, follow these steps:
Follow these simple steps to update your name in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette legally.
The approximate cost to change your name in India is around ₹3,000, covering the following expenses:
Note: These costs are approximate and may vary depending on various factors, such as the state, each applicant's unique requirements, and changes in the fee structure. Make sure you check the updated details before submitting a name change application.
To apply for a name or surname change in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, you must submit the following documents:
Name or Initial Change Due to Adoption: Provide a certified copy of the registered adoption deed to validate the change.
Name Change Due to Divorce: Submit a duly certified copy of the divorce judgment to support the name change request.
Change of Name Due to Religious Conversion: Enclose the original religious conversion or reconversion certificate, or a certified copy of it, issued by the authorized religious authority for verification.
For Individuals Born Outside Tamil Nadu
Attach a duly certified copy of any of the following documents as proof of residence:
To avoid processing delays, ensure each document is signed, attested, and meets the mandatory requirements. You may contact the Government Publication Depot at 110 Anna Salai, Chennai-2, for guidance.
To download the Name Change Gazette Certificate in Tamil Nadu, follow these steps:
For assistance locating specific issues or additional copies, contact the Assistant Director (Publications) at the Government Publication Depot, 110 Anna Salai, Chennai-600002.
A name change gazette is an official publication that confirms and legalizes the applicant’s new name in Tamil Nadu. You must follow this process to update official documents, like passports and Aadhaar cards, and gain formal recognition.
Applicants must provide a notarized affidavit, newspaper advertisements about the name change, proof of identity (such as Aadhaar), and relevant documents, such as adoption or divorce certificates.
You must submit an affidavit, publish your name change in two newspapers (English and Tamil), gather the required documents, complete the application, pay the fees, and submit it to the Assistant Director (Publication) in Chennai.
Yes, visit the Tamil Nadu Department of Stationery and Printing website, find your gazette issue, and download the certificate in PDF format for your records.
The approximate cost is ₹3,000, which includes affidavit fees, notary charges, newspaper advertisements, and gazette publication. Costs may vary depending on location and individual requirements.
Gazette office in Tamil Nadu are important in the formalizing legal name changes that have been changed legally by publication in the Tamil Nadu Gazette. This office is under the Department of Stationery and Printing, Tamil Nadu, and it collects and reviews applications of name change, and publishes the applications. Upon being endorsed and published in the Tamil Nadu Gazette, it becomes legally binding and is accepted by most state and national bodies, like banks, education boards, passport offices, and Aadhaar services.
For a name change in Tamil Nadu, an applicant needs to prepare a notarized affidavit of the new and the old name together with the reason why the name should change to apply to change his name. Then the applicant must also take a newspaper advertisement one daily in English and Tamil. After doing these, the application together with the supporting documents is handed over to the Gazette office. The notification is made by the Tamil Nadu Gazette after internal review, which makes the name change legal.
The documents must be in accordance with the format rules of the Gazette department in order to prevent delays and rejection.
Name change publication in Tamil Nadu Gazette is normally costs between ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 in simple individual cases. These are the costs of aaffidavit notarization, newspaper advertisements, and government publication charges. Specialized cases (minor amendments in name or post-divorce revisions, etc.) can be more expensive. Make sure that you ensure that you check the precise fee with the Gazette department then submit.
Publication of name change in the Tamil Nadu Gazette takes an average of 20 to 45 working days to process. This involves checking documents, formatting and scheduling of publications. Make sure that your application is fully filled and formatted in the right manner to save time.
Whereas Gazette notification is not necessary in all cases, it is highly advocated when it comes to the legal validity. It is mainly required in updating records in institutions like PAN, passport and government employment records. The use of school certificates, banking documents and other legal identities is also widely accepted to be updated through it.
Yes, it is possible to change names of minors by use of Tamil Nadu Gazette. In this situation, a parent or legal guardian should apply and provide the following documents: the child’s birth certificate, the identity proof of the guardian and a school ID. The Gazette entry has been approved, and thus after it is accepted, becomes official evidence of updates in government and educational documents to name.
Yes, newspaper publication in both Tamil daily and an English daily is a compulsory process of obtaining name change applications. The advertisements should indicate unequivocally the old name, new name, address and date of affidavit of the applicant. These newspaper clippings will have to be provided along with the other application papers.
Yes, it is possible to have the changed name of NRIs with Indian citizenship through the Tamil Nadu Gazette. The documentation would entail a copy of the Indian passport, overseas address proof and a notarized affidavit signed by the Indian consulate or embassy. Also, adequate mailing guidelines must be given regarding the receipt of the published notification in a foreign country.
In case of rejection of your application then a postal letter is received or your documents are returned to you with the reason of rejection which will mostly involve lack of documents or improper formatting. The incorrect documents can be submitted again without penalty and then the processing time will be re-calculated.
The Gazette publication is the official document of the name change in Tamil Nadu, and thus it has legal recognition among different government and non governmental organizations. It is an absolute evidence of updating documents like passport, Aadhaar card, PAN card and educational certificates. There is a likelihood that without this publication, these institutions do not accept the name change, hence the high recommendation.
Yes, though you may not be a resident of Tamil Nadu, you still may apply a name change in the Tamil Nadu Gazette provided that you have a good reason to do so or have valid evidence of your affiliation to the state of Tamil Nadu. The procedures and papers are also the same, although you should make sure that you include correct contact information and adhere to the necessary steps.
In case of any error being detected in the Tamil Nadu Gazette, then after publication, you are expected to make a formal request of correction. This may include providing an affidavit of the error as well as supporting documents. The Gazette office will publish a corrigendum to allow the correction of the mistake. The procedure can be time consuming.
Yes, you may return your name to your original name by the same procedure, with a new affidavit, newspaper publication and such other documents being provided. The change of name would be valid when it is registered in the Tamil Nadu Gazette. But when you change back to a name that you already had in the records, you might be required to provide extra evidence.
No it does not require a lawyer to make a name change application but you can take advice of one. Use is through writing a notarized affidavit, placing newspaper advertisements and handing in the concerned documents to the Gazette office.
Yes it is possible to change your surname in Tamil Nadu and it is done in the same way as any name change. You will be required to provide documents including; a notarized affidavit, newspaper advertisement and identity proof and a request to the surname change to be placed in the Tamil Nadu Gazette.
In Tamil Nadu, there is no age restriction of name changes. Name change can be applied by adults and minors. In the case of minors, a parent or a legal guardian should be the one who submits the application and other documents should be provided such as the child’s birth certificate and identity proof of the guardian.
Yes, a married and divorced person can request a change of the name in the Tamil Nadu Gazette. The application must consist of some supporting documents like a marriage certificate or a divorce decree as evidence of the reason the name change. This is mainly common when one changes their surname to that of his wife or goes back to his maiden name following a divorce.
Providing that your name change has not been printed within the projected processing period (20-45 working days), you are to contact the Gazette office and ask them to provide the information about your application status. Make sure that you have not missed any of the procedures and such incomplete applications would lead to delays. After 3 to 4 weeks, you can make a follow-up in case of no updates.
Failure to have submitted documents about name change publication within the deadline will lead to the delay or rejection of your application. It will be necessary to reapply. The application should be reordered with all the necessary documents. No penalty is applied on resubmission and the processing time will begin anew.
The fact that you have a pending criminal case does not necessarily bar your application to change the name in the Tamil Nadu Gazette. Nevertheless, one should remember that it is better to examine the particular regulations of the Gazette office since certain legal cases might need an extra examination. It is also advisable that legal matters should be addressed before a change of name can take place.
Yes, after the name change is successfully published in the Tamil Nadu Gazette, you may use the publication to change your name in other government records, such as your Aadhaar, passport, PAN, and voter ID, as well as educational certificates, your employment history, and your bank accounts.
To follow up the name change application, you can keep a record of the application. After the normal processing time, you can call the Gazette office to seek the status of your application. To ensure an additional convenience, it is important to have any tracking or any acknowledgement number issued during the submission.
Yes, name change in the Tamil Nadu Gazette may be applied by people with international address, like NRIs. It consists of producing the documents such as the Indian passport, overseas address proof and attested affidavit of the Indian embassy or consulate. Make sure that the correct postage guidelines are given to be sent the published notification overseas.
Looking to change your name? You have found the perfect solution here. The "Name Change Service India" delivers a user-friendly process for name change applications.
Assistant Director (Publication), Government Publications, Sales Wing, 110, Anna Salai, Chennai-2.
In Tamil Nadu, a gazetted officer is a person appointed to a government position whose appointment is officially published in the government gazette.
Please note: Copies of the Gazette are only available for sale for up to one year after publication. To avoid any inconvenience or disappointment, it is recommended that individuals acquire their copy as soon as it is released.