Free country guides
Changing your name outside the United States.
Every country has its own answer to what marriage does to a surname, how a divorced person gets a former name back, and who may change a name by choice. These guides say what your country's law does, what a marriage from abroad needs to be recognised, the papers, and the order to file them in.
The paid checklist prepares United States records only: Social Security, a US passport, a state license, and the everyday accounts. Nothing on these pages needs it.
- PhilippinesHow to change your name in the Philippines after marriage, divorce, or by choice: the civil registry, the passport, and every record after.
- United KingdomHow to change your name in the UK after marriage, divorce, or by choice: deed poll, Scotland and Northern Ireland, passport, DVLA, HMRC.
- ColombiaHow to change your name in Colombia after marriage, divorce or by choice: the once-only escritura pública, the civil registry, the cédula and the passport.
- GermanyHow to change your name in Germany after marriage, divorce, or by choice: the Standesamt declaration, the NamÄndG application, fees and times.
- JapanHow to change your name in Japan after marriage, divorce or by choice: the koseki notification, the family court route, then passport, card and licence.
- MalaysiaHow to change your name in Malaysia after marriage, divorce, or by choice: the JPN identity-card amendment, the papers, the fees, and the order to do them in.
- MexicoHow to change your name in Mexico after marriage, divorce or by choice: rectifying the acta de nacimiento, transcribing a foreign marriage, INE and passport.
- IndiaHow to change your name in India after marriage, divorce, or by choice: the affidavit, the newspaper and the Gazette, then the passport, Aadhaar and PAN.
- SpainHow to change your name in Spain: no surname changes on marriage or divorce; the Registro Civil's cambio de nombre and apellidos, the DNI, the passport, fees.
- IsraelHow to change your name in Israel after marriage, divorce, or by choice: the Names Law notices, the seven-year rule, then the teudat zehut and passport.
- CanadaHow to change your name in Canada after marriage, divorce or by choice: the assumed name, the provincial change of name, then the passport, SIN and CRA.
Changing a name on US records too? The checklist prepares every US form and letter in the right order.
Start the US checklistThese guides live at changeyourname.app/name-change-abroad.