Changing your name in Scotland

There are three routes. People born or adopted in Scotland can record a change of name with National Records of Scotland. A deed poll or a statutory declaration can be used by anyone, including people born elsewhere. Marriage, divorce and civil partnership documents already cover many surname changes, so check them first.

GOV.UK’s deed poll guidance notes that there are different rules for changing your name if you were born in Scotland. The NRS route is the only one of the three that changes the Scottish register itself. A deed poll or declaration is evidence you show to each organisation.

Use the which-document checker if you are unsure, and read the UK name-change guide for the overall process.

Source: GOV.UK change your name by deed poll.

You can apply if you were born or adopted in Scotland and the change is not because of marriage, divorce or a civil partnership. NRS says the service updates your birth or adoption certificate, and new copies show your new name and your previous name. HM Passport Office guidance says the previous name is not shown where the change is for a child under 12 months.

NRS charges £40 to record a change of name. If you apply for more than one family member at the same time, it costs an extra £10 for each additional person (checked 24 September 2026). NRS emails payment instructions after it receives the application, so you must include an email address. It uses email for all further contact.

NRS does not automatically provide a replacement birth certificate. It explains how to order one once the change is complete. HM Passport Office’s caseworker guidance tells staff to accept a Scottish birth certificate showing the new and old names as evidence of a change of name.

If you were neither born nor adopted in Scotland, this service is not available to you, even if you live in Scotland. Use one of the other routes below.

Source: National Records of Scotland: how much it costs.

Source: HM Passport Office names evidence guidance.

Source: HM Passport Office birth registration guidance.

You must apply by post; NRS does not accept online applications. The form depends on the age of the person changing their name. People aged 16 or over can have one forename change and up to three surname changes, at least five years apart. People under 16 can have one forename change and one surname change.

Complete and sign the form by hand, then send it to: Change of Name Team, New Register House, West Register Street, Edinburgh EH1 3YT.

NRS aims to email you within 20 days of receiving your application to confirm the details of the change and request payment. After you pay, it aims to email you within 15 working days to confirm when the change is complete and explain how to order a replacement birth certificate. Allow for this before planning a passport or other application that depends on the new certificate.

Source: National Records of Scotland: how to apply.

Yes. NRS lists a deed poll as one way for people born outside Scotland to change their name, and HM Passport Office and DVLA both list deed polls as change-of-name evidence. A deed poll does not alter your Scottish birth or adoption record; only NRS recording does that.

HM Passport Office guidance says an unenrolled deed poll must be signed in both the old and new names, signed by at least one witness, dated, and signed in wet ink. Our adult document follows the GOV.UK model, which uses two witnesses. Read the passport name-change guide for the full evidence list.

DVLA handles driving licences in Scotland as in England and Wales. If you use a deed poll or statutory declaration, DVLA also asks for one document showing your new name, such as a letter from your employer or a UK bank statement issued in the last 12 months. The driving licence guide has the details.

Deed polls are free to prepare yourself with the free template. A paid document does not update any record for you.

Source: National Records of Scotland: if you were born outside Scotland.

Source: GOV.UK driving licence evidence for a name change.

Sign it in front of a notary public or a Justice of the Peace. You book a JP appointment through your local JP court, and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service says the signing service by JPs is currently free of charge (checked 24 September 2026). JPs do not write or supply the wording, so bring a completed declaration.

SCTS lists statutory declarations “for changing your name” among the documents JPs sign. You will need to make an appointment, bring identification such as your driving licence or passport, and bring the forms you need signed. You will be asked to take an oath or affirm that you will tell the truth.

SCTS also says “JPs do not compose or supply the forms. If that is required you should consult a solicitor.” Most solicitors in Scotland are also notaries public and may charge for that service. SCTS adds that councillors can sign certain documents, mainly statutory declarations.

If an official form exists for your purpose, use it: see the free official statutory declaration forms. If the organisation accepts a general declaration and you would like the wording prepared, our name-change declaration is an optional £9.99 PDF. Signing it before a JP remains a separate appointment.

Source: Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: signing documents.

Usually not. NRS says you do not need to change your surname after marriage, divorce or a civil partnership, and most organisations accept a marriage or civil partnership certificate, or a decree of divorce, as evidence if you start using a new surname. The NRS recording service cannot be used for these changes.

If an organisation asks for more evidence, NRS says to contact it for guidance. Our guides to changing your name after marriage, civil partnership name changes and returning to a name after divorce explain the evidence each record-holder may ask for.

A deed poll is still an option if you want a surname the certificate does not support, such as a newly blended name.

Source: National Records of Scotland: after marriage, divorce or civil partnership.

Passports and driving licences use the same HM Passport Office and DVLA processes as in England and Wales. Some records are Scottish: Social Security Scotland asks you to report a change of name, and NHS Scotland keeps patient details on the Community Health Index, which is updated through your GP practice.

If you receive Scottish benefits, tell Social Security Scotland about the change. mygov.scot says that if you also get benefits such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you need to tell DWP as well. Our benefits guide covers the separate routes.

For health records, NHS National Services Scotland says patient details are kept up to date on the Community Health Index using updates from GP practices. Ask your practice how it will update your name; see NHS records outside England.

Choose Scotland in the free name change organiser to build a checklist with these differences.

Source: mygov.scot: tell Social Security Scotland about changes.

Source: NHS National Services Scotland: changing patient details.