Guidance

Change of name, name discrepancy and naming children letters

Downloadable letters explaining UK laws and conventions on people's names and name changing.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Published: 25 July 2024
• Last updated: 29 July 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 29 July 2026

     Linked to guidance on what to do if, as a UK national in Italy, your official documents do not contain the same names.

  2. 15 May 2026

     Added latest information note on birth registration of children born to British nationals in Vietnam.

  3. 16 October 2025

     Updated document for Belgium added.

  4. 15 May 2025

     Added information note on permitting British Nationals to leave nationality blank when registering their child’s birth in Vietnam.

  5. 3 April 2025

     A letter added for use in Vietnam: from 1 July 2025, British Embassy Hanoi and British Consulate-General Ho Chi Minh City will stop issuing documents to verify that name discrepancies in British documents refer to the same person.

  6. 24 January 2025

     A letter added for use in Brazil explaining that the British Embassy cannot verify that name discrepancies in documents refer to the same person.

  7. 18 December 2024

     Portugal change of name letters added.

  8. 16 December 2024

     United Arab Emirates (UAE) change of name letter added.

  9. 6 September 2024

     All countries and territories letter removed.

  10. 4 September 2024

      Link to get a signed and stamped letter added. All countries and territories letter added.

  11. 25 July 2024

      First published.

British embassies, high commissions and consulates provide these standard letters to explain UK laws and conventions to local authorities abroad. They’re sometimes called information notes.

If a local authority asks you for a name or change of name certificate, you can provide one of these letters instead.

Change of name

Under UK law you can change your surname or forename. If you’re asked to provide proof of this law in any of the countries listed here, download the relevant letter.

Stamped and signed versions of these letters cost £50 but are only available in some countries. Ask the British embassy, high commission or consulate if you can get a stamped and signed version.

Albania: change of name

PDF, 97.5 KB, 3 pages

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Argentina: change of name

PDF, 387 KB, 6 pages

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Austria: change of name (English and German)

PDF, 575 KB, 4 pages

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Azerbaijan: change of name

PDF, 21.7 KB, 2 pages

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Bahrain: change of name

PDF, 156 KB, 3 pages

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Belarus: change of name

MS Word Document, 218 KB

Belgium: change of name

PDF, 183 KB, 3 pages

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Brazil: change of name

ODT, 19.7 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Bulgaria: change of name

PDF, 559 KB, 3 pages

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Croatia: change of name

PDF, 364 KB, 3 pages

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Ecuador: change of name

ODT, 59.9 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

France: change of name

PDF, 821 KB, 5 pages

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Germany: change of name

ODT, 149 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

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Greece: change of name

PDF, 181 KB, 3 pages

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Italy: change of name

PDF, 261 KB, 5 pages

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Read change of name guidance for UK nationals in Italy.

Kuwait: change of name

PDF, 9.17 MB, 4 pages

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Luxembourg: change of name

PDF, 316 KB, 4 pages

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Mexico: change of name

PDF, 532 KB, 1 page

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Montenegro: change of name

PDF, 113 KB, 2 pages

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North Macedonia: change of name

PDF, 548 KB, 3 pages

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Peru: change of name

PDF, 82.4 KB, 2 pages

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Portugal: change of name (English)

PDF, 138 KB, 3 pages

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Portugal: change of name (Portuguese)

PDF, 145 KB, 3 pages

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Qatar: change of name

PDF, 393 KB, 1 page

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Russia: change of name

PDF, 647 KB, 10 pages

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Spain: change of name

PDF, 139 KB, 3 pages

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Switzerland: change of name

PDF, 136 KB, 3 pages

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Turkey: change of name

ODT, 53.4 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

Uruguay: change of name

PDF, 172 KB, 4 pages

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United Arab Emirates (UAE): change of name

PDF, 969 KB, 2 pages

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Name discrepancies on British documents

British embassies, consulates and high commissions cannot verify that two or more documents with name discrepancies are for the same person. If you’re asked for proof of this, download the relevant letter.

Stamped and signed versions of these letters cost £50 but are only available in some countries. Ask the British embassy, high commission or consulate if you can get a stamped and signed version.

Brazil: name discrepancies on British documents

ODT, 19.8 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Vietnam: name discrepancies on British documents

ODT, 281 KB

This file is in an OpenDocument format

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Naming children

Under UK law parents may give their child any forename or surname. If you’re asked to provide proof of UK law about naming children download the relevant letter.

Stamped and signed versions of these letters cost £50 but are only available in some countries. Ask the British embassy, high commission or consulate if you can get a stamped and signed version.

Hungary: naming children

PDF, 200 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Vietnam: birth registration of children born to British nationals

PDF, 2.15 MB, 2 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.