Blog Passport guide 2026
Changing your name on your passport.
Good news: this one you can do online, and it's genuinely easy. I've changed the name on my passport three times this year, so here's exactly what to send, what it costs and how long it takes.
By Anna Akinyosoye, founder of My Name Changed. I've changed my name four times, and my passport three times this year alone: twice with 1 week Fast Track and once with the normal service.
Updated October 2026 and checked against GOV.UK. Wherever a rule matters, I link to the official page.
The short version
- You don't have to change it at all. Your passport stays valid in your old name until it expires. Just book travel in the name on the passport you're travelling with.
- Apply online. It's £102, which is £13.50 cheaper than the paper form, and it tells you exactly what to send (October 2026).
- Married? Send your marriage or civil partnership certificate. Deed poll? Send the deed poll plus one thing showing you use your new name, like a bank statement.
- Get a photo code from a photo booth. Most supermarkets have one, and it's about £10.
- Allow 3 weeks. Need it sooner? 1 week Fast Track is £192. The 1 day service can't be used for a name change.
New here? I'm Anna, and I run My Name Changed. I don't do passports for you yet. It's the thing people ask me about most, so I'm building it as its own service, and you can hear when it launches. In the meantime, this is everything I learned doing my own.
What do you need to send?
It depends on why you're changing your name. You only need one of these routes. Whatever you send, fill in the application in the name you want printed on your new passport.
-
Married or in a civil partnership
Your marriage or civil partnership certificate. That's it. It covers taking your partner's surname or double-barrelling.
Certificate -
Deed poll
Your deed poll, plus one document showing you already use your new name, like a bank statement. That's how I did all three of mine.
Deed poll + 1 document -
Going back to an old name
After divorce, or any time. There's an official route with three documents, or you can use a deed poll instead. More on that below.
Documents or deed poll -
Anything else
Keeping your maiden name as a middle name, blending surnames, a new first name? A marriage certificate only covers surnames, so that's a deed poll.
Deed poll
Not sure which is you? Tick a few boxes and it'll tell you. What proof do I need? →
Proof you use your new name
The Passport Office wants one document showing you're already using your new name. For a UK application it's just one, and it has to be from the last 12 months. I used a bank statement every time.
- A bank statement or a utility bill, the easiest two.
- A letter from your council or a government department, so a council tax bill works.
- Tax, employment or education records.
- A medical or health card, child benefit records or a voter's card.
- A UK driving licence in your new name. This one can be older than 12 months, as long as it's valid.
This is why I say do your bank or energy first. Change your name with something easy, wait for one statement or bill in your new name, and your passport's sorted. Or if your driving licence is already done, use that.
Your deed poll doesn't need to be enrolled, or made by a solicitor. The Passport Office accepts a homemade one as long as it's dated, signed in your old and new names, witnessed by at least one person, and every signature is in pen. I've used my own with the passport office myself. Make yours free → or I'll print and post you two for £15 →
Going back to an old name
Your divorce papers on their own won't do it. The Passport Office doesn't accept them as proof of a name change, because they don't link your old name to your new one.
The official route. You send:
- your birth certificate
- a statement you've signed, saying you've gone back to a previous surname
- your marriage or civil partnership certificate, showing both names
- one document showing you use the name, from the list above
Or do what I did: use a deed poll. One of my three passport changes was going back to my old name. I'd changed it with a deed poll, then about a month later a solicitor on a house purchase told me I'd need to redo all my ID checks in my new name. I didn't, as it turned out, but by then I'd changed my passport back with another deed poll on Fast Track. You still need one document showing you use the name, but it's one piece of paper instead of three, and you don't have to dig out your marriage certificate.
Buying or selling a house? Ask your solicitor how a name change affects your ID checks before you change your ID halfway through.
Do you have to change it?
No. Your passport stays valid in your old name until it runs out, so you can wait until it's due for renewal and change your name then. Loads of people do exactly that.
- Book travel in the name on your passport. The name on your ticket has to match the passport you travel with. Keeping your old one for now? Book in your old name.
- Don't book anything until the new one's in your hand. Your new passport gets a new number, and anything booked with the old number will need updating.
- Time left on your old passport doesn't carry over. You get a fresh 10 years from the new one.
- Got a visa in your old passport? It might stop being valid once your name changes. I've got a US visa in my old passport and it didn't move over to my new one. Check with that country's embassy before you book anything.
- Got a second, non-British passport? The name on it has to match your British one, so you might need to update that first.
- Just changing your title? Dr, Prof and so on don't need a new passport.
A passport in your new name, early
You can apply for a passport in your married name up to 3 months before the wedding.
- It's post-dated, so you can't use it until the day of the ceremony.
- Your old passport is cancelled when you apply. So you've got no passport you can travel on until the wedding.
- Whoever's marrying you signs a form (the registrar or minister). It's called "passports for newly weds and civil partners".
- Honeymoon straight after? Honestly, the least stressful option is to book it in your current name, travel on your current passport, and change it when you're home.
Online or paper form?
Online, every time. Here's why.
- It's cheaper £102 online, £115.50 on paper. You save £13.50 straight away (October 2026). If you want the Post Office to check it for you, Check and Send is £16 on top.
- It tells you what it needs It walks you through it. All three times I used the online form, it asked exactly what it needed to know and told me exactly what to send. No second-guessing which box means what.
- Fewer things go wrong Paper is where I hear the horror stories. One of my customers used the paper form. The Passport Office needed more information, sent everything back, and the documents got lost on the way.
When paper actually makes sense. There are a few times the paper form is the better (or only) option:
- You can't pay by card. The online form needs a debit or credit card. On paper at the Post Office you can pay by cash or card.
- You want your passport in your married name before the wedding. That uses the "passports for newly weds and civil partners" form, which is a paper form.
- You can't sign it yourself. On a paper form, someone like a relative or doctor can sign for you and explain why.
- You're not online, or you'd rather someone helped. The Post Office can help with a paper form, or the Passport Adviceline can book you a slot at a passport office for help.
If none of those are you, go online.
Apply online on GOV.UK → Help if you can't use the online form →
Get a digital photo code
The online form needs a digital photo, and the easiest way is a photo code from a booth.
- Find a booth. Most big supermarkets have one, and so do lots of train stations, shopping centres and some Boots. Photo-Me is the name you'll see most. I used one in Asda and my photos went through first time.
- Pick the option with a code. You get your prints plus a code. It's usually about £10.
- Type the code into the online form and your photo is added for you.
- It has to be from the last month. So don't get it done too far ahead.
- Phone photo? You can, but someone else has to take it, and GOV.UK says booth and shop photos are more likely to be approved. Getting the lighting right at home is harder than it sounds.
the rules, quickly
Plain light background, look straight at the camera, mouth closed, eyes open, no shadows, no hair over your eyes, and no glasses unless you have to wear them.
How long does it take?
The Passport Office says you'll usually get your passport within 3 weeks of them getting your documents. It can take longer if they need more information.
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Standard: £102
Apply online, then post your old passport and documents. Allow 3 weeks. When I did it, I got a text saying they'd received my documents, and my passport turned up a couple of days later. That's just my one go though, so plan for 3 weeks.
About 3 weeks -
1 week Fast Track: £192
Apply online, book an appointment and take everything with you. They check your documents there and then, and courier your passport. GOV.UK says allow a week. I went to Durham twice, and both times it arrived 2 to 3 days later.
1 week -
1 day Premium: not for this
The 1 day service is only for renewing an adult passport, so you can't use it to change your name.
Renewals only
What Fast Track was actually like. Getting an appointment was easy. I got one within a week, and there were next day slots too. You take your old passport and documents with you, they check them in front of you and cut the corner off your old passport there and then. You take everything home with you on the day, and I had a text almost straight away to say they'd got my documents. No posting originals anywhere. Fast Track on GOV.UK →
Getting your documents back
With the standard service, you post your old passport and documents, and they come back separately from your new passport. Mine came back within a day or two of the passport.
- Your old passport comes back with the corner cut off. It's cancelled, so you can't travel on it, but keep it. If there's a visa in it, you'll want it.
- Documents come back by normal second class post unless you pay for tracked secure delivery. If you're sending an original marriage certificate, I'd pay for tracked.
- Forgot to add it? You can pay for secure delivery after you've applied, by calling the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000.
- You can't send your own return envelope. Unlike the DVLA, the Passport Office doesn't use them.
- Want to skip posting originals altogether? That's the best thing about Fast Track: you take them home with you.
Travelling soon and it's not arrived?
- Don't apply again. A second application can be treated as a duplicate, which slows things down, and you won't get the fee back.
- Call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. If your travel date is close, they can look at prioritising it.
- Can't get through? Contact your MP's office. Their caseworkers have a direct line to the Passport Office. Give them your application reference, the date you applied and your travel date. Find your MP →
Does your passport have to be first?
No. There's no right order, whatever anyone on the internet tells you. With a marriage certificate, do it whenever you like. With a deed poll, it actually makes sense to do your passport after your bank or energy, so you've got that proof you're using the name.
Once your passport's done, it makes the DVLA easier too. If you married or divorced, you can write your passport number on the D1 form instead of posting your certificate. Changing your name on your driving licence →
What it costs
Prices for an adult passport, from October 2026. They usually go up in April, so check GOV.UK before you pay.
| Online application | £102 |
|---|---|
| Paper application | £115.50 |
| Post Office Check and Send | £16 on top |
| 1 week Fast Track | £192 |
| 1 day Premium | Can't be used for a name change |
| Photo booth with a code | About £10 |
| Deed poll | Free if you make your own |
Can you do my passport?
Not yet. "Do you do passports?" is the question I get asked most, so I'm building it as its own service. Want to know when it's ready? Email me with "PASSPORT" in the subject and I'll tell you. Just that, no newsletter, and if passports don't happen I'll delete it.
In the meantime, I can do the rest of your name change: your DVLA pack, HMRC, your council, GP, energy, water and more. How it works →
Anna x
Questions about changing the name on your passport
Anything else? Email hello@mynamechanged.com or DM me on Instagram or TikTok. More answers on the FAQs page.
Can I change my name on my passport online?
Yes. You apply on GOV.UK, and it's £102, which is £13.50 cheaper than the paper form (October 2026). The online form tells you exactly what documents to send.
How much does it cost to change the name on my passport?
£102 online, £115.50 on paper, or £192 for the 1 week Fast Track service (October 2026). A photo code from a booth is about £10 on top.
Do I have to change my passport after getting married?
No. Your passport stays valid in your maiden name until it expires. Just make sure you book travel in the name on the passport you'll travel with.
Can I travel on my old passport after getting married?
Yes, as long as your tickets are in the name on that passport. Once you've applied for a new one, your old passport is cancelled and you can't travel on it.
What documents do I need to change my name on my passport?
After marriage or civil partnership, your certificate. With a deed poll, your deed poll plus one document from the last 12 months showing you use your new name, like a bank statement or utility bill. What proof do I need? →
Can I use a homemade deed poll for my passport?
Yes. The Passport Office accepts it if it's dated, signed in your old and new names, signed by at least one witness, and every signature is in pen. It doesn't need to be enrolled. Make one free →
How do I change my name on my passport after divorce?
Divorce papers alone aren't accepted. Either send your birth certificate, a signed statement saying you've gone back to a previous surname, your marriage certificate and one document showing you use the name, or use a deed poll with one document showing you use the name.
Can I keep my maiden name as a middle name on my passport?
Yes, but your marriage certificate only covers your surname, so you'll need a deed poll for that. One deed poll covers the whole lot.
How long does it take to change the name on my passport?
The Passport Office says you'll usually get it within 3 weeks of them receiving your documents. The 1 week Fast Track service couriers it to you about a week after your appointment.
Can I use the 1 day Premium service to change my name?
No. The 1 day service is only for renewing an adult passport. For a quick name change, use 1 week Fast Track.
Do I need a countersignatory to change my name?
No, not for a name change. You only need one if you look so different that you can't be recognised from your old photo.
Will I keep my passport number?
No. Your new passport has a new number, so update anything booked with the old one, and don't book travel until it arrives.
Will a visa in my old passport still work?
It might not after a name change, and it doesn't move to your new passport. Check with that country's embassy before you book anything.
Should I change my passport or driving licence first?
There's no right order. With a marriage certificate, do whichever you like. With a deed poll, update something easy like your bank or energy first, so you've got proof you use your new name. Driving licence guide →
Can someone change my passport for me?
Not through me yet. I'm building it as a separate service, and you can email me with "PASSPORT" in the subject to hear when it launches.