Name Change Affidavit

Before you swear the affidavit

• The person whose name is changing must sign the affidavit personally in front of the notary. Nobody else can swear it on your behalf, even a spouse or parent of an adult.
• For a minor child, the affidavit is sworn by the parents or legal guardian. Many offices, including the gazette office, expect both parents to sign or one parent to explain why the other cannot.
• The affidavit must state the old name and the new name exactly as they should appear, along with your father's or husband's name, full address and the reason for the change, such as marriage, divorce, numerology or a spelling error.
• A name change affidavit records your declaration; it is not by itself a change of name in law for every purpose. For a full change, especially for passports and central government records, the Gazette of India notification is usually the stronger proof.
• If you hold a government job, check your service rules first. Many departments ask employees to inform or take permission from the office before publishing a change of name.
• Married women who only wish to add the husband's surname can often use the marriage certificate instead. The affidavit is most useful when the change is not covered by a marriage or divorce document.

What affects the total cost

• Stamp paper value: affidavits in Delhi are usually printed on low value non-judicial e-stamp paper, but the value depends on the state where it is executed. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have their own stamp rules.
• Notary charges: the notary charges for attestation and the register entry. This is separate from drafting.
• Number of copies: if several offices need an original, you may need more than one affidavit rather than photocopies.
• Newspaper advertisement and gazette: if the affidavit is the first step of a full name change, the newspaper ads and gazette publication are separate costs that come later.
• Courier or collection: home delivery or collection from a notary point adds a small travel or courier cost.

How long it takes

Drafting takes a short time once your details are confirmed, because the format is settled. The real time goes into checking spellings across your documents, procuring stamp paper and getting a notary slot. If you approve the draft in the morning, the notarised affidavit is often ready the same day. Delays usually happen when the new name spelling is changed after printing, when the parents of a minor cannot both be present, or when the deponent is outside the city and has to visit a notary personally. Public holidays and Sundays also matter, because e-stamp centres and many notaries do not work then.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using a slightly different spelling of the new name in the affidavit, the newspaper ad and the gazette form. All three must match letter for letter.
• Leaving out the old name variations. If your documents carry two or three versions of your name, list all of them as 'also known as' so every record can be linked.
• Treating the affidavit as the end of the process. Banks and the passport office may accept it in some cases, but for many records you still need the newspaper ads and gazette.
• Signing in the new name before the change is complete. Sign the affidavit in your current signature unless the draft says otherwise.
• Not keeping notarised photocopies. Offices often keep the original, so keep at least two attested copies before you submit.

What you get at the end

You receive the original affidavit on stamp paper, signed by you and stamped and signed by the notary with a register number. Use it as the base document for your newspaper advertisements and the Gazette of India application on egazette.gov.in. It is also commonly submitted for correcting the name in bank KYC, school or college records, and alongside other proofs for Aadhaar and PAN updates. Keep the original safe and submit copies wherever an original is not insisted on.

In Delhi NCR

• Delhi affidavits are usually printed on e-stamp paper issued through SHCIL authorised centres, which you will find near most district courts and many market areas.
• Notaries sit at all Delhi district court complexes, including Tis Hazari, Saket, Karkardooma, Rohini, Dwarka, Patiala House and Rouse Avenue, and in many neighbourhoods.
• Gurugram and Faridabad follow Haryana stamp rules, and Noida and Ghaziabad follow Uttar Pradesh rules. If you live in one state and the office is in another, our team checks which stamp paper the office will accept.
• The Department of Publication, which publishes the Gazette of India, is in Delhi, so Delhi residents often move from affidavit to gazette in one go.
• Outside NCR, the team can guide you online on format and wording, though you still need to sign before a local notary.