Updating your passport

After you change your name by deed poll in Northern Ireland, you can apply to HM Passport Office for a British passport in your new name.

You do not need to do this straight away. You can keep using your current passport until it expires, as long as any travel you book matches the name on it.

What you need

You will need:

• your current passport
• your original deed poll
• evidence that you are using your new name

Evidence can include your updated driving licence, payslips, bank statements or utility bills in your new name. Find out more about updating your driving licence.

If you have changed your name before, you will also need proof of any previous name changes.

How to apply

You can apply online or by post. Applying online costs less.

To apply online, you will need a digital photo that meets the passport rules and a debit or credit card. You will be told how to send your supporting documents during the application.

To apply by post, you can get a form from a Post Office branch. Use tracked post, as you are sending original documents.

Check the current passport fees on GOV.UK before you apply, as they change from time to time.

Travelling while you wait

You cannot travel abroad while your application is being processed, as HM Passport Office keeps your old passport until your new one is issued.

If you have travel booked, plan your application around it. If you need a passport urgently, you can pay for a faster service.

Travelling before you update your passport

If you travel before you update your passport, book your tickets in the name on your passport.

If your other identification shows your new name, take your deed poll with you in case you are asked about the difference.

After you apply

Your old passport is cancelled when your new one is issued. HM Passport Office returns your deed poll and other documents with your new passport.

Irish passports

Many people in Northern Ireland have an Irish passport, or both an Irish and a UK passport.

A deed poll does not change the name on your Irish passport automatically. The Irish Passport Service has its own rules for name changes, and usually asks for evidence that you have used your new name over a period of time.

If you have an Irish passport, check the Irish Passport Service's requirements before you apply. You can still update your UK documents with your deed poll in the usual way.

Apply for a deed poll

It costs £25 to apply for a deed poll with the NI Deed Poll Office. You can pay by debit or credit card.