A clear, step-by-step guide to legally changing your name in Kerala. Affidavit, newspaper notice, the Kerala State Gazette and Central Gazette routes, real fees, documents and timeline, done from home in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode or Thrissur, or even from the Gulf.
A quick walkthrough of the Kerala gazette office, its address and how the name change process works.
This video walks through the name change procedure in Kerala step by step in Hindi: the notarised affidavit, the two newspaper ads, the gazette office and notification, and how name correction works, matching the exact steps in this guide.
Changing your name is a big step. Maybe you just got married, you are fixing a spelling mistake in your school certificate, or you want a fresh start after a divorce. Whatever the reason, the name change procedure in Kerala follows a clear legal path, and Kerala gives you two options, its own State Gazette and the Central Gazette. This guide breaks down every step in plain words, and shows how to get it done from home, whether you live in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, Thrissur or Kollam, or work abroad in the Gulf.
To change your name in Kerala, make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers (one English, one Malayalam), then file for a gazette notification. You can use the Kerala State Gazette through the Government Central Press (online at compose.kerala.gov.in), or the Central Gazette (Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor) for pan-India and overseas use. The state gazette often publishes in 2 to 4 weeks, and it can all be done from home.
Definition: A gazette notification is an official notice published in the Government Gazette that turns your name change into a public, legally recognised record, accepted by the passport office, banks, UIDAI and government departments across India.
This is the choice that matters most, and Kerala is well set up for it. The State Gazette is run by the Government Central Press in Thiruvananthapuram and accepts private name change advertisements, now also online. The Central Gazette is run by the Government of India in Delhi and is the standard for passports and work abroad.
| Point | Kerala State Gazette | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Government Central Press (Directorate of Printing), Thiruvananthapuram | Department of Publication, Government of India, Delhi |
| How you apply | Prescribed form at the Central Press or District Forms Offices, or online at compose.kerala.gov.in | File sent to Civil Lines, Delhi, by post, courier or in person |
| Government fee | Modest advertisement fee plus cost of gazette (eTreasury) | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor (BharatKosh) |
| Speed | Often 2 to 4 weeks | About 30 to 45 days |
| Valid for | Records within Kerala | All of India and abroad |
| Best for | A cheaper state-level record | Passport, PAN, banks, PSU jobs, Gulf and abroad |
Living near a border, or moving for work? The Central Gazette route is identical across the region. See our Karnataka guide for the northern neighbour, the Bangalore guide for Malayalis working there, our Telangana guide, and the Delhi guide for where the central files land.
The Kerala State Gazette is handled by the Government Central Press, Directorate of Printing, at Statue, Thiruvananthapuram-695001, with District Forms Offices across the state. Since October 2021, name change and related citizen services are also available online at compose.kerala.gov.in, with the fee paid through eTreasury. The Central Gazette file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, and is downloaded from egazette.gov.in (Part IV, published every Saturday; the PDF needs no certification or stamp).
In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains the Kerala gazette office and how to change your name legally in Kerala, and how we handle the whole process at your doorstep.
A large number of Kerala families have someone working in the Gulf, so this comes up a lot. Yes, you can change your name while living abroad. The whole process runs on paperwork, so it can be handled from Dubai, Riyadh, Muscat or anywhere else.
For overseas use, the Central Gazette is the safer route, because it is accepted by embassies and consulates. If you are abroad, your name change deed is attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate in that country. You share your details with us, and we prepare the affidavit, book the newspaper ads, and file the gazette in Delhi, then send you the PDF by email.
Both routes share the same first two steps. Only the final filing differs.
A short legal statement on stamp paper with your old name, new name, address, age and the reason, signed before a notary.
Announce the change in two papers, one English and one Malayalam. Keep the full original pages as proof.
Apply to the Kerala State Gazette through the Central Press, or send the Central file to Delhi, then download the PDF.
An affidavit is a short legal statement on non-judicial stamp paper. It lists your old name, new name, address, age and the reason for the change. You sign it in front of a notary. In Kerala the stamp paper value for this is usually around Rs 100.
You announce the name change in two newspapers, one English and one Malayalam. For English you can use The Hindu or The New Indian Express. For Malayalam you can use Malayala Manorama or Mathrubhumi. The notice should carry your old name, new name, address, father's or husband's name, and the affidavit date. Keep the full newspaper pages.
For the Kerala State Gazette, you submit the prescribed form with your affidavit and documents to the Government Central Press (or apply online at compose.kerala.gov.in) and pay through eTreasury. For the Central Gazette, the file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, with a typed proforma, two witnesses and the BharatKosh fee receipt, and it is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India, downloaded from egazette.gov.in.
The pages ranking for this topic copy each other, and the same errors travel from site to site. Here is what they say, against the verified position, so your file is not built on a myth.
| What many websites say | The verified fact |
|---|---|
| "Draw a Demand Draft in favour of the Controller of Publications, Kerala" | There is no Controller of Publications in Kerala, and demand drafts are not accepted anyway. The Department of Publication sits at Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, and the Central Gazette fee is paid only online through BharatKosh. Kerala's own gazette runs through the Printing Department, with the fee paid online through eTreasury. |
| "Get your gazette name change done for just Rs 999" | The Central Gazette government fee alone is Rs 1,100 for an adult on BharatKosh, so no honest all-inclusive service can cost Rs 999. Teaser pricing quietly excludes the gazette fee, stamp paper, notary and newspaper ads. |
| "File a petition with the court, and after a hearing the court issues an order granting the name change" | The gazette route never touches a court. There is no petition, no hearing and no court order. It is a notification process: affidavit, two newspaper ads, then the gazette, whether you use Kerala's compose portal or the Central Gazette. |
| "Without a gazette notification, most government agencies will reject your update request" | Small spelling corrections in Aadhaar or bank records often go through with supporting documents alone. The gazette is the universal, strongest proof for a full legal name change, which is why we recommend it, but the all-or-nothing version of this claim is sales pressure, not law. |
| "You must be 18 years of age to apply" | Minors change names too. The parent or legal guardian files on the child's behalf with the birth certificate attached, and the Central Gazette even has a separate minor fee of Rs 1,700. There is no 18-plus restriction on the process itself. |
| "Submit a CD with the typed content of your notification" | The CD belongs to the old process. The current Central Gazette checklist runs on the BharatKosh payment receipt, the notarised affidavit, newspaper originals, ID proofs, photographs and two hard copies of the specimen form, and Kerala's state application runs fully online on compose.kerala.gov.in. No compact disc on either route. |
| "You need an affidavit from a 1st Class Magistrate" | A notarised affidavit works for the gazette routes. Nothing in the Central Gazette checklist or Kerala's compose portal requires a magistrate-sworn affidavit for a simple name change, and demanding one only adds time and cost. |
| "One ad must be in the regional language newspaper, as a rule" | For a simple name change there is no language restriction at all. In Kerala one Malayalam daily plus one English daily is the practical pair, and that combination serves both local offices and national institutions well. |
| "Your printed gazette copy will arrive by post" | Printed Central Gazette copies stopped from 1 October 2015. You download the PDF from egazette.gov.in (Part IV, published every Saturday), and Kerala Gazette issues publish online every Tuesday on the state portals, valid under the Information Technology Act, 2000. |
| "Any old affidavit and newspaper ad will work" | The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, and documents once submitted are not returned. |
| "Fix your birth certificate spelling through the gazette" | A birth certificate correction is a Registrar matter under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through your municipal corporation or local Registrar in Kerala, not the gazette. |
Keep these ready. Missing or mismatched papers are the top reason files get held up.
| Document | Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarised name change affidavit (original) | Yes | Base document for either route |
| Prescribed Kerala gazette form | Yes (State) | From the Central Press or online |
| Old name ID proof | Yes | Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID or passport |
| Address proof (Kerala) | Yes | Shows your Kerala address |
| Two passport-size photos | Yes | Self-attested |
| Full copies of both newspaper ads | Yes | One English and one Malayalam |
| Typed proforma + BharatKosh receipt | Yes (Central) | Only for the Central Gazette route |
| Marriage certificate | If applicable | For a surname change after marriage |
| Divorce papers | If applicable | For restoring your maiden name |
| Birth certificate | If applicable | For a minor's name change |
| Embassy-attested deed | If abroad | For NRIs applying from the Gulf or elsewhere |
If you are from Kerala but living abroad, your deed must be attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate of that country.
Two costs sit inside a name change: the government publication fee, and the side costs like stamp paper, notary and newspaper ads that vary.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Kerala State Gazette (advertisement + gazette cost) | Modest, paid via eTreasury (confirm current charge) |
| Central Gazette fee (adult) | Rs 1,100 (BharatKosh) |
| Central Gazette fee (minor) | Rs 1,700 (BharatKosh) |
| Extra alias name in the notice | Rs 250 per alias, added to the gazette fee |
| Central Gazette fee (living abroad) | Rs 3,500 as per the Department of Publication guidelines (BharatKosh) |
| Central Gazette fee (living abroad) | Higher, check current amount on BharatKosh |
| Stamp paper and notary | About Rs 100 to Rs 300 |
| Newspaper ads (two papers) | Varies by paper |
Publishing the notice is a real step, not a formality. Use one English paper and one Malayalam paper that circulate in your area. In Kerala, Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi have strong Malayalam reach, while The Hindu and The New Indian Express are common English choices.
Keep the complete original pages with the date and newspaper name clearly visible. A cutting where the date cannot be read is treated as invalid.
A gazette on its own is only useful once your other records match it. We help you update your new name across all the documents that matter for Kerala residents.
Name change or spelling correction with the gazette as proof.
Name update through the NSDL or UTIITSL route.
Name correction on the electoral roll via Form 8.
Re-issue with your new name, important for Gulf jobs and visas.
Name update at the RTO with the gazette copy.
Update your name across bank accounts and KYC records.
Records for the Kerala board, CBSE and universities.
Correction through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
Name change on policies and insurance records.
Updates on ration card and property documents.
Tell us which documents you need updated. Call 9540005026 and we guide you through each one after the gazette.
We handle name change work for people all across Kerala, from the big cities to smaller towns, and for Malayalis working abroad. Wherever you are, the process runs the same way, and you never have to travel to Delhi.
From Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode to Thrissur, Kannur and towns from Kasaragod to Pathanamthitta, the legal steps are identical, because a name change runs on paperwork, not on which of Kerala's fourteen districts you live in. The same file works for the whole state, everywhere in India and for Malayalis in the Gulf, and birth certificate corrections stay with your municipal corporation or local Registrar.
Do not see your town? We still cover it. Call 9540005026 and we will confirm.
Once your name change is published, use the gazette PDF to update your other records. This is the final and often the slowest part, so start early.
| Document | How to update |
|---|---|
| Aadhaar | Update at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra with the gazette as proof |
| PAN | Apply for name correction through NSDL or UTIITSL |
| Passport | Apply for re-issue with the gazette and newspaper ads |
| Driving licence | Visit the RTO with the gazette copy |
| Bank accounts | Visit your branch with the gazette, affidavit and ID |
| Voter ID | Submit Form 8 for correction |
| Board / university records | Contact your board or university with the gazette |
| Employer records | Inform HR with the gazette copy |
Keep several printouts of the gazette, because every office will want its own copy. We can also handle these updates for you.
Add your marriage certificate to the file. The affidavit states your maiden name and married name. The three steps stay the same.
You can return to your maiden name through the same process. Keep your divorce papers ready. No separate court order is needed just to restore a maiden name.
The parent or guardian signs the affidavit and applies on the child's behalf. The Central Gazette fee for a minor is Rs 1,700.
A simple spelling case states the wrong and correct spelling in the affidavit. A birth certificate correction, though, goes through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
If your name change is for a passport or a Gulf work visa, use the Central Gazette from the start. It is accepted by embassies, so you avoid redoing the process abroad.
The single reason files fail is a spelling gap between the affidavit, the newspaper ad and the ID proof. Pick one exact spelling of your new name, including initials, and use it everywhere.
A spelling fix on a birth certificate is not a gazette job. It goes through the local Registrar under the RBD Act. For a CBSE school name change, you may also need a court order along with the gazette.
The Kerala State Gazette, now online for citizen services, is quick and affordable for records within the state.
A Central Gazette notification is treated as final proof by UIDAI, the passport office, banks, embassies and universities.
The whole process runs on paperwork, so a resident of Kannur or a worker in Dubai completes it without travelling.
For pan-India validity, the Central Gazette needs two newspaper ads and about 30 to 45 days. It is not instant.
A wrong fee category or a spelling gap can mean a rejection, a fresh payment and a restart.
Birth certificates follow the Registrar route, so the gazette alone is not always enough.
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Using the state gazette when the name is needed for a passport or the Gulf | You may have to redo it through the Central Gazette |
| Different spellings across affidavit, ad and ID | Top cause of rejection |
| Publishing in only one newspaper | Does not meet the requirement; you pay for another ad |
| Wrong stamp paper value | Can make the affidavit invalid |
| Not keeping the full original newspaper pages | You cannot prove the publication |
| Using an affidavit more than six months old | Often not accepted |
| Trying to fix a birth certificate through the gazette | That is a local Registrar job under the RBD Act |
| Wrong fee head on eTreasury or BharatKosh | Payment rejected or mismatched |
| Documents more than one year old | The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, so file while papers are fresh; documents once submitted are not returned |
We handle the whole process remotely, so you can change your name from Dubai, Muscat or Riyadh without flying home.
We handle both newspaper advertisements for you, in the right format.
Everything runs on call, WhatsApp and a short form. You stay home anywhere in Kerala.
The gazette plus updating Aadhaar, PAN, passport and the rest, with clear pricing and no hidden charges.
How much does the Central Gazette cost for Kerala residents? Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors, paid on BharatKosh (NTRP). Each extra alias name adds Rs 250, applicants living abroad pay Rs 3,500, and the fee is non-refundable.
How fresh do my documents need to be? The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, so complete the affidavit, newspaper ads and gazette filing without a long gap. Documents once submitted are not returned.
Does Kerala have its own state gazette for name change? Yes. The Kerala Gazette, run by the Government Central Press (Directorate of Printing) in Thiruvananthapuram, accepts private name change ads and can be applied for online at compose.kerala.gov.in.
Can I change my name from the Gulf? Yes. The process runs remotely, and for overseas use the Central Gazette is best, with the deed attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate.
Where is the Kerala gazette office? The Government Central Press, Directorate of Printing, Statue, Thiruvananthapuram-695001, with District Forms Offices across the state.
Is a birth certificate name change done through the gazette? No. A birth certificate correction goes through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
We pick the right route, prepare the affidavit, book the English and Malayalam newspaper ads, handle the gazette fee, and file through the Kerala Central Press or the Central Gazette for you, then guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Doorstep service, honest pricing, and easy for NRIs.
These are the searches people run right after this one. Here is the short, verified answer to each, so you do not have to open ten more tabs.
Central Gazette government fee: Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor on BharatKosh, plus Rs 250 per extra alias and Rs 3,500 if you live abroad. The Kerala Gazette route has its own fee paid through eTreasury on compose.kerala.gov.in. Stamp paper, notary and two newspaper ads come on top. Rs 999 all-inclusive offers exclude the government fee itself.
Kerala is one of the few states where the state gazette application itself runs online: apply on compose.kerala.gov.in (Printing Department), pay through eTreasury, and download the published issue from the same system. Kerala e-gazette issues publish every Tuesday and are valid under the IT Act, 2000.
State route: issues sit on gazette.kerala.gov.in and compose.kerala.gov.in. Central route: search your name on egazette.gov.in under Weekly Gazette, Part IV, published every Saturday. No PDF needs certification.
Entirely your choice, nothing in law requires it. If you do want a change, the same three steps apply with your marriage certificate added. No court appearance is needed.
Fully possible without flying home. NRIs use a deed attested by the Indian Embassy or Consulate, the Central Gazette fee for applicants abroad is Rs 3,500, and the rest of the file moves by post and email. Most Gulf-based Malayalis complete the whole thing remotely.
Kerala boards and universities update records against the gazette notification, so complete the gazette first. Board-specific forms and timelines then apply on top of it.
Legally you can file yourself, since the process is paperwork, not court. An agent mainly saves you from format rejections, and because the fee is non-refundable, one bounced file costs more than most assistance. Call 9540005026.
Explore our other verified guides: our national hub Name Change Service in India, How to Change Name Legally in India, and our southern neighbours: Karnataka, the Bangalore guide and Telangana. Same verified facts, local routes.
People also search for: Name change agent in Kerala, Kerala gazette office address, name change in birth certificate Kerala, compose.kerala.gov.in name change, surname change after marriage, passport name change process, Aadhaar name change online.
The portals, offices and rules on this page are checked against official Government sources, not copied from other blogs.
Government fees and timelines can be revised from time to time. Always confirm the current figures on the official portals above before you apply.
Changing your name in Kerala comes down to three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Kerala gives you two routes, its own State Gazette through the Government Central Press (now online at compose.kerala.gov.in), and the Central Gazette, which is valid across India and abroad. Publish in one English and one Malayalam paper. The state gazette often takes 2 to 4 weeks, and Gulf workers can do it all remotely. Remember that a birth certificate fix is a Registrar job, not a gazette one. Whether you are in Kochi, Kozhikode or Dubai, you can get your name changed from home, and we update your Aadhaar, PAN and passport once it is done.
Pick the Kerala State Gazette for records within the state, or the pan-India Central Gazette for a passport and Gulf jobs. Or let our team pick the right route and file it for you, wherever you are, even abroad.
