A clear, step-by-step guide to legally changing your name in Kolkata. Affidavit, newspaper notice, the Kolkata Gazette Part-II and Central Gazette routes, real fees, documents and timeline, done from home in Salt Lake, Howrah, Ballygunge or Behala.
A quick walkthrough of the affidavit, newspaper and gazette steps for a Kolkata name change.
In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains the name change process in Kolkata: the documents you need, the real fees, and how we handle the whole process at your doorstep.
Changing your name is a big step. Maybe you just got married, you are fixing a spelling mistake in your school records, or you want a fresh start after a divorce. Whatever the reason, changing your name legally in Kolkata follows a clear path. Kolkata residents even have two gazette options, a state route and a central route. This guide breaks down every step in plain words and shows how to get it done from home, whether you live in Salt Lake, Howrah, Ballygunge or Behala.
To change your name legally in Kolkata, follow three steps. Make a notarised affidavit with your old and new name, publish the change in two newspapers (one Bengali, one English), then apply for a gazette notification. You can use the Kolkata Gazette Part-II (state, online via Saraswaty Press) or the Central Gazette in Delhi, which is valid across India. Fees start around Rs 250 for the state route, and the process takes about 15 to 45 days.
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.
Kolkata is well set up here, because West Bengal runs an online Kolkata Gazette Part-II through Saraswaty Press. So you genuinely have two working options.
| Point | Kolkata Gazette Part-II (State) | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Saraswaty Press, Government of West Bengal | Department of Publication, Government of India, Delhi |
| How you apply | Online via wbgazettepart2.in (register with mobile number) | File sent to Civil Lines, Delhi, by post, courier or in person |
| Government fee | Roughly Rs 250 to Rs 500 | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor (BharatKosh) |
| Time | About 15 to 30 days | About 30 to 45 days |
| Valid for | State-level records mainly | Accepted everywhere in India and abroad |
| Best for | A cheaper, state-level record | Passport, Aadhaar, PAN, banks, jobs, study or work abroad |
The Kolkata Gazette Part-II is now published by Saraswaty Press Limited, a Government of West Bengal enterprise, at 11, B T Road, Belghoria, Kolkata-700056. The older West Bengal Government Press sits at Alipore, Kolkata-700027. For Part-II, you apply online at wbgazettepart2.in. The Central Gazette file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054.
Yes. A legal name change in India runs on paperwork, not office visits. In Kolkata you have an extra advantage, because the Kolkata Gazette Part-II is applied for online, so much of the state route is done over the internet.
For the Central Gazette, the file goes to the Department of Publication in Delhi. Either way, you do not have to line up at the gazette office in Belghoria or Alipore, or travel to Delhi. You share your details from your home in Kolkata, we prepare the affidavit, book the newspaper ads, handle the fee, and file the gazette for you. Once it is published, we send you the gazette PDF.
Both the state and central routes share the same first two steps. Only the filing at Step 3 differs.
A short legal statement on stamp paper with your old name, new name, address, father's or husband's name, and the reason, signed before a notary.
Announce the change in two papers, one Bengali and one English. Keep the full original pages as proof.
Apply through the Kolkata Gazette Part-II portal, or send the file to the Central Gazette in Delhi, then download the published PDF.
An affidavit is a short legal statement on non-judicial stamp paper. It lists your old name, new name, address, father's or husband's name, and the reason for the change. You sign it in front of a notary. The stamp paper value is small, usually Rs 10 or Rs 50 in Kolkata.
You announce the name change in two newspapers, one Bengali and one English. For Bengali you can use Anandabazar Patrika or Bartaman. For English you can use The Telegraph or the Times of India Kolkata edition. 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 state route, register on the Kolkata Gazette Part-II portal (wbgazettepart2.in) with your mobile number, upload your affidavit, newspaper pages and ID proof, and pay the fee online. For the Central route, the file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, with the fee paid on BharatKosh. Once verified, your notice is published and you download the gazette PDF, which is your legal proof.
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 the file |
| Old name ID proof | Yes | Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID or passport |
| Address proof (Kolkata) | Yes | Shows your Kolkata address |
| Two passport-size photos | Yes | Self-attested |
| Full copies of both newspaper ads | Yes | Complete original pages, one Bengali and one English |
| Scanned documents (state route) | Yes | Upload on the wbgazettepart2.in portal |
| Fee receipt (state or BharatKosh) | Yes | Proof of the government fee |
| Marriage certificate | If applicable | For a surname change after marriage |
| Divorce decree | If applicable | For restoring your maiden name |
| Birth certificate | If applicable | For a minor's name change |
| Deed as per rules | If applicable | For government employees |
If you are from Kolkata but living abroad, your deed must be attested by the Indian Embassy or High Commission 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 |
|---|---|
| Kolkata Gazette Part-II (State) fee | Roughly Rs 250 to Rs 500 |
| Central Gazette fee (adult) | Rs 1,100 (BharatKosh) |
| Central Gazette fee (minor) | Rs 1,700 (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 Bengali paper and one English paper that circulate in the city. In Kolkata, Anandabazar Patrika and Bartaman are the common Bengali choices, and The Telegraph and the Times of India Kolkata edition are widely used in English.
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 Kolkata 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 at the Kolkata PSK using the gazette and ads.
Name update at the RTO with the gazette copy.
Update your name across bank accounts and KYC records.
Records for the WB board, CBSE and Kolkata universities.
Correction through the KMC or 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 the full name change and gazette process for residents right across Kolkata and its suburbs. Wherever you are in the city, you share your details by call, WhatsApp or a short form, and we do the filing for you. No visit to the Belghoria or Alipore gazette office needed.
Do not see your area? 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 at the Kolkata PSK with the gazette and 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 |
| WBBSE / 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 decree ready. No separate court order is needed just to restore a maiden name.
The parent or guardian signs the affidavit. The Central Gazette fee for a minor is Rs 1,700. We prepare the full kit and guide you.
A spelling fix on a Kolkata birth certificate goes through the KMC or local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
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 spacing, and use it on every paper.
The Kolkata Gazette Part-II is cheap and quick for state records. But if the name is for a passport, PAN, bank or anything abroad, use the Central Gazette from the start so you do not repeat the process.
A birth certificate spelling fix is a KMC or Registrar job, not a gazette job. Using the right route first saves weeks.
The Kolkata Gazette Part-II portal makes the state route cheap and mostly online, which many cities do not offer.
The Central Gazette is treated as final proof by UIDAI, the passport office, banks and universities across India.
The whole process runs on paperwork, so a resident of Behala or Barrackpore completes it without any office visit.
Plan for 15 to 45 days depending on the route. 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 KMC or Registrar route, so the gazette alone is not always enough.
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Different spellings across affidavit, ad and ID | Top cause of rejection |
| Using only the Kolkata Gazette when the name is needed for a passport or abroad | You may have to redo it through the Central Gazette |
| Trying to fix a birth certificate through the gazette | That is a KMC or Registrar job under the RBD Act |
| Poorly scanned uploads on the wbgazettepart2.in portal | Applications get rejected |
| Not keeping the full original newspaper pages | You cannot prove the publication |
| Using an affidavit more than six months old | Often not accepted |
| Wrong fee category on the portal or BharatKosh | Payment rejected or mismatched |
Whether you want the cheap Kolkata Gazette Part-II or the pan-India Central Gazette, we file it correctly the first time.
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 Kolkata.
The gazette plus updating Aadhaar, PAN, passport and the rest, with clear pricing and no hidden charges.
Does Kolkata have its own online gazette portal? Yes. The Kolkata Gazette Part-II is published by Saraswaty Press through the online portal wbgazettepart2.in. For pan-India needs, many people use the Central Gazette instead.
Where is the Kolkata Gazette office? The Kolkata Gazette Part-II is published by Saraswaty Press at 11, B T Road, Belghoria, Kolkata-700056, with the older West Bengal Government Press at Alipore, Kolkata-700027.
Is a birth certificate name change done through the gazette? No. A birth certificate correction in Kolkata goes through the KMC or local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
Which newspapers should I use in Kolkata? One Bengali paper such as Anandabazar Patrika or Bartaman, and one English paper such as The Telegraph or the Times of India Kolkata edition.
We prepare the affidavit, book the Bengali and English newspaper ads, handle the gazette fee, and file through the Kolkata Gazette Part-II portal or the Central Gazette for you, then guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Doorstep service, honest pricing.
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The fees, offices and portals 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 legally in Kolkata comes down to three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Kolkata gives you two routes, the cheap online Kolkata Gazette Part-II (via Saraswaty Press) and the Central Gazette, and the Central one is valid everywhere. State fees start around Rs 250, and the process takes about 15 to 45 days. Remember that a birth certificate fix is a KMC or Registrar job. Whether you are in Salt Lake, Howrah, Ballygunge or Behala, you can get your name changed from home, and we update your Aadhaar, PAN and passport once it is done.
Three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Pick the cheap Kolkata Gazette Part-II or the pan-India Central Gazette. Or let our team file it for you, wherever you are in Kolkata.
