A clear, step-by-step guide to legally changing your name in Nagaland through the Central Gazette: the affidavit, the two newspaper ads, real Government fees, documents and timeline, done from home in Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung or any town in the state.
A quick walkthrough of the affidavit, the newspaper ads and the Central Gazette filing that Nagaland residents use.
In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains the legal name change procedure through the Central Gazette, 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 a school certificate, or you want your documents to finally match each other. Whatever the reason, the name change procedure for Nagaland residents follows a clear legal path through the Central Gazette, and every part of it runs on paperwork, not office visits. This guide breaks down each step in plain words, whether you live in Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung or a smaller town.
To change your name legally in Nagaland, follow three steps. Make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers (one local, one English), then file for a Central Gazette notification with the Department of Publication in Delhi. The Government fee is Rs 1,100 for adults, paid on BharatKosh, and the whole process takes about 30 to 45 days after filing. You can do all of it from home.
Definition: A gazette notification is an official notice published in the Gazette of India 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 first thing to clear up, because it confuses many people. For a personal name change, Nagaland does not run a separate online state gazette portal the way some larger states do. Nagaland residents apply through the Central Gazette, the Gazette of India, run by the Department of Publication in Delhi. That is not a disadvantage: the Central Gazette is the strongest form of the record, accepted by the passport office, UIDAI, PAN services, banks, universities and embassies, across every state and abroad.
Because the route is central, the process is identical whether you live in Kohima, Dimapur or Mon. The gazette runs on documents, not on where you stand in a queue, so distance from Delhi makes no practical difference.
The Central Gazette file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. The published notice is downloaded from egazette.gov.in (Part IV, published every Saturday; the PDF needs no certification or stamp). There is no Central Gazette counter in Nagaland, and none is needed, because the file travels by post or courier.
Many name change pages copy each other, and the same errors travel from site to site. Here is what they say, against the verified Government position, so your file is not built on a myth.
| What many websites say | The verified fact |
|---|---|
| "Send your Central Gazette file to Civil Lines, Nagaland-110054 or Kohima-110054" | No such office exists. 110054 is a Delhi PIN code. The only Central Gazette office is the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. |
| "Pay the gazette fee by demand draft or cash" | The Department stopped demand drafts and cash long ago. Payment is online through BharatKosh (NTRP) only, and the fee is non-refundable. |
| "Your printed gazette copy will arrive by post" | Printed copies stopped from 1 October 2015. You download the PDF yourself from egazette.gov.in (Part IV, published every Saturday), and it needs no certification or stamp. |
| "The fee is just Rs 1,100, nothing more" | Rs 1,100 is the adult fee. A minor's case costs Rs 1,700, each extra alias name adds Rs 250, and applicants living abroad pay Rs 3,500. |
| "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 the local municipal body or district registrar, not the gazette. |
| "Government employees follow the same simple route" | Central government staff change their name through their department using the deed format under MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12/03/1987, alongside the usual steps. |
Yes. A legal name change in India runs on paperwork, not office visits. The affidavit is made before a notary in your own town. The newspaper ads are booked over the phone or through an agency. The Central Gazette file travels to Delhi by post or courier.
Our own office is in Delhi. You share your details from your home in Nagaland, we prepare the affidavit, book the newspaper ads, pay the Government fee on BharatKosh, and help you file your gazette. Once it is published, we send you the gazette PDF.
Every legal name change follows the same three steps, in this order.
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 local and one English. Keep the full original pages as proof.
Send the Central file to Delhi with the typed proforma, witnesses and BharatKosh receipt, then download from egazette.gov.in.
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 your own town in Nagaland.
You announce the name change in two newspapers, one local paper and one English paper that circulate in your area. The notice carries your old name, new name, address and the affidavit date. Keep the full newspaper pages, not just the cut-out advert.
The file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, with a typed proforma, two witnesses, a soft copy on CD, and the BharatKosh fee receipt. It is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India, published every Saturday, and downloaded free from egazette.gov.in with no certification needed.
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; not older than one year |
| Old name ID proof | Yes | Aadhaar, PAN, Voter ID or passport |
| Address proof (Nagaland) | Yes | Shows your Nagaland address |
| Passport-size photograph | Yes | Self-attested |
| Full copies of both newspaper ads | Yes | Complete original pages, not older than one year |
| Typed proforma + CD + BharatKosh receipt | Yes | For the Central Gazette file |
| Marriage certificate | If applicable | For a surname change after marriage |
| Divorce papers | If applicable | For restoring your maiden name |
| Birth certificate + school NOC | If applicable | For a minor's name change |
| Deed as per rules | If applicable | For government employees |
If you are from Nagaland but living abroad, your deed must be attested by the Indian Embassy or High Commission of that country. Documents once submitted to the Department of Publication are not returned, so keep clear copies of everything with you.
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 |
|---|---|
| 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) |
| Stamp paper and notary | About Rs 100 to Rs 300 |
| Newspaper ads (two papers) | Varies by paper and town |
| Courier of file to Delhi | About Rs 150 to Rs 400 |
Publishing the notice is a real step, not a formality. Use one local paper and one English paper that actually circulate in your area of Nagaland. The rule is the pairing, and both ads must carry exactly the same old name, new name and address as your affidavit.
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, and remember the one-year rule: an old ad cannot be reused for a fresh gazette file.
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.
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 using the gazette and ads.
Name update at the RTO with the gazette copy.
Update your name across bank accounts and KYC records.
Board and university records updated with the gazette.
Correction through the local Registrar under the RBD Act, not the gazette.
Updates on land and property documents with the gazette.
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 Nagaland. Wherever you are, the process runs the same way, and you never have to travel to Delhi.
From Kohima and Dimapur to Mokokchung, Tuensang, Wokha and Mon, the legal steps are identical, because a name change runs on paperwork, not on which district you live in. The same Central Gazette file works for the whole state and everywhere in India.
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 with the child's birth certificate and school NOC. 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 Section 15 of the RBD Act, 1969, not the gazette.
Central government employees follow an extra departmental route alongside the usual steps: a deed in the prescribed format under MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12/03/1987, submitted through their own department. If you work for the government, tell us at the start, so the file is prepared in the right format the first time.
Because Nagaland uses the Central Gazette, one clean filing works for Aadhaar, PAN, passport, banks and embassies. There is no cheaper state shortcut to redo later, so build the file right the first time.
The single reason files fail is a spelling gap between the affidavit, the two newspaper ads and the ID proof. The gazette prints exactly what you submit, so pick one exact spelling and use it everywhere.
A spelling fix on a birth certificate is not a gazette job. It goes through the local Registrar under Section 15 of the RBD Act, 1969. Sending it to the gazette wastes the non-refundable fee.
Is there a gazette office in Nagaland? No Central Gazette counter exists in the state, and none is needed. The only Central Gazette office is the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, and the file reaches it by post or courier. Any "Nagaland-110054" address is fake.
How much does the Central Gazette cost? Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors on BharatKosh (NTRP). Each extra alias name adds Rs 250, applicants living abroad pay Rs 3,500, and the fee is non-refundable.
How long does the whole process take? About 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi, plus the time for the affidavit and newspaper ads, so plan for roughly 5 to 8 weeks end to end.
How fresh do my documents need to be? The Department of Publication does not accept documents older than one year, so complete the affidavit, ads and filing without a long gap. Documents once submitted are not returned.
Is a birth certificate spelling fix done through the gazette? No. That is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the local municipal body or district registrar in Nagaland.
Can I do the whole process online from Nagaland? Almost. The BharatKosh fee payment and the final download from egazette.gov.in are online, and we handle the Delhi submission for you. The only in-person step for you is signing the affidavit before a notary in your own town.
Is the process different for government employees? Central government staff add a departmental deed in the format under MHA O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12/03/1987, submitted through their department, alongside the usual affidavit, ads and gazette steps.
We prepare the affidavit, book both newspaper ads, pay the Government fee on BharatKosh, and help you file the Central Gazette from anywhere in Nagaland, then guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Doorstep service, honest pricing.
People also search for: Name change agent in Nagaland, gazette office in Nagaland, name change in Kohima, name change in Dimapur, surname change after marriage, passport name change process, Aadhaar name change online.
The offices, fees 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 legally in Nagaland runs through the Central Gazette, and the whole thing is paperwork you can do from home. Three steps: a notarised affidavit, two newspaper ads (one local, one English), then the Central Gazette file to the Department of Publication in Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. The Government fee is Rs 1,100 for adults, Rs 1,700 for minors, plus Rs 250 for each extra alias name, paid on BharatKosh, and none of your papers should be older than one year when you file. Expect about 30 to 45 days after filing, download the PDF from egazette.gov.in, and remember that a birth certificate fix is a Registrar job, not a gazette one. Whether you are in Kohima, Dimapur or Mon, we handle it end to end and then update your Aadhaar, PAN and passport.
One clean Central Gazette filing covers Aadhaar, PAN, passport, bank and everything abroad. Let our team prepare and file it for you, wherever you are in Nagaland.
