A clear, step-by-step guide to legally changing your name in Uttar Pradesh. Affidavit, newspaper notice, the two Gazette routes, real fees, documents and timeline, done from home in Lucknow, Kanpur, Noida, Varanasi or Gorakhpur.
A quick walkthrough of the affidavit, newspaper and gazette steps, and how the Uttar Pradesh name correction service works.
In this video, the YourDoorstep team explains the full name change procedure in Uttar Pradesh: which gazette to choose, 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, the name change procedure in Uttar Pradesh follows a clear legal path once you cut through the conflicting advice online. This guide breaks down every step in plain words, from the affidavit to the final gazette, and shows how to get it done from home, whether you live in Lucknow, Kanpur, Noida, Varanasi or Gorakhpur.
To change your name in Uttar Pradesh, follow three steps. Make a notarised affidavit with your old and new name, publish the change in two newspapers (one Hindi, one English), then file for a gazette notification. For all-India validity, UP residents use the Central Gazette, where the fee is Rs 1,100 for adults and Rs 1,700 for minors. The process takes about 30 to 45 days, and you can do it 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, UP Board and government departments across India.
This is where most UP guides go wrong, so let us settle it first. Some websites tell you to apply on a "UP gazette portal", and one even points people to the Panchayat Raj Department. For a personal name change that you want accepted everywhere, that advice is misleading.
The honest position is this. Uttar Pradesh does have a State Gazette, printed by the UP Government Press, and it carries state notifications. But unlike a few other states, UP does not run a simple online citizen portal for personal name-change notifications. For personal name changes, UP residents apply through the Central Gazette, the Gazette of India, run by the Department of Publication in Delhi. That is the route the passport office, UIDAI, banks and UP Board all accept without argument.
Here is the simple rule. If your new name needs to work on a passport, PAN, Aadhaar, a bank account, a government job, a UP Board or university certificate, or for study and work abroad, use the Central Gazette. The UP State Gazette mainly helps with state-level records.
| Point | UP State Gazette | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | UP Government Press (Directorate of Printing & Stationery) | Department of Publication, Government of India, Delhi |
| Government fee | Own schedule (confirm before paying) | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor (paid on BharatKosh) |
| Valid for | State-level records within UP | All over India and abroad, including passport, PAN, Aadhaar, banks, PSU jobs, embassies |
| Where you apply | UP press in Lucknow or Prayagraj | File sent to Civil Lines, Delhi, by post, courier or in person |
| Best for | Small local record updates | Passport, bank, government service, study or work abroad |
The UP State Gazette is printed by the Directorate of Printing and Stationery, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Its main press is at Government Press, Minto Road, near Hazratganj, Lucknow-226001, with a unit at 14/12, Sarojini Naidu Marg, Civil Lines, Prayagraj-211001 (listed phone 0532-2623371; confirm on the official site). This is the office for a UP State Gazette notification, which carries state-level validity. For a name change that must be accepted across India and abroad, the file instead goes to the Central Gazette at the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054.
Yes. A legal name change in India runs on paperwork, not office visits. There is no single name change office you must line up at in UP.
The only place a Central Gazette file must physically reach is the Department of Publication in Delhi. If you live in Noida or Ghaziabad, that office is almost next door. If you live in Varanasi, Prayagraj or Gorakhpur, it is far, and travelling makes no sense. Either way, you do not need to go. Our own office is in Delhi. You share your details from your home in UP, we prepare the affidavit, book the newspaper ads, pay the government fee, and hand your file to the Gazette office in Delhi ourselves. Once it is published, we send you the gazette PDF.
Every legal name change through the Central Gazette follows the same three steps, in this order.
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 Hindi and one English. This is a public notice, so anyone can object if something is wrong.
The file goes to the Department of Publication, Delhi. Your notice is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India, and you download the 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 to Rs 100 in UP.
You announce the name change in two newspapers, one Hindi and one English. For Hindi you can use Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala or Hindustan. For English you can use The Times of India or Hindustan Times. 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, not just the cut-out advert.
Now the file goes to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. It includes the affidavit, the newspaper pages, a typed proforma with two witnesses, a soft copy on CD in MS Word, two passport photos, ID proof, and the BharatKosh fee receipt. Your notice is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India, published every Saturday. You then download the PDF from egazette.gov.in. Since 1 October 2015 the gazette is digital only, so there is no physical copy to collect, and the PDF needs no stamp or attestation.
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 (Uttar Pradesh) | Yes | Shows your UP address |
| Two passport-size photos | Yes | Self-attested |
| Full copies of both newspaper ads | Yes | Complete original pages |
| Typed proforma with two witnesses | Yes | Signed by you and witnesses |
| Soft copy on CD (MS Word) | Yes | Without the witness column |
| BharatKosh fee receipt | Yes | Proof of the government fee |
| 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 |
| Deed as per rules | If applicable | For government employees |
If you are from UP 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 fixed 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) |
| 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 and city |
Publishing the notice is a real step, not a formality. Use one Hindi paper and one English paper that circulate in your area. Across UP, Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala have strong reach in almost every district.
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.
Once your name change is published, use the gazette PDF to update your other records. This is the final and often 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 your Passport Seva Kendra 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 |
| UP Board & university records | Contact UPMSP or your 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.
Once your gazette is ready, we help you carry the new name onto every record. From ID proofs to school and property papers, here are the documents we handle name change and correction on for Uttar Pradesh residents.
Name change or spelling correction on Aadhaar with the gazette as proof.
Name correction through the NSDL or UTIITSL route.
Re-issue with your new name using the gazette and newspaper ads.
Correction of the name entry through Form 8.
Name or spelling correction through the local Registrar (RBD Act route).
Name change on marksheets, degrees and UP Board / university records.
Update your name across bank accounts, passbooks and KYC.
Name correction at the RTO with the gazette copy.
Name updates on property, rent and related documents.
Name change on policies and insurance records.
Correction on ration card and gas connection records.
Name change on employee, PF and service documents.
Need a document not listed here? Call 9540005026 and we will confirm.
The single reason files fail is a spelling gap between the affidavit, the newspaper ad and the ID proof. Pick one exact spelling, including initials and spacing, and use it on every paper. If Aadhaar says "Kumar" and the affidavit says "Kumaar", fix it first.
If the name is only for a local state record, the UP State Gazette is fine. If it touches a passport, PAN, bank, PSU job or anything abroad, use the Central Gazette from the start, so you do not pay twice.
The Department of Publication does not return your file. Keep your own full newspaper pages and extra printouts of the gazette PDF, because Aadhaar, PAN, the bank and the passport office each want a copy.
A Central Gazette notification is treated as final proof by UIDAI, the passport office, banks, UP Board and universities, so you rarely face follow-up questions.
Since 1 October 2015 the gazette is digital. If you lose your copy, you download it again free from egazette.gov.in, with no office visit.
The whole process runs on paperwork, so a resident of Gorakhpur or Varanasi completes it without travelling to Delhi.
Between the affidavit, the newspaper wait and gazette processing, plan for 30 to 45 days. It is not instant.
A wrong fee category or a spelling gap can mean a rejection, a fresh BharatKosh payment and a restart. Careful checking up front matters.
Fee payment and download are online, but the actual file still has to reach the Delhi office by post, courier or in person.
Add your marriage certificate to the file. The affidavit states your maiden name and married name. The three steps stay the same. This is the most common case for women updating a passport or bank account in UP.
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 the fee is Rs 1,700. The department wants the guardian to send the package directly, so we prepare the full kit and guide you.
The simplest case. The affidavit states the wrong and correct spelling. Note: a spelling fix on a birth certificate goes through the local Registrar under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, not the gazette.
| Mistake | Why it hurts |
|---|---|
| Believing a "UP gazette portal" is the route for a personal name change | The reliable route is the Central Gazette |
| Different spellings across affidavit, ad and ID | Top cause of rejection |
| Wrong stamp paper value | Can make the affidavit invalid |
| Signing the form with the new name instead of the old name | File gets held up |
| Not keeping the full original newspaper pages | You cannot prove the publication |
| Using an affidavit more than six months old | Often not accepted |
| Missing father's or husband's name in the notice | Notice may be treated as incomplete |
| Wrong fee category or amount on BharatKosh | Payment rejected or mismatched |
We handle the full name change and gazette process for residents right across Uttar Pradesh, from western UP near Delhi to the eastern districts. Wherever you are, you share your details by call, WhatsApp or a short form, and our Delhi team does the filing for you. No local office visit.
Do not see your city? We still cover it. Call 9540005026 and we will confirm.
We are based in Delhi, beside the Gazette office, so your file is handed in personally and not left to the post.
We handle both newspaper advertisements for you, in the right format.
Everything runs on call, WhatsApp and a short form. No long trip to Delhi.
The government fee is shown separately, with no hidden charges.
How can I change my name through the gazette in Uttar Pradesh? Make a notarised affidavit, publish the change in two newspapers (one Hindi and one English), then file for a gazette notification. For all-India validity, use the Central Gazette, where the notice is printed in Part IV of the Gazette of India.
Does UP have its own online portal for personal name change? Not a reliable one. For personal name changes, UP residents apply through the Central Gazette run by the Department of Publication in Delhi. The UP State Gazette mainly carries state-level notifications.
Is the Prayagraj Government Press the same as the Central Gazette office? No. The Prayagraj and Lucknow presses handle the UP State Gazette. The Central Gazette, valid across India, is run by the Department of Publication in Civil Lines, Delhi.
Do I have to go to Delhi for the Central Gazette? No. The file can be sent by post or courier, or submitted through a Delhi-based service. You can complete the whole process from anywhere in UP.
We prepare the affidavit, book the Hindi and English newspaper ads, pay the government fee, and file the gazette in Delhi for you, then guide you on updating Aadhaar, PAN and passport. Doorstep service, honest pricing.
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The fees, offices and timelines on this page are checked against official Government portals, 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 Uttar Pradesh comes down to three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. Ignore the pages that point you to a "UP portal" or the Panchayat office. For a name accepted everywhere, UP residents use the Central Gazette. The government fee is Rs 1,100 for adults, and the whole thing takes about 30 to 45 days. The best part is that none of it needs a trip. Whether you are in Lucknow, Noida, Kanpur or Gorakhpur, you can get your name changed from home. Share your details, and our Delhi team does the standing in line for you.
Three clean steps: affidavit, newspaper ad, and the gazette notification. For a name accepted everywhere, use the Central Gazette. Or let our Delhi team do the standing in line for you, wherever you are in UP.
