How to Change Your Name, Gender or Appearance on a British Passport

When do you need a new passport?

HM Passport Office requires you to get a new passport if you change your name, change your gender, or your appearance changes so much that you cannot be recognised from the photograph in your current passport.

The replacement passport receives a different passport number. HM Passport Office advises you not to book travel until you have the valid new passport.

When do you not need to replace your passport?

You do not normally need a new passport just because you:

• change your address or contact details;
• change jobs;
• marry, form a civil partnership or divorce but keep the same name;
• make only a minor appearance change, such as changing hair colour or growing a beard;
• change a professional title such as doctor or professor;
• become a national of another country as well as the UK; or
• emigrate.

If you have moved home, changing your passport is therefore unnecessary. Other records may still need updating, including your electoral registration address.

How do you change your passport name after marriage or civil partnership?

You can apply for a passport in your married or civil-partnership name either before or after the ceremony.

After the ceremony, send your marriage or civil partnership certificate with the passport application. This route can also cover an eligible double-barrelled surname where the certificate establishes the link between the old and new names.

Can you change the passport before the wedding or civil partnership?

Yes. HM Passport Office allows you to apply in your new name up to 3 months before the ceremony.

You must include the official form for newlyweds and civil partners, signed by the religious minister or registrar conducting the ceremony. Your existing passport is cancelled and the replacement is post-dated, which means you cannot use it before the ceremony.

The name used for a travel booking must match the name on the passport you will travel with.

What if you changed your name by deed poll or another document?

For a name change that is not based on marriage or civil partnership, GOV.UK says you can use one of these documents:

• a deed poll;
• a statutory declaration; or
• an affidavit.

You must also send proof of any previous name changes and evidence that you are using your new name, such as a payslip or a letter from your local council.

If you have not yet legally changed your name, Helpydo has a separate procedure for changing your legal name by deed poll in England and Wales. That legal name-change process is separate from replacing the passport afterwards.

How do you return to a previous surname after divorce?

When applying to return to a previous surname, such as a maiden name, GOV.UK requires:

• your birth certificate;
• a signed statement confirming that you have returned to the previous surname for all purposes and will no longer use the married or civil-partnership name;
• a document showing that you are using the new name, such as a payslip or local-council letter; and
• a marriage or civil partnership certificate showing both names.

If the name change follows the end of a marriage, the passport process is separate from the legal divorce process. Helpydo also explains how to apply for a divorce in England and Wales.

Can you change the spelling or order of your forenames?

HM Passport Office permits changes such as slightly changing the spelling of a name, changing the order of forenames or removing middle names.

For this type of change, GOV.UK says to send 2 documents showing that you use the new name. Examples include:

• a letter from a local council or government department;
• a driving licence;
• a bank statement; or
• a baptism or confirmation certificate.

How do you change gender on your passport?

To change the gender shown on a British passport, send one of the following:

• a Gender Recognition Certificate;
• a new birth or adoption certificate showing your acquired gender; or
• a letter from your doctor or medical consultant confirming that your change of gender is likely to be permanent.

If you use the medical-letter route and are also changing your name, HM Passport Office additionally requires evidence of your name change, such as a deed poll, and evidence that you are using the new name, such as a payslip or local-council letter.

What counts as a major change in appearance?

You need a new passport when your appearance has changed enough that you cannot be recognised from your current passport photograph. GOV.UK gives plastic surgery as an example.

You do not need a replacement merely because you dye your hair, grow a beard or make another minor appearance change while remaining recognisable.

Do you need someone to countersign the application?

Yes. If your appearance has changed and you cannot be recognised from your existing passport, a countersignature is required.

For a paper application, the countersignatory signs the application and one of the 2 printed photographs. A UK countersignatory must normally:

• have known you for at least 2 years;
• be able to identify you personally;
• be a person of good standing in the community or work in, or be retired from, a recognised profession;
• live in the UK; and
• hold a current British or Irish passport.

They cannot be related to you by birth or marriage, be in a relationship with you or live at the same address.

A countersignature is not normally required merely because you are changing your name or adding a title.

Do you need a new passport photo?

Yes. HM Passport Office requires a new photograph whenever you get a new passport, even if your appearance has not changed.

The photo must have been taken within the last month and comply with the official passport-photo rules.

For an online application you need a digital photograph. For a paper application you need 2 identical printed photographs.

What if you also have a non-British passport?

If you have dual nationality and hold a non-British passport, HM Passport Office says the name and gender on the non-British passport must match the name and gender requested for your British passport.

If they differ, you should normally change the details on the non-British passport before applying for the new British passport. HM Passport Office has detailed caseworker rules for exceptional situations where another country does not permit a relevant change.

Can you change passport details online?

Yes. You can apply for the replacement passport through the official HM Passport Office online application service.

For a standard UK application, the current fee is:

• £102 for an adult aged 16 or over; or
• £66.50 for a child under 16.

You will need a compliant digital photograph and must follow the application instructions for providing your existing passport and change-of-details evidence.

Can you apply using a paper passport form?

Yes. You can obtain a paper passport application form from a Post Office that offers Passport Check and Send or by calling the Passport Adviceline.

Standard UK paper application fees are:

• £115.50 for an adult passport; and
• £80 for a child passport.

Complete and sign the application in the name you want printed on the new passport. Paper applications require 2 identical printed photographs.

How much does changing passport details cost in 2026?

There is not a separate lower fee simply for changing personal information: you are applying for a new passport.

From 8 April 2026, the standard UK fees are:

• adult standard 34-page passport: £102 online or £115.50 by paper;
• child standard 34-page passport: £66.50 online or £80 by paper;
• adult 54-page frequent traveller passport: £116 online or £129.50 by paper; and
• child 54-page frequent traveller passport: £80.50 online or £94 by paper.

Supporting documents are returned free by ordinary second-class post. Secure return normally costs an additional £5.

How long does a changed-details passport take?

HM Passport Office says you will usually get a UK passport within 3 weeks.

The processing period starts when HM Passport Office receives your supporting documents. It can take longer if more information is required or if you need an interview.

Do not book travel until the new passport has arrived and is valid for your journey.

Does your new passport keep the old passport number?

No. Your replacement passport has a new passport number.

HM Passport Office also states that time remaining on an old passport is not added to the new one.

What happens to visas in your old passport?

An unexpired foreign visa in your old passport may become invalid when you change your name.

HM Passport Office tells applicants to check with the embassy or consulate of the country that issued the visa before relying on it for travel.

Do you need a new passport to change a professional title?

You do not need to replace your passport merely because your title changes, for example to doctor or professor.

If you want an eligible professional title, honour or military decoration recorded when applying for a passport, enter it in the appropriate title section and provide evidence. Most such titles appear on the observations page rather than becoming part of the passport name.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking travel in a name that does not match the passport you will use.
• Assuming an address change requires a replacement passport.
• Applying after a name change without the required evidence linking the old and new names.
• Forgetting evidence that you actually use the new name where HM Passport Office requires it.
• Holding another country's passport in a different name or gender without checking HM Passport Office's alignment rules.
• Using an old photograph instead of a new photo taken within the last month.
• Failing to obtain a countersignature after a major appearance change that means you cannot be recognised from the old photograph.
• Assuming the remaining validity from the old passport will be added to the new passport.
• Assuming an existing foreign visa will automatically remain valid after changing the name on your passport.

What should you check before applying?

Confirm exactly which detail is changing and gather the official evidence that applies to that change. Check that your new photograph meets the current passport rules and that any non-British passport is aligned where required.

Use the same name for your passport and future travel booking, include the current passport and supporting documents requested by HM Passport Office, and allow enough time for the replacement passport to arrive before making travel arrangements.