How to order a name change certificate

It’s easiest to order a name change certificate online. You can also order by phone, post, or in person.

If you were born in NZ

For someone born in NZ, you need to get a birth certificate as proof of your name change.

How to order a birth certificate

Cost

$33 for an official name change certificate.

How to pay

You can use a credit, debit or prepaid gift card (for example Prezzy card) when paying:

  • online
  • by post
  • by phone
  • in person.

If you do not have 1 of these then you need to order:

Delivery cost to an NZ address

Standard post

Free delivery to an address inside NZ.

Courier costs

$5 for a courier to an address inside NZ.

Delivery cost to an address outside NZ

Standard post

Free delivery to an address outside NZ.

Outside NZ courier costs

  • Australia, Asia, Pacific $15
  • USA $20
  • Europe, UK $25
  • Rest of the world $30

Steps to order a name change certificate

  1. 1

    Before you order

    What you’ll need to know

    Information about the name change

    You need to know the:

    • full name of the person whose certificate you’re ordering
    • date of the name change.

    It helps with the search if you know the name at birth.

    Information about yourself

    If you’re ordering your own certificate, you can use your NZ name change record as evidence of your identity.

    Ordering someone else’s certificate

    Even if you’re ordering someone else’s certificate, you need to know the date and place of:

    • your birth in NZ, or
    • your marriage or civil union in NZ, or
    • your child’s birth in NZ, and their full name.

    If you do not have this information you can not order online. You can choose other ways to order below.

    Births, Deaths and Marriages use the information to check who you are, then record your name in the Access Register. The register is a record of who orders certificates.

    More about the Access Register

  2. 2

    Order the certificate

    Order a name change certificate online

    Other ways to order

    Order a name change certificate by phone

    Order a name change certificate by post

    Order a name change certificate in person

  3. 3

    When you’ll get the certificate

    Check this page for regularly updated timeframes:

    BDM service timeframes

    If the record can not be found

    You’ll be refunded $8 if Births, Deaths and Marriages can not find the record of the name change.

    If you want to use the name change certificate outside NZ

    You may need to get an apostille or authentication certificate for the name change certificate or have it translated into another language.

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact the following agency.

Utility links and page information

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