Change your child's name (child born overseas)

What is this application for?

Use this application to register a legal change of name for your child.

Not sure if you’re in the right place?

Age of person whose name is being changed	Person born in Victoria	Person born overseas	Person born interstate
Adult	Adult born in Victoria	Adult born overseas	Apply to the Registry in that state or territory
Child	Child born in Victoria	Read this page	Apply to the Registry in that state or territory

Who can apply?

This page explains how to change your child's name if they are:

Under 18 years old
Born overseas and:
- Living in Victoria for most of the time in the last 12 months
- Have the legal right to live in Australia.

Apply to change your child's name(opens in a new window)

Read our information for young people on changing a name.

What you’ll need

In most cases, both parents on the birth certificate need to complete the application. When you apply:

Parent 1 completes their part
Parent 1 attaches consent from the child, if applicable
If the child is 12 years or older, you can't change their name without their consent. Attach the child’s consent to your application. Learn more about how to digitise and upload documents
We will email Parent 2 to complete their part.

If you can’t apply online, contact BDM and request a paper change of name form.

We'll ask you for the following:

About you and your child

At minimum, we'll ask you for:

Your child's name, date of birth and place of birth
Your name and address
Name and address of the second parent (if applicable)
A clear reason for the change of name
Any previous names your child has been known by.

Child's chosen name

Chosen family name(s)
Chosen given name
Chosen other given name(s).

Generally, we accept most names. However, both parents need to agree on the name and there are some names that aren’t allowed. See Naming restrictions.

When you apply, please take care to provide correct details.

Enter details exactly as you want them on the certificate. This includes spelling and capitalisation (e.g. Name).

Remember to review the sections before you submit.

You may have to pay to correct a mistake or get a replacement certificate. Additional wait times will apply.

Original certificate(s)

Has your child had their name changed before in Victoria? If so, we ask you to return any previous change of name certificates for your child before we can issue a new one.

If you don't have the original, you need to provide a statutory declaration(opens in a new window) explaining why. Learn more about how to digitise and upload documents.

Proof of your identity

Supply them to us:
- Upload certified copies
- Post certified copies
If you send documents to us by mail, they must be certified copies.
Don't send original identity documents by mail
Don't send uncertified copies - we can't accept them.
Learn more about how to prove your identity.
Your documents must meet the following conditions:
Documents must be current (not expired). We accept Australian passports that are current or expired less than 3 years.
Documents must be certified copies. Check the list of people authorised to certify documents in Victoria(opens in a new window).
Documents must be in English. Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Learn more about the requirements for translated documents.
In addition, when combined, the documents must show:
- Your full name
- Your date of birth
- A photo of you
Each parent must provide certified copies of at least one document from each list below:
- List 1 (commencement of identity)
- List 2 (use in the community)
List 1 - Commencement of identity
- Australian passport – current or expired less than 3 years
- Australian birth certificate that is not handwritten
- Valid ImmiCard
- Foreign passport linked to a valid Australian visa
- Australian citizenship certificate
- DFAT-issued certificate or document of identity, or DFAT verification of residency status
List 2: Use in the community
- Documents from List 1 if not already provided as a List 1 document
- Australian driver licence or learner permit
- Medicare card
- Evidence of right to an Australian government benefit (Centrelink or Veteran’s Affairs)
- Photo identity card issued by an Australian government agency (Commonwealth, state or territory)
- Weapons or firearms licence showing signature and photo
- DFAT-issued United Nations Convention Travel Document
- DFAT-issued consular photo identity card
- Marriage certificate issued in Australia
- Australian Electoral Commission confirmation of enrolment
- Australian Taxation Office assessment notice
- Security guard or crowd control licence
- Rates notice from any local government in Australia
- Australian aviation or maritime security identification card
- Australian secondary or tertiary student identification
- Credit report
- Australian utility bill showing name and address (issued in the last 12 months)
- Australian private health insurance card
- Australian trade association card
- Keypass card issued by Australia Post
- Foreign government issued documents (e.g. driver licence)

Proof of your child’s identity

Your child’s overseas birth certificate is all you need. You need to send us a certified copy (with certified translation if it isn't in English).

If you can’t provide this, please contact us.

Proof of parentage

One of the easiest ways to do this is with your child’s overseas birth certificate. For other options, read more about evidence of parentage or applications from different types of applicants.

To prove you are the parent of the child, provide:
- Your child’s birth certificate, or
- Adoption papers that name the child, and show your name(s) as the child’s legal parents.
If you don’t have these documents, refer to alternative evidence of parentage.
Any documents that aren’t in English must have a certified translation.

Applications from one parent

If you're not the child's birth parent, you need to provide proof that you’re the child's legal guardian.
You must also provide one of the following:
- Proof that the parents can't be found
- Proof that the parents have died
- A court order instructing us to change the child's name without the parents' consent.
You may have to provide additional documents. Contact us for more advice.
If you're not the child's birth parent, you must provide:
- Proof that you’re the child’s permanent carer
- A certified copy of the permanent care order.
You may have to provide additional documents. Contact us for more advice.

Circumstances and evidence required if only one parent is applying
Circumstance	What you need to provide
The child's birth certificate names only one parent	Your child’s original birth certificate
The other parent named on the child's birth certificate has died	A certified copy of the death certificate
A court order, stating that your child's current name is to be changed to the new name, has been issued by: The County Court of Victoria The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia	A certified copy of the court order. The court must list the child's old and new names. The new names that you apply for must exactly match the new name(s) on the court order.

Proof of residence

You'll need to prove that your child:

Has the right to live in Australia
Has been living in Victoria for most of the time in the last 12 months.

You must provide one document from each list below. At least one of the documents must state your child’s place of birth.

a. The child’s right to live in Australia

A document issued by the Department of Home Affairs, for example:

Australian Citizenship Certificate
Australian visa (with overseas passport)
ImmiCard
Document for Travel to Australia

b. Proof of living in Victoria

You must provide at least one of the documents below. Documents must cover at least the last 12 months:
- Confirmation of school, childcare or preschool attendance, such as:
  - School reports
  - Invoices for school, childcare or preschool fees
  - Letter on school, childcare or preschool letterhead
- Centrelink family payment advice
- Health care statements
- Private health care statements.
If you can't provide any of the documents listed above, each parent must prove that they ordinarily live in Victoria. Joint (shared) documents are acceptable. Documents must cover at least the last 12 months.
- Australian Electoral Commission confirmation of enrolment
- Australian private health care statements
- Australian Taxation Office assessment notice
- Bond lodgement notice
- Infringement notices
- Insurance policy
- Letter from a treating doctor
- Letter from an employer
- Payslips
- Rates assessment notice
- Rental agreement
- Road-toll statement
- School reports
- Superannuation fund statement
- Utility accounts (for example, electricity, gas, water)

You only need to provide one of these documents once. If you’ve already provided a document as part of applying or proving your identity, you don’t need to provide it again.

Advise if the child or parent is detained or subject to court orders

If the child or parent is in custody, you must attach approval from the relevant authority to change the child’s name.

It is an offence to apply without this approval.

How long will it take to get the certificate?

When you apply for a certificate or registration, we email you details of documents you need to provide. Our processing times start when we receive all required documents.

If you didn’t receive an email after applying, contact us.

Type of application	Processing time
Change of name registration and certificate	Up to 42 days (6 weeks)

Allow extra time for public holidays and postage.

Change of name certificate

Legal certificate

When you change your child's name, you get a change of name certificate. It shows your child's:

New name
Former name.

The back of the certificate shows a history of the changes.

The certificate is valid for all legal and official purposes. You will need this certificate to update identity documents such as your driver licence and passport.

Get a certificate later

You can order another certificate later – for example if you lost it and need a replacement. Get a change of name certificate.

Certificate fees and postage

The fees are non-refundable except as set out on our Refunds page. A fee waiver may be available in certain circumstances of financial hardship.

Certificate fees

Type of certificate	Price
Application fee. Includes: Registration of change of name Certificate	$140.40

Type of certificate

Price

Application fee.

Includes:

Registration of change of name
Certificate

$140.40

Postage

We send legal certificates by express post, for security.

For commemorative certificates, you may only choose standard post. This is because they're not official identity documents. Legal and commemorative certificates will arrive separately.

Postage type	Price
Express post (within Australia)	$10.20
Express post (International)	$55.50

Payment methods

Pay via credit card, Paypal or BPAY.

After your application is submitted

You‘ll receive an email after submitting your application.

If you didn’t receive an email after applying, first check your spam inbox. If you still don’t have the email, read about common causes of delay.

Once we have everything we need, we’ll complete your application within processing timeframes. We’ll email to let you know when we’ve posted your certificate.

Update your child's documents

Once your child's name has been changed, you must update all your child's identity documents and records with their new name. These may include:

Passport
Bank accounts
School enrolment
Visa travel documents.

Learn more about updating your child's identity documents after you've changed your child's name.