The wedding season has started in India. Thousands of weddings are happening every day and with this, new changes are coming in the lives of many brides. One of the most common changes after marriage is to change the surname. Traditionally, girls adopt their husband’s surname after marriage in India. However, this change is considered legally only when the formal process is completed.
So if you too are thinking of changing your surname after marriage, then in this article we will tell you what is its process, which documents will be needed and how you can change your name.
Changing surname after marriage is not mandatory
First of all, it is important to know that it is not mandatory to change the surname after marriage in India. It depends entirely on your personal choice. If you want your husband’s surname to be added to all your official documents, then you have to go through a legal process.
Surname
To change the surname after marriage, you have to follow the following steps:
1. Fedevit to make
First of all, affidavits have to be made on a stamp paper. The following information has to be included in the affidavit:
Your old name and new name
Wedding date and place
Husband’s name and details
New adopted surname
It is necessary to get verification of notary verification on this affidavit. The affidavit will serve as evidence of your name change in the future.
2. To attach marriage certificate
Along with affidavit, you also have to put an official certificate of your marriage i.e. marriage certificate. This shows that the marriage is legally concluded.
3. Publication in newspaper
The next step after affidavit is to publish your name change in an English newspaper and a local language newspaper. In this advertisement, you have to give information about changing your old name, new name and change after marriage.
4. Realizing a name change in the Gazette
In many cases, women also have to publish their surname change in the Gazette of India, especially when they are in a government job or to give evidence in the legal process in the future. For this, you have to fill the application form and submit the required documents and fees to the Gazette office.
Required documents
During the surname change process you will need the following documents:
Aadhar card
PAN card
Bank passbook
Voter ID Card
Ration card
Marriage certificate
Passport (if it is)
Two passport size photographs
Affidavit copy
Cutting of advertisement published in newspaper
It is not possible to complete the process without these documents. Therefore, it would be better to keep all the documents ready beforehand.
How long is the process complete?
The entire process of changing the name and surname may usually take a time ranging from a few weeks to a few months. The work of making affidavit and publishing advertisements in the newspaper is done quickly, but it may take some time to get publication in the gazette and update in various documents.
As soon as the process is complete, your new surname becomes legally valid. After this, you can also update your bank account, PAN card, passport, driving license etc. with a new name.
conclusion
Changing the surname after marriage is a personal decision. If you want to do this, you can easily complete it by adopting the correct process. However, this is a duly legal process and it requires patience and correct documents.
If all the steps are fulfilled carefully, in no time your new name will be updated in all official records and you will not have any kind of trouble.