Name change
If you want to change both the name and sex marker on your NZ birth certificate, you can use the sex marker form in the section below.
To change only the name on your birth certificate you need to complete a name change statutory declaration form.
Information required includes your new names, and your birth names. Some additional info may be required to prove your identity. If you do not have proof of identity such as a passport, drivers licence, utilities or a lease in your name, you can contact the Department of Internal Affairs.
The declaration needs to be signed in front of staff at the Department of Internal Affairs, a lawyer, a Justice of the Peace or another person authorised to witness such a statement. They will also sign the statement.
The form contains an application for a copy of your birth certificate with your new legal name. The fee for the name change and a copy of your new birth certificate is around $170. You can pay in person at a DIA office, or use a credit card or pre-paid prezzy card if submitting the application by post.
Department of Internal Affairs have the answers to frequently asked questions regarding name changes on their website.
Your new birth certificate will list your previous name and your new name.
Sex marker change
On 15 June 2023, a new self-identification process replaced the Family Court process.
To change the sex marker on your birth certificate, you need to complete a statutory declaration and apply to Births, Deaths and Marriages.
You must:
- complete an application form
- make a statutory declaration – a written statement signed in front of an authorised person and declared to be true
- provide a certified copy of an acceptable photo identification (ID).
If you do not have an acceptable photo ID, you must complete an identity referee declaration form.
You can now find all of forms you’ll need, as well as clear information on how to update your sex marker, on the Department of Internal Affairs website. Click the button below to visit this page.
Your new birth certificate will list your updated sex marker and your new name. Your previous name will not be listed on the birth certificate.
If you are under 18, currently living overseas, or you were born overseas
Visit the DIA web page linked above.
