Changing DC surnames for first passport?

[Disneymamma]

Hello, if anyone can help me with this I would be so very grateful, I'm totally confused!

My primary school aged dc were given my husband's surname on their birth certificates, but we have been separated for years and he has previously agreed they could have both our names which is what they want. I wasn't quite sure how to go about making this official and with everything else going on these past couple of years I didn't do anything about it. Now I want to apply for their first passports and have been told I can just apply in their new names but can't find specific advice about this online.

Does anyone have any idea please?

You need to apply with enrol it in court, with his permission.

If no permission, they will decline it.

It can be without his permission in very specific circumstances.

Probably need to do it by deed poll and you both need to fill in the paperwork if you both agree to the name change. You can't just order a passport without a proof of name change

www.gov.uk/change-name-deed-poll/change-a-childs-name

Deed polls, even when signed by both parents, still have to be enrolled in court for a passport with the new name.

Their passports have to be in the name on their birth certificate.

No, they don’t.

See above. I went through this last year.

Ah ok thank you. I was hoping there was a simpler way - if we do it by deed poll won't they have to produce that in addition to birth certificates etc for any future legal matters like for mortgages etc?

They would have a passport in their new name so less need for using the birth certificate. You can't change the name without doing a deed poll

I’m not that far through it, but my understanding is that once it’s enrolled in court, that’s it. It’s a legally binding name change.

With deed poll, yes. But you won’t get a passport with a deed poll unless it’s enrolled in court.

I have linked to the page that tells them how to do an enrolled deed poll

Thank you!

A deed poll does not need to be enrolled. The Passport Office accept unenrolled change of name deeds.

The link says some places don't accept an unenrolled deed poll so I don't think we can say 100% that the passport office would accept it especially for a child

Yes, we can say 100% that the passport office would accept it. The guidance for Passport Office staff is available online and specifically instructs them that an unenrolled deed poll is one of the acceptable ways a child's name can be changed. The full list is:

• change of gender


• enrolled deed polls, unenrolled deed polls or change of name deeds


• adoption


• court orders, specific issues orders and overseas court orders


• statutory declarations


• affidavits


• acts of Parliament

I would not recommend getting an Act of Parliament to change your child's name!

That's really helpful, thank you so much, and thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contribute