Anyone aged 14 or older can change their first name, middle name, and surname at will. This article outlines the necessary steps for a legal name change.

Who Can Change Their Name

Step 1. Name change is a personal affair.

Changing one’s name is a deeply personal decision. Some people dream of changing their unusual name to something more common, while others are tired of their simple name and seek something unique.

Step 2. Many unusual names are registered today.

Nowadays, many unusual names are being registered. Recently, it has become popular to name girls April, Cherry, Russia, Dawn, Ocean, Joy, while boys are named Count, Prince, Cosmos, Dolphin, etc.

Step 3. Any citizen aged 14 or older has the right to change their first name, middle name, and surname at will.

Step 4. The name can be anything, but it must not contain numbers.

  • There are some exceptions to the rules. For instance, the registry office has refused to register names like Lucifer, Messiah, Adolf Hitler, Mister, or Justice.

Step 5. When registering a new name, you will need to provide a reason for the change.

  • A certificate from a psychiatric or neurological dispensary is not required when changing your name.

Reasons for Changing Your Name

Step 1. A desire to change one’s name alone is not enough.

A mere desire to change one’s name is not sufficient. When submitting a name change application, you must provide one of the valid reasons listed below:

  • Unpleasant sound of the name.
  • Difficulty in pronouncing the name.
  • Desire to have a name that corresponds to the chosen nationality of one of the parents (in cases of different nationalities of parents).
  • Desire to have a name that has actually developed in life, different from the name in the documents.
  • Desire to have a name that corresponds to the chosen gender in the case of surgical gender reassignment.

Required Documents

Step 1. To change your name, you need to go to the registry office at your place of birth or residence.

Step 2. You must bring the following documents:

  • Application for a name change.
  • The application must include your old and new names, details of your birth certificate, citizenship, nationality, marital status, information about children, place of residence, and the reason for the name change.
  • Birth certificate.
  • Marriage certificate if you are married.
  • For individuals under 18, written consent from parents/adopters/guardians for the name change, either written at the registry office or notarized, or, in the absence of parental consent, a court decision allowing the registration of the name change.
  • Paid receipts: a state fee of 1600 rubles and 350 rubles for making one change.

Step 3. You can submit your application online through the State Services Portal.

Timeframe for Application Review

Step 1. According to federal law "On Civil Status Acts", the name change application must be reviewed within one month from the date of submission.

  • In exceptional cases, the head of the registry office may extend the review period, but not more than two months. You must be informed of this.

Step 2. When applying online, the review period is three months.

If Your Request is Denied

Step 1. If you are denied a name change, the registry office is obliged to explain the reason for the denial in writing and return all documents.

  • A denial will definitely be given if the aim of the name change is to abuse rights or evade direct obligations.
  • However, any decision can be appealed in court.

Passport Replacement

Step 1. If your request is approved, go to the registry office and obtain a certificate of name change, as well as a new birth certificate.

Step 2. Now, within 30 days, you need to apply for a new civil passport of the Russian Federation.

Step 3. To do this, you need to write an application for passport replacement at the local FMS office.

Step 4. You must attach the following documents to your application:

  • The old Russian passport that is to be replaced.
  • Two 35 x 45 mm photographs of your face, without a head covering.
  • The new birth certificate issued by the registry office.
  • The certificate of name change issued by the registry office.

Step 5. Documents needed for mandatory passport markings:

  • Military ID
  • Birth certificates of children under 14 years old
  • Documents confirming registration at the place of residence (an extract from the housing register or a certificate of registration, obtainable from the housing office)
  • Marriage certificate
  • Divorce certificate
  • International passport
  • Receipt for payment of the state fee of 300 rubles.

Step 6. If children aged 14 to 16 are changing their passport, parents, guardians, or legal representatives of the minor must be present during the replacement.

Step 7. The new passport can be received within up to 10 days.

Replacement of All Other Documents

Step 1. The most challenging part starts after receiving the passport with the new name.

Step 2. You will now need to change almost all other documents, such as:

  • International passport
  • Driver's license
  • Bank cards
  • Health insurance policy

Step 3. Additionally, you will need to make changes to:

  • Military ID (if applicable)
  • High school diploma and higher education diploma
  • Employment record book
  • Documents proving ownership of real estate
  • Gift deeds and documents confirming inheritance
  • Securities and bank contracts

Step 4. Generally, there are no issues with replacing mandatory documents.

Generally, there are no issues with replacing mandatory documents. This includes international passports, driver's licenses, bank cards, health insurance policies, and other insurance documents.

Step 5. Much more time and effort will be required to change documents related to real estate and other property.

Significantly more time and effort will be needed to change documents regarding real estate and other property. Issues will also arise with gift deeds and documents proving inheritance.

Step 6. It will be very challenging to change high school diplomas, higher education diplomas, and employment record books.

Step 6

Changing high school diplomas, higher education diplomas, and employment record books will be very challenging. These documents are not mandatory to replace. You can continue using the old ones, presenting the name change certificate along with them.