Is it possible to change the first name, last name or patronymic and how to do it

Last modified: January 2021

Despite the right to change your last name or first name, there are some restrictions that must be observed. Agreeing on a new surname alone is not enough; changing the surname in the passport at your own request entails the replacement of all main documents.

Civil law allows changing a person’s personal data. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, and a description of the procedure is contained in Law No. 143-FZ of November 15, 1997 in Chapter 7.

Is it allowed to change the last name, first name or patronymic?

The law allows this to be done by Federal Law No. 143-FZ of November 15, 1997 for everyone over 14 years of age. However, children under 18 years of age will need the consent of both parents or other official representatives.

You can immediately change your first name, middle name, last name or any part of this combination.

A child under 14 years of age can receive a new name only on the basis of a decision of the guardianship and trusteeship authority. Similarly, it is allowed by the RF IC, Article 59. Changing the child’s first and last name - change the last name to the one worn by the second parent.

Russian laws also allow you to take the surname of your husband or wife, or a double one, upon marriage (and return everything upon divorce). Next we will focus on changing the name at will. For convenience, in the text, the default name means a combination of full name or any part of it, unless we are talking about any specific component.

Why may they refuse to change your name?

If the procedure is not approved by the government agency, the citizen must be informed in writing of the reason.

Common reasons for refusal are:

• An attempt to avoid punishment and justice - paying penalties, bearing administrative or criminal liability, and so on.
• An insufficient package of documentation has been submitted; the papers are in poor condition (damaged, expired).
• The new name contains invalid characters, such as numbers.
• Reason for changing full name is not considered valid and reasonable.
• No state fee has been paid.
• The guardianship authorities do not give consent to change the child’s name or the child himself does not approve of the procedure (if the child is over 10 years old);
• Falsification of documents and signatures is suspected; they are listed as stolen or lost.

If refused, all submitted papers will be returned to the citizen. If he does not agree with the verdict, he can appeal it by contacting a higher official of the institution or filing a lawsuit in court. Mostly problems are resolved out of court. The complaint is considered within 30 days.

What surname, first name and patronymic can I take instead of the previous ones?

The law prohibits the RF IC, Article 58, only names with numbers, alphanumeric designations, numerals, symbols and signs that are not letters, with the exception of the hyphen. You still cannot use swear words, references to ranks, positions, or titles. They may also refuse. The Ministry of Justice explained in what cases registry offices may refuse to register a name in registration of a name that does not correspond to gender.

There may also be problems with patronymics. By default, it is formed from any male name. So if you want an exotic option or even a match, you will have to choose a male name that sounds similar.

Where to go to change your name

Replacement of personal data occurs in two stages. At each of them, the applicant applies to different authorities:

1. Civil registry office at the place of registration. A citizen comes there with a request to change his last name, first name or patronymic. You can only come in person or apply through a legal representative if the applicant himself is a minor/incompetent. The same authority issues a certificate of replacement of personal information;
2. Main Department of Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or MFC. The applicant comes there with the received certificate to issue a passport with a new name. To save time and avoid standing in line, you can submit an application to replace your passport online on the State Services website.

Important! You can change your last name/first name/patronymic name only at the Civil Registry Office offices and only by applying yourself.

What documents are needed to change your last name, first name or patronymic?

You will need the following papers Federal Law dated November 15, 1997 No. 143-FZ:

• Statement Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation dated October 1, 2021 No. 201 on a name change. Most likely, a registry office employee will fill it out in front of you, but you can do this in advance. Application template →
• Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
• Birth certificate.
• Receipt for payment of state duty - optional. This information should be available to employees through internal channels.
• Marriage certificate if you are married.
• Birth certificates of children, if you have children.
• Divorce certificate if you got divorced.

In the application you will have to indicate the reason for the name change, and it is better to choose something that is not very exotic. For example, write that everyone around you calls you by this name, not your passport name, or that you work under such a pseudonym. Otherwise, you risk encountering obstacles from registry office employees.

Reasons for action

In accordance with current legislation, a change of first name, surname or patronymic can be made by a person who has reached the age of 14 years (up to 14 years old, only the parents/guardians/adoptive parents/trustees of the child can provide the specified data).

The main reasons for changing personal data may be:

• marriage
• divorce
• adoption
• own wish

The current regulations do not establish reasons why a citizen’s data change may be refused.

See also: What to do if you lose your passport.

However, government agencies make replacements only in significant situations, which include:

• cacophony of first or last name
• difficulty in pronunciation, which leads to frequent mistakes
• desire to take the surname or first name of a close relative
• inconsistency of personal data with spiritual/religious beliefs
• designing a pseudonym for creative activities
• the opportunity to share the same surname with children
• obtaining a premarital surname and so on

How long will it take to make a decision to change your last name, first name or patronymic?

The registry office specialists have a month to do this. Federal Law of November 15, 1997 N 143‑FZ from the date of filing the application. In exceptional cases, the head of the department may extend this period, but not by more than two months. This usually happens if there are any discrepancies in civil registration records and they need to be eliminated.

If everything is in order, then in a month or less you will be issued a certificate of name change.

You will also receive documents on registration or divorce and the birth of your children with updated data.

Responsibility for untimely change of passport

If, after assigning a new name, a person does not receive a new passport within the period specified by law, sanctions are imposed on him under Art. 19.15 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. They provide for a fine of up to 3 thousand rubles. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the amount of recovery can increase to 5 thousand rubles.

In some cases, it is possible to reduce the amount of deduction or remove liability:

• in difficult financial situations;
• the woman is pregnant or has recently given birth;
• under difficult life circumstances;
• the delay is insignificant;
• The passport cannot be changed by a person under 18 years of age.

A fine can only be appealed through the courts.

Changing a name is a human right, which he can use at any time if there are sufficient and lawful grounds. To do this, an application and accompanying documentation are sent to the registry office. After receiving a new name, you will need to change your passport and other documents within the period specified by law.

When is refusal possible?

According to current legislation, the registry office has the opportunity to refuse to change the first or last name. There are strictly defined reasons for this:

1. provision of incomplete information in the application or its complete absence;
2. the photograph does not meet the established requirements;
3. failure to provide the full scope of documents specified by law;
4. the child’s minor age and lack of parental or guardian consent;
5. discrepancy between the information in the application and the documents provided;
6. the applicant is trying to evade responsibility by changing personal information (paying alimony, hiding from criminal prosecution);
7. the state fee has not been paid before submitting documents;
8. guardianship authorities against changing the child’s first or last name;
9. the child does not want to change personal data if he is already 10 years old;
10. there is no consent of one of the minor’s parents;
11. the selected name contains numbers.

If there are inaccuracies or an incomplete package of documents is provided, you can make corrections and resubmit the documents. In this case, you will have to pay the state fee again. If we are talking about a child’s lack of parental consent, it is better to wait until he reaches the age of majority and make an informed decision.

If, after resubmitting documents, the registry office employees refuse to carry out the procedure, a judicial settlement of the issue is possible. In this case, it is important to take a written refusal signed by the official and the seal of the organization. A statement of claim is drawn up in the district court at the location of the registry office. The following documents are attached to it:

• copy of civil passport;
• written refusal from the head of the registry office;
• documents confirming the existence of the basis.

The court has 1 month to consider the complaint, starting from the date of registration. If necessary, the period can be extended by another 30 days. As a rule, this situation arises due to the need to request additional documents from government agencies, which can be stated at the first meeting. If it is possible to take them yourself, it is better to do this before the trial.

It is important to submit an application and copies of documents in 3 copies - for the judge, the defendant and the plaintiff. If this is not done, the case may be left without progress or refused to be considered.

If the decision is positive, the Civil Registry Office employees are required to issue a document confirming the change of surname or first name on the day of application. But it is important to provide a court decision with a stamp of entry into force. In most cases, pre-trial conflict resolution is sufficient, and you should only contact a judge if it is impossible to resolve the problem.

Consequences after completion of the procedure

After receiving a new passport, you will additionally need to replace (make changes) to the following documents:

• TIN (territorial branch of the regional tax service)
• SNILS (territorial branch of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation)
• medical policy (insurance company)
• driver's license (traffic police)
• work book (personnel service at the place of work)
• foreign passport (Ministry of Internal Affairs)
• agreements, including loan agreements
• securities
• car insurance
• documents on ownership of movable and immovable property

With the help of MFC and State Services (step by step)

To change your name through the multifunctional center (MFC) you must:

1. Prepare the package of documents presented earlier.
2. Make an appointment with a specialist. This can be done at the MFC branch, using the terminal, by phone or on the official website of the organization according to the following scheme:

• Login to the site (can be done after registration or using the data from the State Services portal) and select the subsection “Sign up for the MFC”

• choosing a center branch in the city

• selecting a service located in the section “Repeated certificate of civil registration”

• selecting the date and time of visiting the center

1. Submission of documents.
2. Documents receiving.

Recently, it has become possible to submit documents to change your name online using your personal account on the Public Services service.

The procedure is carried out in the following sequence:

• login to your personal account. If access to your personal account is not previously opened, you will need to register and confirm the details of the created account.

• choice, located in the “Family and Children” section (currently the service is not available in all regions of the Russian Federation)

• filling out an application similar to a written form

• choosing a place, date and time for personal submission of documents.

Step-by-step instruction

Changing a name is not always a quick process. This section describes how to change your last name in your passport.

Where to contact

The replacement process consists of two stages: at the first stage you need to obtain a permit certificate, and at the second stage you need to start processing the required passport.

You can obtain formal permission, in accordance with Article 58 of Federal Law No. 143, at the civil registry office at the citizen’s place of residence or registration. The person must submit the application in person. No legal representative can write an application for a legally capable citizen, even with a notarized power of attorney.

After receiving the certificate, to replace your passport, you need to contact the Main Department of Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (formerly FMS) at your place of registration or the MFC (multifunctional center) with an application and a package of necessary papers. It is permissible to submit an online application through the State Services portal in order to save time.

List of documents

At each stage, it is necessary to provide a package of special documents to government agencies.

What you may need:

• birth certificate,
• ID card (passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation),
• marriage/divorce certificate,
• permission from legal representation to change personal data or a judicial act on legal capacity (for citizens 14–18 years old),
• a certificate confirming the reason for the change of surname.

In addition to this list, when applying to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the MFC to obtain a passport, you may need some more data.

Among them:

• application for receipt (sample and form can be downloaded from the website of the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs),
• a copy of the certificate of change of surname,
• old passport (the original must be presented without return),
• copies for making notes in the passport about children, marriage (marriage) and divorce, military service.

Persons from 14 to 18 years old

Minor citizens need to collect all the same papers as adults.

It should be remembered that they must be accompanied by a notarized permission of the parent or guardian.

How to write an application

The basis for replacement is an application from a citizen in Form No. 15, introduced by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1274.

What you need to indicate in it:

• passport data (full name, date and place of birth, citizenship, marital status),
• list of children under 14 years of age, their full name (last name, first name, patronymic) and date of birth,
• data on birth, marriage, divorce certificates,
• new surname
• reasons for data change,
• list of attached documents.

When submitting your application online, you will need to enter the same information. When you receive your passport at the issuing point, you will need to provide the originals for verification.

Sample

An application for registration of a name change must be completed in person.

A sample application for a last name change can be downloaded on the official State Services portal.

Deadlines

According to the law, processing an application may take up to 30 working days (in special cases - up to 60 days). Upon expiration of the period, the citizen will receive a certificate of change of surname, according to which he must issue a passport within a month.

A new passport can take up to 10 working days.

It is worth considering holidays and non-working days.

Price

Let's look at how much it costs to replace a passport.

The state duty for making changes to civil status acts is 1,600 rubles, according to clause 4 of Art. 333.26 Tax Code of the Russian Federation.

Please note that when drawing up an application you must indicate your old passport details. Funds must be transferred to the district registry office.

The state fee for obtaining a new passport, in accordance with clause 17 of Art. 333.33 Tax Code, is 300 rubles.

In this receipt, in the “payer” field, you must indicate the new selected surname, and in the “recipient” field, the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in which the new passport will be issued.

You can pay all receipts at any Sberbank branch via an ATM or through a cash register. When presenting a receipt, it is important that it is original. But if the original is lost, government agencies can send a request to the Federal Treasury and find out whether the payment went through.

How to change a child's name

The child's name is given at birth by agreement of the father and mother. But it happens that the child was named by one name, and later the parents, for some reason, wanted to choose another.

The procedure becomes somewhat more complicated if the child has reached the age of 10, when the name can be changed only on the condition that the opinion of the child himself is taken into account, and his consent is mentioned in the decision made by the guardianship authorities.

If the child himself wishes to change his name, it is worth knowing that until he reaches the age of majority, he will have to obtain the consent of his mother and father, adoptive parents or trustees to implement his plan. In the absence of their consent, a court decision will be required, unless the minor has previously been recognized by a court as fully competent.

Find out more about changing your baby's name.

Replacing a bank card

Having received new full names, you will have to change not only some documents, but also bank cards. To do this, you need to contact the branch of the servicing bank and write an application. It is important to attach to it:

• original new passport;
• copies of civilian ID;
• application based on the bank's sample;
• certificate from the registry office about changing the full name (at the request of the bank).

Important!

There is no need to give away your old bank card at the stage of making a new one. Until you receive a plastic card with the owner’s data on it changed, you can use the previous one.

It should be noted that changing a bank card implies not only replacing the plastic itself, but also renewing service agreements. At the same time, accounts, payment information and other terms of the agreement do not change.

Is it possible to change my last name?

A surname is assigned to a person from birth and accompanies him throughout his life until the need or desire to change it arises. You can change your surname if there is a compelling reason, such as marriage, or at your own request. The procedure for changing a surname requires a special procedure, the presence of grounds and the collection of documents.

We recommend that you read more about how to change your last name.

Contacting the military registration and enlistment office

If we are talking about men and women liable for military service, contacting the military registration and enlistment office after changing your passport is mandatory. The military registration and enlistment office employee will make adjustments to the information and documents that were previously issued to the applicant.

If a citizen has previously served in the military, you must obtain a new military ID. To do this, submit a corresponding application to the military registration and enlistment office at the place of registration. Additionally, the passport is confirmed, which shows the change of surname.

Thus, a change in first or last name leads to the need to replace not only a civil passport, but also a whole series of documents. If a citizen has every reason to do this, it is necessary to collect the most complete package of documents. Even if rejected, you can make corrections to the application or prepare missing documents, and then resubmit the documents.

Question answer

The complexity of all procedures for replacing a passport provokes a lot of questions. This section contains answers to some of them.

Is it possible to change the last name if there are debts in banks or alimony?

The law does not officially provide for such a ban. But after the shift, according to Art. 19 of the Civil Code, you need to notify your creditors about this. Failure to do so may result in criminal charges of evasion of obligations or fraud.

Is it possible to change the last name in the passport at will?

To obtain approval from the civil registry office, you must provide a valid reason. Mere desire is not enough. You can refer to the reason for moral dissatisfaction with the old surname.

What to do if refused?

If a change was denied on illegal grounds, then it is necessary to file a complaint. First, you should file a pre-trial complaint addressed to the head of the civil registry office. It is reviewed within 10 working days. If the result does not satisfy the citizen, then you can go to court with a statement of claim.

Is it possible to correct my credit history by changing my last name?

Credit history is preserved when changing your passport. This is due to the fact that the TIN and SNILS numbers are assigned to a person once.

How long does it take to complete documents?

To get a new passport with changed data you will need:

• about 30 days to consider an application to change your name at the registry office and obtain the appropriate certificate
• 10 days to replace your passport

In some cases the terms may be longer. For example, when applying for a replacement passport, a citizen applies not at the place of permanent registration, but at the place of temporary residence, which allows increasing the period for replacing the document to 1 month.

Additional time will also be required if the civil registry office refuses to issue a certificate of name change and the decision is appealed by the applicant in court.

State duty

When making changes to various government acts, a payment of 1,600 rubles is established. This amount is established by clause 4 of Art. 333.26 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. The receipt is issued according to the citizen’s old data, and the amount is transferred according to the details of the registry office where the change takes place.

Additionally, a state fee is established when re-issuing a passport. As of 2021, it is 300 rubles. New information is added to the payment receipt.

If the application is submitted through the State Services portal, you can receive a 30% discount. It is provided if payment is made by credit card through a special form on the website.

Through the State Services website

Procedures for changing your last name can be done remotely through the State Services website. To do this, create a profile on the portal according to the specified instructions. Government services provide broad functions. Customers are offered a convenient search on the site, which simplifies the task even for an inexperienced user. Creating a personal profile on the portal is mandatory. To do this you need:

1. Go to the official website of Gususlug.
2. Click on the “Registration” button.
3. Enter the required information in the fields.
4. Leave details for feedback, receive a confirmation code.
5. Confirm the email to which you will receive a message with a password for authorization in the future.
6. Log in to the site using your personal login and password.

Through the government services portal, you can quickly register for temporary registration.