If you were born in New Zealand and change your name, your birth record is updated. Any birth certificate issued after that shows your new name and every previously registered name. Certificates printed before the change still show only the old name. If you were born overseas, the proof is a separate NZ name change certificate. For overseas use, the right document needs to be freshly issued and usually apostilled or authenticated. We order it, prepare it and send it.
Your birth certificate now shows two names. That's a good thing.
People are often surprised the first time they see it. You changed your name to leave the old one behind, and there it is, printed right under the new one. But this is how New Zealand records a name change: the birth record keeps its history, and a certificate issued after the change lists your previously registered names alongside your current one.
In New Zealand nobody blinks at that. Overseas, it can be the most useful piece of paper you own. Your passport says one name, your degree says another, and your police certificate was issued in whichever name you had at the time. A foreign official looking at that pile has one question: is this all the same person? A post-change birth certificate answers it in one document.
The name chain: where overseas applications get stuck
Overseas offices rarely reject a name change. They reject a gap, a document in one name with nothing official linking it to the next. Here's what a typical pile looks like after a name change:
Passport and driver licence
Updated to your new name. This is what you'll be identified by.
Degree, transcripts, police certificate
Often still in your old name, because they were issued before the change.
Marriage or divorce papers
Sometimes a third name in the mix, depending on when things happened.
Birth certificate issued after the change
The bridge. It shows the old and new names together on one official record.
When we prepare documents for overseas use, we look at the whole chain, not just the one document you asked about. If there's a gap, we tell you before anything is lodged, not after the overseas office sends it back.
Born in NZ or born overseas? It decides which document you need
| Your situation | Document that proves the name change | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Born in New Zealand | A new NZ birth certificate, issued after the change, showing your new and previous names | Order it, apostille or authenticate it, courier it |
| Born overseas, name changed in NZ | A NZ name change certificate (your foreign birth certificate stays in your old name) | Order it, apostille or authenticate it, courier it |
| Name changed by marriage only | Usually your marriage certificate, not a formal name change | Order and apostille the marriage certificate |
Not sure which one applies to you? Tell us where you were born and where the document is going. We'll confirm it free before you pay anything. If the certificate is only for use here in New Zealand, you can order a new certificate online and have it posted to you.
The old birth certificate in your drawer won't do the job
This catches a lot of people. A birth certificate is a snapshot of the record on the day it was printed. If yours was printed before your name change, it shows only your old name, and it always will. Nothing is added to it afterwards.
That means it can't prove the change, and it may not match the passport you're travelling on. On top of that, many overseas offices want a certificate issued recently, often within the last 3 or 6 months. So in most name change cases the answer is the same: a new certificate, ordered now. As an approved BDM Online organisation, we order it directly. See a real case where an old certificate nearly cost a client his visa.
How it works with us
You fill in one form. We do the rest.
- Tell us the countryAnd what the document is for. We confirm the route.
- We check the name chainWhich document proves the change, and any gaps.
- We order the certificateNew birth certificate or name change certificate, direct from BDM.
- Apostille or authenticationChecked first, so it isn't sent back.
- Translation, if requiredArranged at the right step.
- Tracked deliveryTo you in NZ or straight overseas.
You sign our short online letter of authority so we can act for you, and we take it from there.
What it costs
| Your situation | All in from |
|---|---|
| New birth certificate ordered, apostilled and sent to the UK | NZ$244 |
| You already have a certificate issued after the change, returned in NZ | NZ$148 all in |
| Name change certificate, urgent, other countries, translation | Quoted all in |
Prices include government fees and GST. Your quote shows one total before any work starts. See pricing.
When a name change usually comes up overseas
- Citizenship by descent. Proving you're your parent's child when the names on the two birth records no longer match. See our Croatian citizenship documents guide for an example of how strict this can be.
- Getting married abroad. Foreign registries want to see every name you've held. We also handle the Certificate of No Impediment.
- Visas, residency and work permits. Your degree and police certificate need to connect to the name on your passport. See education documents and criminal record apostille.
- A second passport or ID card. Updating your name with another country you're a citizen of.
- Property, bank accounts or inheritance overseas. Accounts opened years ago in your old name.
- Registering your own children abroad. Your name on their records has to trace back to yours.
Mistakes we catch before they cost you weeks
- Sending a birth certificate printed before the name change
- Sending a foreign birth certificate when the office needs the NZ name change certificate too
- Apostilling one document when the overseas office needs the whole name chain
- Getting an apostille when the country needs authentication (UAE, Thailand, Malaysia)
- Using a certificate the overseas office considers too old
- Getting a JP to certify a copy, which isn't accepted for an apostille
Name changes matter in citizenship files: see Irish Foreign Births Register documents and Italian citizenship documents.
Frequently asked questions
Does my NZ birth certificate change when I change my name?
If you were born in New Zealand, yes. Births, Deaths and Marriages updates your birth record, and any birth certificate issued after the change shows your new name along with your previously registered names. Certificates printed before the change are not updated and still show only your old name.
Will my old name still be on my new birth certificate?
Yes. A birth certificate issued after a registered name change shows your new name and your previously registered names. Overseas, that is usually a good thing: it is the one document that links your old name to your new one.
I was born overseas. Which document proves my NZ name change?
Your birth record is not held in New Zealand, so a NZ birth certificate is not an option. The official proof is a New Zealand name change certificate. We order it, and apostille or authenticate it if the overseas office needs that.
Can I use the birth certificate I already have?
Not if it was printed before your name change. It only shows your old name, so it can't prove the change. Many overseas offices also want a recently issued certificate. We order a new one for you as an approved BDM Online organisation.
I took my partner's surname when I married. Is that a name change?
Usually not a formal one. For most people the marriage certificate is the link between the two names. If it is going overseas we can apostille it too, so the overseas office sees the full chain.
Can you register my name change for me?
The name change itself is your own application to Births, Deaths and Marriages, because you sign the statutory declaration. Once it is registered, we take it from there: we order the new certificate, prepare it for the country it is going to and deliver it.
How long does it take?
About 3 weeks for the apostille, or about 1 week with the urgent service where eligible. Allow a little extra for the new certificate to be ordered first. Tell us your deadline and we will tell you straight away if it is achievable.
I live overseas. Can you still do it?
Yes. You don't need to be in New Zealand. We order the certificate, get it apostilled or authenticated and courier it to you or straight to the overseas office.
Sources
Checked against official New Zealand Government information on 11 October 2026.
- Change your own name, govt.nz
- Name change certificate, govt.nz
- BDM service timeframes, govt.nz
NZ Document Assist Limited is an independent company, not a government agency. We do not register name changes, and we are not a law firm, Notary Public or licensed immigration adviser. We do not give legal or immigration advice.