Resource
Most Australians have around 50 organisations still holding their old name. Here is every one of them, grouped and ordered so each step makes the next one easier. Covers marriage, divorce, deed poll and gender-affirming changes in all 8 states and territories.
Last checked 28 July 2026. We maintain this list as part of our own product, so it is corrected whenever a provider changes its process.
If you married in Australia and are taking or adding your partner's surname, your marriage certificate is enough - no registration needed. Skip to Step 1 below.
If you married overseas, are changing by deed poll, or are affirming your gender, you need to register a change of name with your state Births, Deaths and Marriages before notifying organisations. See the deed poll guide
Each group unlocks the next. Your driver licence first, because almost every organisation below accepts it as proof on its own, which saves you carrying your certificate everywhere.
Do these before anything else. Your driver licence is accepted as proof by almost every organisation below.
Do the ATO and Centrelink in one sitting. If your linked services end up holding different names, myGov can unlink them, and untangling that takes longer than the original job.
Passports take longer to process. If you are not travelling soon, you can do this after your ID and government steps.
Banks vary more than anything else on this list. Most need a branch visit, several need a signed form, and only a handful do it in the app. See what each of 29 Australian banks requires.
These are the ones people forget. Airline points accounts linked to an old name can cause issues when you travel.
Where this list stops
Everything above is true for everyone, which is exactly its limit. It does not know that you bank with Bendigo, that your super is with Hostplus, or that your energy retailer is GloBird and needs an email rather than a phone call. It cannot put the 50 in your order, and it cannot fill anything in.
That is the part we do. Answer a few questions and you get one ordered list of your real providers, each with the exact step for that company. On Powered we also fill in the official forms and write every message, ready for you to check and send.
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What catches people out
These are the ones we see go wrong. None of them are obvious, and most name change guides do not mention them.
People sit in their myGov account hunting for a button that does not exist. A legal name change has to go through the phone line on 132 011 or a service centre. myGov only holds contact details and a preferred name. It is free, it is done on the call, your Medicare number never changes, and the new card arrives in about three weeks.
Most people assume they are paying full price. If your surname is changing because of marriage, divorce or reverting to a former name, and your current passport still has two or more years to run, the replacement is free and carries the same expiry date. That covers most of a ten year passport's life.
A Justice of the Peace, pharmacist, police officer, accountant or Australia Post agent will certify a photocopy of your certificate at no charge, and most councils, courts and libraries have a JP. What costs money is ordering an extra original certificate from your registry. Get several copies certified in one visit and you will not be stuck waiting when an organisation keeps the one you sent.
The decorative certificate your celebrant handed you on the day has no legal standing. Organisations want the official one issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages. Westpac and the Commonwealth Bank both reject the ceremonial version outright, and so does the passport office.
Of the 29 Australian banks we track, only Up, ANZ (and only if ANZ Plus is your sole ANZ account) and AMP handle it online. Most want you in a branch, several want a signed form posted, and Macquarie wants a witnessed statutory declaration carrying both your old and your new signature. The method for every bank.
Taking, adding or hyphenating your spouse's surname after an Australian marriage needs no registration and no deed poll at all. Your marriage certificate is the legal proof on its own. Plenty of services will happily sell you a change of name application you do not need. You only register a formal change of name if you married overseas, want a brand new name, or are changing a given name.
Step-by-step by place
Detailed guides for the updates people ask about most.
Common questions
No. If you married in Australia and are taking or adding your partner's surname, your official marriage certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages is your legal proof. You do not register anything separately and you do not need a deed poll. You simply present the certificate to each organisation on this list. You only register a formal change of name if you married overseas, want a brand new name, or are changing a given name.
Start with your driver licence, because almost every other organisation accepts it as proof on its own. Then Medicare on 132 011, the ATO and Centrelink. Then your passport if you travel. Then banks and superannuation. Then your employer, professional registrations and utilities. Leave loyalty programs and subscriptions until last. Working in this order means you stop having to carry your certificate everywhere after the first step.
Around 50 for most Australians. Surname Switch tracks 47 organisation types plus named providers, and the exact number depends on your life: how many bank accounts, super funds, insurers, loyalty programs and subscriptions you hold.
Sending the notifications takes a few hours once you have the wording ready. Processing is what takes time and it varies: Medicare updates on the call with a new card in about three weeks, banks take 3 to 5 days, and a passport takes 2 to 6 weeks. Loyalty programs and subscriptions are usually instant.
For marriage, the official marriage certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages, not the decorative one your celebrant gave you on the day. For a formal change, your change of name certificate. Many organisations also want current photo ID alongside it, which is why the driver licence goes first.
Some of it. The ATO takes about two minutes through myGov, and most loyalty programs and subscriptions are instant online. But your driver licence usually needs an in-person visit because most states take a new photo, Medicare needs a phone call on 132 011 rather than myGov, a passport must be lodged in person at Australia Post, and most banks want you in a branch.
If you married in Australia, yes. There is no government fee because your marriage certificate is already your proof. If you need to register a formal change of name, your state registry charges roughly $130 to $220, paid directly to them. Getting copies of your certificate certified is free at a Justice of the Peace, pharmacist or Australia Post.
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