By Ern Phang, Solicitor & Notary Public
Director of Phang Legal. Solicitor since 1998 and notary public since 2005.
Example: the situation
Shalini changed her surname in New South Wales a few years ago. Her bank account and a property record in Kerala are still in her old name, and the bank has asked for her change of name certificate with an apostille before it will update its records.
A change of name certificate is the link between your old name and your new one. If your records in India are still in your old name, the bank, office or lawyer there will usually want to see that link before they change anything. The question is what form of the certificate to send, and whether to send the original at all. Let's discuss this in further detail.
What form of your change of name certificate does the recipient in India need?
Each recipient in India decides what it will accept from you, so be guided by them. Before you book, ask them whether a notarised copy is enough or whether they insist on the original, and whether an apostille is needed.
In Australia, you can register a change of name with the registry in your state. In New South Wales, this is the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You can apply for a change of name certificate which you can ask to include all of your previously known names into one certificate to verify that you are now known by another name. This is an official government document and commonly used as part of your identity proof.
Before the change of name through the Registry, people registered their change of name by deed which was then kept with the Land Titles Office. We're able to obtain copies of the official public record for these older records if required.
For most of our clients with a change of name certificate, the recipient asks for one of these:
- A notarised copy. You bring the original certificate and our notary certifies a copy of it.
- A notarised copy with an apostille, which we arrange with DFAT once the copy is notarised.
- The original with an apostille. DFAT can put the apostille directly onto an original registry certificate.
How does an apostille help your change of name certificate in India?
The apostille confirms that the certificate, or our notary's certification of the copy, is genuine. Because Australia and India have both joined the Apostille Convention, a document from Australia with an apostille is generally recognised by banks and government offices in India. Not everyone there will ask for it, but official recipients often do.
The original certificate has security features that confirm it's an original Australian government document. An apostille can be applied to the original certificate without notarisation. However, if you want to keep your original certificate unmarked and only send a copy, the copy must be notarised.
If an office prefers attestation by the Indian High Commission or Consulate instead, that's a different procedure, and we'll go through it separately.
What do we recommend before you send your change of name certificate?
You'll probably need your change of name certificate for years, every time a record still shows your old name. An original sent to India with an apostille is unlikely to come back, and one marked with an apostille may not suit the next recipient. Accordingly, we generally recommend either:
- send a notarised copy with an apostille, so the original stays unmarked with you; or
- if the recipient insists on an original, order another certificate from the registry and have the apostille put on that.
If your name change was registered in New South Wales, the NSW Government's change of name page (updated July 2026) explains the registry's services.
What to bring to your appointment
- Your original change of name certificate from the registry.
- Photo identification in your current name, such as your passport or driver licence.
- Any document in your old name, if the recipient wants copies showing both names.
- The recipient's request, so we notarise exactly what they've asked for.
Let us know before your appointment if the certificate is damaged or laminated, as DFAT may reject an original that isn't in good condition.
What next?
Example: the solution
The bank in Kerala confirmed that a notarised copy with an apostille was acceptable. Shalini brought her change of name certificate and passport to our office, our notary certified a copy, and we arranged the apostille. We couriered it to her bank branch, and Shalini kept the original for updating her property record later.
Request a quote for your change of name certificate, or message our office on WhatsApp.
About Us
This blog is maintained by Phang Legal, a boutique law firm with offices in Parramatta and Rouse Hill. We help clients from across Sydney and beyond with personal, professional and timely Legal Services, Notary Services and Apostille Services.
As a leading provider of notary services in Sydney, we have 1k+ Google Reviews (4.9) (updated July 2026) with many clients happy to share their experience in using our services.
Phang Legal — Parramatta6/83 George Street
Level 3, 87 Marsden Street (from 1 March 2026)
Parramatta NSW 2150
Phang Legal — Rouse Hill
214/80 Main Street
Rouse Hill NSW 2155
Call 02 9687 8885 | WhatsApp | Request quote
About the author
Ern Phang — Solicitor & Notary Public
This article was written by Ern Phang, a director of Phang Legal, a solicitor since 1998 and a notary public since 2005.
Ern has been a member of the Society of Notaries of NSW since 2005, a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries since 2013, and a member of the Law Society of New South Wales since 1998.
Ern regularly writes about his experiences as a notary public and the practical issues his clients face when sending documents from Australia to India and other countries all over the world.
Using information in this article
This article provides general information. Requirements, forms, fees and service arrangements may have changed since its original publication. Check the receiving organisation’s current requirements and obtain advice relevant to your circumstances.
