her way
TRANSITION NAME CHANGE / AUSTRALIA

Australia

Your transition. Your name.

Your name on your documents. Your next step, made clearer. Find the route for your age, where your birth is registered and where you live.

Find my starting point ↓

For every age · Last checked October 2026

QUICK ANSWER

Start with the record you want to change.

Australia has no single national name-change application. State and territory registries handle names and birth records; passports have their own federal process. Your age, birth registration and residence can change the paperwork. Use the selectors below to narrow it down.

Last checked: October 2026

Official guidance: NSW: change of name · ACT: adult name changes · Australian Passport Office: name and gender

NAME-CHANGE TOOLKIT◌ Browser-based tools
YOUR STARTING POINT

Let’s find your next step.

Choose what fits you. Your guide and checklist will change together. You do not need to type your name or date of birth.

Choose your birth registration and residence to narrow the guide.
Can I use this guide if I am under 18?

Yes. Select your age to see the relevant young-person route. Who applies and whose consent is needed varies by state and by the record being changed.

Can I change my name without changing my gender record?

Yes. Choose “My name” to focus on name registration and record updates. Name and gender records are separate, even where a combined application exists.

Should I choose where I live or where I was born?

Choose both. An Australian birth registration usually points to its registry; residence can open other routes. If you were born overseas, the local residence and status requirements matter.

Your next steps

Read the full registry guidance
YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

New South Wales

Changing your name

Official online route

  1. Read the eligibility and evidence below, then choose the adult or child application.
  2. Complete the online name application and keep its reference number.
Open official instructions

If your birth or adoption is registered in NSW, apply to the NSW Registry. Gather three identity documents, evidence linking earlier names, and a clear reason for the change. Apply online; answer the criminal-history questions and obtain supervisory approval if the restrictions apply to you.

Official guidance: NSW: change of name

Born overseas? The usual name-change route needs three consecutive years living in NSW. Citizenship itself does not decide name-change eligibility. The Registry can consider exceptions to the residence rule; ask before paying if you do not meet it.

Official guidance: NSW: name-change policy

Under 18: parents or legal guardians apply. Usually both must agree; a sole-parent record, a death certificate or an appropriate court order can establish an exception. From age 12, include your consent. Applicants need their own identity evidence as well as yours.

Official guidance: NSW: name-change policy · NSW: change of name

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official online route

  1. Complete the online change-of-sex application with the required declarations and evidence.
  2. Changing your name too? Submit the name application first; use the same email and its Online Reference Number in the sex application. Follow the certificate-ordering instructions to avoid ordering twice.
Open official instructions

For a NSW birth record, surgery is not required. Adults provide identity evidence, a witnessed statutory declaration and support from an adult who has known them for at least 12 months.

Official guidance: NSW: change of sex

Born overseas? A recognised details certificate needs Australian citizenship or permanent residence and at least 12 months of continuous NSW residence. Adult evidence includes ID, a witnessed declaration and an adult supporter who has known you for 12 months. This does not rewrite an overseas birth certificate.

Official guidance: NSW: change of sex

Under 18: a parent or guardian applies, with your declaration if you can make one, otherwise parent/guardian support statements. A qualified counsellor who has counselled you must also support the application. A sole applicant needs the relevant sole-parent, death or District Court evidence.

Official guidance: NSW: change of sex

Costs to plan for

Name registration: A$203 from age 14; A$161 at 13 or younger. Add A$70 for a certificate ordered with registration. Recorded-sex registration: A$73, plus A$70 for the certificate. These are separate charges; international postage costs extra.

Official guidance: NSW: current registry fees

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

Victoria

Changing your name

Official online route

  1. Choose the application for your age and where you were born.
  2. Use the registry’s online application, upload evidence and complete any required declarations.
Official adult instructions

Official online route

  1. Choose the application for your age and where you were born.
  2. Use the registry’s online application, upload evidence and complete any required declarations.
Official young-person instructions

For a Victorian birth record, apply online to Births, Deaths and Marriages. Supply your identity evidence, earlier names and the reason for the change. Return the original birth certificate, or explain its absence in a statutory declaration. Adults changing more than one name are asked for a full credit report, even with no credit history.

Official guidance: Victoria: adult name change

Born overseas? Adults need at least 12 months living in Victoria; children must have lived here for most of the last 12 months. Both need a legal right to live in Australia. Provide residence and identity evidence. If your birth is registered elsewhere in Australia, use that registry for a name-only change.

Official guidance: Victoria: overseas-born name change · Victoria: name changes · Victoria: overseas-born child name change

Under 18: normally both parents on your birth certificate apply. At 12 or older, attach your consent. A sole-parent record, death certificate or a court order specifically approving the name change may allow one parent to apply. Overseas-born children use the overseas-child application.

Official guidance: Victoria: child name change · Victoria: overseas-born child name change

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official online route

  1. Choose the adult or child route below, including the route for births outside Victoria where relevant.
  2. Use its online application. If changing your name too, use the combined options in the recorded-sex application.
Official adult instructionsBorn outside Victoria: adult routeBorn outside Victoria: child route

Official online route

  1. Choose the adult or child route below, including the route for births outside Victoria where relevant.
  2. Use its online application. If changing your name too, use the combined options in the recorded-sex application.
Official young-person instructionsBorn outside Victoria: adult routeBorn outside Victoria: child route

Adults use a statutory declaration and a statement from an adult who has known them for 12 months. A Victorian birth registration can be updated. Name and recorded-sex changes can be requested together in the same application.

Official guidance: Victoria: adult recorded-sex change

Born interstate or overseas? After 12 months living in Victoria, you can apply for a recognised details certificate. Adults provide a declaration and either the 12-month supporter statement or a current Australian recognition certificate. Overseas-born applicants can request a name change too; interstate-born applicants change their name through their birth registry.

Official guidance: Victoria: recognised details for adults

Under 18: parents or guardians apply with declarations and a supporting statement. The supporter can be an adult who has known you for 12 months (not a parent/guardian), a doctor or a psychologist. They address your best interests and, under 16, your capacity to consent. From 12, record your consent. One-parent applications need the specified exception or court order.

Official guidance: Victoria: child recorded-sex change · Victoria: recognised details for children

Costs to plan for

Name only: A$148.60 including the certificate, plus A$10.60 domestic express postage. Recorded-sex change: A$0; a simultaneous eligible name change is also A$0. Overseas delivery and later replacement certificates can cost extra. The combined name change is unavailable for people born interstate.

Official guidance: Victoria: adult name change · Victoria: adult recorded-sex change · Victoria: recognised details for adults · Victoria: child recorded-sex change

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

Queensland

Changing your name

Start online, then lodge on paper

  1. Choose the adult or child application on the official page. Complete the online form and payment.
  2. Print the application, sign as directed and arrange the required witnessing.
  3. Submit the signed form and identity/supporting evidence by post or in person as instructed.
Official adult instructions

Start online, then lodge on paper

  1. Choose the adult or child application on the official page. Complete the online form and payment.
  2. Print the application, sign as directed and arrange the required witnessing.
  3. Submit the signed form and identity/supporting evidence by post or in person as instructed.
Official young-person instructions

Use Queensland’s name-change route if your birth or adoption is registered here. Adults gather three ID documents, including address evidence. Complete the form, have an adult witness your signature and lodge the signed application by post or in person. Online payment alone does not finish the application.

Official guidance: Queensland: adult name change

Born overseas? The usual adult route needs 12 months living in Queensland. For a child, either the child or an applicant can meet the residence condition. Queensland publishes exceptions, including some gender-affirmation circumstances; ask about one if your residence or birth-place situation does not fit.

Official guidance: Queensland: adult name change · Queensland: child name-change rules

Name only, under 18: parents normally apply together; ages 12–17 also consent. Given-name changes have tighter repeat-change limits than adult changes. Gender affirmation may support an exception. At 16–17, the recorded-sex route below can include given names, but a surname change has separate requirements.

Official guidance: Queensland: child name-change rules · Queensland: recorded-sex change from 16

Updating recorded sex or gender

Start online, then lodge on paper

  1. Choose the 16-or-over or under-16 application below. Complete the online form and payment.
  2. Print and sign the form, arrange witnessing and gather the age-specific supporting evidence.
  3. Post it or lodge it in person as the registry directs. An online payment alone does not complete the application.
Official 16-or-over instructions

Start online, then lodge on paper

  1. Choose the 16-or-over or under-16 application below. Complete the online form and payment.
  2. Print and sign the form, arrange witnessing and gather the age-specific supporting evidence.
  3. Post it or lodge it in person as the registry directs. An online payment alone does not complete the application.
Official young-person instructions

From 16, apply yourself. Provide three ID documents, a witnessed statutory declaration and support from an adult who has known you for 12 months. For Queensland or overseas births, first and middle names can change in this application. A surname needs a separate name-change application.

Official guidance: Queensland: recorded-sex change from 16

Born outside Queensland? The recognised-details route needs 12 months living in Queensland. If born interstate, it does not change the name registered in your birth state: arrange that name change separately.

Official guidance: Queensland: recorded-sex change from 16

Under 16: normally both parents agree and a practitioner with expertise in child development completes the assessment. From 12, you also consent. Ages 12–15 can apply with a court order. The official child rules explain exceptions when a parent cannot consent.

Official guidance: Queensland: recorded-sex change under 16 · Queensland: child recorded-sex rules

Costs to plan for

Name only: A$220 including one certificate and regular postage. Recorded-sex application: A$134.80, plus A$58.10 for each certificate. Choose the linking certificate if you need it to connect old and new details. Extra certificates, urgent name processing and upgraded postage cost more.

Official guidance: Queensland: adult name change · Queensland: recorded-sex change from 16

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

Western Australia

Changing your name

Official paper route

  1. Download the adult or child name-change form linked below.
  2. Complete the signatures and evidence checklist, then lodge by post or in person. Applications are not accepted by email.
Open official instructions

Use BDM400 for an adult or BDM401 for a child whose birth is registered in WA. Supply the required ID and previous name-change evidence. Lodge by post or in person; email applications are not accepted.

Official guidance: Western Australia: adult name form BDM400 · Western Australia: child name form BDM401

Born overseas? The name-change route requires Australian citizenship or permanent residence and 12 continuous months living in WA. Provide your birth certificate, passport, status evidence and residence evidence. A birth registered elsewhere in Australia goes to that registry.

Official guidance: Western Australia: adult name form BDM400 · Western Australia: child name form BDM401

Under 18: the named parents or legal guardians apply. From 12, your consent is normally needed. If a parent cannot obtain the other parent’s consent, the Registry requires an appropriate Family Court order; a deceased parent is handled with death evidence.

Official guidance: Western Australia: name changes · Western Australia: child name form BDM401

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official paper route

  1. Download the correct age-specific form from the registry page.
  2. Complete its evidence and signature requirements. Lodge by post or in person at the Perth Registry.
Open official instructions

For WA birth records, apply to the Registry directly. Adults need three identity documents and a doctor or psychologist’s statement about appropriate clinical treatment. The former Gender Reassignment Board route has ended.

Official guidance: Western Australia: sex or gender changes

Born overseas? After 12 continuous months living in WA, an acknowledgment document is available through the overseas-born application. Its evidence differs from name registration: do not assume the name-change citizenship requirement also applies to this document.

Official guidance: Western Australia: sex or gender changes

Ages 12–17: parents/guardians apply with your consent and a doctor/psychologist’s statement covering appropriate care and your understanding. Without both parents’ support, a Family Court route exists; if neither supports you, you can apply to that court yourself. Under 12, a Family Court order is required. Appropriate care does not mean compulsory surgery or hormones.

Official guidance: Western Australia: youth gender-recognition factsheet

Costs to plan for

Name registration: A$206; a change-of-name certificate is A$60. A returned original WA birth certificate can be replaced free with the registration. Gender application: A$195, with A$60 for a certificate/document unless the returned-birth-certificate exchange applies. Court and practitioner costs are separate.

Official guidance: Western Australia: adult name form BDM400 · Western Australia: child name form BDM401 · Western Australia: sex or gender changes

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

South Australia

Changing your name

Official online route

  1. Start the name-change application online.
  2. Have the declaration sent to you signed before an approved witness.
  3. Upload the signed declaration and the required certified identity and supporting documents.
Open official instructions

Apply to Consumer and Business Services for a South Australian birth record. Provide ID, previous names and your reason. Sign the declaration before a registry-approved witness, then supply the declaration and certified evidence.

Official guidance: South Australia: name changes

Born overseas? You need Australian citizenship or permanent residence and at least the last 12 months living in South Australia. If born elsewhere in Australia, use your birth registry for the name change.

Official guidance: South Australia: name changes

Under 18: usually both parents agree, and you consent if you understand the change. If a parent disagrees, an appropriate court order or approval from the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) may provide a route. Tribunal approval still needs to be registered with Consumer and Business Services.

Official guidance: Legal Services Commission SA: children’s names

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official paper route

  1. Download the adult or child application and complete the evidence requirements below.
  2. Sign and post it as the form directs. For a child’s combined name and gender change, contact the registry for the combined paperwork.
Open official instructions

For a South Australian birth record, provide the application, ID and a medical practitioner or psychologist’s statement confirming appropriate clinical treatment. The adult form can include a name change.

Official guidance: South Australia: sex or gender changes · South Australia: adult gender application

Born overseas? An identity acknowledgement certificate needs at least 12 consecutive months living in South Australia, with no birth registration in another Australian state or territory. Provide the required practitioner statement and ID.

Official guidance: South Australia: adult gender application · South Australia: child gender application

Under 18: you, a parent or a guardian can apply, but SACAT must approve the application. A medical practitioner or psychologist’s statement is also required. Ask the Registry for the combined paperwork if changing your name too.

Official guidance: South Australia: child gender application · South Australia: sex or gender changes

Costs to plan for

Name registration: A$322 including a certificate; registration under a court/tribunal order is A$144. Gender registration: A$144 including the certificate, or A$394 for name and gender together. Tribunal, witnessing and practitioner charges may be additional.

Official guidance: South Australia: name changes · South Australia: sex or gender changes

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

Tasmania

Changing your name

Official online route

  1. Use the 16-or-over or under-16 application linked below.
  2. Upload the required identity, consent and supporting evidence and pay the fee. Use the paper option if you cannot apply online.
Official 16-or-over instructions

Official online route

  1. Use the 16-or-over or under-16 application linked below.
  2. Upload the required identity, consent and supporting evidence and pay the fee. Use the paper option if you cannot apply online.
Official young-person instructions

From 16, apply yourself online. Provide photo ID, previous-name evidence and a clear reason. For a Tasmanian birth record, the Registry can exchange your original birth certificate for one showing the new name.

Official guidance: Tasmania: name change from 16

Born interstate? Tasmania also offers name registration after 12 months living here. Born overseas? You need Australian citizenship or permanent residence and 12 months living here. A Tasmanian name certificate does not itself rewrite another jurisdiction’s birth record.

Official guidance: Tasmania: name change from 16 · Tasmania: name change under 16

Under 16: parents apply together, unless a sole-parent record, death or court order allows one applicant. From 12, sign the consent form before a Justice of the Peace or Commissioner for Declarations. Guardians must establish why the parents cannot exercise responsibility.

Official guidance: Tasmania: name change under 16

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official paper route

  1. Download the gender-registration form for your age.
  2. Complete the declaration, signatures and supporting evidence, then submit it with the fee as the form directs.
Open official instructions

This route is for births registered in Tasmania. From 16, submit the gender declaration and ID. At 16–17, the Registrar may ask for counselling evidence about the application and its implications. Name registration is separate, although paperwork can be lodged together.

Official guidance: Tasmania: gender registration

Under 16, parents or guardians apply for a Tasmanian birth record. The application must reflect your wishes. Sole-parent, deceased-parent, sole-guardian or magistrate-approved exceptions exist. The Registrar may request counselling evidence.

Official guidance: Tasmania: gender registration

The published Tasmanian gender-registration route requires a Tasmanian birth registration. If your birth is elsewhere, use that registry where available, or look at the separate passport and service-record options below.

Official guidance: Tasmania: gender registration

Costs to plan for

Name registration: A$237.16 including the name certificate; A$244.71 with registered post. Gender registration: A$237.16. Returning an original Tasmanian birth certificate allows an updated copy without an extra certificate charge; otherwise certificate and postage charges apply.

Official guidance: Tasmania: registry fees · Tasmania: name change from 16 · Tasmania: gender registration

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

Australian Capital Territory

Changing your name

Official online route

  1. Choose the adult, parent-led child or young-person route below. The young-person route is for given names, not a surname change.
  2. Open the application from that official route and complete its evidence and consent requirements.
Official adult instructions

Official online route

  1. Choose the adult, parent-led child or young-person route below. The young-person route is for given names, not a surname change.
  2. Open the application from that official route and complete its evidence and consent requirements.
Official young-person instructions

Adults can apply where their birth is registered in the ACT or they live in the ACT. Supply three identity documents and, for births elsewhere, residence evidence. Overseas-born applicants include passport, citizenship or visa evidence. Online, email, post and service-centre applications are available.

Official guidance: ACT: adult name changes

Under 18, a separate route covers given names: from 14 you can apply yourself; ages 12–13 need parental consent or ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) permission; under 12 need one parent’s support and ACAT permission. Eligibility is ACT birth or more than three months living in the ACT.

Official guidance: ACT: young people’s given-name and sex route

The parent-led route can cover given names or surnames under 18. Normally both parents apply; specified sole-parent, death or court-order exceptions exist. From 14, you also sign consent. The child must have an ACT birth registration or be a permanent ACT resident. Overseas-birth evidence is required where applicable.

Official guidance: ACT: parent-led child name changes

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official online route

  1. Choose the age-specific recording or recognition route below.
  2. Use its online application, including the combined name-and-sex option where appropriate. Obtain any required consent or tribunal approval first.
Open official instructions

Adults can apply for an updated ACT birth record or, if born elsewhere and resident here, a recognised details certificate. Provide ID and residence evidence where applicable. A combined name-and-sex application is available.

Official guidance: ACT: recording or recognising sex

Under 18, the young-person route allows self-application from 14; ages 12–13 need parental consent or ACAT permission, and under 12 need one parent’s support plus ACAT permission. It needs ACT birth registration or more than three months living here. A separate parent-led route is also available, with best-interests, identity and residence evidence.

Official guidance: ACT: young people’s given-name and sex route · ACT: recording or recognising sex

Costs to plan for

The ACT has removed recorded-sex application fees and waives name-change and certificate-reissue fees for gender affirmation. Tell the Registry that your name change is for gender affirmation so it applies the appropriate waiver. The young-person given-name/sex application is also free.

Official guidance: ACT: gender-affirmation fee waivers

YOUR REGISTRY ROUTE

Northern Territory

Changing your name

Official paper route

  1. Download the adult or child application below.
  2. Prepare the signatures and identity/supporting documents. Lodge the application and payment by post or in person with the registry.
Official adult instructions

Official paper route

  1. Download the adult or child application below.
  2. Prepare the signatures and identity/supporting documents. Lodge the application and payment by post or in person with the registry.
Official young-person instructions

For an NT birth record, use the adult application. Supply ID, prior name-change evidence and a specific reason. Sign before a witness over 18 and lodge by post or in person. Return the old birth certificate if requesting an updated one, or explain its absence with the declaration.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: adult name changes

Born overseas? Adults need 12 consecutive months of NT residence plus citizenship or permanent-residence evidence. For a child, the published checklist asks for residence evidence and citizenship/permanent-residence evidence for the parents or guardians, as well as the foreign birth certificate and translation if needed.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: adult name changes · Northern Territory: child name changes

Under 18: normally both parents apply. A sole-parent record, the other parent’s death or an appropriate court order can permit one applicant. Guardians provide their authority. Include your consent where you understand the change; ask the Registry which consent evidence it needs for your age.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: child name changes

Updating recorded sex or gender

Official paper route

  1. Download the adult or child change-of-sex-or-gender application.
  2. Gather the required evidence, identity documents and existing birth certificate. Submit the application and payment by post or in person.
Open official instructions

An NT birth registration is required. Adults provide ID, the existing certificate and either a relevant recognition certificate or a registered doctor/psychologist’s statement confirming appropriate clinical treatment or intersex status. The guidance includes counselling as clinical treatment.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: sex or gender changes

Under 18: parents or authorised guardians apply for an NT birth record. Provide the supporting evidence and your consent if you understand the change; this is generally presumed from 14. Both named parents normally apply; the published sole-parent, death and guardianship exceptions need supporting evidence.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: sex or gender changes

The published NT gender-registration route requires an NT birth registration. If yours is elsewhere, use that registry where available. Your passport and other service records have separate evidence routes below.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: sex or gender changes

Costs to plan for

The published total name-change fee is A$148. Recorded-sex or gender change is A$74. Extra certificates and delivery services can add costs.

Official guidance: Northern Territory: registry fees

AFTER THE REGISTRY — OR AS YOUR OWN FIRST STEP

Your everyday documents

Each organisation keeps its own record. Updating one does not automatically update the others. You can work through these at your own pace.

myGov

myGov is the doorway to linked services. Changing a detail in one service does not update every other record.

Official online route

  1. You cannot directly edit your name in the myGov profile. Update it through linked Medicare, Centrelink or the Australian Taxation Office using their own processes.
  2. If your profile comes from Digital ID, update it through that provider and follow the sharing prompts.
  3. Check each linked service separately after the change.
Open official instructions

Australian passport

A name change usually needs an Australian registry name certificate, an updated birth certificate or an updated citizenship certificate. A narrow overseas-document exception applies if you were born overseas, live overseas and cannot register the change in Australia because of residence rules.

For a gender marker, evidence can include an updated birth certificate, an accepted recognition document or form B14 completed by a doctor or psychologist. You do not have to change your birth certificate first. A gender change uses an application rather than the standard renewal process.

Official guidance: Australian Passport Office: name and gender

Under 18: the child process normally needs everyone with parental responsibility to consent, a relevant court order or approval under the special-circumstances rules. Ask the Passport Office before lodging if consent is missing. Children who have married are treated differently under passport rules.

Official guidance: Australian Passport Office: children

Standard fees: A$422 for a 10-year passport from age 16, or A$213 for an under-16 passport. If your existing passport has more than two years left, ask about a free replacement for a transition-related name or gender change. A replacement keeps the original expiry date. Overseas and urgent services can add fees.

Official guidance: Australian Passport Office: fees · Australian Passport Office: replacement passports

Start online, then lodge in person

  1. Start your application through the Australian Passport Office. For a gender change, use a new application rather than standard renewal.
  2. Print the checklist or form provided and gather the required original documents and photos.
  3. In Australia, standard applications are lodged at participating Australia Post outlets. Overseas, follow your Australian mission’s instructions. For a replacement or fee waiver, confirm the lodgement route first; child replacements use a passport office.
Open official instructions
Do I have to change my birth certificate before my Australian passport gender marker?

No. The Passport Office also accepts other evidence, including its B14 doctor or psychologist form. Check the passport section for the evidence route.

Medicare

For a name change, contact Medicare with identity and name-change evidence. You can change your gender through your Medicare online account linked to myGov, without providing gender evidence. Check which card, address and family account will receive notices before changing shared details.

Official guidance: Services Australia: Medicare details

Official phone route — name

  1. Call the Medicare program line using the number on the official page.
  2. Have your identity and name-change evidence ready. Ask Medicare what alternatives it accepts if you do not hold the listed Australian documents.
Open official instructions

Official online route — gender

  1. Sign in to myGov and open your linked Medicare account.
  2. Choose My details, then Edit for your gender. No supporting gender documents are required. If you cannot manage the record online, contact Medicare.
Open official instructions

Foreign passports and visa records

Your passport follows the issuing country’s rules. An Australian name or recognised-details certificate does not rewrite that foreign record. Ask the embassy what it accepts and how it protects your privacy.

For an Australian visa, update a new passport through ImmiAccount where available. If the change includes gender or date of birth, Home Affairs directs you to its New Passport Details web form. An Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) cannot be transferred to a new passport; a new application is needed.

Official guidance: Home Affairs: new passport and gender details

Official online route

  1. Use ImmiAccount to update passport details where available.
  2. If gender or date of birth has also changed, use the New Passport Details web form linked by Home Affairs.
  3. For an Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601), apply again for the new passport.
Open official instructions

Work, study and other accounts

Check school or university, work, payroll, superannuation, banks and insurance. Use the provider’s online account or secure update service where offered. Ask which name and gender fields will change and who can see them.

Prefer a letter?

Tax records

A tax file number stays with you when your name changes. Use the Australian Taxation Office’s separate name and gender processes.

Official online route — name

  1. Sign in to myGov and open your linked Australian Taxation Office account.
  2. Choose My profile, Personal details, then Update name and title. Follow the identity-document prompts.
  3. If you do not have an Australian identity document, use the postal instructions on the official page.
Open official instructions

Official postal route — gender

  1. The Australian Taxation Office directs gender updates by post.
  2. Use its current instructions for the request, supporting evidence and postal address before sending documents. We could not retrieve its complete evidence checklist during this review.
Open official instructions

Driving licence or photo ID

Use the authority that issued your licence, even if a different registry changed your name. These are in-person routes; an online address-change form will not update your legal name.

New South Wales

Official in-person route — name

  1. Complete the name-change form and visit a Service NSW centre with original identity and name-change documents. Notify the change within 14 days.
Open official instructions

Gender details — in person

  1. For gender, use the separate personal-details instructions and visit a service centre.
Open official instructions
Victoria

Official in-person route — name

  1. Complete the change-of-personal-details form and visit a customer service centre with your licence and original evidence. Notify a name change within 14 days.
Open official instructions

Gender details — in person

  1. The official page lists separate evidence for gender and combined name/gender changes. Bring the documents for your particular update.
Open official instructions
Queensland

Official in-person route — name

  1. Visit a transport and motoring service centre with your current licence and original identity/name-change evidence within 14 days. A replacement-licence form is not needed at these centres; other counters may require one.
Open official instructions

Gender details — in person

  1. Bring the recorded-sex evidence listed on the official page. If your certificate was issued outside Queensland, confirm what is accepted before visiting.
Open official instructions
Western Australia

Official in-person route — name

  1. Complete form C4 and visit a licensing service centre or regional agent with primary and secondary identity documents and original name-change evidence.
Open official instructions

Gender details — in person

  1. For gender, complete C4 and bring identity documents plus one accepted item, such as a practitioner statement, Australian passport, amended birth certificate or recognition document.
Open official instructions
South Australia

Official in-person route — name

  1. Visit Service SA with the change-of-details form, current licence and original name-change evidence. Check the replacement-card fee before visiting.
Open official instructions

Gender details — in person

  1. For gender, Service SA accepts listed evidence including a doctor/psychologist statement, Australian passport, amended birth certificate or recognition document.
Open official instructions
Tasmania

Official in-person route — name

  1. Visit Service Tasmania with your licence, identity/name-change evidence and replacement application. Check the replacement fee.
Open official instructions

Gender details — in person

  1. For gender, the published instructions request the original registry certificate showing the change. Gender is not printed on the licence.
Open official instructions
Australian Capital Territory

Official in-person route — name

  1. The official identity guide requires identity evidence and a registry name-change certificate. Bring your existing transport identity cards when attending to change your name.
Open official instructions

Gender details — confirm with the authority

  1. We could not confirm a current complete gender-update checklist. Ask Access Canberra which evidence and appointment you need before visiting. Its online contact-details service is not a legal-name update.
Open official instructions
Northern Territory

Official in-person route — name

  1. Visit a Motor Vehicle Registry office with original name-change and identity documents. Follow its identity-document combinations; certified copies are not accepted for this step.
Open official instructions

Gender details — confirm with the authority

  1. The published page does not give a complete gender-update route. Ask the Motor Vehicle Registry what evidence it accepts before visiting. Online contact-detail updates do not change a legal name.
Open official instructions

Electoral roll

If you are enrolled to vote and you change your name, the Australian Electoral Commission says you must update your enrolment details. You can do this online, and you can update personal details at any time.

Official online route — name

  1. Update your name with the registry and your identity documents first.
  2. Open the Australian Electoral Commission’s Update my details service.
  3. Give one of: your Australian driver licence number, Australian passport number, Medicare card details or Australian citizenship number. If you have none of these, someone who is enrolled can confirm your identity. 18+ and Proof of Age cards are not accepted.
  4. Keep the receipt number to check your update’s progress.

Enrolment is for Australian citizens. It is compulsory from 18, and 16- and 17-year-olds can enrol early so they can vote when they turn 18. One update covers federal elections and any relevant state, territory and local government elections. A paper form is also available.

Open official instructionsEnrol to vote

QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK

A few things you might be wondering

Can I use this guide if I am under 18?

Yes. Select your age to see the relevant young-person route. Who applies and whose consent is needed varies by state and by the record being changed.

Can I change my name without changing my gender record?

Yes. Choose “My name” to focus on name registration and record updates. Name and gender records are separate, even where a combined application exists.

Should I choose where I live or where I was born?

Choose both. An Australian birth registration usually points to its registry; residence can open other routes. If you were born overseas, the local residence and status requirements matter.

Do I have to change my birth certificate before my Australian passport gender marker?

No. The Passport Office also accepts other evidence, including its B14 doctor or psychologist form. Check the passport section for the evidence route.

Official guidance: Australian Passport Office: name and gender

Will every organisation update automatically?

No. Each organisation keeps its own record. Use Who to tell to track the records you want to update.

Does Her Way send my application or store my letters?

No. Letters stay in this tab unless you copy or download them. Checklist saving is optional; the page does not save your letter text or identity documents.

Do I need to write letters to change my name?

Usually not. Use the official application or account-update service where one is available. Some steps still need a printed form, a phone call or an in-person visit. The Letter studio offers optional messages for banks, employers, schools and other providers; it does not replace an official application.

Was this guide helpful?

Anonymous. We never see your name or anything else on this page.

WHO TO TELL

One record at a time.

Choose your circumstances in Read the guide to tailor this list.

Keep what matters to you. Mark other records “Not needed”. Changing your circumstances gives you a separate checklist.

Your checklist

LETTER STUDIO

Find the words.

Usually not. Use the official application or account-update service where one is available. Some steps still need a printed form, a phone call or an in-person visit. The Letter studio offers optional messages for banks, employers, schools and other providers; it does not replace an official application.

Use an official application or online service where available. These optional messages are for an organisation’s records, school arrangements or a follow-up. Edit the square brackets before sending.

Your draft is not saved by this page. Copy or download anything you want to keep before closing it.

Does Her Way send my application or store my letters?

No. Letters stay in this tab unless you copy or download them. Checklist saving is optional; the page does not save your letter text or identity documents.

SOURCES & HELP

The detail, when you need it.

The explanations stay here on the page. Official links are for forms, applications and checking the original rules. Research checked 24 October 2026; costs are in Australian dollars.

Words and abbreviations

BDM

Births, Deaths and Marriages: the state or territory registry that handles these civil records.

ACT

Australian Capital Territory.

NSW

New South Wales.

NT

Northern Territory.

WA

Western Australia.

SACAT

South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal: a tribunal that decides certain applications and disputes.

ACAT

ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal: a tribunal that can decide certain young-person applications.

ID

Identification: documents used to establish who you are.

B14

The Australian Passport Office’s declaration about sex or gender, completed by a doctor or psychologist.

Statutory declaration

A formal written statement signed using the required witnessing process.

Recognised details certificate

An Australian recognition document for someone whose birth is registered elsewhere. It does not itself rewrite the original foreign or interstate birth record.

Permanent resident

A person with Australian permanent-residence status. This is different from citizenship and from a temporary visa.

Official sources

Privacy on this page

Selections and drafts stay in this tab. If you choose Remember progress, this browser stores checklist statuses and the selected route under a Her Way Australia key. It does not store letter text, names or documents. Turn Remember progress off to delete all saved Australia checklists on this browser.

Error reports: if something on this page breaks, a report is sent to Sentry, our error-monitoring service (data stored in the EU), so we can fix it. It contains the page address, your browser and device type, and what went wrong. It never contains your name, your answers, your drafts or anything else you type.

Was this guide helpful?: if you answer, we save only which guide, your answer, any comment you choose to write, and the date. Our server passes it on without your IP address, cookies or device details, so it can’t be linked to you. Please don’t put your name or contact details in the comment.

This Australia page does not load analytics. The website host may retain ordinary access logs. Official links open external sites with their own privacy policies. Downloaded letters and printouts stay wherever you save them.

Official online services and driving-licence sources

myGov: personal details · checked 24 October 2026

Passport Office: online applications · checked 24 October 2026

New South Wales: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

New South Wales: gender details · checked 24 October 2026

Victoria: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

Queensland: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

Western Australia: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

Western Australia: gender details · checked 24 October 2026

South Australia: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

Tasmania: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

Australian Capital Territory: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

Australian Capital Territory: gender details · checked 24 October 2026

Northern Territory: licence details · checked 24 October 2026

How the personalised plan works

Your plan uses only the choices you make on this page: where your birth is registered, where you live, your age, what you want to change, your citizenship or residence status, and who can support the application. It then shows the matching registry route, the evidence to gather and the costs, with links to each official page.

The plan does not decide whether you are eligible. Where a rule is unclear or we could not confirm it, the plan says so and tells you who to ask before you pay.