Deed Polls

1. Fill up an online form so we can have all the information needed to draft your deed poll.
2. Once the deed poll is ready, you will receive a notification from us. The next step would then be to make an appointment at our office.
3. When you come to sign and collect your deed poll from our office, you would need to bring your original NRIC or proof of identity. This process cannot be done remotely since our lawyers would need to confirm your identity and be a witness to your deed poll.
4. You can now submit the deed poll to the ICA for processing.

You can request a name change no matter how old or young you are.

However, anyone under 21 years of age needs the consent and the signature of both parents to make any changes to their name. This requirement will only be waived if the parent is deceased or when he or she cannot be contacted despite reasonable efforts.

When signing the deed poll, you need to bring proof of your identity. If you are 21 years old and above, you should bring any of the following items to your lawyer’s office:

• National Registration
• Identity Card,
• Passport,
• NS Green Identity Card, or
• Singapore Blue Identity Card

If you wish to change the name of a child who is 21 years old and below, you need these documents:

• Your Identity Card or Passport
• Child’s Birth Certificate

In case the birth certificate is not in English, you need to bring the original birth certificate and a certified true copy of the birth certificate’s English translated version.

The most common reasons for changing a name in Singapore include the following:  

1. Correct any misspellings in your name.
2. Changing the order of words in your current name.
3. Making additions, deletions or any other modifications on your Tamil or Chinese characters in your name.
4. Making additions, deletions or any other modifications to the punctuation in your name.
5. Making additions, deletions or any other modifications on your Western, English or Christian name. You can apply for an English name, even if you are not a Christian.
6. Making additions, deletions or any other modifications on your Hanyu Pinyin name.
7. Adding your marital name.
8. Adding religious or baptismal names.

Sometimes, people decide to change their names because of Feng Shui or luck or because they’re tired of their current names. While you can change your name as you wish, it’s up to ICA decide whether the name change you requested gets approved or not.

After executing the deed poll, you should register the name change with the ICA website.

Anyone who changes his or her name needs to apply for a replacement identity card within 28 days of making the change. You can start this process by visiting the ICA website and applying for a name change.

During this step, you also need to provide a digital image of the deed poll. The application fee for changing your name costs around S$60 as of writing. ICA completes the process in three (3) working days. If the application is successful, you should receive the collection notice for your new NRIC in three (3) working days. This notice will include instructions on what documents to bring when you claim your NRIC.

Take note that you have to claim your identity card in person at the ICA building. You also need to bring the original copy of the deed poll and other documents stated in the collection notice.

To change the name appearing on your passport, you need to apply for a new passport with the ICA. Learn more about changing your name on your passport on the ICA website.

Even if a couple is divorced, both parents should still provide consent to the name change of their child. The child deed poll process will differ depending on whether the change involves the first name or the last name.

If a child’s name has already been changed using a deed poll and the other parent or guardian objects, they can request for the deed poll to be set aside. It would be up to the court to decide on whether the deed poll will be deemed valid, depending on what would be in the best interests of the child.

You can change name by deed poll as many times as you want in Singapore as long as the ICA deems the name change as acceptable.

If you are a Singaporean citizen, you can apply for a name change even if you’re abroad. You can do this by executing the deed poll through a foreign lawyer.

If you wish to apply for a deed poll in Singapore instead, you can also get in touch with us via email to make arrangements for your deed poll to be prepared ahead of your return. After executing the deed poll, you can change the name in your National Registration Identity Card online through the ICA website.