How to Change Your Name in Kenya: Deed Poll, Gazette Notice, ID and Passport

Updated 31 October 2026

To change your name in Kenya, you sign a deed poll, register it with the Registrar of Documents, publish the change in the Kenya Gazette, then update your ID card, passport, KRA PIN and bank records. The process is set out in the Registration of Documents (Change of Name) Regulations and can take up to three months from start to finish.

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Updated October 2026.

Step 1: Prepare the deed poll

The deed poll (Form 1 in the regulations) is a formal declaration that you give up your old name and adopt a new one. Most people have an advocate draft it. The rules:

• You sign it in both your old and new names.
• One witness signs.
• For a child, a parent or legal guardian signs. A child over 16 must also consent, witnessed by an advocate.
• A woman is described as a spinster, married woman, widow or divorced woman, as applicable.

Step 2: Gather supporting documents

These documents are attached to a statutory declaration (Form 6) made by someone resident in Kenya. If you need a birth certificate first, see how to apply for a birth certificate.

Step 3: Register the deed poll

The deed poll is registered with the Registrar of Documents at the Ministry of Lands in Nairobi. Once registered, it is endorsed “Registered in accordance with the Registration of Documents (Change of Name) Regulations 1967”. If you are abroad, an advocate in Kenya can act for you under a power of attorney.

Step 4: Publish it in the Kenya Gazette

A gazette notice makes the change public. The Government Printer’s service charter sets these rates:

Notices must reach the Government Printer by 9am on Friday for publication the following week. The Gazette comes out every Friday except public holidays. Buy a copy (KSh60) for your records.

Step 5: Update your ID card

Apply for a change of particulars on your national ID at a Huduma Centre or registration office. Huduma Kenya lists the cost as KSh1,000 with a timeline of about 10 days. Bring the deed poll, gazette notice, birth certificate and, for a marriage-related change, the marriage certificate. If you lose the old card along the way, see how to replace a lost ID.

Step 6: Update your passport

Apply for a new passport on eCitizen with Form 19, your ID, your old passport, a written explanation addressed to the Passport Control Officer, the deed poll and the gazette notice, as listed by the Directorate of Immigration Services. See how to apply for a Kenyan passport online for fees.

Step 7: Update everything else

• KRA PIN details on iTax
• Bank and sacco accounts
• Safaricom/M-Pesa registration
• NSSF, SHA, HELB and employer records
• Academic certificates (ask the institution how it records name changes)
• Land title or logbook, if you own property or a car

Changing a name after marriage

A woman taking her husband’s name after marriage can usually update her ID using the marriage certificate, without a deed poll. A deed poll is needed for other changes, such as dropping or rearranging names. For marriage certificates, see how to apply for a marriage certificate.

FAQ

How much does it cost to change your name in Kenya?

Expect KSh3,480 for a quarter-column gazette notice and KSh1,000 for the ID change, plus the deed poll registration fee, advocate’s fees and a new passport.

How long does a name change take in Kenya?

Up to about three months for the deed poll and gazette notice, then around 10 days for the ID update.

Can I change my name from abroad?

Yes, through an advocate in Kenya acting under a power of attorney, but you must show your stay abroad is not permanent.

Do I need a lawyer to change my name?

Not by law for every step, but an advocate is needed to witness certain consents and usually drafts the deed poll and statutory declaration.