Quick answer: A gazette name change file from Uttar Pradesh contains eight items: the notarised affidavit, both original full newspaper pages, the prescribed proforma (computer typed, signed by you and two witnesses), a CD carrying the same matter as typed text in Word format, a signed declaration that the soft copy and hard copy match, two self-attested passport photographs, copies of photo ID and address proof, and the BharatKosh receipt for Rs 1,100. It all goes by courier to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, New Delhi. There is no online submission: the e-Gazette portal lets you read published notifications, not file new ones.
Checklists for this are everywhere and they all say the same eight words: affidavit, newspapers, proforma, CD, photos, ID, address, receipt. What none of them explain is why each item is there and which failure it prevents, which is exactly the knowledge that separates a file that publishes in 25 to 45 days from one that comes back three weeks later. The CD is the clearest example: people burn a scanned PDF of their application onto it and assume they have complied, when the Department needs typed text because the printed gazette is set from that file. This page walks the envelope item by item with the reason attached, adds the documents your particular case brings, and settles the online-submission question the internet keeps getting wrong.
The Gazette File at a Glance
| Affidavit | Notarised on stamp paper, old name, new name, address, reason |
| Newspapers | Both original full pages, one Hindi daily and one English |
| Proforma | Computer typed, never handwritten, signed by you and two witnesses |
| CD | Typed matter in Word format, not a scan, matching the hard copy exactly |
| Declaration | Your signed statement that soft copy and hard copy are identical |
| Photographs | Two passport size, self-attested, taken within six months |
| ID and address proof | Self-attested copies, matching the affidavit's address |
| Fee receipt | BharatKosh e-receipt, Rs 1,100 adult or Rs 1,700 minor |
Key Takeaways
- The CD must carry typed matter in Word format, not a scanned image, because the printed notification is set from that file; a scan is the single most common technical rejection.
- The proforma is computer typed with your old name and two witnesses' full details, and a handwritten proforma is returned regardless of how neat it is.
- Newspapers go in as complete original pages, not clippings, because the Department checks the masthead and date, and the passport office will ask for the same pages later.
- Your case adds documents to the base eight: marriage certificate, decree, guardianship proof, adoption order or employer intimation, depending on the reason for the change.
- Nothing here is submitted online: the e-Gazette portal publishes and lets you download, while applications reach Civil Lines by courier.
Gazette Documents: Quick Facts
| Where it goes | Department of Publication, Civil Lines, New Delhi, by courier |
| Affidavit attestation | Notary public, or a judicial magistrate where preferred |
| Stamp paper | Modest denomination; the all-in notary cost is Rs 100 to 500 |
| CD format | Word document with typed content, matching the hard copy word for word |
| Photograph age | Within six months, self-attested |
| Fee | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor through a guardian, Rs 250 for an alias |
| Publication | Part IV, in 25 to 45 days, free to download from egazette.gov.in |
| Online filing | Not available: the portal is for reading published notifications |
Table of Contents
- The eight items, and what each prevents
- The CD rule nobody explains
- The proforma and its two witnesses
- Case-wise extra documents
- Can any of this be filed online?
- Why files come back
- Central Gazette name change: step by step
- Areas we serve
- Related guides
- Why choose our office
- FAQs
The Eight Items, and What Each Prevents
| Item | What it must be | The failure it prevents |
|---|---|---|
| Notarised affidavit | Stamp paper, old and new name, address, reason, notary's seal | No legal basis for the change; every later document is checked against this wording |
| Both newspapers | Complete original pages, Hindi and English, names and address visible | Failure of the public-notice requirement, and a passport file short of its proof later |
| Prescribed proforma | Computer typed, signed by you and two witnesses with their details | The commonest clerical rejection: handwritten or unwitnessed forms |
| CD with typed matter | Word file, typed text not a scan, identical to the hard copy | The Department cannot typeset your notification from an image |
| Declaration of identical content | Your signed statement that soft and hard copies match | Disputes about which version is authoritative |
| Two photographs | Passport size, self-attested, under six months old | An old photograph is a recurring objection |
| ID and address proof | Self-attested copies, address matching the affidavit | Address mismatch between documents, which stalls verification |
| BharatKosh receipt | Rs 1,100 adult or Rs 1,700 minor, correct fee head | Wrong category payments, which are slow to refund and slower to fix |
The CD Rule Nobody Explains
Here is the single most useful paragraph on this page. The Department does not just archive your file; it typesets your notification from the soft copy you supply, which is why the CD must contain the matter as typed text in a Word document and not a scanned image of your printed application. Three consequences follow that catch people out. First, a PDF scan burned to a CD is technically an empty submission for typesetting purposes, and the file cannot proceed. Second, the soft copy and the hard copy must be word for word identical, which is what the signed declaration certifies; a stray difference between them is a real objection. Third, because a typed file cannot carry an ink signature, the convention in the soft copy is to type your old name where the signature would go rather than paste an image of your signature. None of that is intuitive, and none of it is explained on the checklists that simply say "CD required".
The Proforma and Its Two Witnesses
The prescribed proforma is the "I hitherto known as" declaration, and it carries three rules that look trivial and are not. It must be computer typed, because a handwritten proforma is returned however legible it is. It must be signed by you in your old name, since that is the identity the Department is being asked to retire. And it needs two witnesses with their full details, not just signatures, which in practice means name, address and identification details for each. Choose witnesses who are contactable and whose own documents are in order, because a witness entry that cannot be made sense of is a weak point in an otherwise clean file. The wording itself must match your affidavit and both advertisements exactly, which our affidavit guide covers in detail.
Case-Wise Extra Documents
| Your situation | Add to the base eight |
|---|---|
| Name change after marriage | Marriage certificate, and the spouse's identity document where the surname is being adopted |
| After divorce, reverting to a maiden name | Certified copy of the decree, plus older records carrying the maiden name |
| Minor's name change | Birth certificate, school record, both parents' ID and address proof, guardian-signed affidavit |
| Adoption | The adoption order or registered deed, which usually makes a separate gazette unnecessary |
| Government employee | Intimation to your department and service record details, per your employer's own procedure |
| NRI applicant | Passport copy, overseas address proof, and attestation as your consulate requires |
| Spelling correction only | Often none of this: a correction runs on an affidavit and the source record instead |
The last row matters most financially. If your case is a misspelling rather than a change of name, the whole envelope above may be unnecessary, and our spelling correction router tells you which side of that line you are on before you spend Rs 1,100.
Can Any of This Be Filed Online?
The internet contradicts itself here, and it is worth settling. Some pages instruct you to register on the e-Gazette portal, upload scans and pay online. That is a description of a system that does not exist for this purpose: egazette.gov.in publishes notifications and lets anyone search and download them free, but it is not a submission portal for personal name change applications. What genuinely happens online is the fee, paid on bharatkosh.gov.in with the e-receipt printed for the file, and the outcome, downloaded once published. The application itself is a physical envelope that travels by courier to Civil Lines, and from Lucknow that is a one to two day transit. Anyone who tells you they filed your application "on the portal" should be asked to show you the acknowledgment.
Why Files Come Back
- Scanned CD instead of typed matter: the most common technical failure, and invisible to the applicant until the file returns.
- Handwritten proforma: returned regardless of neatness, because the requirement is a typed form.
- Clippings instead of full newspaper pages: the masthead and date must be visible on the page itself.
- Spelling differences between affidavit, advertisements and proforma: the Department compares before it reads.
- Photograph older than six months: a small item that produces a real objection.
- Wrong BharatKosh fee head or amount: refunds take longer than the filing would have.
- Address mismatch between the affidavit and the address proof: verification stalls on the difference.
- Missing declaration of identical content: the file has no statement tying the soft and hard copies together.
Central Gazette Name Change: Step by Step
Our core service: assembling this envelope so it publishes the first time is precisely what this office does, week after week, for clients across Uttar Pradesh. Here is where each document from the list above enters the process.
Swear the affidavit
Item one enters here: notarised on stamp paper with the old name, the new name, your address and the reason, Rs 100 to 500 at any notary in your district. Every later document copies this wording.
Publish two newspaper advertisements
Item two: one Hindi daily of your district (Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala or Hindustan) and one English paper. Collect complete original pages the day they print, because replacements are hard to obtain later.
Prepare the proforma, witnesses, CD and declaration
Items three, four and five together: the typed proforma with two witnesses' details, the CD carrying the same matter as typed Word text, and your signed statement that the two versions are identical.
Pay Rs 1,100 on BharatKosh
Item eight: paid online with the e-receipt printed into the file, Rs 1,700 for a minor through a guardian, Rs 250 more for an alias line.
Assemble and courier the envelope
Items six and seven join here, photographs and self-attested ID and address proof, along with any case-wise extras from the table above, and the whole file goes to Civil Lines, New Delhi.
Download from Part IV and update
Publication in 25 to 45 days, free from egazette.gov.in, then Aadhaar, PAN, bank, passport and the certificate family in that order.
Gazette Fees, Time and the File
| Adult gazette fee | Rs 1,100 on BharatKosh |
| Minor, through a guardian | Rs 1,700 |
| Alias line, if wanted | Rs 250 extra |
| Affidavit at the notary | Rs 100 to 500 |
| Newspaper advertisements | A few hundred rupees per paper, edition-dependent |
| CD and printing | Nominal, and worth doing at a shop that understands the format |
| Publication time | 25 to 45 days after the Department receives the file |
The Department's checklist in one line: affidavit (notarised), newspapers (both, original, whole pages), proforma (typed, applicant plus two witnesses), CD with signed declaration, photo ID, address proof, photographs, BharatKosh receipt.
Before You Apply: Check These
- Open the CD on a different computer before couriering it, and confirm the file is typed text in Word rather than an image or a PDF scan.
- Lay the affidavit, both advertisements and the proforma side by side and read the name aloud from each; they must match letter for letter.
- Check your address proof against the affidavit's address, because a mismatch between them stalls verification quietly.
- Confirm the case-wise extras from the table above are inside the envelope, and keep a photocopy set of everything you send.
After the Gazette: What Updates Next
Keep the returned file discipline going: three printed copies of the notification, the affidavit and both original newspaper pages stay together permanently, because the passport office asks for the newspapers again and every counter keeps a gazette copy. Then Aadhaar at the Seva Kendra, PAN online, bank, passport, and the Tehsil certificate family, education records, licence and voter ID after that.
What Other Websites Get Wrong
- Wrong: register on the e-Gazette portal and upload your documents. Right: that portal publishes and serves downloads; applications travel by courier to Civil Lines.
- Wrong: any CD with your documents on it will do. Right: it must be typed matter in Word, identical to the hard copy, because the notification is typeset from it.
- Wrong: newspaper clippings are enough. Right: complete original pages, because the masthead and date are what get checked.
- Wrong: the checklist is the same for everyone. Right: marriage, divorce, minor, adoption, government service and NRI cases each add documents.
- Wrong: every name problem needs this envelope. Right: a spelling correction usually runs on an affidavit and the source record, with no gazette at all.
Areas We Serve in Uttar Pradesh
The envelope is identical in every district; only your notary, your newspaper edition and the courier's transit time change. We check and file for clients across all 75 districts, most often these:
| Western UP and NCR | Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Hapur, Firozabad |
| Rohilkhand and Bundelkhand | Bareilly, Moradabad, Rampur, Shahjahanpur, Budaun, Pilibhit, Bijnor, Amroha, Jhansi, Banda, Mahoba, Chitrakoot |
| Awadh and central UP | Lucknow, Kanpur, Unnao, Raebareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Barabanki, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Amethi, Bahraich |
| Purvanchal and eastern UP | Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Ballia, Deoria, Mirzapur, Basti, Ghazipur, Mau, Sonbhadra |
Documents reach us on WhatsApp, the file is assembled and checked in Lucknow, and the notification is emailed to you on publication. Our chamber is at Chamber No. 19, Sadar Tehsil, Sector 5, Gomti Nagar Vistar, Lucknow 226010, with the city guide on our Lucknow page. Call 9540003316 or WhatsApp 9540005002 from any district.
Related Guides on This Site
Every guide here is part of one connected map, so whichever counter your case lands at next, the page for it already exists:
- the gazette name change pillar: the full route, rejection causes, tracking and download.
- documents for the whole journey: the master checklist beyond the gazette envelope.
- the affidavit guide: wording, stamp value and the one-and-the-same variant.
- the newspaper advertisement guide: which papers, what wording, what to keep.
- Central versus State Gazette: the destination-wise decision table.
- name spelling corrections: when the whole envelope is unnecessary.
- minor name change guide: the guardian-signed file and its extra documents.
- the full cost breakdown: government fees and service fees, line by line.
- name change in Lucknow: notaries, newspapers and the courier route.
- all our services: every name change service we handle.
- contact the office: Lucknow office, phone and WhatsApp.
- up state gazette name change process: the Directorate, the state presses at Prayagraj, Lucknow, Rampur and Varanasi, and the two-question fit test.
- gazette office address and dispatch: Civil Lines Delhi 110054, the two wrong addresses to avoid, and how to courier from any district.
- the proforma format: the specimen, witness block and CD version.
- the BharatKosh payment guide: the exact path, codes and receipt rule.
- checking publication: the Part IV search and why no tracker exists.
- downloading your gazette copy: free, unattested and permanent.
- gazette rejection reasons: stoppers, slowers and the ten-minute pre-flight check.
- the marriage affidavit: joint, sole and the no-certificate version.
- documents after marriage: the core set and what each counter keeps.
- the UP Board correction guide: the school chain, portals, documents and fees.
- two different names: the three sub-cases and the alias option.
Why File Checking Is Worth More Than the Checklist
Anyone can publish a list of eight items. What decides your timeline is whether the CD opens correctly, whether three documents spell your name identically, and whether the fee went under the right head, and those are checks, not lists. Vipin Chauhan, B.Tech LL.B, has spent five years filing with the Department of Publication from Lucknow.
- Every file is checked page by page: CD opened and read, wording compared across three documents, photograph dated, fee head verified before the courier leaves.
- Case-wise extras are identified on the first call: marriage, divorce, minor, adoption, government service and NRI files each carry more than the base eight.
- We tell you when the envelope is unnecessary: a spelling correction with a clear source record does not need a gazette, and you will hear that before paying.
- Costs stay separated: Rs 1,100 to BharatKosh in your name, our Basic Rs 999 or Complete Rs 1,999, and the notary and newspaper at their own rates.
Associate office at Chamber No. 19, Sadar Tehsil, Gomti Nagar Vistar, Lucknow, serving all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6:30 PM. Call 9540003316 or WhatsApp 9540005002.
One Envelope, Checked Before It Travels
Uttar Pradesh Name Change
Associate Office: Chamber No. 19, Sadar Tehsil, Sector 5, Gomti Nagar Vistar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226010
Head Office: Metro Pillar 337, Hardev Nagar, Street 1, Shop No 1 (Shri Sham Documentation)
Call: 9540003316
WhatsApp: 9540005002
Email: info@uttarpradeshnamechange.com
Hours: Mon to Sat, 10 AM to 6:30 PM
Photograph every document and send it on WhatsApp. We check the envelope against the Department's checklist, name the case-wise extras you are missing, and tell you if a gazette is not needed at all.
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Gazette Documents: FAQs
What documents are required for a gazette name change from Uttar Pradesh?
Eight items: the notarised affidavit, both original full newspaper pages, the typed proforma signed by you and two witnesses, a CD with the matter typed in Word format, a signed declaration that soft and hard copies match, two self-attested passport photographs, copies of photo ID and address proof, and the BharatKosh receipt. Your case may add more.
What exactly goes on the CD?
The application matter typed as text in a Word document, identical to the hard copy, not a scan or a PDF image. The Department typesets the published notification from this file, which is why a scanned CD stops the file. In the soft copy, the old name is typed where the signature would appear.
Can the proforma be handwritten?
No. It must be computer typed and signed by you in your old name, with two witnesses' full details. A handwritten proforma is returned however neatly it is written, and this is among the most common rejections.
Do I send newspaper clippings or full pages?
Complete original pages of both papers. The Department checks the masthead and date, which a clipping loses, and a passport application will ask for the same pages later, so cutting them is doubly costly.
Can I submit the application online?
No. The e-Gazette portal publishes notifications and serves free downloads; it does not accept personal name change applications. The fee is paid online on BharatKosh, and the physical envelope goes by courier to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, New Delhi.
How old can my photograph be?
Take a fresh one within six months and self-attest both copies. An older photograph is a small, avoidable objection that costs the same weeks as a serious one.
What extra documents does a marriage case need?
The marriage certificate, and the spouse's identity document where a surname is being adopted, on top of the base eight. Divorce cases add the certified decree, minors add the birth certificate, school record and both parents' documents.
My name is only misspelled. Do I still need all this?
Usually not. A misspelling is a correction, run on an affidavit with the source record at the issuing authority, and no gazette at all. Check the router on our spelling correction guide before spending Rs 1,100.
What is the declaration of identical content?
A short statement, signed by you, certifying that the matter on the CD and the printed application are the same. It exists so that no question arises later about which version the Department typeset from.
Does the address proof have to match the affidavit?
Yes, and this is a quiet stall point. The address on your affidavit, your proof and your advertisement should be the same; where you have recently moved, use the address you can document rather than the newest one.
What does the whole file cost?
Rs 1,100 to BharatKosh for an adult, Rs 100 to 500 for the affidavit, a few hundred rupees per newspaper insertion, and a nominal amount for the CD and printing. Our service is Basic from Rs 999 or Complete from Rs 1,999, quoted separately.
What happens if something is missing?
The file comes back, and you resend it after fixing the item, which typically costs three to four weeks. That is why the checks matter more than the checklist, and why we open the CD and compare the wording before anything is couriered.
Official Sources
- The Department of Publication, Civil Lines, New Delhi, which receives the physical file and publishes the notification in Part IV of the Gazette of India.
- egazette.gov.in, for searching and downloading published notifications free of charge.
- bharatkosh.gov.in, the payment route for the Rs 1,100 adult and Rs 1,700 minor fees.
- Notary practice under the Notaries Act for attestation of the affidavit, available in every district of Uttar Pradesh.
Facts on this page are checked against these sources and our own filing experience. Departmental practice evolves; the eight-item envelope, the typed-CD rule and the absence of online submission are the stable core.
The Short Version
Eight items travel to Civil Lines in one envelope: notarised affidavit, both original newspaper pages, typed proforma with two witnesses, a CD carrying the matter as typed Word text, a signed declaration that soft and hard copies match, two fresh self-attested photographs, ID and address proof, and the BharatKosh receipt for Rs 1,100. The CD rule is the one nobody explains: the notification is typeset from that file, so a scan stops everything. Your case adds documents, marriage certificate, decree, guardianship proof, adoption order or employer intimation. Nothing is submitted online; the portal publishes, it does not accept. WhatsApp photographs of your documents to 9540005002 and we will check the envelope before it costs you a courier.