“If you were born and married in Australia: a wife can take her husband’s family name; a husband can take his wife’s family name; both partners can hyphenate their family names. [...] If you were born overseas and married in Australia, many organisations will accept a copy of your primary identity document (Foreign passport or citizenship certificate) and Australian marriage certificate.” — Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Victoria).
Changing your family name to your spouse’s
You do not need to change your name to your spouse’s after your marriage, but if you do, this page will make it as easy as possible for you. For those organisations where your name change involves your visiting the organisation at a service centre or branch or other physical location, it’s suggested that you bring along your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate plus a certified copy of that certificate. That means that if you must show your original BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, you can do so; if you need to leave the copy, you can do so.
Bear in mind that even if you do change your name after marriage, you won’t necessarily need to contact every organisation shown below. You can leave such things as phone and internet and other utilities in your maiden name (previous name).
Making it easy
- VISIT — Centrelink • VicRoads • your bank • LIFEBLOOD Red Cross donor centre • your local Council office/service centre • mortgage institution • University/School/College (or send by mail; also note that La Trobe University has an online procedure).
- MAIL — telephone/internet provider (Optus) • Working with Children Check Unit.
- EMAIL — Velocity Frequent Flyer).
- UPLOAD/ONLINE — ATO (Tax) • ASIC • Australian Electoral Commission (you may be asked to provide a copy of your certificate subsequently) • Passport (you will also need to provide a copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate) • telephone/internet provider (Telstra) • QANTAS Frequent Flyer • University (La Trobe University).
- PHONE AND UPLOAD/FAX — Medicare • AMEX • PayPal • Diners Club • your car insurer, home insurer, etc. • Woolworths Everyday Rewards • Fly Buys • Virgin Velocity • Toll Accounts (Eastlink, Citylink, etc.) • Dept. Of Veteran Affairs • Myki • Residential Tenancies Bond Authority • Seniors Online (Seniors Card) • Utilities (water, gas) • Australian Business Register (ABR).
- PHONE AND ASK — Professional association/Union • Superannuation fund.
Organisations to notify with your change of name details
- MEDICARE. Phone Medicare on the Medicare Program Line with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate handy.
- CENTRELINK. Visit a service centre with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate; you will need to give permission to have the marriage certificate verified.
- DRIVER LICENCE. (In Victoria.) Visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate and a Change of personal petails form.
- PASSPORT. You will need your Australian birth certificate (or Australian citizenship certificate) and your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate. It’s possible to get a free replacement passport with your married name if your current passport has an expiry date more than two years from now and has no damage, but check the Passports website for full requirements. (If you don’t meet the criteria for a free replacement, there will be a cost involved.) Complete the online form, print it out, and bring it plus the required documents (including your current passport) to your nearest Australia Post centre.
- AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION – Electoral roll. Complete the online form (have your driver’s licence or Australian passport handy), and the AEC will contact you further in respect of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate. Alternatively, complete a downloaded form or pick up a form from any Australia Post or AEC office, complete it, and send it to the AEC, who will contact you further in respect of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate.
- AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE (ATO). This can be done online, or in the ATO app, or by phoning the ATO, or you can change your name by post; you will need your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate.
- AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS REGISTER (ABR). Contact ABR by phone; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- AUSTRALIAN SECURITES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION (ASIC). If your details change, you must let ASIC know within 28 days. Sign up and log in to ASIC Connect, link your business name, select “Update name”, enter your new/updated name, select “Save”, and “Next” to continue.
- PHONE AND INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, e.g., TELSTRA Scroll down to “I’ve changed my name”. Complete the online form, and upload a copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate. You may also need to upload a copy of your previous ID • OPTUS Complete the form and print it out, include copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, and send to Optus by mail; details on the form.
- BANKS and CREDIT UNIONS: e.g., Commonwealth Bank (CBA), National Australia Bank (NAB), Westpac, ANZ Bank. Visit your local branch with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate.
- DINERS CLUB. Contact Diners Club by phone and have your Diners Club card ready, as well as your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate.
- AMERICAN EXPRESS. Contact American Express by calling the number on the back of your card; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- PAYPAL. In your PayPal account, follow the steps to update your name; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- AMBULANCE VICTORIA. In the search bar, type “How can I update my name and gender?” The instructions will show that you can change your name via email. Have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, and 3 points of ID, in a format that can be attached to the email.
- LIFEBLOOD (formerly RED CROSS - BLOOD DONOR). Visit your local donor centre with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate and driver’s licence.
- PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE: e.g., MEDIBANK PRIVATE, GMHBA, BUPA. Contact your health insurer by visiting their local branch OR by phone, live chat or email. As long as you have already updated your name with Medicare before you contact your private health insurance organisation, your health insurer can simply check with Medibank to confirm your change of name, and then update their records.
- INSURANCE (Car Insurance, House and Contents Insurance, etc.): e.g., AAMI, RACV, GIO. Contact your insurer by phone; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- WOOLWORTHS EVERDAY REWARDS. You can change your name in your Rewards account online or in the Rewards app.
- FLY BUYS. You can change your name in your FlyBuys account online or in the app.
- QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER. Login to your account, select PROFILE, then select PERSONAL INFORMATION, and have a copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate available in a format that can be uploaded. Change your name and upload the standard marriage certificate.
- VELOCITY FREQUENT FLYER. Email a copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate to Velocity Frequent Flyer; the email addresses are on the linked page.
- TOLL ACCOUNTS: e.g., EASTLINK, CITYLINK. Contact the Toll company such as Eastlink or Citylink by phone; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- Veteran Affairs card. You must notify DVA if you marry, in any case. Contact DVA; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- WORKING WITH CHILDREN CARD. Complete the form, and send it, together with a certified copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, plus your current (original) Working with Children card, to the Working with Children Check Unit address shown on the form.
- MYKI. Contact Public Transport Victoria by phone if you need to change your name on your Myki card. Have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES BOND AUTHORITY. Contact Residential Tenancies Bond Authority by phone; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- SENIORS CARD. Visit - with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate.
- UTILITIES: e.g., YARRA VALLEY WATER, SOUTH EAST WATER, RED ENERGY, AGL. Contact your water provider, electricity provider and/or gas provider by phone; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a copy.
- UNIVERSITIES, TAFE, etc., e.g., UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE. Download the Change to Personal Details Form, complete the form, and bring it, together with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, to “Stop 1”, Melbourne University. Alternatively, mail the form, together with a certified copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, to the address shown on the form. • MONASH UNIVERSITY. Download the “Variation of personal details form”, complete the form, and bring it, together with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate (either the original or a certified copy), to Monash Connect on your campus. Alternatively, mail the form, together with a certified copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, to the address of the relevant Monash Connect. • LA TROBE UNVERSITY. Log in to StudentOnLine, and under the Forms tab, select the Amendment to personal details form button. Follow the instructions; have your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate with you, as you may need to upload or fax or otherwise provide a certified copy.
- LOCAL COUNCIL. To inform your local Council of your change of name, you will need to visit your local Council office/service centre during business hours with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate.
- MORTGAGE. If you have a mortgage from a bank, the bank will almost certainly update the mortgage records once you have updated your name when visiting your local bank branch. If your mortgage is through a separate bank, credit union or other financial institution, visit the institution with your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate) Keep in mind that if you are taking your spouse’s family name (surname) on the basis of marriage, you do not need to change the name on the contract with the financial institution nor on the title deed. You would only have to do so if you have changed your name through the legal process known as “Application to register a change of name (adult 18+ years)”, through the BDM.
- PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OR UNION. If you belong to a professional association or union, contact the association/union. In most cases, a certified copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate will be needed.
- SUPERANNUATION. Contact your Superannuation Provider. Generally you will be required to complete a form, include a certified copy of your BDM-issued standard marriage certificate, and send these to the address on the form.
- eBAY, AMAZON, other ONLINE BUYING/SELLING PLATFORMS. If it’s necessary for you to change your name on an online buying or selling platform (for instance, if you are a seller and need to ensure that the ATO and/or ASIC and/or CENTRELINK are kept informed of your business activities), contact those organisations by phone and follow the instructions given.
