Updating your details with organisations

These pages summarise general legal information relating to the rights of transgender and/or non-binary individuals under the law in England and Wales. It is not intended to give specific legal advice on which you should rely. If you require legal advice, or further details on any matter referred to, please consult an independent legal professional.

What you might change

You can ask many different organisations to update your:

  • name: by asking the organisation; you may need to provide evidence such as a deed poll or statutory declaration. To find out more about how to make one of these, read our Name Changes pages.
  • title: by asking the organisation – no evidence is required.
  • gender: by asking the organisation. You may need a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) to update the gender recorded with some specific organisations. You do not need a GRC to update your medical records, employment records, bank account, driving licence, or passport.

Who to inform

Here’s a list of suggestions for places you might want to update after a change of name, title, or gender:

  • Passport office: See the Passports section of this page for information about how to do this.
  • Driving licence: See the Driving Licence section of this page.
  • Vehicle registration: You can find instructions for how to update this on the GOV.UK website.
  • Bank/building society: Some banks and building societies will need you to show photo ID in your new name before updating your details, so getting a passport or driving licence in your new name or gender first may be helpful. Read our Name Change Processes page for more details.
  • HMRC and DWP: HMRC have published guidance on how to notify them of a change of name or a change of gender. HMRC will normally notify the DWP and Pension Service for you.
  • GP surgery: See our Updating Medical Records page which includes important information about screening tests.
  • Hospitals and clinics: Hospitals and clinics often keep their own records, so clinics and hospitals may not automatically update their records when you tell your GP.
  • Vehicle insurance
  • Vehicle breakdown cover
  • Exam certificates and qualifications: see the Qualifications section of this page for more information about how to do this.
  • Travel passes
  • Concessionary passes
  • Employer/educational institution: If you’re updating what gender is recorded on your records, employers will need to complete the steps listed on the GOV.UK website.
  • Student Loans Company
  • Dentist
  • PASS ID card
  • Electoral roll: There is information about how to change name on the electoral roll on the GOV.UK website.
  • Visas and immigration: There are more details what to do if you have a Visa or BRP on the GOV.UK website, and this guidance may also be useful to read.
  • Local council
  • Land registry: If you own property and change name you will need to update your details with the Land Registry. There is information about how to do this on the GOV.UK website.
  • TV Licensing: There is a form to update your details on the TV Licensing website.
  • Libraries
  • GHIC or EHIC: You can apply for a new Global Health Insurance Card or EHIC in your new name. You can find more information on the NHS website.
  • Pharmacy
  • Medical alert jewellery or medical information cards
  • Credit Reference Agencies: Updating your information with CRAs allows you to change what name and gender are shown when a credit check is carried out on you. You can read more about updating your details with UK CRAs on the Experian website.
  • Loyalty cards
  • Online shopping accounts
  • Vets
  • Opticians
  • Electricity, gas, and water suppliers
  • Internet service provider
  • Mobile phone provider
  • Landline phone provider
  • Landlord, letting agent, or housing association
  • Pet insurance
  • Pet microchip details
  • Mortgage provider
  • Private health or life insurance
  • Home/contents insurance
  • Website hosting and DNS provider
  • Gym or leisure centre membership
  • Pension providers
  • Loans and investments
  • Premium bonds
  • Professional bodies
  • Companies House
  • Police: Some people may be legally required to notify the police – you can find out more about this on the Unlock website.
  • Probation service

You might also want to make sure that emergency contact details are updated if you’ve been listed as an emergency contact by your child, partner, family member, or friend.

What do I do if something goes wrong?

Sometimes organisations will tell you that they are unable to update your name, title, or gender.

It’s important to remember that to change your name and title:

  • you do not need to enrol your deed poll
  • you do not need a deed poll with an official seal or stamp
  • you do not need a Gender Recognition Certificate

If an organisation is not willing to update your name, title, or gender on their records, the following steps can often be useful:

  1. Try a different employee: It may be worth asking a different staff member to update your details as they may be willing to help you more. This might mean asking to speak to the manager.
  2. Ask why: Ask to see a copy of the policy or procedure that says why they can’t make a change. Often staff will then discover no such policy exists.
  3. Highlight existing photo ID changes: If you have already updated your passport or driving licence, explain that the UK government have already accepted your evidence to make a change of name or title.
  4. Explain their legal obligations: You can explain the obligations of organisations to update the information they hold about you to keep it accurate – this is the principle of accuracy (Article 5(1)(d)) and right to rectification (Article 16) under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  5. Contact the head office: It’s often useful to contact the head office of the organisation, rather than a local branch, as they may have a better knowledge of the organisation’s processes and of your rights. The easiest way to do this is normally to use social media to message the organisation’s main social media account. You could also ask staff at the local branch to give you contact details for their head office.
  6. Formally complain by letter: If you’re still not successful, you can make a formal written request to the organisation asking them to update your information. You can do this using the template on the Information Commissioner’s Office website to ensure you are doing this correctly.
  7. Report the organisation: If the organisation still does not update your details, you can read about how to get support to make an official report using the information on the Information Commissioner’s office website.

Passports

The procedure for updating passports depends on your situation.

Home Office guidance indicates that if you do not request either “male” or “female” your application will normally be rejected.

To update an existing UK passport, you’ll need to either use the online HM Passport Office form, or pick up a physical copy of the form from the Post Office.

There is a fee to update your passport – there are details of costs on https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees.

You’ll need to provide evidence as part of your application – see the UK Passport Evidence section below.

You can read more information for trans people about updating a UK passport on the HM Passport Office website.

To apply for your own UK adult passport you must be either:

  • 16 or over
  • or will turn 16 within the next three weeks.

If you are under 16, your parent or guardian must apply for a child passport for you, and to change gender marker you must provide written consent from everyone with parental responsibility (or legal guardianship).

Home Office guidance indicates that if you do not request either “male” or “female” your application will normally be rejected.

There is a fee to apply for a passport – there are details of costs on https://www.gov.uk/passport-fees.

To apply for a new UK passport, you’ll need to either use the online HM Passport Office form, or pick up a physical copy of the form from the Post Office.

If you do not have a gender recognition certificate (GRC) and updated birth certificate, include your existing birth or adoption certificate, along with the evidence listed in the section ‘UK passport evidence’ below.

If you already have a gender recognition certificate (GRC) or an updated birth certificate, you can apply for an updated passport as normal with your updated birth or adoption certificate. Name change documents and letters from doctors are not required.

You can read more information for trans people about applying for a UK passport on the HM Passport Office website.

The procedure for changing names and gender markers on passports from other countries varies significantly by country. To find out more about your situation, contact your nearest Embassy or Consulate for the country where your passport was issued.

Some countries will not update passports for trans people, or only do so under specific conditions. You may wish to contact trans organisations in the country that your passport was issued for advice. You can find trans organisations for many nations on the Transgender EU Members Page.

If your country will issue updated passports with an altered gender marker, you need to update them before updating your UK passport. Some countries will say that your UK passport gender marker must be updated before they will do this – in this situation you may wish to get legal advice from a legal organisation like The Trans Legal Clinic or The LGBTQ+ Law Clinic.

If your country will not issue new passports for trans people, you do not need to update your other passports, and can ask to have your UK passport updated.

UK passport evidence

If you have updated your name and are applying for a new or updated UK passport, you will need:

  • proof of your name change: This can be either a deed poll or statutory declaration. If you don’t have one of these, you can find out how to make one on our Name Changes page. Photocopies are not accepted, so you must either send the original document or a certified copy.
  • proof of using your new name: This can be things like bank statements, utility bills, council tax bills, or pay slips that show you using a new name.

If you are applying for a new or updated UK passport, and have changed which gender is shown in your documentation, you will need:

  • either a letter indicating your change of gender, written by a medical professional, which clearly states that the professional believes your change of gender is “intended to be permanent”. The letter could be written by your GP or a gender specialist you have seen at a gender clinic, and they will normally charge you money for writing this letter. If the letter does not indicate this is a “permanent” change, your application may be rejected and you may need to make a new application. Home Office guidance suggests that if you cannot provide such a letter, you might instead be able to make a statement confirming you permanently use the preferred identity instead.
  • or a gender recognition certificate: You do not need a gender recognition certificate (GRC) to change the name or gender on your passport, driving license, or any other identification other than your birth certificate. However, if you have a GRC already, you do not need to send evidence of your change of gender or a letter, and can send either the GRC or your updated birth or adoption certificate.

When you are updating your UK passport, you will also need to send the passport office two passport photographs, which will need to be countersigned.

You can find further information about these requirements in the this guide to passports for trans people on the UK Government website.

Driving licence

You can change your driving licence for free unless you need/want to change your photo. A change of photo will involve a fee (as of June 2025, the cost is £17).

You will need to the following to the DVLA:

  • Completed D1 form (forms available from the Post Office)
  • Deed poll, statutory declaration or GRC
  • Previous driving licence

You read more about updates to your driving licence on the DVLA website.

Qualifications

The process of amending details on qualifications will vary depending on the type of qualification and who it was awarded by.

Schools and colleges

Qualifications from schools and colleges are normally awarded by organisations called “examination boards”. Some higher level qualifications are also awarded by exam boards. Degrees are normally awarded by a specific university.

You will need to contact the correct exam board for the qualification to ask them to update your details. You can look at your exam certificates or transcripts to find out which one you need to contact.

Each organisation has a different instructions, which they have published online:

In the past, other examination boards existed. If you need a replacement certificates for a qualification awarded by one of those boards, there are instructions about who to contact on the GOV.UK website.

University degree certificates

Degree level qualifications are typically awarded by the university themselves, unlike school and college level qualifications which are awarded by an exam board.

Many universities now provide instructions on their websites explaining the procedure for updating certificates and transcripts after a change in name, title, or gender. If you are unable to find instructions like this on your university’s website, you may wish to contact your university’s Alumni Office.

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This page is based on information originally posted on genderkit.org.uk with permission.

Visit genderkit.org.uk

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