Changing your name on your university record

A preferred name is the name you have chosen to use which is different from your legal name and is not on any of your official documents, like your passport or driver's license. For example, some people may use a middle name or an English name.

You can change your preferred name online through ‘personal details’ on Student Services Online.

Your legal name is your name used for official purposes, such as on your passport, your birth certificate, or with Inland Revenue.

If you have recently changed your legal name, you can request for your legal name to be changed on your university record.

To change your legal name on your university record, you will need to provide:

• A completed Change of Name Form (AS-66)
• Correctly certified documents showing the change to your legal name

If you're an alumnus of the University or not currently enrolled and would like to change your legal name on your university records, please email admission@auckland.ac.nz.

Please include 'Change of name' in the subject line of your email.

As part of your request to change your legal name, you will need to give evidence of your name being changed.

The evidence must link your previous legal name to your new legal name. Acceptable evidence include:

• Marriage certificates
• New Zealand birth certificates (this must include your previous name and new name)
• Name change certificates
• Dissolution documents
• Name change by statutory declaration

Your evidence must be correctly certified by an approved person before you can submit your request to change your legal name.

Please note, if you:

• Submit incorrectly certified documents this may cause a delay in you being able to enrol in your courses
  
• Are a staff member who is currently enrolled for study and have recently changed your legal name, you will need to provide certified copies

A change of name usually takes around seven working days to be fully processed. During peak times, it may take up to 10 working days or more to be processed.

Please note that our peak processing times are:

• November to February
• May to July

Your change of name request must be submitted before the graduation closing dates.

For more information, please see Applying to graduate.

If you have already applied for an upcoming graduation and applications have closed, your request to change your name cannot be completed until after your graduation ceremony, including if you are graduating in absentia.

If you don’t apply before the closing date, your new name will not be printed on your graduation certificate. You will need to request a replacement certificate.

For more information, please see Replacement degree certificates.

If you need assistance, please:

• Contact us
• Visit your nearest Student Hub