Documents Required for Gazette Name Change in West Bengal: Both Routes, Item by Item
Two gazettes, two document lists, and a handful of category extras. This page gives every item for the Kolkata Gazette Part II and the Gazette of India, the reason each exists, the upload size limits, and the six document faults that get files returned.
Get Call and Name Change Format
What Documents Are Required for a Gazette Name Change in West Bengal? (Quick Answer)
Kolkata Gazette Part II (state, online): affidavit attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, one recent newspaper advertisement, photo ID (Aadhaar, Passport or Driving Licence) under 2 MB, address proof for West Bengal domicile, a passport photo under 100 KB, the online undertaking in the right annexure, and the GRIPS receipt for Rs 1,100. Gazette of India (central, by post): notarised affidavit not older than one year, complete newspaper pages, the typed proforma with two witnesses, a soft copy and matching certificate, two photographs, self-attested ID, and the BharatKosh receipt. Category cases add a decree, death certificate, conversion certificate, GID certificate or the child's birth certificate.
Gazette Document Rules in West Bengal: The Numbers and Limits
- Affidavit attestation
- State route: a First Class Judicial Magistrate of a competent court. Central route: a Notary Public. Signed in the old name on both.
- Age of documents
- Central route: nothing in the file may be older than one year on the day it reaches Delhi. Keep the newspaper date, the affidavit date and the posting date close together.
- Photo ID upload size
- Up to 2 MB on the Kolkata Gazette Part II portal.
- Photograph upload size
- Up to 100 KB on the same portal. One recent passport size photo.
- Undertaking annexures
- Annexure I for a change of name, II for a surname, III for religion, IV for gender. The wrong annexure is a shortfall, not a rejection.
- Newspapers
- One Bengali daily and one English daily circulating in your district, same text in both. Complete original printed pages with the masthead and date, never cuttings.
- Proforma
- Central route only. Computer typed, never handwritten, signed in the old name by you and by two witnesses who give their names and addresses.
- Soft copy
- Central route only. The notification text as a file, with a short certificate that the hard copy and the soft copy match. No compact disc.
- Payment proof
- State route: GRIPS receipt, head 0058-00-501-001-14, Rs 1,100. Central route: BharatKosh receipt, Rs 1,100 adult or Rs 1,700 minor. No demand draft, no cash.
- Return of papers
- The Department of Publication does not return documents. Keep a full photocopy set and a scan of everything before you post.
- Shortfall handling
- State route: a shortfall SMS with an OTP, fixed online. Central route: the file comes back by post and the fee is not refunded.
- Where the file goes
- State: uploaded at wbgazettepart2.in, published by Saraswaty Press Limited, 11 B T Road, Belghoria, Kolkata 700056. Central: posted to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054.
On This Page
- Document rules, sizes and limits
- Kolkata Gazette Part II: the 7 uploads
- Gazette of India: the 7-item postal file
- Side by side: what differs
- Category extras: marriage, divorce, minor, religion, gender, employee, abroad
- Why each document exists
- How to prepare scans and copies
- Six document faults that get files returned
- Common questions people search
- Document terms explained
- Districts we serve
- FAQ
- Enquiry form
Documents Required for Kolkata Gazette Part II: The 7 Uploads
Everything is uploaded on wbgazettepart2.in in your own login. Nothing is posted.
| # | Document | Requirement | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Affidavit | Scanned original, attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, showing father's or husband's name and residential address | Notary-only is a shortfall; the portal asks for the affidavit number and Magistrate's name |
| 2 | Newspaper advertisement | Scanned copy of one recent advertisement in a daily newspaper | Full page with name and date; we publish in Bengali and English |
| 3 | Photo ID | Aadhaar, Passport or Driving Licence; any Government photo ID for Government employees | Not more than 2 MB |
| 4 | Address proof | Establishes West Bengal domicile | Address should match the affidavit and Aadhaar |
| 5 | Photograph | Passport size | Not more than 100 KB |
| 6 | Undertaking | Filled online: Annexure I name, II surname, III religion, IV gender | Names typed exactly as on the affidavit |
| 7 | Fee receipt | GRIPS receipt, head 0058-00-501-001-14, with deposit ID and amount | Deposit ID must match the receipt exactly |
Documents Required for Gazette of India Name Change: The 7-Item File
Assembled at home, posted in your own name to Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. Documents are not returned.
| # | Document | Requirement | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Affidavit | Notarised, on stamp paper, signed in the old name, with guardian's name, address and reason | Not older than one year when the file reaches Delhi |
| 2 | Newspaper pages | Complete original printed pages, one Bengali and one English daily | Cuttings are returned |
| 3 | Proforma | Prescribed form from deptpub.gov.in, computer typed, signed in the old name, two witnesses with names and addresses | Names must match affidavit and newspapers letter for letter |
| 4 | Soft copy and certificate | Notification text as a soft copy file, plus a certificate that hard and soft copies match | No compact disc |
| 5 | Photographs | Two passport size | Recent |
| 6 | ID proof | Self-attested Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, Voter ID or Driving Licence | Address should match the affidavit |
| 7 | Fee receipt | BharatKosh: Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 3,500 abroad | No demand draft, no cash; non-refundable |
State vs Central Gazette Documents: Differences Side by Side
| Item | Kolkata Gazette Part II | Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Affidavit attestation | First Class Judicial Magistrate | Notary Public |
| Affidavit age | Recent | Not older than one year |
| Newspaper | One recent advertisement, scanned | Complete original pages in the file |
| Form | Online undertaking, Annexure I to IV | Typed proforma with two witnesses |
| Soft copy | Not needed; everything is uploaded | Soft copy file plus match certificate |
| Address proof | Required, for domicile | Address checked against ID |
| Photographs | One, under 100 KB | Two, physical |
| Fee proof | GRIPS receipt, deposit ID | BharatKosh receipt |
| Shared | The affidavit text and the newspaper notice can serve both; get the Magistrate attestation once and it satisfies the central route too | |
Extra Gazette Documents for Marriage, Divorce, Minor, Religion, Gender and NRI
| Case | Add to the file | Route note |
|---|---|---|
| Surname after marriage | Registered marriage certificate; affidavit gives father's and husband's names | Often no gazette needed at all; the two paths |
| Reversion after divorce or separation | Certified decree or court order | State: Change of Surname, Annexure II |
| Reversion after husband's death | Death certificate from the competent authority | State: Annexure II |
| Minor | Child's birth certificate; parent's ID; parent's affidavit; custody, adoption or guardianship order where relevant | Gazette of India only; parent's guide |
| Religion | Conversion certificate from a Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church only, with registration number, sign, stamp, date, old and new name and address | State: Annexure III; trust or society certificates refused |
| Gender | GID certificate from the CMO or Head of Department of the treating hospital | State: Annexure IV |
| Government employee | Any Government photo ID; department forwarding letter where required; Central staff: MHA deed | State employees on Part II; Central on Gazette of India |
| Indian abroad | Passport copy; overseas address proof; affidavit attested at the Indian Embassy or Consulate | Gazette of India, Rs 3,500 |
| Alias name | Documents showing both names | Gazette of India, Rs 250 per alias |
Why Each Gazette Document Exists, and What the Office Reads From It
Affidavit
Your sworn declaration. The gazette publishes it; the Magistrate or notary attests that you swore it. It is the source every other document copies from.
Newspaper notice
Public announcement, so anyone with an objection has had the chance. The office checks that the names and address match the affidavit.
Photo ID
Proves the existing name and address you are changing from. Its spelling is the anchor for every field.
Address proof
State route only: the guideline is for residents of West Bengal, so domicile must be shown.
Photograph
Ties the file to a face; printed with the central proforma, stored with the state application.
Undertaking or proforma
The exact text that will be published, in the format the office prints. The witnesses on the central proforma vouch for your signature.
Soft copy and certificate
Central route: the text is typeset from your file, so the office wants it as a file and your word that it matches the paper.
Fee receipt
Proves payment on the only accepted portal. A wrong head, amount or deposit ID stalls the file silently.
How to Scan and Compress Documents for a Gazette Name Change
State route uploads
- Scan the affidavit flat, all pages, in one PDF or clear image; the affidavit number and Magistrate's seal must be readable
- Newspaper: photograph the full page with the masthead and date, then crop nothing
- ID: a phone photo is 3 to 5 MB; compress to under 2 MB with any free tool
- Photo: crop to passport size and save at reduced quality to reach under 100 KB
- Name each file clearly; upload in the slot the portal asks for
Central route paper file
- Original affidavit, original newspaper pages, typed proforma with wet signatures
- Self-attest each ID copy: signature and date in the old name
- Print the BharatKosh receipt; staple nothing to the photographs
- Soft copy on a pen drive or as the Department currently specifies, plus the signed match certificate
- Keep a full photocopy set at home; the Department does not return documents
Six Document Mistakes That Get a Gazette File Returned in West Bengal
Notary affidavit on the state route
The Part II guideline says First Class Judicial Magistrate. Get it right before registering; the portal cannot be completed without the affidavit number.
Newspaper cutting instead of the page
Both offices want the full page with the newspaper's name and date. Cuttings are the commonest central return.
Files over the size limit
ID over 2 MB or photo over 100 KB will not upload; the green signal never appears and people assume the portal is broken.
Address on the affidavit different from the ID
Both offices compare them, and UIDAI later expects the gazette address to match Aadhaar.
Affidavit older than a year, or a CD in the envelope
The central rule is one year. The CD requirement is gone; the soft copy is a file.
Signature in the new name
Every document is signed in the old name. The new name is not legal until publication.
Common Questions People Search About Gazette Name Change Documents
Three short answers to the searches that bring people to this page.
Is a birth certificate required for a gazette name change in West Bengal?
Not for an adult. Neither route asks for it. It is required only when the applicant is a minor, because a parent signs and the child's date of birth and parentage have to be proved. If your own birth certificate carries a wrong spelling, that is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, and no gazette fixes it.
Do I need original documents or photocopies for the gazette file?
The state route takes scans, so the originals stay with you. The central route takes a physical file that is never returned, so it must hold the original affidavit and the original complete newspaper pages, with self-attested photocopies of your identity documents. Scan everything before you post it.
What if a document is in Bengali only?
The notice text itself may be in Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali or Santali on the Kolkata Gazette Part II, so a Bengali newspaper page is normal and needs no translation. For the Gazette of India, keep the English daily page in the file as well, because the Delhi office reads the file in English.
People Also Search For
Gazette Document Terms Explained: Annexure, Proforma, Self-Attestation
Eight words that appear on the forms and in the guideline, in one line each.
Self-attestation
You sign your own photocopy and write the date under the signature. No officer is needed. The central file asks for self-attested identity copies.
Annexure
The fixed wording of the undertaking on the state portal. Four of them exist, one each for name, surname, religion and gender. You pick the one that matches your case.
Proforma
The prescribed application form for the Gazette of India, downloaded from deptpub.gov.in. It must be typed and carries the two witness signatures.
Complete page
The full newspaper sheet showing the masthead, the date and your notice. A trimmed advertisement is a cutting, and a cutting is refused.
Matching certificate
A one line statement that the printed notification text and the soft copy file say exactly the same thing. It travels with the central file.
GRIPS
Government Receipt Portal System of West Bengal. The state Gazette fee is paid here under head 0058-00-501-001-14 and the receipt is uploaded.
BharatKosh
The Central Government non-tax receipt portal. The only accepted way to pay the Gazette of India fee. The receipt goes in the envelope.
Shortfall
The state portal word for a missing or unreadable document. It reaches you as an SMS with an OTP, and the file is corrected online without starting again.
Gazette Document Checking for Kolkata, Howrah, Siliguri and Every District
The document list is the same everywhere in West Bengal. Only two steps are local: the affidavit before a Magistrate at a court in your subdivision, and the newspaper booking. Send photos on WhatsApp from any district and we will tell you what is missing.
Documents for Gazette Name Change in West Bengal: Frequently Asked Questions
What documents are required for a gazette name change in West Bengal?
For the Kolkata Gazette Part II: a Magistrate-attested affidavit, one recent newspaper advertisement, photo ID (Aadhaar, Passport or Driving Licence) under 2 MB, address proof for West Bengal domicile, a passport photo under 100 KB, the online undertaking, and the GRIPS receipt. For the Gazette of India: a notarised affidavit not older than one year, complete newspaper pages, the typed proforma with two witnesses, a soft copy and matching certificate, two photographs, self-attested ID, and the BharatKosh receipt.
Which ID proof is accepted for the Kolkata Gazette Part II?
Aadhaar card, Passport or Driving Licence. Government employees may use any photo identity card issued by the Government. The scan must be under 2 MB.
Is a notary affidavit enough for the state gazette?
No. The Kolkata Gazette Part II guideline requires attestation by a First Class Judicial Magistrate of a competent court, and the portal asks for the affidavit number and the Magistrate's name. A notary affidavit is accepted only on the Gazette of India route.
How old can the documents be?
On the Gazette of India route, the affidavit and supporting documents must not be older than one year on the day the file reaches Delhi. The Kolkata Gazette Part II asks for one recent newspaper advertisement; keep everything within a few months to be safe.
Do I need a CD for the gazette name change?
No. On the state route everything is uploaded. On the central route the soft copy of the notification text is submitted as a file with a certificate that it matches the hard copy. Pages still asking for a compact disc are out of date.
Do I need the original newspaper or a cutting?
The complete printed page with the newspaper's name and date visible. Scanned for the state portal; the original page in the central postal file. A cutting is one of the commonest reasons a central file is returned.
What extra documents are needed for a surname change after divorce?
The certified decree or order of the competent court, attached on either route. For reversion after the husband's death, the death certificate. The Kolkata Gazette Part II lists both under Change of Surname, Annexure II.
What documents are needed for a minor's name change?
The child's birth certificate, the parent's or guardian's ID, the parent's notarised affidavit, two newspaper pages, the typed proforma signed by the parent with two witnesses, two photographs of the child, the BharatKosh receipt for Rs 1,700, and any custody, adoption or guardianship order. Gazette of India only; the state gazette is 18 and above.
What is the conversion certificate requirement for a religion change?
For the Kolkata Gazette Part II, a conversion certificate only from a Mandir, Masjid, Monastery, Gurudwara or Church, with registration number, sign and stamp, conversion date, old and new name with S/o, D/o or W/o, and address. Certificates from a society, institution or trust are not accepted.
What documents does the gender change route need?
A Gender Identity Disorder (GID) certificate issued by the CMO or Head of Department of the hospital where treatment was done, plus the common uploads, under Annexure IV on the Kolkata Gazette Part II.
Do I need address proof for the gazette?
Yes on the state route, to establish West Bengal domicile; the guideline is for residents of the state. On the central route the affidavit's address is checked against the ID. In both cases the address should match your Aadhaar, because UIDAI expects the gazette address to match.
Do documents come back after the gazette is published?
No. Documents submitted to the Department of Publication are not returned. Keep copies of everything, and keep the newspaper pages safe before you post them.
Official Sources for Gazette Document Requirements
Kolkata Gazette Part II guideline and manual
Guideline of 17 May 2023 and Process Manual v1.2.0: document list, annexures, size limits.
Department of Publication
deptpub.gov.in: proforma and document list for the Gazette of India.
Gazette Name Change in West Bengal: The Complete Series
Nine guides on the gazette notification itself: which gazette, the wording, the documents, the time, and the marriage, minor, passport, spelling and Kolkata cases.
Gazette Name Change in West Bengal
What the notification is, which gazette to use, and what it is worth.
Read →Gazette Name Change After Marriage
When the marriage certificate is enough, and when you need a gazette.
Read →Gazette Name Change for a Minor
Central only, Rs 1,700, parent as applicant, school and board timing.
Read →Notification Format and Sample
The wording of the affidavit, notice, form and published entry.
Read →How Long It Takes
7 days state, 30 to 45 days central, day by day, and what adds weeks.
Read →Gazette Name Change for Passport
Why the passport office wants the Gazette of India, and how to time it.
Read →Name Correction in Gazette
Three cheaper routes first, then the gazette as change of name.
Read →Gazette Name Change in Kolkata
Courts, dailies, Sealdah desk, Belghoria press and our Park Circus office.
Read →Gazette Office Guides for West Bengal: The Complete Series
Six guides that cover the West Bengal gazette offices end to end: where they are, how to apply, what it costs, what the rules say, and where the old Alipore address went.
Gazette Office in West Bengal
Saraswaty Press, the Sealdah help desk and the Delhi office: which one your case needs.
Read →Kolkata Gazette Part 2 Online Application
Every screen of wbgazettepart2.in, from registration to Final Submit.
Read →Kolkata Gazette Part 2 Download and Status Check
Application Status, the shortfall SMS, and where the PDF appears.
Read →Gazette Notification Fees in West Bengal
Every cost separated: GRIPS, BharatKosh, stamp paper, newspapers, courier.
Read →Kolkata Gazette Part 2 Guidelines Explained
The 17 May 2023 notification, clause by clause, in plain words.
Read →Government Press Alipore Name Change
Where Part II moved in 2023 and what to do if you were sent to Alipore.
Read →Get Call and Name Change Format
Send Photos of What You Have. We Tell You What Is Missing, Free
ID, any affidavit, any newspaper page, on WhatsApp. We reply with the exact list for your route and case, and compress and check the files before anything is uploaded or posted. Monday to Saturday.