Gazette Name Change for Passport in West Bengal: Which Gazette Works, and How to Time It
The passport office reads the Government of India's own record. For a passport in a new name from West Bengal, that means the Gazette of India, Part IV, not the state gazette. This guide covers when you need it, when the marriage certificate does the job instead, what reissue does to your passport number, and how to sequence it before a visa.
Get Call and Name Change Format
Which Gazette Do You Need for a Passport Name Change in West Bengal? (Quick Answer)
The Gazette of India, Part IV, published by the Department of Publication in Delhi, fee Rs 1,100 on BharatKosh, 30 to 45 days. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication and is not what the passport office generally asks for. One exception: a spouse's surname after marriage is usually handled on the registered marriage certificate alone, with no gazette. The passport is then reissued in the new name with a new booklet and number, so finish the reissue before any visa application. Start at least eight to ten weeks before you need the new passport.
| Gazette the passport office looks for | Gazette of India, Part IV (central) |
| Role of the Kolkata Gazette Part II | Your state records, Aadhaar, PAN, bank; not the passport document |
| Exception | Spouse's surname after marriage: registered marriage certificate, no gazette |
| Gazette fee | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 3,500 abroad, on BharatKosh |
| Gazette time | 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi; Saturday publication |
| Passport service type | Reissue, with change in personal particulars (name) |
| Result | New booklet, new passport number; old passport cancelled and returned |
| Visas | Not automatically carried over; finish reissue before applying for a visa |
| Start before you need it | 8 to 10 weeks, plus police verification where applicable |
Passport Name Change From West Bengal: The Fixed Points
- Which gazette
- The Gazette of India, Part IV. A passport is a central document and the passport office looks for the central notification. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication and is the wrong instrument here.
- Where the file goes
- Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, by post or courier in your own name. There is no counter for it anywhere in West Bengal and agents cannot submit for you.
- Central fee
- Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor, Rs 3,500 for an Indian living abroad, Rs 250 per alias, paid only on bharatkosh.gov.in. Non-refundable.
- Gazette timeline
- Published on a Saturday in Part IV, usually 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi. Downloaded free from egazette.gov.in and needing no certification.
- Reissue, never an edit
- A passport is never amended. A name change means a reissue with a new booklet and a new passport number.
- Visas do not transfer
- Valid visas in the old passport do not carry across to the new one. Check every live visa and every travel date before you start.
- Old passport
- Surrendered at the appointment and returned cancelled. Keep it; it is your proof of the old name and of past travel.
- When no gazette is needed
- For a surname change after marriage, a registered marriage certificate showing both names is normally enough for a reissue. Ask before paying for a gazette you may not need.
- Order of updates
- Gazette first, then Aadhaar, then the passport. The passport office reads the Aadhaar name, so a mismatch there stalls the application.
- Minors
- The state gazette is closed to minors, so a child's case goes through the Gazette of India at the Rs 1,700 fee, with the birth certificate and a parent signing.
- Spelling errors
- A printing mistake made by the passport office is corrected by them and is not a name change. Do not buy a gazette for their typo.
- Documents in the file
- Nothing older than one year on the day the central file reaches Delhi, and documents once submitted are never returned. Scan everything first.
On This Page
- The fixed points
- Why the passport office wants the Gazette of India
- Gazette or marriage certificate: which one
- The sequence in 6 steps
- Documents for the passport appointment
- What reissue means: number, visas, old passport
- Timing before a visa or travel
- Minors, NRIs, spelling fixes
- Mistakes that delay the passport
- Common questions people search
- Passport terms explained
- Districts we serve
- FAQ
- Enquiry form
Why the Passport Office Wants the Gazette of India, Not the State Gazette
A passport is a Government of India document, checked by Indian embassies and foreign immigration. The passport office therefore works from the Union's own gazette, the Gazette of India, where private name changes from every state are published in Part IV. It is a single, national, searchable record on egazette.gov.in.
The Kolkata Gazette Part II is the State of West Bengal's record. It is excellent for Aadhaar, PAN, banks and state departments, and it arrives in a week. But a passport counter in Kolkata, Delhi or Dubai reads the same record for everyone, and that record is Part IV.
Do both, for the right reasons
Use the state gazette to fix your local records fast and the Gazette of India for the passport. Same affidavit, same newspaper pages, two fees. Central Gazette benefits and all 7 steps.
Gazette or Marriage Certificate: Which Does Your Passport Case Need?
| Your case | What the passport office wants | Gazette? |
|---|---|---|
| New first name, or first name and surname | Gazette of India notification, newspaper pages, affidavit | Yes, Gazette of India |
| Spouse's surname after marriage, first name unchanged | Registered marriage certificate; spouse's passport or ID | Usually no |
| Hyphenated or added surname beyond the certificate | Gazette of India, because the certificate does not show the combined form | Yes |
| Reversion to maiden name after divorce | Divorce decree, and often the Gazette of India | Often yes |
| Spelling error on the passport itself | Reissue with correction on the strength of other IDs | Usually no |
| Minor's new name | Gazette of India with a parent as applicant | Yes, Rs 1,700 |
| Indian abroad | Gazette of India, embassy-attested affidavit | Yes, Rs 3,500 |
Passport Seva's Document Advisor on passportindia.gov.in lists the exact papers for each category; use it after you know which row you are in. Married surname: the two paths.
How to Change Your Name in Passport From West Bengal: 6 Steps
Decide the route from the table above
Marriage certificate alone, or the Gazette of India. If in doubt, ask the passport office which document it wants for your category before drafting anything.
Affidavit and two newspapers
Notarised affidavit in the old name with guardian's name, address and reason. Notice in one Bengali and one English daily. Keep the complete pages; the passport office asks for them too.
Gazette of India file to Delhi
Typed proforma with two witnesses, soft copy and certificate, Rs 1,100 on BharatKosh, self-attested ID, two photographs, posted in your own name to Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054.
Download the Part IV page
Saturday publication, 30 to 45 days after receipt. Download from egazette.gov.in, print several copies. Read it the same week; corrigendum within six months.
Update Aadhaar
Seva Kendra with the gazette. Passport Seva uses Aadhaar for identity and address; a matching Aadhaar avoids a mismatch at the counter.
Apply for passport reissue
On passportindia.gov.in: reissue, change in personal particulars, name. Upload the gazette page, book the appointment at the Regional Passport Office, Kolkata, or a Passport Seva Kendra, and carry the originals. New booklet, new number.
Documents Required for Passport Name Change After a Gazette Notification
Name change by gazette
- Gazette of India, Part IV page with your notice, printed
- Complete newspaper pages, Bengali and English
- The affidavit
- Current passport (to be cancelled and returned)
- Aadhaar, ideally already updated to the new name
- Address and date of birth proof as the Document Advisor lists
- Application receipt and appointment confirmation
Spouse's surname by marriage certificate
- Registered marriage certificate showing both names
- Spouse's passport or ID
- Current passport
- Aadhaar, updated if possible
- Address proof in the new name where available
Lists vary by category and change from time to time; the Document Advisor on passportindia.gov.in is the final word for your case.
What Passport Reissue for a Name Change Means: Number, Visas, Old Passport
New booklet, new number
A name change is a reissue, not a correction on the same booklet. Your passport number changes; update it with banks, employers and any foreign registration that holds it.
Old passport cancelled and returned
It comes back stamped cancelled. Keep it; some countries accept a valid visa in a cancelled passport when carried with the new one, others do not.
Visas do not transfer automatically
Rules differ by country. Do not assume; check with the embassy, and where possible finish the reissue before you apply for any visa.
Police verification may apply
Reissue with a change in particulars can trigger verification depending on your case, adding time. Build it into the plan.
How Long a Passport Name Change Takes With the Gazette of India
| Stage | Typical time | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| Affidavit, newspapers, file posted | 4 to 6 days | Week 1 |
| Gazette of India published | 30 to 45 days after receipt | Week 6 to 7 |
| Aadhaar updated | Days to two weeks | Week 7 to 8 |
| Passport reissue processed | Passport Seva's time, plus police verification where applicable | Week 9 onwards |
| Visa application | Only after the new passport is in hand | After that |
Start eight to ten weeks before you need the passport, more if a visa interview has a fixed date. Day-by-day gazette timelines.
Passport Name Change for Minors, NRIs and Spelling Fixes
Minor
Gazette of India with a parent as applicant, Rs 1,700; then the child's passport reissued with the gazette, newspaper pages and both parents' documents. Parent's guide.
Indian living abroad
Gazette of India at Rs 3,500 with the affidavit attested at the Indian Embassy or Consulate; the embassy reissues the passport against the published notice.
Spelling error on the passport only
Where other IDs already show the correct spelling, the passport office corrects on reissue without a gazette. Where the passport spelling is the one you want to keep, fix the other IDs instead.
Central Government employee
MHA deed through the department plus the Gazette of India; the passport follows once the service record is updated.
Mistakes That Delay a Passport Name Change From West Bengal
Carrying only the Kolkata Gazette Part II to the passport counter
Useful for state records; not the document the passport office asks for on a change of name. Do the Gazette of India as well.
Applying for a visa between the old and new passport
Reissue changes the number and visas do not carry over automatically. Sequence: gazette, passport, then visa.
Buying a gazette for a married surname that the certificate already proves
Check Passport Seva's Document Advisor for the spouse-name category first; it usually lists the marriage certificate.
Filing the passport application with a gazette receipt, not the published page
The office wants the Part IV page. Wait for the Saturday it appears.
Aadhaar still in the old name at the appointment
Mismatch at the counter. Update Aadhaar with the gazette first.
Different spelling in the gazette and the passport form
The new name on the passport application must match the gazette letter for letter, including spacing and initials.
Common Questions People Search About Passport Name Change in West Bengal
Three short answers to the searches that bring people to this page.
How long does a passport name change take from West Bengal?
Count the gazette first. The Gazette of India takes about 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi, and the affidavit and newspaper steps take a week before that. The Aadhaar update takes a few days more, and the passport reissue itself runs on normal or tatkaal timelines after your appointment. From a standing start, plan on two to three months, and do not book international travel inside that window.
Will my passport number change after a name change?
Yes. A passport is never edited, so a name change is a reissue with a new booklet and a new number. Anything tied to the old number needs telling: visas, airline profiles, bank and school records, and any pending application that quoted the old passport. The old booklet comes back cancelled and is worth keeping.
Can I use the Kolkata Gazette Part II for a passport?
Treat it as a no. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication and the passport office looks for the Gazette of India, Part IV. This is the single most expensive mistake on this page, because the state fee is spent and the central file still has to be made. If anyone quotes you 7 days for a passport case, stop and ask which gazette they mean.
People Also Search For
Passport Name Change Terms Explained: Reissue, Part IV, Tatkaal
Eight words you will meet during a passport name change, in one line each.
Reissue
The passport word for a new booklet with a new number. A passport is never edited, so every name change is a reissue.
Part IV
The section of the Gazette of India where private name change notices are published, every Saturday, by the Department of Publication in Delhi.
Tatkaal
The faster passport scheme, at a higher fee. It speeds the passport office, not the gazette. Nothing makes a gazette faster.
Annexure
A prescribed passport declaration form, such as the one both parents sign for a minor. It is a passport form, unrelated to the state gazette annexures.
ECR and non-ECR
Emigration Check Required status printed in the passport. A reissue reprints it, so check that it stays correct on the new booklet.
Cancelled passport
The old booklet, returned to you punched or stamped after the reissue. Keep it as proof of the old name and of past travel.
BharatKosh
The Central Government non-tax receipt portal, and the only accepted way to pay the Gazette of India fee.
Supporting proof
What the gazette is. It rewrites no register by itself. The passport office still runs its own reissue process, with the gazette page in the file.
Passport Name Change Help in Kolkata, Howrah, Siliguri and Every District
The gazette file is posted from your own town and the passport appointment happens at your own PSK or POPSK. Only two steps are local: the affidavit before a Magistrate at a court in your subdivision, and the newspaper booking. Send us your travel date on WhatsApp from any district.
Gazette Name Change for Passport in West Bengal: Frequently Asked Questions
Which gazette is needed for a passport name change in West Bengal?
The Gazette of India, Part IV, published by the Department of Publication in Delhi. Passport offices work from the Government of India's own record. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication and is generally not what the passport office asks for, though it is useful for your state records alongside.
Is the Kolkata Gazette Part II accepted for a passport?
In practice, passport offices look for the Gazette of India for a change of name. Treat the state gazette as your local-records document and use the central gazette for the passport. Many families do both with the same affidavit and newspaper pages.
Do I need a gazette to add my husband's surname to my passport?
Usually no. For a spouse's surname after marriage, Passport Seva lists the marriage certificate route; the passport is reissued with the spouse's name and the new surname on the strength of the registered certificate. A gazette is needed when more than the surname is changing or the certificate does not show both names.
Is a passport name change a reissue or a correction?
A reissue. You get a new booklet with a new passport number; the old passport is cancelled and returned. Existing visas in the old passport are not automatically carried over, and rules on using an old passport with a valid visa differ by country, so finish the reissue before any visa application.
What documents does the passport office want for a name change?
The Gazette of India notification, the newspaper pages, the affidavit, your current passport, and proof of address and date of birth as Passport Seva's Document Advisor lists for your case. For a spouse's surname, the marriage certificate and the spouse's passport or ID. Check the Document Advisor on passportindia.gov.in for the exact list for your category.
How long does the whole passport name change take from West Bengal?
Gazette of India 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi, then the passport reissue with Passport Seva's own processing and police verification where applicable. Start at least eight to ten weeks before you need the new passport.
Can I apply for the passport while the gazette is pending?
No. The gazette notification must be published before you file the reissue; the passport office wants the published Part IV page, not an application receipt.
Which newspapers does the passport office expect?
Passport Seva refers to advertisements in leading daily newspapers; we publish in one Bengali and one English daily in West Bengal, which serves the gazette file and the passport file together. Keep the complete pages.
Does a minor's passport name change need the gazette?
Yes, the Gazette of India with a parent as applicant, at the Rs 1,700 fee, because the state gazette is 18 and above. Then the child's passport is reissued in the new name with the gazette, the newspaper pages and both parents' documents.
I am an NRI from West Bengal. Which gazette for my passport reissue abroad?
The Gazette of India at Rs 3,500, with the affidavit attested at the Indian Embassy or Consulate and the file posted to Delhi. The embassy then reissues the passport against the published notification.
Do I need to change Aadhaar before the passport?
Not strictly, but it helps. Passport Seva uses Aadhaar as address and identity proof, and an Aadhaar in the new name avoids a mismatch at the counter. Update Aadhaar with the gazette first, then apply for the passport reissue.
Where is the passport office for West Bengal?
The Regional Passport Office, Kolkata, with Passport Seva Kendras and Post Office Passport Seva Kendras across the state. Book an appointment on passportindia.gov.in after the gazette is published.
Official Sources for Passport Name Change
Passport Seva
passportindia.gov.in: Document Advisor, reissue with change in particulars, appointments at the Regional Passport Office, Kolkata.
Department of Publication
deptpub.gov.in: proforma and fees for the Gazette of India; egazette.gov.in for the published page.
Kolkata Gazette Part II
wbgazettepart2.in: the state route for your local records alongside.
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 →Documents Required
Both routes item by item, with size limits and category extras.
Read →How Long It Takes
7 days state, 30 to 45 days central, day by day, and what adds weeks.
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 →Passport Name Change in West Bengal: The Complete Series
The reissue itself, the gazette a passport case needs, and every situation people come with: a single name, a parent’s name, a child, an NRI abroad, marriage and divorce.
Passport Name Correction and Change
Both are a reissue: new booklet, new number, and what each case needs.
Read →Add Surname to a Passport
The single-name problem, and the relaxation many people never hear about.
Read →Father’s Name in a Passport
Two public documents for a misspelling; his gazette if he changed his name.
Read →Passport Name Change for a Minor
Annexure D, Annexure C, and the divorce exception.
Read →For an NRI From Abroad
Two portals, and police verification at your Indian address.
Read →Passport After Marriage
Marriage certificate route, and the reissue that follows.
Read →Passport After Divorce
Two changes on one reissue, with the decree as support.
Read →Get Call and Name Change Format
Passport in a New Name? Send Your Passport Photo and Travel Date
We tell you whether you need the Gazette of India or just the marriage certificate, build the timeline backwards from your date, and prepare the central file in your own name. Monday to Saturday.