Gazette Name Change in West Bengal: State or Central, and What the Notification Is Worth
A gazette notification is the one document every office accepts as proof of a new name. West Bengal residents have two gazettes to choose from, and most websites only know about one. This guide explains what the notification is, what it says, which gazette your office will accept, and how to get it from home.
Get Call and Name Change Format
What Is a Gazette Name Change in West Bengal? (Quick Answer)
It is the publication of your old and new name in an official government gazette, which makes the new name legal for Aadhaar, PAN, passport, banks and schools. West Bengal residents aged 18 and above can use the Kolkata Gazette Part II, applied for online at wbgazettepart2.in and issued within 7 days of a complete file, or the Gazette of India, Part IV, posted to the Department of Publication in Delhi and published in 30 to 45 days. The government fee is Rs 1,100 on either route. Use the state gazette for state records and most IDs; use the central gazette for a passport, a minor, or anything outside West Bengal. Many families do both with the same affidavit and newspaper pages.
| Fact | Kolkata Gazette Part II (State) | Gazette of India, Part IV (Central) |
|---|---|---|
| Published by | Saraswaty Press Limited, Government of West Bengal enterprise | Department of Publication, Government of India |
| Who can use it | West Bengal residents 18 and above; State employees | Any Indian citizen; minors via a parent; Indians abroad |
| How | Online, wbgazettepart2.in, own login | Signed file by post to Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, own name |
| Affidavit | First Class Judicial Magistrate | Notary Public |
| Fee | Rs 1,100 on GRIPS | Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, on BharatKosh |
| Time | Within 7 days of a complete file | 30 to 45 days; Saturday publication |
| Accepted for | State records, Aadhaar, PAN, banks, voter ID | Everything, including passport, visa, central posts, out-of-state boards |
| Download | Portal Home page, after SMS | egazette.gov.in, free |
| Correction of a printed error | Redressal within a week | Corrigendum within six months |
Key Takeaways: Gazette Name Change in West Bengal
- The gazette notification is a document, not a certificate. Its power is that every office reads the same public record.
- West Bengal has a working online state gazette. Websites that send everyone to Delhi are describing one of your two options.
- Choose by where the new name must be accepted: state for state, central for passport and outside the state, both if unsure.
- Same affidavit and newspaper pages serve both; only the attestation level differs.
- A married surname and a birth certificate typo often need no gazette at all. Check before you pay.
Gazette Name Change in West Bengal: Both Routes, Every Fixed Point
- What a gazette is
- Supporting proof, not a correction. It rewrites no register by itself, so you still apply to Aadhaar, PAN, the bank and every other office separately, carrying the gazette page.
- The three legal steps
- Affidavit, a notice in one Bengali daily and one English daily, then the gazette notification. In that order, on either route.
- State route
- Kolkata Gazette Part II, applied for online at wbgazettepart2.in, published by Saraswaty Press Limited, 11 B T Road, Belghoria, Kolkata 700056.
- Who may use it
- Residents of West Bengal aged 18 or above, and State Government employees. Not minors, not people living outside the state.
- State attestation
- An affidavit attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate. The portal asks for the affidavit number and the Magistrate name, so a notary affidavit does not pass.
- State fee and time
- Rs 1,100 for a name or surname on GRIPS under head 0058-00-501-001-14, with the notification issued within 7 days of a complete file.
- Central route
- Gazette of India, Part IV, published every Saturday by the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054. A notarised affidavit is enough.
- Central fee and time
- Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 3,500 abroad, Rs 250 per alias, paid only on bharatkosh.gov.in and not refundable. About 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi.
- Four cases that force the central route
- A passport, a minor, living outside West Bengal, or an authority asking for the Gazette of India in writing.
- Filed in your own name
- The Department of Publication accepts the file from the applicant directly or by post. No agent can submit for you, and documents are never returned.
- Downloading it
- Part II from wbgazettepart2.in after the SMS, Part IV free from egazette.gov.in. Neither needs certification, and hard copies of the central gazette ceased in October 2015.
- When you need none of this
- A birth certificate spelling mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. A surname change after marriage with a registered certificate often needs no gazette at all.
On This Page
- Both routes at a glance
- What the notification is
- Legal effect and validity
- Which gazette for which case
- What the notice says, word by word
- How to get it in 4 steps
- Central Gazette: benefits and all 7 steps
- When you do not need a gazette
- How offices read it afterwards
- Errors other guides make
- Common questions people search
- Gazette terms explained
- Districts we serve
- FAQ
- Enquiry form
What Is a Gazette Notification for Name Change?
A government gazette is the official notice board of a government. Laws, appointments, orders and public notices are printed there so that they are on record. When your name change is printed in a gazette, it becomes part of that record: a dated, numbered public entry saying that old name and new name are the same person.
That is why it works where an affidavit does not. An affidavit is your own sworn statement. A newspaper notice is a public announcement. A gazette notification is the government publishing your declaration in its own journal. Offices do not have to trust you; they read the record.
Nobody "approves" your new name in the sense of granting it. The gazette office checks that your file is complete and truthful, then publishes. The legal effect comes from publication.
Two gazettes, one purpose
The Kolkata Gazette is the State of West Bengal's gazette; its Part II carries citizen notices. The Gazette of India is the Union's; its Part IV carries private name changes from every state. Both publish the same kind of notice. They differ in who publishes, who may apply, how, how fast, and which offices look for which one. Where each office is.
Is a Gazette Name Change Legally Valid in West Bengal? Legal Effect and Validity
Binding on every office
Once published, the new name is the name for all government and private records. Aadhaar, PAN, banks, passport, boards and employers accept the notification as proof.
Does not expire
A published notice is a permanent record. The one-year rule on the central route applies to the documents you apply with, not to the notification itself.
State vs national reach
The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication, accepted for state records and most national IDs in practice. The Gazette of India passes without discussion at passport offices and outside West Bengal.
No certification needed
The downloaded PDF is the record. Print copies; no attestation, no stamp, no "original" to collect.
Corrections
State: redressal within a week. Central: corrigendum within six months. A mistake in print is fixable only inside those windows.
Your name, your file
Both routes are in the applicant's own name and login. An agent cannot submit for you, which is why files done that way bounce.
Kolkata Gazette Part II or Gazette of India: Which to Use in West Bengal
The safe test: ask the office that has to accept your new name whether it wants the Gazette of India. Until you can, use this table.
| Your case | Gazette | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling correction or new name; Aadhaar, PAN, bank, voter ID, state records | Kolkata Gazette Part II | Online, 7 days, accepted for these in practice (spelling: cheaper routes first) |
| Passport, visa, job or study abroad | Gazette of India | Passport offices look for Part IV (passport guide) |
| Child under 18 | Gazette of India | Part II is for applicants 18 and above (minor guide) |
| Surname after marriage | Often none; else either | Registered marriage certificate usually suffices (the two paths) |
| Reversion to maiden name | Kolkata Gazette Part II (Annexure II) | Expressly covered, with the decree attached |
| Religion or gender | Kolkata Gazette Part II (Annexure III or IV) | Own fees and certificates on the state route |
| State Government employee | Kolkata Gazette Part II | Expressly included in the guideline |
| Central Government employee | Gazette of India | MHA deed route through the department |
| Living outside West Bengal or abroad | Gazette of India | Part II needs West Bengal domicile |
| Not sure, or both uses likely | Both | Same affidavit and newspapers; two fees |
Gazette Name Change Notice Wording, Word by Word
Every field below is copied from your affidavit. If they disagree, the file is returned.
Kolkata Gazette Part II (from the portal declaration)
I, [Applicant Name], Son/Daughter/Wife of [Guardian's Name], R/o [Residential Address], have changed my Name from [Existing Name] to [New Name] vide Affidavit No. [number] sworn before the [First Class Judicial Magistrate]. Henceforth I shall be known as [New Full Name] instead of [Existing Full Name] and all my relevant documents should be corrected accordingly. It is further stated that [Existing Full Name] and [New Full Name] is the same and one identical person.
The surname version swaps "Name" for "Surname". Religion and gender have their own declarations. Where each field is typed on the portal.
Gazette of India, Part IV (from the proforma)
I, [old name], son/daughter/wife of [guardian], residing at [address], have changed my name and shall hereafter be known as [new name]. It is certified that I have complied with other legal requirements in this connection.
Typed, signed in the old name, with two witnesses. The notice is printed in Part IV on a Saturday with a serial number you can search on egazette.gov.in. The 7-step central process.
Full formats with samples for every variant. The three fields that get files returned: the guardian's name (father's, or husband's for a married woman), the residential address (must match your ID), and the existing name spelt exactly as on the ID you upload.
How to Do a Gazette Name Change in West Bengal Online: 4 Steps
Choose the gazette, or both
Use the table above. If a passport is anywhere in your future, add the central route now; the affidavit and newspapers are shared, so the extra cost is one fee and a speed post.
Affidavit and two newspapers
Affidavit on stamp paper in your old name, with guardian's name, address and reason (full document lists). Magistrate-attested for the state route (the portal asks for the affidavit number), notarised for the central. The same notice in one Bengali daily and one English daily; keep the complete pages, not cuttings.
Apply online, or post the file
State: register at wbgazettepart2.in, type the declaration, pay Rs 1,100 on GRIPS, upload ID under 2 MB and photo under 100 KB, submit. Central: typed proforma with two witnesses, soft copy file, BharatKosh receipt, posted to Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054 in your own name.
Download, then update in order
State: approval SMS and download from the portal within 7 days of a complete file. Central: Saturday publication, free download from egazette.gov.in, 30 to 45 days (day-by-day timelines). Then Aadhaar, PAN, bank, passport, voter ID, board records, in that order.
What we do: route selection, affidavit and newspaper drafting in the format each gazette expects, attestation guidance, the online application or the complete postal file, and follow-up till the PDF is in your hands. What you do: sign, pay in your name, and for the central gazette, post in your name. All name change services in West Bengal.
Central Gazette Name Change (Gazette of India, Part IV): Benefits and Every Step
The state gazette is faster. The central gazette goes further. Here is why West Bengal families choose it, and the complete process from affidavit to download.
Why choose the Central Gazette for your name change
Valid across all of India
Published by the Government of India, so every state, every central department, PSU, bank and board reads the same record. No question of "which state's gazette".
Accepted outside India
The document the Indian passport office and embassies look for. Used for passport reissue, visa files, foreign universities, overseas employers and immigration records where an Indian name change must be proved.
Passport and visa
Passport Seva reissues the passport in the new name against the Gazette of India notification and newspaper pages. A state gazette alone is usually not enough there.
Minors and non-residents
The only route for a child under 18, for anyone living outside West Bengal, and for Indians abroad. The state gazette needs West Bengal domicile and age 18.
Central jobs and service records
Central Government employees, PSU staff and armed forces personnel need the Gazette of India, routed through the department so the service book is corrected too.
Free, permanent, searchable
Published every Saturday in Part IV on egazette.gov.in, downloadable free by anyone, forever. No certification needed; hard copies ceased in October 2015.
Central Gazette name change from West Bengal: all 7 steps
Affidavit before a Notary
On non-judicial stamp paper: old name, new name, father's or husband's name, full address and reason. Signed in your old name. Not older than one year on the day the file reaches Delhi.
Notice in two newspapers
The same text in one Bengali daily and one English daily, showing old name, new name, guardian's name and address. Classified text. Keep the complete printed pages with the date, not cuttings.
Prescribed proforma with two witnesses
Downloaded from deptpub.gov.in, computer typed, names exactly as in the affidavit and newspapers, signed in the old name, with two witnesses' names and addresses.
Soft copy and matching certificate
The notification text as a soft copy file, plus a short certificate that the hard copy and soft copy are the same. No compact disc.
Fee on BharatKosh only
Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 3,500 for an Indian abroad, Rs 250 per alias name, on bharatkosh.gov.in. Print the receipt for the file. Non-refundable. No demand draft, no cash.
Post the file yourself
Affidavit, both newspaper pages, proforma, soft copy, certificate, two photographs, self-attested ID and the BharatKosh receipt, by speed post or courier to Department of Publication, Civil Lines, Delhi-110054, in your own name. Agents cannot submit. Keep the tracking slip.
Publication and download
After scrutiny, published in Part IV on a Saturday; most files complete in 30 to 45 days. Download free from egazette.gov.in with Control and F on your name. Error in print? Corrigendum within six months.
Use it abroad: carry the downloaded Part IV page with the newspaper pages and your affidavit. Embassies, foreign universities and employers accept the Gazette of India as the Government of India's own record of the change; where an apostille or attestation of the affidavit is asked for, that is done on the affidavit, not on the gazette page. Step-by-step with document checklist · The Delhi office and why there is no counter in West Bengal.
When You Do Not Need a Gazette for a Name Change in West Bengal
Spelling error on a birth certificate
A clerical mistake is corrected by the Registrar under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through KMC or your municipality. No gazette, no newspaper.
Married surname with a registered certificate
If the marriage certificate shows both names, Aadhaar, PAN, banks and the passport office usually accept it. You may need no gazette.
One or two letters wrong on one ID
Where another ID already shows the right spelling, the issuing office corrects it against that ID.
Voter ID correction
Form 8, free, online. A gazette is not asked for.
In Kolkata? The city guide: courts, dailies, help desk, our office. We sell gazette filings, so weigh that as you read it. If your case is on this list, we say so at the free document check and you pay nothing.
How Aadhaar, PAN, Passport and Banks Read Your Gazette Notification
| Office | What it wants to see | Which gazette |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar (Seva Kendra) | Gazette copy plus ID; address in the notice should match Aadhaar. Two name changes in a lifetime | Either |
| PAN | Correction on the existing PAN with the updated Aadhaar and the gazette page | Either |
| Bank | KYC update with Aadhaar, PAN and gazette copy; fresh specimen signature if changed | Either |
| Passport | Reissue with a new number; gazette notification and newspaper pages | Gazette of India |
| Voter ID, DL, RC | Form 8 free; RTO with gazette and existing licence | Either |
| School board, university | Gazette and newspaper pages; usually an endorsement or linking letter | Either inside West Bengal; Gazette of India outside |
| Central employer, PSU | Gazette of India, through the department for the service book | Gazette of India |
What Other "Gazette Name Change in West Bengal" Guides Get Wrong
We read the top pages for this search. These are the errors, corrected against the guideline and the offices' own rules.
"Send it to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, West Bengal 110054"
110054 is a Delhi PIN. The central office is in Delhi; the state gazette is online. There is no Civil Lines office in West Bengal.
"Only the Gazette of India counts"
West Bengal has a working state gazette, online, in 7 days. For state records and most IDs it is the faster route.
"Prepare a CD and a demand draft"
No CD on either route; the soft copy is a file. No DD anywhere: GRIPS for the state, BharatKosh for the central.
"Affidavit must be less than 6 months old"
The Department of Publication's rule is one year.
"Notary attestation is enough for the state gazette"
The Part II guideline requires a First Class Judicial Magistrate, and the portal asks for the affidavit number.
"Starting at Rs 999, all inclusive"
The government fee alone is Rs 1,100. Ask for the government fee separately. Every fee, separated.
Common Questions People Search About Gazette Name Change in West Bengal
Three short answers to the searches that bring people to this page.
Is a gazette notification compulsory for a name change in India?
Not always. An affidavit and newspaper notice create the record, and the gazette is what most offices ask to see, which is why it is treated as compulsory in practice. There are real exceptions: a surname change after marriage with a registered certificate, and a clerical error that the issuing office should fix itself. Ask the office that has to accept your new name what it wants before you pay for anything.
Is a state gazette valid all over India?
The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a state publication and is generally accepted for records inside West Bengal. For a passport, a visa, a central Government post or a board or employer outside the state, Part IV of the Gazette of India is what those offices look for. Many families do both, because the same affidavit and newspaper pages serve either file.
Does a gazette notification expire?
No. A published notification has no expiry and does not need renewal or fresh certification. The downloaded PDF is the proof, whether you use it next month or in twenty years, and nobody should charge you to fetch a public record.
People Also Search For
Gazette Terms Explained: Part II, Part IV, Annexure, Corrigendum
Eight words you will meet on either route, in one line each.
Gazette notification
The official publication of your name change. It is the document every office asks to see, and it is supporting proof rather than a correction.
Kolkata Gazette Part II
The citizen section of the West Bengal state gazette, covering name, surname, religion, gender, public notices and Bar Council enrolment.
Gazette of India, Part IV
The section of the Central Gazette where private name change notices are published, every Saturday, from Delhi.
Annexure
The fixed undertaking wording on the state portal. Annexure I name, II surname, III religion, IV gender.
Proforma
The prescribed Gazette of India application form from deptpub.gov.in. Typed, never handwritten, with two witness signatures.
Corrigendum
A correction notice published when the gazette entry itself carries an error, applied for within six months on the central route.
Registrar correction
Fixing a clerical mistake in a birth certificate under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. It needs no gazette.
Supporting proof
What a gazette is. It rewrites no register by itself, so each office still runs its own process with the gazette page in the file.
Gazette Name Change Help in Kolkata, Howrah, Siliguri and Every District
Both routes run online or by post, so no travel is needed from anywhere in West Bengal. Only two steps are local: the affidavit before a Magistrate or Notary at a court in your subdivision, and the newspaper booking in dailies that circulate in your district.
Gazette Name Change in West Bengal: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a gazette name change in West Bengal?
Publication of your old name and new name in an official government gazette, so that every office can treat the new name as legal. In West Bengal there are two gazettes that do this: the Kolkata Gazette Part II, published online by Saraswaty Press Limited, and the Gazette of India, Part IV, published by the Department of Publication in Delhi.
Is a gazette notification compulsory for a name change in West Bengal?
For a new name, yes in practice. An affidavit and newspaper notice alone are not accepted by passport offices, PAN or most banks; the gazette is the proof they ask for. Two exceptions: a spelling error on a birth certificate is a Registrar correction, and a married surname is often proved by the marriage certificate alone.
Kolkata Gazette or Gazette of India: which one should I choose?
Kolkata Gazette Part II for state records, Aadhaar, PAN and banks: online, Rs 1,100, within 7 days. Gazette of India for passport, visa, a minor, or anything outside West Bengal: by post, Rs 1,100 adult, 30 to 45 days. Many families do both with the same affidavit and newspaper pages.
How long does a gazette name change take in West Bengal?
Kolkata Gazette Part II: within 7 days of a complete online file, per the 2023 guideline. Gazette of India: published on Saturdays, most files complete in 30 to 45 days after reaching Delhi. There is no fast-track on either.
How much does a gazette name change cost in West Bengal?
Government fee Rs 1,100 for a name or surname on either route: GRIPS for the state gazette, BharatKosh for the central. Rs 1,700 for a minor (central), Rs 1,700 religion and Rs 1,400 gender (state), Rs 3,500 abroad (central). Affidavit, newspapers and courier are extra and small.
What does the gazette notification actually say?
The Kolkata Gazette Part II notice reads, in plain form: I, old name, son or daughter or wife of guardian, of address, have changed my name from old name to new name vide affidavit number sworn before the Magistrate; henceforth I shall be known as new name, and both names refer to one identical person. The Gazette of India notice carries the same substance in Part IV, from the proforma you sign.
Is the Kolkata Gazette Part II valid all over India?
It is a valid state gazette notification. For records inside West Bengal it is accepted. Passport offices and institutions outside the state look for the Gazette of India, so a passport case should use the central route as well.
Can I do a gazette name change online in West Bengal?
Yes, the state route is fully online at wbgazettepart2.in, in your own login, with the fee on GRIPS. The central route is prepared at home and posted in your own name; no office visit either way.
What documents do I need for a gazette name change in West Bengal?
Affidavit (Magistrate-attested for the state route, notarised for the central), the newspaper notice pages, photo ID, address proof for domicile, two photographs, and the fee receipt. Category cases add a decree, death certificate, conversion certificate, GID certificate or the child's birth certificate.
Do I need a lawyer or a court order for a gazette name change?
No. It is an administrative publication, not a court case. A court decree is attached only where the change follows a divorce or court order. If your case needs a court step, we say so before you pay.
What if the published gazette has a mistake?
Kolkata Gazette Part II: redressal within a week on submission of the registered document. Gazette of India: apply for a corrigendum within six months of publication. Read your notice the day it appears.
Does a gazette name change expire?
No. A published notification is a permanent public record. Documents used to apply must be less than a year old on the central route, but the notification itself does not expire.
Is the Gazette of India name change valid outside India?
Yes. The Gazette of India is the Government of India's own record, so embassies, foreign universities, overseas employers and immigration authorities accept it as proof of an Indian name change, together with the newspaper pages and affidavit. Where a foreign office wants attestation or an apostille, that is applied to the affidavit, not to the gazette page. It is also what the Indian passport office needs for reissue in the new name.
Official Sources for Gazette Name Change in West Bengal
Kolkata Gazette Part II
wbgazettepart2.in: the 17 May 2023 guideline and the Process Manual v1.2.0 with the declaration text.
Department of Publication
deptpub.gov.in: proforma, fees and rules for Part IV; egazette.gov.in for download.
Payment portals
GRIPS for the state fee; BharatKosh for the central fee.
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 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 →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
Which Gazette Does Your Office Want? We Check Free
Send your ID photo and where the new name must be accepted. We reply with the right gazette, the exact wording of your notice, the fee and the time, before you pay anything. Monday to Saturday.