Gazette Name Change Fees and Timeline in India

If you are planning a Gazette name change in India, the two questions that matter first are simple: How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

Your total name-change budget will normally be higher than the Gazette publication fee because you may also pay for the affidavit/notary, newspaper publication, document preparation and postage or courier.

This guide explains the cost, timeline, documents, process and the difference between official charges and third-party estimates.

Quick Summary

Item	Current planning information
Central Gazette adult fee	₹1,100 per case (Department rate order dated 19 September 2023)
Official fee-document caveat	The older adult guideline still dates ₹1,100 to 2016–17; the 2023 rate order is the later document
Minor fee	₹1,700 per case (same rate order)
Typical processing estimate	About 4–8 weeks; some sources report 30–45 days
Newspaper	The official adult guideline requires publication in one daily local leading newspaper
Payment route	BharatKosh / Non-Tax Receipt Portal
Gazette section	Gazette of India, Part IV
Application submission	Personally or by post/courier
Gazette download	e-Gazette portal; the Department’s guideline explains how to locate Part IV

The safest approach is to verify the applicable government fee in the payment process before submitting your application, rather than relying on an old fee table reproduced online.

What Is the Gazette Name Change Fee in India?

For an adult applying through the Central Gazette of India, the Department of Publication’s rate order dated 19 September 2023 lists ₹1,100 for each adult/major change-of-name notice in Gazette of India Part IV. See the Department’s Gazette rates page.

One point causes confusion.

The Department of Publication’s official Guidelines for Change of Name for Adult (Major) says:

“The printing charges for publication of change of name is Rs 1100/-”

but the same line specifies that the amount applied from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

What the evidence currently shows

• Official Department guideline: ₹1,100 is stated, but with a 2016–17 effective period.
• Department rate order (19 September 2023): lists ₹1,100 for each adult/major change-of-name notice.
• Best practical approach: check the applicable amount in the official payment workflow before making the payment.

This distinction matters because online pages frequently copy older government documents and present the figures as if they were newly issued.

What Is the Total Cost of a Gazette Name Change?

The Gazette fee is only one part of your budget.

A practical cost calculation looks like this:

Total cost = Gazette fee + affidavit/notary + newspaper + document preparation + postage/courier + optional professional assistance

For example, a total adult process cost is sometimes estimated at roughly ₹2,500–₹6,000, including the government fee, newspaper advertisement and affidavit/notary expenses. That is a third-party estimate, not a government fee schedule.

Typical cost components

Cost component	What it covers	Status
Gazette publication fee	Government publication	Government charge
Affidavit/notary	Name-change declaration	Local/legal cost
Newspaper notice	Public advertisement before Gazette submission	Newspaper charge
Printing/document preparation	Preparing the required dossier	Variable
Post/courier	Sending documents to Delhi	Variable
Professional service	Optional assistance from a lawyer/agency	Optional

Do not confuse a service provider’s package price with the government Gazette fee. A company may charge several thousand rupees for document preparation and filing assistance even when the government publication charge is much lower.

How Long Does Gazette Name Change Take?

For Central Gazette name changes, the publication process is commonly estimated at around 30–45 days or 4–8 weeks, although wider ranges such as 5–10 weeks are also reported.

The official Department of Publication does not provide a guaranteed 30-day or 45-day publication SLA in the adult guideline.

Instead, the official guideline says that once a completed application is received, the request is sent to the relevant Government of India Press, and the Department is not responsible for delays in printing by the concerned Press.

A realistic planning timeline

Stage	Planning time
Affidavit preparation	Usually a short preliminary step
Newspaper publication	Depends on newspaper
Document preparation	Depends on applicant
Payment and submission	Once documents are ready
Government processing/publication	Commonly estimated at 4–8 weeks
Downloading Gazette	After publication becomes available online

So, if you need the Gazette for a passport, employment, education or financial-record update, do not plan around an exact 30-day promise.

A safer planning assumption is:

That is a planning estimate, not a government guarantee.

Why Can a Gazette Name Change Take Longer?

The biggest timeline mistake is counting only the Government Gazette stage.

Your process can also be delayed before the file reaches the Department of Publication.

Common problems include:

• Incorrect spelling of the old or new name
• Mismatch between the newspaper and application
• Missing identity proof
• Missing photographs
• Incorrect proforma
• Missing witness signatures
• Missing undertaking
• Incorrect or incomplete digital copy
• Incorrect payment
• Incomplete application
• Printing or publication delays

The Department’s official adult guideline requires the hard-copy and soft-copy contents to match and places responsibility on the applicant for mismatches. It also says incomplete, vague, unlawful or misleading material can be rejected.

The practical lesson

A complete application matters more than an advertised “fast” timeline.

If your file is returned or needs correction, the calendar can extend beyond the normal planning range.

What Documents Are Required for a Central Gazette Name Change?

The Department of Publication’s adult guideline lists the following documents for a Gazette of India Part IV name-change publication:

1. Signed undertaking
2. Original newspaper
3. Prescribed proforma in duplicate
4. Soft copy of the printing matter in MS Word on CD
5. Two self-attested passport-size photographs
6. Self-attested photocopy of identity proof
7. Certificate confirming that the hard copy and soft copy have identical contents
8. Request letter with the applicable fee

The official guideline also requires the newspaper notice to include the applicant’s father’s or husband’s name and residential address, and says the original newspaper should be forwarded to the Department.

Document checklist

Before sending the file, check:

• Old name is consistent everywhere
• New name is consistent everywhere
• Father/husband details are consistent
• Address is consistent
• Newspaper original is included
• Proforma is completed
• Two witnesses have signed where required
• Photographs are self-attested
• ID proof is self-attested
• Hard-copy and soft-copy text matches
• Undertaking is signed
• Request letter is included
• Payment evidence is included
• Documents are within the required validity period

The Department’s guideline states that the documents submitted for this purpose must not be older than one year.

Do You Need a Newspaper Advertisement?

For the Central Gazette adult process, yes, the Department’s official guideline requires the name change to be advertised in one daily local leading newspaper before publication in Gazette of India Part IV. The original newspaper must then be sent to the Department.

The newspaper cost is separate from the Gazette publication fee.

The price varies by:

• newspaper,
• city,
• advertisement size,
• classified/display format,
• number of publications.

This is why a page that says “Gazette name change costs ₹1,100” can be misleading if the reader interprets ₹1,100 as the entire process cost.

How Do You Pay the Gazette Name Change Fee?

The Department’s adult guideline says the publication charge is submitted through the Non-Tax Receipt Portal (NTRP), BharatKosh.

Because payment categories and government instructions can change, verify the applicable category and amount immediately before payment.

Do not rely on an old screenshot or a service provider’s payment instructions if they conflict with the current government process.

Where Do You Submit the Application?

The official adult guideline directs applicants to address the application to:

Controller of Publications
Department of Publication
Civil Lines
Delhi – 110054

The Department says applications may be submitted personally or by post, and its guideline also states that post/courier is accepted. It says applications through other channels such as agents or advocates are not entertained under that guideline.

The Department also publishes the relevant change-of-name guidelines and supporting formats on its official website.

What Is Gazette of India Part IV?

The Central Gazette name-change process covered by the Department’s adult guideline is published in Gazette of India Part IV.

The Department’s own instructions tell applicants how to locate the published notice:

1. Search the Gazette.
2. Select the Weekly Gazette category.
3. Select Part IV.
4. Select the relevant Saturday/date range.
5. Download the PDF.
6. Search the PDF for your old or new name.
7. Download the complete Gazette file for your records.

The Department states that downloaded e-Gazette copies do not require separate certification from the Department.

Is the Gazette Copy Available Online?

Yes. The Department’s adult guideline directs applicants to egazette.gov.in and explains the search process for the weekly Part IV Gazette.

The same guideline explains that physical printing and sale of Gazette hard copies by the government ceased and that Gazette publication moved to e-publishing.

That means you should plan to retrieve and save the electronic publication once your notice appears.

Central Gazette vs State Gazette: What’s the Difference?

India has both Central and State Gazette publication systems.

This distinction matters because the fee, application route, documentation and processing procedure can vary depending on which Gazette authority you are using.

This guide focuses on the Central Gazette of India process administered by the Department of Publication.

Do not automatically apply Central Gazette requirements to every State Gazette process.

If your requirement specifically concerns a State Gazette, check the relevant state’s official Gazette authority and current instructions.

Are There Additional Gazette Charges?

The Department’s published document on additional charges lists several situations where additional amounts apply.

Examples include:

• ₹250 additional charge for an alias
• ₹250 for D/o and W/o
• ₹250 for present and permanent address
• ₹250 for certain name/religion declarations
• ₹1,100 additional charge for remarriage after divorce with change of name
• ₹1,100 additional charge for remarriage after the death of a spouse with change of name
• A combined additional charge of ₹2,800 for a specified remarriage/death/divorce situation involving a major applicant and minor child.

These are case-specific charges. Do not add them to every standard adult application.

What About Minors?

The Department maintains a separate Guidelines for Change of Name – Minor document, so a child’s application should not simply be treated as an adult application with a different fee.

The Department’s rate order dated 19 September 2023 lists ₹1,700 for each minor change-of-name notice.

Because rates can be revised, verify the current applicable minor fee through the official payment process before submitting.

What About Indians Living Abroad?

The Department’s adult guideline specifically addresses Indians living abroad and says the required deed must be attested by the relevant Indian Embassy or Indian High Commission and submitted in original.

The same official document lists ₹3,500 for Indians living abroad, but again dates that figure to the 2016–17 period.

The Department’s rate order dated 19 September 2023 also lists ₹3,500 for an adult notice from an Indian living abroad. Check the current rate before payment.

Can You Complete a Gazette Name Change Yourself?

The official Central Gazette guideline does not require you to hire a private agent for a standard adult application.

The Department’s instructions describe a process in which the applicant prepares the required documents, pays the applicable fee and submits the application personally or through post/courier. The guideline explicitly says other channels such as agents and advocates are not permissible for receiving applications under that process.

You may still choose professional assistance for document preparation, newspaper coordination or checking the application, but that is a separate private-service cost, not the Gazette publication fee.

What Should You Budget for a Gazette Name Change?

For a standard adult applicant, think about the budget in two layers.

Layer 1: Government publication cost

The Department’s 2023 rate order lists:

₹1,100

Verify the applicable amount before payment because government rates can be revised.

Layer 2: Other process costs

Add:

• affidavit/notary,
• newspaper advertisement,
• printing,
• courier/post,
• optional professional assistance.

The complete adult process is sometimes estimated at roughly ₹2,500–₹6,000, depending on these additional costs. Treat that as a planning estimate, not an official government price.

Gazette Name Change Timeline: What Should You Actually Plan For?

If everything is prepared correctly, the Central Gazette publication stage is commonly estimated at around 30–45 days or 4–8 weeks.

But the official Department does not guarantee that timeframe. It says the completed request is forwarded to the concerned Government of India Press and that the Department is not responsible for printing delays.

A practical planning model is therefore:

Document preparation → Newspaper → Submission → Government processing → Gazette publication → Download

If you have a hard deadline, allow additional buffer instead of booking another document process around a guaranteed 30-day assumption.

What Should You Verify Before Paying?

Before you submit a Gazette name-change application, verify these five things:

1. Fee

Check the current payment category and amount.

2. Applicant category

Confirm whether you are:

• adult,
• minor,
• Central Government employee,
• Indian citizen living abroad,
• or in a special case requiring additional charges.

3. Documents

Use the latest official Department checklist rather than an old blog checklist.

4. Newspaper requirement

Follow the applicable official guideline and retain the original publication.

5. Submission method

Confirm the current address and accepted submission method before dispatching original documents.

The Department’s current website maintains the relevant change-of-name guideline collection, including adult, minor and special-case documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Takeaway

If you’re budgeting for a Central Gazette name change in India, don’t treat one number from a website as the complete answer.

For an adult, the Department of Publication’s rate order dated 19 September 2023 lists ₹1,100 per case for the Central Gazette publication fee. Verify the applicable amount at the time of payment.

For timing, 4–8 weeks is a reasonable planning range, but it is not a guaranteed government SLA. The Department specifically warns that printing delays can occur.

Your actual budget should include the Gazette fee plus affidavit, newspaper and other document/dispatch expenses.

Most importantly, use the Department of Publication’s current change-of-name guidelines as your primary checklist and treat third-party fee and timeline figures as estimates that require verification.