Name Change Affidavit (UAE)

A Name Change Affidavit in the United Arab Emirates is a sworn written declaration made by an individual before a UAE Notary Public, in which the person states their current legal name, their proposed new name, and the reason for the change. The affidavit serves as evidence to support applications to government authorities and private institutions to update official records to reflect the new name. The UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985) governs the general validity of sworn declarations, and the notarisation requirement is imposed by the notarial regulations applicable in each emirate.

Name changes in the UAE arise in several common circumstances. Expatriates who have married may wish to adopt a spouse's surname in their UAE records to match their home-country passport. Expatriates who have divorced may wish to revert to their pre-marriage name. Individuals whose names were incorrectly transliterated into English when their passport or Emirates ID was first issued may wish to correct the spelling so that all documents are consistent. Converts to Islam may wish to adopt an Islamic name. In each of these cases, the affidavit provides the core documentary evidence that the change is genuine and not for fraudulent purposes.

The primary authority responsible for civil registration and identity documents in the UAE is the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), which manages the Emirates ID system. For most expatriates, the practical process involves obtaining the notarised affidavit, having it attested if necessary by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) and the embassy of the deponent's home country, and then presenting the attested documents to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and the ICP to update the residency visa and Emirates ID records.

UAE banks, including Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, and Mashreq, require documentary evidence of a name change before updating their customer records. A notarised name change affidavit, together with an updated passport or Emirates ID, is typically accepted by these institutions. Employers registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) must also update employee records to reflect a legal name change, and the affidavit supports this update.

A Name Change Affidavit evidences and communicates a name change; it does not itself change a person's legal name in the home-country records. A UAE national who wishes to change their Arabic legal name faces a different and more complex process through the relevant emirate's civil registration authority, and foreign nationals must ultimately also update their home-country passport to reflect the new name for the change to be recognised fully in UAE residence records. The forms-legal.com UAE Name Change Affidavit template provides a clear, notary-ready declaration suitable for the UAE context.

A Name Change Affidavit in the United Arab Emirates is needed in several situations where an individual requires official documentary support for updating records from one name to another.

A Name Change Affidavit is required when an expatriate has recently married and wishes to adopt their spouse's surname in UAE records — Emirates ID, residency visa, and bank accounts — to match the new name in their updated home-country passport. UAE banks such as Emirates NBD and First Abu Dhabi Bank, and the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), require evidence of the name change before updating records.

A Name Change Affidavit is needed when a divorced expatriate wishes to revert to their pre-marriage surname following a divorce finalised in the UAE or in their home country. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs will require documentary evidence of the change before updating the residency record.

A Name Change Affidavit is required when a person's name has been incorrectly transliterated or misspelled in official documents. This is common for individuals from countries with non-Latin scripts — Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, or Malayalam — where the English spelling of a name in a UAE-issued document differs from the spelling in a passport or other document. The affidavit records both the current name and the corrected name and explains the discrepancy.

A Name Change Affidavit is needed when a person converts to a new religion and wishes to formally adopt a name associated with that religion. In the UAE context, this most commonly involves expatriates converting to Islam who wish to use their adopted Islamic name in professional and personal dealings, supported by the notarised affidavit.

A Name Change Affidavit is also required when an employer registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) needs to update employee records following a legal name change, as part of the HR compliance process. Free-zone employers in the DIFC or ADGM may require a similar declaration for their internal records and for the relevant authority's employee register.

A Name Change Affidavit for the United Arab Emirates must contain the following elements to be accepted by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), UAE banks, and other relevant authorities.

Deponent identification must record the deponent's full current legal name, nationality, Emirates ID number (for residents with an issued Emirates ID), passport number and issuing country, date of birth, and current UAE residential address. These details allow the receiving authority to link the affidavit to the deponent's existing record.

Current name and proposed new name must both be stated precisely, with consistent spelling. The affidavit creates the link between the two names, confirming that they refer to the same person. Any previous names should also be mentioned if the name has been changed before.

Reason for the change must be clearly stated. Accepted reasons include marriage (adopting a spouse's surname), divorce (reverting to a pre-marriage name), religious conversion, correction of a transliteration error, or personal preference. A vague reason may prompt the receiving authority to request further documentation.

Declaration of no fraudulent purpose confirms that the name change is not for any unlawful purpose, not for evasion of a legal obligation, and not to deceive any person or authority. This declaration is standard in UAE name change affidavits and is required by UAE Notary Public practice.

Notarisation block must identify the emirate, the date of the sworn declaration, the name and title of the UAE Notary Public, and the notarial reference and seal. Notarisation before a UAE Notary Public gives the affidavit the evidentiary weight required by the ICP and UAE financial institutions.

Signature of the deponent in their current legal name, with an acknowledgement that the current name and the proposed new name refer to the same person, is the final required element. The forms-legal.com UAE Name Change Affidavit template provides a complete structure covering each of these elements and is ready to be taken to a UAE Notary Public for execution.

Attestation requirements: where the affidavit will be presented to a foreign authority or embassy, or where the receiving UAE authority requires it, the notarised affidavit may need to be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) of the UAE and the embassy or consulate of the deponent's home country. Confirm the specific attestation requirement with the receiving authority before proceeding.

Completing a Name Change Affidavit for the United Arab Emirates is straightforward. The key is to enter the names and personal details accurately, as they appear in the deponent's current official documents.

Step one is to enter the current full legal name exactly as it appears in the current passport and Emirates ID. Do not abbreviate or reorder the name; use the full name as in the official document, because any discrepancy between the affidavit and the official document may cause delays at the notarial office or the ICP.

Step two is to enter the proposed new name as it will appear in the updated passport or the document the deponent intends to submit for the name change. If the new name is an adoption of a spouse's surname, enter the full new name as it will appear in the updated home-country passport.

Step three is to enter the deponent's personal details: nationality, Emirates ID number (if available), passport number and issuing country, date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format, and current UAE residential address. These details allow the ICP, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, and UAE banks such as Emirates NBD and First Abu Dhabi Bank to verify the deponent's identity.

Step four is to select the reason for the name change and add any additional context in the reason details field. If the reason is a transliteration correction, describe briefly how the discrepancy arose — for example, the name was recorded in a UAE document based on a different transliteration standard from the home-country passport.

Step five is to enter the date of the affidavit and the emirate where it will be notarised.

Step six is to take the completed affidavit — downloaded as PDF or Word from forms-legal.com — to a UAE Notary Public in the chosen emirate. Both the deponent's passport and Emirates ID should be brought to the appointment. The Notary Public will verify identity, administer the oath or affirmation, and stamp and sign the document. The notarised affidavit can then be used with the ICP, GDRFA, UAE banks, MOHRE, and other relevant authorities.

A Name Change Affidavit in the United Arab Emirates must satisfy the following requirements to be effective and acceptable to the relevant authorities.

Notarisation is the essential formal requirement. A name change affidavit that is merely signed without notarisation before a UAE Notary Public will not be accepted by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, or UAE banks as valid evidence of a name change. The Notary Public verifies the deponent's identity, administers the oath or affirmation, and affixes the official notarial seal and signature.

UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985): the general requirement of capacity and good faith under the Civil Code applies. A sworn declaration made with fraudulent intent — for example, to assume a false identity or to evade an outstanding legal obligation — is void and may give rise to criminal liability under the Penal Code (Federal Law No. 31 of 2021).

Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP): the ICP, which administers the Emirates ID system and the national civil status register for UAE nationals, has its own procedural requirements for updating records following a name change. For UAE nationals, the process involves the relevant emirate's civil registration authority. For expatriates, the process primarily involves updating the residency visa and Emirates ID records through the GDRFA and ICP portals.

Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE): for employees whose name change affects their work permit or employment record, the MOHRE requires updated documentation. The affidavit and updated passport are typically the primary supporting documents.

Attestation: where the affidavit must be recognised outside the UAE — for example, by a foreign embassy or by a foreign authority in the deponent's home country — the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) attestation, followed by the relevant embassy or consulate endorsement, is required. The UAE has acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention, and apostille authentication is available for documents intended for use in Convention member states.

Name Change Affidavits in the United Arab Emirates are commonly delayed or rejected because of avoidable errors in preparation and execution.

The most common mistake is inconsistency between the name as stated in the affidavit and the name as it appears in the supporting documents — passport, Emirates ID, or marriage certificate. Any discrepancy, even a minor spelling difference, will prompt the ICP, the GDRFA, or the UAE bank to return the application for clarification. Before preparing the affidavit, check the exact spelling of the name in every relevant document and use the same spelling throughout.

A second mistake is not including the Emirates ID number. For residents of the UAE with an Emirates ID, this number is the primary identifier in the ICP's system. An affidavit that omits the Emirates ID number may be slower to process or harder to link to the correct record.

A third mistake is failing to notarise the affidavit before the appointment with the ICP, the GDRFA, or the bank. Without the notarial seal and signature, the document is not an official affidavit and will be refused by all government authorities and financial institutions.

A fourth mistake is failing to check whether attestation is also required. Where the affidavit must be used to update records in the deponent's home country, or to obtain an updated passport from their country's embassy in the UAE, attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) is usually required before the embassy will process the request. Skipping this step can lead to delays of weeks.

A fifth mistake is using the affidavit as a substitute for updating the home-country passport. A UAE name change affidavit cannot change the legal name in the deponent's home-country records; only the home-country authority can do that. Expatriates must update their passport first (or at least begin that process simultaneously), because the ICP will update the Emirates ID to match the passport name.

A sixth mistake is providing a vague reason for the change. Stating 'personal reasons' without further explanation may prompt the Notary Public or the ICP to ask for supporting documentation such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree. Being specific and providing supporting documents from the outset avoids delays.