How to Change Name Legally in Kolkata
Kolkata is one of the few Indian cities where the state gazette press is in the city itself, and where the state route is genuinely good. The Kolkata Gazette Part II covers change of name including correction of spelling, surname and gender, and publishes in about seven days. Most guides ignore all of it, and one of them puts the Delhi gazette office in North Kolkata with a Delhi pincode attached.
Name Change Process in Kolkata কলকাতায় নাম পরিবর্তনের প্রক্রিয়া
Kolkata residents have two routes. The state route: an affidavit attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, one recent newspaper advertisement, then an online application through the Kolkata Gazette Part II portal, published by Saraswaty Press Limited, with the notification issued within seven days of a complete application. The central route: a notarised affidavit, two newspaper advertisements, and a physical file to the Department of Publication in Delhi, published in Part IV in about 30 to 45 days and valid across India and abroad.
What does changing your name legally in Kolkata actually involve?
The same three stages as anywhere in India: an affidavit, a newspaper advertisement, and a gazette notification. What is different in Kolkata is that the third stage has two genuinely good options, and the state one is unusually strong.
A Gazette notification is a formal announcement of your name change printed in the official journal of a Government. West Bengal's is the Kolkata Gazette, and its Part II is the section that carries personal notices. Its published description covers change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender, and public notices, which is a wider list than most states offer.
Two details decide most Kolkata cases. The Part II affidavit must be attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, not merely notarised, which catches out anyone who copied a Central Gazette checklist. And Part II is limited to applicants aged eighteen and above who are domiciled in West Bengal, so a minor's name change has to go through Delhi.
At a glance
- The state route
- Kolkata Gazette Part II, applied for online, published by Saraswaty Press Limited, a Government enterprise under the PE and IR Department
- What Part II covers
- Change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender, and publication of public notices and advertisements
- Who used to print it
- The WBG Press, Alipore Campus. Publication has moved, so any guide sending you to Alipore is out of date
- The state affidavit
- An original affidavit duly attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, with father's or husband's name and residential address
- Newspaper
- One recent advertisement on the subject in a daily local or national newspaper
- Part II charges
- Rs 1,100 for a change of name, Rs 1,400 for a change of gender, subject to change from time to time by notification of the Government of West Bengal
- Part II speed
- If all documents are found in order, the notification is issued within seven days of submission, with an SMS to your registered mobile
- Who may use Part II
- A person aged eighteen years and above who is a domicile of West Bengal. Minors cannot
- Gender change extra document
- A Gender Identity Disorder certificate issued by the CMO or Head of Department of the hospital where treatment was done
- The Central route
- Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054. Published in Part IV of the Gazette of India
- Central fee
- Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 3,500 adult from abroad, on BharatKosh only, revised each financial year
- Gazette office in Kolkata
- There is no Central Gazette office in the city. Kolkata pincodes run in the 700 series, so any Kolkata address quoting 110054 is fabricated
Key takeaways
- The Kolkata Gazette Part II is genuinely good. Its own portal describes it as covering change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender, and publication of public notices and advertisements.
- Part II is now published by Saraswaty Press Limited, a Government enterprise under the PE and IR Department. Printing was earlier done at the WBG Press, Alipore Campus, and the portal itself records the move.
- The state affidavit must be attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, not merely notarised. This single line is the commonest reason a Kolkata application is prepared wrongly.
- Part II charges are Rs 1,100 for a change of name and Rs 1,400 for a change of gender, and the guidelines state the charges are subject to change from time to time by notification of the Government of West Bengal.
- Publication is within seven days of submission if all documents are found in order, with an SMS to your registered mobile. That is among the fastest legal name change routes in India.
- Part II is limited to applicants eighteen and above domiciled in West Bengal, so a minor's name change in Kolkata goes through the Central Gazette.
- A gender change on Part II needs a Gender Identity Disorder certificate from the CMO or Head of Department of the hospital where treatment was done. It is a named service, but it is an evidenced one.
- The portal warns plainly that submission of false, incomplete, misleading, misinformed or misrepresented material will lead to forfeiture of the application fees and appropriate legal action. Check every field.
- There is no Central Gazette office in Kolkata. One widely shared page gives a Kolkata address with pincode 110054, which is a Delhi pincode.
- A birth certificate mistake is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the Kolkata Municipal Corporation or whichever body registered the birth.
The city whose name changed before the law caught up
There is a detail in Kolkata's own renaming that is worth carrying into your affidavit.
The State Government proposed the change in the late 1990s. The central Government approved it in December 2000. A notification then gave effect to the change from 1 January 2001, and on that morning the signboards, street signs and postmarks began to be repainted.
The Act came later. The West Bengal Capital City (Change of Name) Act, 2001, West Bengal Act XVIII of 2001, was notified by the Law Department under No. 1644-L dated 28 August 2001, nearly eight months afterwards. Its preamble speaks of giving effect to the changed name Kolkata in place of Calcutta. And section 1 says something quietly remarkable: it shall be deemed to have come into force with effect from the 1st day of January, 2001. The legislation was written backwards to agree with the notification.
Kolkata Gazette Part II, or the Gazette of India?
Most people in India have no state route at all, and those who do usually post the file across their state. Kolkata is unusual on both counts.
West Bengal runs a genuine Part II route for individuals, and the press that publishes it, Saraswaty Press Limited, sits inside the Kolkata metropolitan area. Someone in Purulia or Cooch Behar deals with that at a distance. You do not. And if you need the Central Gazette instead, the file travels to Delhi by speed post like everyone else's, which is straightforward. So a Kolkata resident genuinely has a choice, and it is worth making deliberately.
| Point | Kolkata Gazette Part II | Central Gazette of India |
|---|---|---|
| Published by | Saraswaty Press Limited, a Government enterprise under the PE and IR Department | Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054 |
| How you apply | Online, through the Part II portal | A signed physical file, in person or by post or courier |
| What it covers | Change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender, and public notices and advertisements | Name changes and public notices, in Part IV |
| Affidavit | Original affidavit attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate | Notarised affidavit |
| Advertisement | One recent advertisement in a daily local or national newspaper | Two advertisements, with the complete original pages kept |
| Who may apply | A person aged eighteen and above who is a domicile of West Bengal | Any Indian citizen, and minors through a parent or guardian |
| Charges | Rs 1,100 change of name, Rs 1,400 change of gender, revisable by notification | Commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor, Rs 3,500 from abroad, through BharatKosh |
| Speed | Within seven days of a complete application, with SMS intimation | About 30 to 45 days after the file reaches Delhi |
| Best for | Records inside West Bengal, and spelling and gender corrections | Passport, central Government jobs, banks elsewhere, anything abroad |
The honest rule
If your records sit inside West Bengal, Part II is faster, closer and cheaper. If the name has to work on a passport, with a central Government employer, at a bank in another state or abroad, Part IV of the Gazette of India is what those offices look for.
Doing both is reasonable for a significant change, and it is common: the state notification quickly, so state records can move, then the central one for everything else. What is not reasonable is choosing Part II for a passport name and finding out in six weeks.
Where is the gazette office in Kolkata?
Gazette Office in Kolkata | Kolkata Gazette Office
Why does Part II name correction of spelling separately?
Because it is the commonest thing people in this state actually need, and no competing page addresses it.
Bengali surnames commonly exist in two forms: the original, and the anglicised version the colonial administration wrote down. Chattopadhyay and Chatterjee. Bandyopadhyay and Banerjee. Mukhopadhyay and Mukherjee. Gangopadhyay and Ganguly. These are not different names. They are the same name written two ways, and both are entirely legitimate.
The difficulty is that a single family, and often a single person, accumulates both across a lifetime of documents. A school registered one form. A bank took the other. A passport office recorded whichever appeared on the paper in front of it. An Aadhaar enrolment captured a third variation of spelling. Nobody made a mistake. But a verification system comparing two of those documents sees two different people, and that is the moment a passport application, a job verification or a property transaction stops.
How to settle it, in four steps
Decide which form goes on record
There is no correct answer between Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay. There is only the one you want every office to use from now on. Be deliberate about it, because you are choosing once.
Check the hardest documents first
Look at what your board certificate and your passport already carry, because those are the slowest and most expensive to change. Let them decide for you where you have no strong preference.
Use that exact form everywhere
On the affidavit, on the advertisement and on the application, letter for letter, with the same spacing and the same initials. One character of variation is what sends a file back.
Say plainly what you are doing
If your records show both forms and you want the older one restored, write that in the affidavit. That is a correction of spelling, which is exactly what Part II covers.
How do you apply for the Kolkata Gazette Part II?
Four steps. Only the affidavit needs you to leave the house.
Affidavit before a First Class Judicial Magistrate
This is where most people go wrong, because the Central route uses a notary and the state route does not. The guidelines require a scanned copy of the original affidavit duly attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, showing your father's or husband's name and your residential address. West Bengal uses low-denomination non-judicial stamp paper, among the lowest values in India, so the paper itself costs very little. Ask your advocate or the court clerk what value is current.
One newspaper advertisement
The guidelines ask for a scanned copy of one recent advertisement on the subject in a daily local or national newspaper. Singular, not two. For Kolkata that ordinarily means a Bengali daily or an English daily, both of which are plentiful here. Keep a clean scan and the original page, and make the wording match the affidavit exactly.
Apply through the Part II portal
Submit the application online with the affidavit, the advertisement, identity proof and photographs. The printing charge is Rs 1,100 for a change of name and Rs 1,400 for a change of gender, and the guidelines state the charges are subject to change from time to time as per notifications by the Government of West Bengal. Read the guidelines and user manual on the portal itself rather than a private summary, including this one.
Publication within seven days
The guidelines put it plainly: if all the documents are found in order, the notification will be issued within 7 days of submission of application. You are informed by SMS on your registered mobile number and can download the soft copy of the gazette from the portal. That makes this one of the fastest legal name change routes in the country.
How do you apply for the Central Gazette from Kolkata?
The same three stages, but a different affidavit, two advertisements, and a physical file that goes to Delhi.
Notarised affidavit and two advertisements
For the Central route the affidavit is notarised rather than Magistrate-attested. Publish the notice in two dailies circulating in Kolkata, one Bengali and one English, and keep the complete original printed page of each with the date visible, not a cutting. Two advertisements usually cost Rs 800 to Rs 4,000.
Prepare the file for Delhi
The file contains the original newspaper pages, a signed undertaking with your old and new name, parentage and address, two copies of the prescribed proforma computer typed and attested with two witnesses' details, a soft copy of the notice text in MS Word without the witness portion, a certificate signed by you that the hard and soft copies match, self-attested identity proof of the applicant and each witness, two photographs, and a request letter to the Controller of Publications.
Pay on BharatKosh, then send
Pay only through bharatkosh.gov.in, commonly Rs 1,100 for an adult, Rs 1,700 for a minor and Rs 3,500 for Indians abroad, revised each financial year, so confirm on deptpub.gov.in first. The fee is not refundable and demand drafts are not accepted, whatever older pages say. Send the file to the Department of Publication, Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054.
Download from egazette.gov.in
Publication follows in Part IV in about 30 to 45 days. Hard copies ceased on 1 October 2015, so open the issue on egazette.gov.in, search the PDF for your name and download the whole gazette as your copy. It needs no certification, and there is no online application portal for the Central Gazette, despite what one widely read guide claims.
What documents are required for a name change in Kolkata?
The two routes ask for different things, and the affidavit is the item that differs most.
For the Part II route
- Scanned copy of the original affidavit attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, with father's or husband's name and residential address
- Scanned copy of one recent newspaper advertisement on the subject
- Identity proof and photographs as the form asks
- Proof that you are eighteen or above and domiciled in West Bengal
- Marriage certificate, divorce decree or death certificate, where the change follows one of those
- For a change of gender, a Gender Identity Disorder certificate issued by the CMO or Head of Department of the hospital where treatment was done
For the Central Gazette file
- Notarised name change affidavit
- Complete original newspaper pages, one Bengali and one English, dates visible
- The prescribed proforma in two copies, computer typed, with two witnesses and their identity proofs
- Soft copy of the notice text in MS Word, without the witness portion
- A certificate signed by you that the hard copy and soft copy match
- Self-attested identity proof and two passport size photographs
- A request letter addressed to the Controller of Publications
- Birth certificate of the child, where the applicant is a minor
What does a name change cost in Kolkata?
Government charges and service charges are two different things, and you are entitled to see them separated.
| Expense | Typical amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp paper and attestation | Rs 100 to Rs 500 | West Bengal stamp paper values are among the lowest in India. Part II needs a Magistrate, not a notary |
| Newspaper advertisement | Rs 400 to Rs 4,000 | One advertisement for Part II, two for a Central file |
| Part II, change of name | Rs 1,100 | Subject to change from time to time by notification of the Government of West Bengal |
| Part II, change of gender | Rs 1,400 | Same revision caveat. A GID certificate is required |
| Central Gazette, adult | Commonly Rs 1,100 | BharatKosh only, revised each financial year, not refundable |
| Central Gazette, minor | Commonly Rs 1,700 | BharatKosh only. Minors must use this route |
| Central Gazette, Indians abroad | Commonly Rs 3,500 adult, Rs 5,100 minor | Embassy attestation and courier are separate and vary considerably |
| Realistic self-done total | Rs 1,500 to Rs 6,000 | Depending on the route and the newspapers you pick |
On the Rs 999 offers
The Central Government fee alone is commonly Rs 1,100, so a Rs 999 all-inclusive Central Gazette package cannot include it. Such offers usually exclude the Government fee, or sell an affidavit as though it were a gazette.
How long does a name change take in Kolkata?
Affidavit
Usually the same day for a notarised one. Magistrate attestation for Part II depends on the court's working day.
Newspaper
2 to 7 days, depending on the paper and the edition you book.
Part II route
Notification within seven days of a complete application, with an SMS. This is the fast one.
Central route
1 to 4 days to prepare and send, then 30 to 45 days for publication in Part IV.
On Part II, plan for about two weeks end to end, most of it spent on the affidavit and the advertisement rather than on the gazette. On the Central route, plan for 5 to 8 weeks. If you have a fixed deadline such as a passport appointment or a joining date, count backwards from it, because neither the newspaper stage nor the publication stage can be compressed.
Which parts of Kolkata do we cover?
The whole city and its suburbs. Both routes run online and by post, so your locality does not change the process.
What do the name change terms actually mean?
The words that appear on every name change website, in language people actually use.
- Gazette notification
- A formal announcement printed in the official journal of a Government. For a name change it is what Aadhaar, PAN, passport offices, banks, boards, PSUs and employers accept as legal proof. It is not a court order and needs no lawyer.
- Kolkata Gazette
- The official journal of the Government of West Bengal. Its Part II is the section that carries personal notices, including change of name, correction of spelling, surname, gender and public notices.
- Saraswaty Press Limited
- The Government enterprise under the PE and IR Department that publishes the Kolkata Gazette Part II. Printing of Part II was earlier done at the WBG Press, Alipore Campus.
- First Class Judicial Magistrate
- The judicial officer whose attestation the Part II affidavit requires. This is a court attestation, not the notary attestation the Central route uses, and the difference is the commonest local mistake.
- Correction of spelling
- A named category inside the Part II service, covering cases where the same name exists in two written forms, as Bengali surnames commonly do. It is not treated as a different name.
- Gender Identity Disorder certificate
- The certificate the Part II guidelines require for a change of gender, issued by the CMO or Head of Department of the hospital where treatment was done.
- Gazette of India
- The Central Government's official journal, published by the Department of Publication in Delhi. A notification here is valid in every state and is what foreign missions and central employers look for.
- Part IV
- The section of the Gazette of India carrying notices from private people. Part IV belongs to the Central Gazette only; the Kolkata Gazette has its own parts and its own numbering.
- Department of Publication
- The Central Gazette office, at Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054, a subordinate office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. There is exactly one, and it is not in Kolkata.
- Affidavit
- A written statement you swear is true. It states the old name, the new name, parentage, address and the reason. Who attests it depends on which route you are using.
- Proforma
- The prescribed application format the Department of Publication requires for a Central file, computer typed in duplicate and signed by you and two witnesses, whose self-attested identity proofs are enclosed.
- Matching-contents certificate
- A short certificate signed by you declaring that the contents of the hard copy and the soft copy are similar. It is a listed requirement for the Central file, not an optional extra.
- BharatKosh
- The Non-Tax Receipt Portal at bharatkosh.gov.in, the only accepted channel for the Central gazette fee. Demand drafts were discontinued.
- Registrar correction
- A correction to a birth or death record under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the body that registered it. In the city that is the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Not a gazette matter.
- Domicile
- Settled residence in the state. Part II is open to a person aged eighteen and above who is a domicile of West Bengal, so it is not available to everyone who happens to be in Kolkata.
What do you update after the gazette, and in what order?
The notification is the middle of the journey. Update in this order, because each office tends to ask for the one before it.
| Order | Record | What to take, and why it comes here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aadhaar | At an enrolment centre with the gazette copy, the affidavit and identity proof. Almost everything downstream verifies against Aadhaar, so it goes first |
| 2 | PAN card | Correction application with the gazette attached. Banks and employers check PAN against Aadhaar |
| 3 | Bank accounts | Branch request with the gazette. Doing this before Aadhaar and PAN agree creates a mismatch that is slow to unpick |
| 4 | Passport | A re-issue with change of name. Rules are on passportindia.gov.in. National systems look for the Gazette of India here, not Part II |
| 5 | Voter ID and driving licence | Both accept the gazette. The licence goes through the transport authority that issued it |
| 6 | EPFO or UAN, and insurance | Employer-routed for EPFO. Insurers want the gazette and the updated identity proof |
| 7 | School, board and university records | Each runs its own correction process and decides its own outcome. The gazette supports the application |
| 8 | Property, employer and business records | Through the relevant registration or revenue office, and separately for GST and company filings |
How do you update Aadhaar in Kolkata after the gazette?
Name Change in Aadhaar Card in Kolkata কলকাতায় আধার কার্ডে নাম পরিবর্তন
What will a gazette notification not do for you?
This is where most disappointment comes from, so it is worth being blunt.
A gazette notification is a dated public record of your declaration. It is strong evidence and most institutions accept it. What it does not do is silently rewrite anything. Every one of these still runs its own process, with the gazette as the proof you bring:
School, board and university records
Each board runs its own correction procedure and decides its own outcome, on its own timeline and its own conditions. The gazette supports that application rather than replacing it. Ask which gazette they accept before choosing a route, because state records often accept the state notification quite happily.
Birth and death certificates
A Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the body that registered it. A gazette does not touch it.
Property and service records
Land and registration entries go through the relevant office. A service book goes through your own department. Neither updates because a notification was published somewhere.
Aadhaar, PAN, passport and bank
Each has its own update process and its own form. The gazette is what you produce at each one, and each of them takes its own time.
My birth certificate has a mistake. Do I need a gazette?
No, and this is one of the most expensive misunderstandings in the whole subject. If the error sits in a birth certificate, the fix is a Registrar correction under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, through the body that registered the birth. Within the city that is the Kolkata Municipal Corporation; outside it, the relevant municipality or gram panchayat. The Civil Registration System portal is crsorgi.gov.in.
A gazette notification can support that file, and sometimes the registrar will ask for it, but the gazette does not rewrite the certificate, and applying for one instead of going to the registrar simply delays the fix. Anyone who sells you a gazette for a birth certificate spelling error has sold you the wrong service.
How is a birth certificate name corrected in Kolkata?
Name Change in Birth Certificate in Kolkata কলকাতায় জন্ম শংসাপত্রে কীভাবে নাম পরিবর্তন করবেন
Gender, maiden names, minors and passports
Change of gender
The Part II route expressly covers change of gender, at a charge of Rs 1,400 subject to revision. That is a named, published service rather than something you have to argue for, and it is one of the reasons the West Bengal route is better than most.
How does a change of gender work in Kolkata?
How to Gender Change in Kolkata কলকাতায় কীভাবে লিঙ্গ পরিবর্তন করবেন
Reverting to a maiden name
West Bengal's Part II guidelines expressly cover reversion to a maiden name on divorce, separation or the death of the husband, which very few states put in writing. Attach the decree or the death certificate as applicable. The guidelines also deal with a State Government employee changing a surname on marriage or remarriage, and with deletion of it afterwards.
Minors
Part II is limited to a person aged eighteen years and above who is a domicile of West Bengal, so a minor's name change in Kolkata goes through the Central Gazette. A parent or legal guardian swears the affidavit, attaches the child's birth certificate, and pays the minor fee, commonly Rs 1,700. Both parents signing avoids objections later, and where a surname is changing after a separation, expect to be asked for the other parent's consent or proof of sole custody.
Passport and central Government applicants
If a passport, a central Government post, a PSU or work abroad is the reason you are doing this, use the Central Gazette, or do both. A Part II notification is a lawful state record, but national systems look for Part IV. Sequence it as gazette, then Aadhaar, then PAN and bank, then the passport re-issue, because the passport office checks the name against the identity documents you produce.
Applying from abroad
Part II asks for domicile in West Bengal, so an applicant living overseas normally uses the Central route. Execute the deed and have it attested by the Indian Embassy or High Commission of the country you are in. The Government fee for Indians abroad is commonly Rs 3,500 for an adult and Rs 5,100 for a minor, with attestation and courier extra and variable.
How does a Government employee in Kolkata change a name?
State Government employees are covered by the Part II guidelines, which deal specifically with a State Government employee changing or modifying a name, and with a female employee changing a surname on marriage or remarriage or deleting it after divorce or the death of the husband. Tell your establishment section before you file, not after.
Central Government employees additionally follow the Ministry of Home Affairs O.M. No. 190016/1/87-Estt.(A) dated 12 March 1987, executing a deed routed through the department so that the service book is updated alongside the gazette. The deed is a departmental instrument, not the British deed poll.
How does a Government employee in Kolkata do it?
Name Change of Government Employee in Kolkata কলকাতায় সরকারি কর্মচারীর নাম পরিবর্তন
Why do name change applications get rejected in Kolkata?
Almost every rejection is one of these, and every one of them is avoidable before you spend anything.
A notarised affidavit for Part II
The state route requires attestation by a First Class Judicial Magistrate. A notarised affidavit is the Central requirement, and the two are not interchangeable. This is the commonest Kolkata error by a distance.
Sending the state application to Alipore
The WBG Press at Alipore no longer publishes Part II. Publication has moved to Saraswaty Press Limited, and the state portal says so itself.
Choosing a surname form without checking
Deciding between Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay before looking at what your board certificate and passport already carry. The hardest documents to change should decide it.
An incomplete or inaccurate Part II application
The portal warns that false, incomplete, misleading or misrepresented submissions lead to forfeiture of the application fees and appropriate legal action. Check every field.
Using Part II for a minor
It is limited to applicants eighteen and above domiciled in West Bengal. A minor's application has to go to Delhi.
Applying for a gender change without the certificate
Part II covers it, but the guidelines require a Gender Identity Disorder certificate from the CMO or Head of Department of the treating hospital. Arrange it first.
Arranging a demand draft
For the Central fee, when payment is on bharatkosh.gov.in only. Older pages still tell people to draw a draft in favour of the Controller of Publications.
Trusting a Kolkata address with pincode 110054
There is no Central Gazette office in the city. Kolkata pincodes run in the 700 series, so that address is fabricated wherever you find it.
Should you do this yourself, or use a service?
Kolkata is a good city to do this in yourself. The state route is online, fast and inexpensive, the press that publishes it is local, and the stamp paper costs very little. There is no lawyer required at any stage, and Part II is one of the more straightforward Government applications in India.
What people pay for here is usually judgement rather than filing: which route the case actually needs, which form of a Bengali surname should win given what the hardest-to-change documents already say, and getting the affidavit attested by the right authority the first time. On the Central route one mismatch means the file comes back after weeks with the fee gone.
What does a name change consultant in Kolkata actually do?
Name Change Consultants in Kolkata কলকাতায় নাম পরিবর্তনের পরামর্শদাতা
Name Change Consultant in Kolkata कोलकाता में नेम चेंज कंसल्टेंट
Your Trust and Security First
A name change means handing your identity documents to someone you have never met. We take that seriously, and we would rather be slow and correct than fast and wrong.
Your documents stay private
Your scans go to one advisor and one file. We do not resell your details, add you to a marketing list, or publish anyone's papers as samples.
We work from the portals' own pages
Not from a search result. The Part II detail on this page comes from the state portal and the published Kolkata Gazette Part II guidelines, and the Central detail from the Department of Publication's own guidelines.
We work out which route you need
Before anything is drafted. Whether your records stay inside West Bengal decides it, and getting that wrong costs a non-refundable fee and several weeks.
We settle the spelling first
Against your passport, your board certificate and your employer record, letter by letter, with your written confirmation before anything is drafted. In this city that step matters more than anywhere else in India.
We tell you what to ignore
No Central Gazette office in Kolkata, no Rs 999 all-inclusive Central package, no online Central application portal, no demand draft. Knowing what to discard saves more than knowing the process.
We tell you when you do not need us
If your case is a plain Registrar correction, or a Part II application you can file yourself in an afternoon, we say so. Part II is genuinely easy, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest.
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How It Works
Booking a service with Documentadvisor is as easy as 1-2-3. Sit back and let our team do the work.
Book
Call, WhatsApp or fill the form. Tell us your old name, the exact new name you want, your area in Kolkata, where the new name has to work, and the deadline behind it.
Schedule
We tell you whether Part II or the Central Gazette fits your case and why, settle the exact spelling with you in writing, draft the affidavit for the right attesting authority, book the notice, then build the file.
Relax
You sign and submit it. We track it to publication and send you a written checklist of which record to update next, in order.
The questions Kolkata applicants search for most
Is the Kolkata Gazette the same as the Central Gazette?
No. The Kolkata Gazette Part II is a West Bengal publication, now published by Saraswaty Press Limited. The Gazette of India is published by the Department of Publication in Delhi. They are different publications with different rules, different affidavits and different fees. For passports, EPFO and national records you need the Central one.
Where is the gazette office in Kolkata?
The state Part II gazette is published by Saraswaty Press Limited, and applications are made online through the Part II portal rather than at a counter. There is no Central Gazette office in Kolkata; that one is at Civil Lines, behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, Delhi 110054.
What affidavit does the Kolkata Gazette need?
For Part II, an original affidavit attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate, showing your father's or husband's name and residential address. A plain notarised affidavit is for the Central route, and using the wrong one is the commonest local mistake.
How fast is the Kolkata Gazette Part II?
If all documents are found in order, the notification is issued within seven days of submission, with an SMS to your registered mobile number and the soft copy downloadable from the portal.
How do I fix Chatterjee versus Chattopadhyay across my documents?
Decide which form you want going forward, check what your board certificate and passport already say, then declare that exact form and use it everywhere. Part II expressly covers correction of spelling, so this is precisely what the route is for.
Does Part II cover a change of gender?
Yes, at a charge of Rs 1,400 subject to revision. It is a named published service rather than something you have to argue for, and the guidelines require a Gender Identity Disorder certificate from the CMO or Head of Department of the treating hospital.
People also search for
- Kolkata Gazette Part II: the West Bengal route for change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender and public notices, applied for online and published by Saraswaty Press Limited.
- Saraswaty Press gazette: the Government enterprise under the PE and IR Department that now publishes Part II. Printing was earlier done at the WBG Press, Alipore Campus, so older addresses are out of date.
- Gazette office in Kolkata address: there is no Central Gazette office in the city. Any listing giving a Kolkata address with pincode 110054 is fabricated, because that is a Delhi pincode and Kolkata pincodes run in the 700 series.
- Bengali surname spelling correction: Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay, Banerjee and Bandyopadhyay, Mukherjee and Mukhopadhyay are the same names written two ways. Part II covers correction of spelling specifically.
- West Bengal stamp paper for an affidavit: low-denomination non-judicial stamp paper, among the lowest values in India. Ask your advocate or the court clerk what is current rather than trusting a national guide.
- Name change agent in Kolkata: the Central Gazette accepts applications only from applicants directly, so what you need is a service that prepares, checks and tracks your file, which you sign and send.
Start your Kolkata name change today
Tell us your old name, the exact new name you want, your area in Kolkata, where the new name has to work and the deadline behind it. We will tell you whether Part II or the Central Gazette fits your case, settle the spelling against your passport and board certificate, and give you the total cost and the timeline before you pay anything. If it is a job you can do yourself, we will say so.
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Frequently asked questions on changing your name in Kolkata
The questions we are asked on the phone every day.
Does Kolkata have a usable state gazette route?
Who publishes Part II now?
What kind of affidavit does the state route need?
What does the state route cost?
How many advertisements do I need?
What happens if my application has errors?
Can a minor use the Part II route?
Is the Kolkata Gazette accepted for a passport?
What stamp paper is used in West Bengal?
I have both Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay on my documents. Which is correct?
Can Part II fix a spelling rather than a whole name?
Does Part II cover a change of gender?
Can I revert to my maiden name?
How do I pay the Central fee?
Can I apply online for the Central Gazette?
Is there a Central Gazette office in Kolkata?
Will I get a printed gazette by post?
Can an agent submit the Central file for me?
My birth certificate has a mistake. Do I need a gazette?
I am a Government employee. Is my process different?
Are the Rs 999 offers real?
Where can you verify all of this yourself?
Every fact above can be checked at these sources. Please do check them, and please type the addresses rather than clicking a search result.
- Kolkata Gazette Part II, Government of West BengalThe state portal. It describes the service as covering change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender and public notices, records that publication has moved from the WBG Press at Alipore to Saraswaty Press Limited, and carries the warning about forfeiture of fees for false or incomplete submissions.
- Guidelines for Publication in the Kolkata Gazette Part IIThe published guidelines: the First Class Judicial Magistrate attestation, the one recent newspaper advertisement, the Rs 1,100 and Rs 1,400 charges with their revision clause, the seven day timeline with SMS intimation, the eighteen-and-above domicile condition, maiden name reversion, the Gender Identity Disorder certificate, and the State Government employee provisions.
- Public Enterprises and Industrial Reconstruction Department, West BengalThe administrative department for Saraswaty Press Limited, the Government enterprise that publishes Part II.
- India Code, national repository of lawsThe West Bengal Capital City (Change of Name) Act, 2001 and the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, including Section 15.
- Department of Publication, Government of IndiaThe Central Gazette office. Its homepage gives the Civil Lines address behind Delhi Vidhan Sabha Metro Station, names the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as its parent, and identifies the Controller of Publications as its head. There is no branch in Kolkata.
- Guidelines for Change of Name, Department of PublicationThe Central document list, the soft copy requirement, the matching-contents certificate, the one year rule, the non-return of documents, the fee heads, and the sentence that an application either submitted personally or sent by post or courier only will be entertained.
- The Gazette of India, e-Gazette portalSearch and download published Part IV notifications free. Hard copies ceased on 1 October 2015. It is an archive, not an application portal.
- BharatKosh, the Non-Tax Receipt PortalThe only accepted channel for the Central gazette fee. Demand drafts and direct transfers were discontinued.
- Kolkata Municipal CorporationRegisters births and deaths within the city, so a Section 15 correction to a birth certificate issued here is applied for through the Corporation.
- Civil Registration System, Registrar General of IndiaThe national framework for birth and death registration and for Registrar corrections under Section 15.
- Unique Identification Authority of IndiaAadhaar name update rules and accepted proofs, which is the first record to change after publication.
- Passport SevaRe-issue with a change of name, and the reason the Central Gazette is the route for anyone whose name has to work outside West Bengal.
The short version
Everything on this page in ten lines
- Kolkata has two real routes, and the state one is unusually good. The Kolkata Gazette Part II covers change of name including correction of spelling, surname, gender and public notices.
- Part II is published by Saraswaty Press Limited under the PE and IR Department. Printing was earlier done at the WBG Press, Alipore, so older addresses are out of date.
- The Part II affidavit must be attested by a First Class Judicial Magistrate. The Central affidavit is notarised. Mixing them up is the commonest local error.
- Part II asks for one recent advertisement in a daily local or national newspaper. The Central file needs two, with the complete original pages.
- Part II charges Rs 1,100 for a name and Rs 1,400 for a gender change, subject to change by notification of the Government of West Bengal.
- If the documents are in order, the Part II notification is issued within seven days of submission, with an SMS to your registered mobile.
- Part II is limited to applicants eighteen and above domiciled in West Bengal, so minors use the Central Gazette, and a gender change needs a Gender Identity Disorder certificate.
- The Central fee is commonly Rs 1,100 adult, Rs 1,700 minor and Rs 3,500 from abroad, on BharatKosh only, revised each financial year and never refundable.
- There is no Central Gazette office in Kolkata. Any Kolkata address quoting pincode 110054 is fabricated, because Kolkata pincodes run in the 700 series.
- Decide once between Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay, check the passport and board certificate first, and take birth certificate errors to the Registrar instead.
Change your name once, and change it properly
Send us your documents on WhatsApp today. We will work out whether Part II or the Central Gazette fits your case, settle the spelling against your passport and board certificate, prepare a file that gets accepted the first time, and give you the total cost and the timeline before you pay anything. Across Kolkata, Salt Lake, Howrah, Behala and Barrackpore.