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Jun 201820

Advice for Transgender People

Advice for Transgender People

If you’re transgender and you want to change your name, you’ll need to change your name by deed poll. If your change of name is stated on your Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) or a new birth certificate (for which a GRC is a prerequisite), then this will also prove your change of name, but you’ll generally need to change your name by deed poll first. If you’re non-binary and you want to change your name, you’ll also need to change your name by deed poll.  However, bear in mind that U.K. law only recognises two legal genders (male and female). About your privacy We wouldn’t always be aware from the details we collect that we’re preparing documents for someone who is changing their gender, because we don’t need to know this information, and in fact we don’t even collect or store gender data.  However, it’s usually evident from the old and new names on the deed poll whether someone is in fact changing their gender, and so we handle these applications especially carefully and sensitively when we realise this is the case.  All customer information is protected under the Data Protection Act and it’s an offence under the Gender Recognition Act to disclose information about a person’s previous gender, and all our staff maintain strict confidentiality. Contents
  1. If you haven’t been issued a Gender Recognition Certificate
  2. If you’ve been issued a Gender Recognition Certificate
  3. If you’ve been issued a new birth certificate
If you haven’t been issued a Gender Recognition Certificate If you haven’t been issued with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) then you’ll need to change your name by deed poll.  In​‌‌‌​‌‌ ​‌‌‌​‌​fact​‌‌‌​‌​,​‌‌‌​‌‌ ​‌​‌‌‌‌changing​‌‌​​​​ ​‌‌​​‌‌your​‌‌​​‌‌ ​‌‌​​​​name​‌‌‌​​‌ ​‌‌‌​​‌should​‌‌​‌‌​ ​‌‌‌‌​​be​‌‌‌​‌​ ​‌‌​​‌‌an​‌​‌​‌‌ ​‌‌‌​‌‌important​‌​‌​‌​ ​‌‌​‌​​step​​​‌‌‌ ​​‌‌‌​in​​‌‌​‌ ​​‌​​‌proving​​​‌‌​ ​​‌​​‌that​​‌​​​ you’re living in your new gender, before applying for a GRC. A deed poll will be enough to change your name in your passport.  However, if you want your passport to be in your new gender as well, HM Passport Office will need to see:
  • your deed poll, showing that you’ve changed your name to one that’s associated with your new gender
  • medical​‌‌‌​‌‌ ​‌‌‌​‌​evidence​‌‌‌​‌​ ​‌‌‌​‌‌showing​‌​‌‌‌‌ ​‌‌​​​​that​‌‌​​‌‌ ​‌‌​​‌‌your​‌‌​​​​ ​‌‌‌​​‌change​‌‌‌​​‌ ​‌‌​‌‌​of​‌‌‌‌​​ ​‌‌‌​‌​gender​‌‌​​‌‌ ​‌​‌​‌‌is​‌‌‌​‌‌ ​‌​‌​‌​“​‌‌​‌​​likely​​​‌‌‌ ​​‌‌‌​to​​‌‌​‌ ​​‌​​‌be​​​‌‌​ ​​‌​​‌p​​‌​​​ermanent”.  This can be a report from a medical practitioner (such as your consultant or GP), or a chartered psychologist practicing in the field of gender dysphoria.
You don’t need a GRC to have your passport updated to show your new gender, and you don’t necessarily need to have had sex reassignment surgery. Note that changing your passport (or other records) to be in your new name and gender doesn’t give any legal recognition to your change of gender.  It’s merely a recognition by those record holders that you’ve adopted a new identity.  However it does provide supporting evidence to the Gender Recognition Panel (and other record holders) that you’re living in your new gender. If you want to change your title to one of the opposite gender, for example from Mr to Mrs or vice versa, you wouldn’t normally need a deed poll.  In general, you’re free to use any social title, and — assuming the new title is part of a change of gender — you simply need to inform record holders of the new title.  The important matter for most organisations is your change of gender.  HM Passport Office for example doesn’t list social titles in passports at all — it isn’t considered to be a legal part of your name. Note that if you change your title to one of the opposite gender, you shouldn’t deceive anyone as to your birth gender in order to gain a financial advantage — this would be considered fraud.  Once you’ve been issued a GRC, you’re under no such obligation — your birth gender is legally considered to be your new gender. If you’ve been issued a Gender Recognition Certificate If you’ve been issued a full GRC, then this will be sufficient evidence of your change of name (and gender, for passport purposes), and you won’t need a deed poll. If you’ve been issued an interim GRC, then it’ll likewise still be sufficient evidence of your change of name (and gender, for passport purposes) — you won’t need a deed poll. If your interim GRC has expired (i.e. after 6 months) and you haven’t been issued a full GRC because your marriage hasn’t been dissolved, HM Passport Office may still​‌‌‌​‌‌ ​‌‌‌​‌​accept​‌‌‌​‌​ ​‌‌‌​‌‌this​‌​‌‌‌‌ ​‌‌​​​​as​‌‌​​‌‌ ​‌‌​​‌‌sufficient​‌‌​​​​ ​‌‌‌​​‌evidence​‌‌‌​​‌ ​‌‌​‌‌​of​‌‌‌‌​​ ​‌‌‌​‌​your​‌‌​​‌‌ ​‌​‌​‌‌changed​‌‌‌​‌‌ ​‌​‌​‌​name​‌‌​‌​​ ​​​‌‌‌and​​‌‌‌​ ​​‌‌​‌new​​‌​​‌ ​​​‌‌​gender​​‌​​‌,​​‌​​​ because the important point is that you should be living in your new identity for all purposes, not that you’ve been issued a GRC.  However, you should check this first with HM Passport Office.

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