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How to Download Your Gazette Notification for Name Change
To download your name change notification, open egazette.gov.in, choose Search Gazette and then Search by Gazette Category. Set Gazette Category to Weekly, Part & Section to Part IV, and enter Saturday dates in the From and To fields. Download each weekly PDF and press Ctrl + F to find your old or new name. The Department of Publication says this downloaded copy needs no further certification.
Step by step on egazette.gov.in
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Open Search Gazette
Go to egazette.gov.in and click Search Gazette.
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Choose Search by Gazette Category
The search page offers several options: Search by TEXT, Gazette ID, Content ID, Ministry, Gazette Category, Bill/Assent/Act, Notification Date and Publish Date. Choose Search by Gazette Category, which is the route the Department’s guidelines describe.
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Set Weekly and Part IV
Set Gazette Category to Weekly (not Extra Ordinary). Then set Part & Section to Part IV, which is where individuals’ change-of-name notices are published.
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Enter Saturday dates
The weekly gazette is dated on Saturdays. Under Date of Issue of Notification, put a Saturday in From and a later Saturday in To, then submit. Search a few weeks at a time.
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Download each issue
Open the PDF for each weekly issue in the results. Part IV issues can run to many pages, so let each file load fully.
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Find your name
Press Ctrl + F (Cmd + F on a Mac) and search for your old name, then your new name. On a phone, use your PDF app’s search or “Find in page”.
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Save the whole gazette
Save the complete PDF exactly as downloaded. That file is your copy of the notification.
Tip: the category search also has a Keyword field, and there’s a separate Search by TEXT option. They’re worth a try with your surname, but the reliable method is the one the Department gives: open each weekly Part IV PDF and search inside it.
Which Saturday should you search?
There’s no fixed publication date. After your complete file is accepted, the Department sends it to the Government of India Press, and the notice appears in a later Saturday issue of Part IV. Start with the first Saturday after your file reached the Department and work forward week by week. The Department’s own guidance says status enquiries need roughly a month, because applications arrive by post from all over India.
Can’t find your name?
Is the downloaded gazette valid?
Yes. The Department of Publication’s guidelines say you should download the whole gazette to make your own copy, and that it needs no further certification from the Department. Printed copies were discontinued from 1 October 2015, so the PDF is the official form. Keep it unedited: the Department says it isn’t responsible for any tampering in downloaded copies, so a cropped or altered file can raise questions. Print the full page with your notice, and keep the whole PDF for anyone who wants to check it.
Downloading from a state gazette
If you published in a state gazette instead, download it from that state’s portal. Odisha’s e-Gazette lets you download the published gazette from its own site, and Maharashtra publishes through its Directorate of Government Printing, Stationery and Publications. Each state has its own search screen, so the steps above apply only to the Gazette of India. Central vs State Gazette
What to do with your gazette next
Keep the gazette PDF, your newspaper notice and your undertaking or affidavit together. These are what offices ask for when you update Aadhaar, PAN, your passport, bank accounts and certificates. Updating your records
Download FAQs
How do I download my Gazette of India name change notification?
On egazette.gov.in, choose Search Gazette, then Search by Gazette Category. Set the category to Weekly and Part & Section to Part IV, enter Saturday dates, download each issue and press Ctrl + F to find your name. Save the whole PDF.
Is a downloaded gazette valid without a stamp or signature?
Yes. The Department of Publication’s guidelines state that the downloaded gazette needs no further certification from the Department. Printed copies stopped from 1 October 2015.
How long after I apply will my name appear in the gazette?
There’s no official timeline. A complete application is sent to the Government of India Press and appears in a later Saturday issue of Part IV. Search week by week from the date your file reached the Department.
Can I search the gazette by my name?
You can try the Keyword field or Search by TEXT on egazette.gov.in. The Department’s recommended method is to download each weekly Part IV PDF and search inside it with Ctrl + F.
Can I get a printed or certified copy of my gazette?
No. The government stopped printing the Gazette on 1 October 2015 and asks applicants not to pay extra for a hard copy. The downloaded PDF is your copy and needs no certification.
Where can I download the gazette form for name change?
The Department of Publication publishes its change-of-name guidelines and specimen proformas on deptpub.gov.in, under Change of Name / Public Notices. Copy-ready versions of the proforma, undertaking, certificate and request letter are on our formats page.
Is a gazette notification mandatory for a name change?
It depends on the office. Some accept an affidavit with newspaper notices, while others ask for a gazette notification. Because the gazette is the government’s official public record, it is the most widely accepted proof of a new name.
Sources
- eGazette, Department of Publication (search screens checked 23 October 2026)
- Guidelines for change of name: adult, “Steps to search gazette” (PDF)
- Guidelines for change of name and gender (PDF)
More gazette name change guides
Gazette name change fees
Official ₹1,100 / ₹1,700 rates, Bharatkosh payment steps and the full cost.
Documents required
The official 7-document checklist plus extra papers for your situation.
Affidavit and templates
Copy-ready undertaking, specimen proforma, CD certificate and request letter.
Name change after marriage
When a marriage certificate is enough, and when you need the gazette.
Minor name change
How a parent changes a child’s name: ₹1,700 fee, documents and records.
The full process
The 6 steps of a gazette name change, from undertaking to download.
Get your gazette file right the first time
Send us your details on WhatsApp. We’ll tell you exactly which documents and fee apply to you, then prepare the file for you to sign and post.