• Obtain all necessary documents in applying for the change of name.
• Submit your application along with all other requirements.
• Once the new name or surname is accepted, you may proceed in registering your new name.

• A statutory declaration in the prescribed form made and subscribed by the applicant supporting his application.
• A copy of the newspaper in which the notice of intention was published in accordance with the law.
• The prescribed fee
• Any further evidence prescribed to be furnished in support of the application.

Registrar General
Fatima Arcade
Haile Sellaisie Road
P.O. Box 100
Blantyre
Malawi
Phone: +00265 1 624355

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs,
Capital Hill Circle,
Private Bag 333,
Capital City,
Lilongwe 3,
Malawi.
Telephone: +265 1 788 411
Fax: +265 1 788 332
Email: justice@justice.gov.mw

Municipalities

Every application shall be made to the Minister in the prescribed form and shall be forwarded to the Minister not less than two weeks and not more than two months after the date of the publication of the relevant notice of intention.

Explain the fees structure which is required for obtaining the certificate/document.

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Change of Names (Restriction) Act.pdf

Sample Application Forms

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

No person may apply for approval of a change of name under this Act if he;

• is less than twenty-one years of age;
• is an undischarged bankrupt; or
• has within the three years immediately preceding his application been convicted of an offence under any written law and sentenced therefor to imprisonment without the option of a fine for six months or more.

• Your name as listed on birth certificate or immigration or citizenship documents.
• The full name you are applying to change to (if you are changing your name).
• Date and place of birth
• Marital status and details
• Places of residence for last three months
• Address for Correspondence
• Reasons for the request for name change

If you are using, or wish to use, a name other than your registered name, there is no legal requirement that you formally change your name. It is, however, recommended that you change your name officially, both for identification and as evidence of your name change.

Name change generally refers to the legal act by a person of adopting a name different from their name at birth, marriage or adoption. The procedures and ease of a name change vary between jurisdictions.

When making any application, the applicant may seek approval for his wife or minor children to assume, use and be known by a name or names, as the case may be, other than those assumed or used by her or them, and by which she, or they, was or were ordinarily known on the respective operative dates applicable to them. Where any such applicant includes in the statutory declaration made and submitted under section 5 in support of his application particulars relating to, and undertakings on behalf of, any such wife or child, it shall not be necessary for any such wife or child to make, or file, any separate statutory declaration in support of the application in so far as it relates to her or him.

You may want to change your name because:

• You have just gotten married
• You have divorced
• You just want a change
• In case of adoption

The Malawi Judiciary

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs

Government of the Republic of Malawi

Ministries of the Government of the Republic of Malawi

When the Minister decides to grant any such application either in whole or in part he shall cause a separate notice in the prescribed form to be published in the Gazette in respect of each person to whom the application relates, and to whose change of name approval is granted, giving particulars of such approval.