Portugal - Change Your Name (Deed Poll)

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Procedure

Name change can be done at any Civil Registry Office, but requires authorization from the Central Registries.

One of the essential characteristics of the name is immutability, arrising from the interest in identifying people and the public and social function it performs, a principle that is not absolute.

There are situations in which the name changes as a result of the change in the status of the holder, in particular as regards the effects of subsequent establishment of membership, adoption, marriage, divorce, intercalation or suppression of links between the words that make up the name, by rectification of registration or by the adoption of the name initially intended by the interested parties, when the birth seat has been drawn up pending onomastic consultation on their admissibility.

In addition, the name fixed on the birth-register can only be changed through the special process of name change, and the legal competence for that authorization belongs to the conservator of the Central Registries who, however, exercises it within the strict limits of the rules fixed for the composition of the name. 

Change of name can be done through these steps

Step 1: write an application to the conservator stating the reason why you want to change your name. The application to the conservator of the Central Registers may be submitted directly to the Central Registry Office or through any civil registry office and the applicant's claim must be justified and the evidence that he wishes to provide must be stated. In the case of a change in the name of a minor, it must be requested by both parents, and one with the agreement of the other, even if there is parental responsibility regulated.
Step 2: Following the submission of the application, the civil registry database is consulted, so there is no need for civil registration certificates to be attached. However, if the interested party is over 16 years of age, he must submit an application for obtaining a certificate of criminal record, in accordance with the legal regime of criminal identification. By the conservator of the Central Registries can be ordered the steps he deems necessary.
Step 3: After obtaining the authorization of the conservator of the Central Registries, the change of name is entered in the civil registry by means of an endorsement in all acts related to the interested parties and their descendants, officially and gratuitously.
Step 4: Once this done, use your new name to update all your other documents.
Note

• You have 30 days to update the Citizen Card
  
• You must update the Citizen's Card until 30 days after registration of change of mention of sex and change of first name.
  
  

Updating your children's birth and CC records

• If the daughters are over 18, the update can be requested by the children.
• If the daughters are under 18 years of age, the birth registration is automatically updated by the civil registry office. The Citizen Card update is requested by the legal representatives.
  
  

Application from Abroad
If you are living in abroad,

• Check with the nearest Embassy near you if they offer online appointments before you visit them, if they do make an appointment online and schedule a date to visit them for the name changing application.
• Gather all the required documents and submit them to the embassy, who will act as an intermediate between you and the central registry office :

For example (See instructions below)

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Required Documents

• Citizen ID Number
• Certificate of Criminal Record
• Check with your embassy for additional documents

If you are 16 or 17 years old you need change your gender name:

• Submit a medical report.

• The medical report should attest only to the child's decision-making ability and informed willingness, without making references to diagnoses of gender identity. The report may be issued by any physician or psychologist, enrolled in the Ordinance of Physicians or Psychologists.

• To express their free and informed consent on the change of the mention of sex and forename in the presence of a conservator.

Office Locations & Contacts

Civil registry contacts

Civil registry offices

Embassies and missions of Portugal

Eligibility

You must have a strong reason for the need of changing your name.
This can be done if:

• You are of legal age
• Aged 16 and 17, through their legal representatives
• Under the scheme of the most accompanied, unless the court has declared that the person cannot make the change of the mention of gender and name.
• Minor can change their names through their parents

Fees

200 Euros.

Validity

• Names last forever or until changed

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

• You must update the Citizen's Card until 30 days after registration of change of mention of sex and change of first name.

Related Videos

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". 
	

Instructions

Change sex

1. Since 2011, the law provides for a process of gender change and a change of name. But in 2018 the law has been amended and there are new rules regarding the procedure to change the mention of sex in the civil registry and change the first name.
2. The procedure is allowed for Portuguese citizens of legal age who are not banned or disabled due to psychic anomaly (or that have not been prohibited under the new regime of the accompanied major, and whose gender identity does not correspond to gender attributed to the birth.
3. As for national citizens aged between 16 and 18, they can apply for the procedure, provided they do so through their legal representatives. However, it is mandatory to hold a hearing in person of the applicant before a conservator, in order to establish his express, free and informed consent. In addition to the application, you must also submit a report issued by a doctor or psychologist registered in the respective professional order, attesting to the ability to make informed decisions. 
4. According to the law, "no person may be required to provide evidence that he has undergone medical procedures, including sex reassignment surgery, sterilization or hormone therapy, as well as psychological and / or psychiatric treatment, as a basis for the decision ".
5. The application must be submitted to a civil registry conservatory, with the indication of the civil identification (citizen's card or identity card) and the proper name for which the person wants to be identified.It has a cost of 200 euros. It is also possible to ask for the new birth seat.
6. Within a maximum period of 8 working days from the date of submission of the application, the conservator shall make the endorsement and, if applicable, make a new birth seat. 
7. Whoever makes the change of mention of sex in the civil registry and changes the name is recognized in the identification documents with the name and gender in them.
   

Minors
When we talk about minors, it is both parents, and those who carry out parental responsibilities, to submit the application. This request should include the justification for the change, for example in cases of adoption or when maternity or paternity are only recognized after the name has been fixed. If the person concerned is 16 years of age or older, it is necessary to add an application for obtaining a criminal record.

Marriage Names after Divorce

• Maintaining a married name after divorce requires authorization from the former spouse, as the loss of married names is automatic in the divorce proceedings. If it refuses, it is possible to appeal to the court, presenting economic and social reasons. For example, the surname is in the business name by which it is known.
• The name can be changed without authorization when, when marrying, one adopts one or two of the spouses' surnames, when there is a loss of aliases for divorce or, in case of widowhood, it is up to the widower to keep or renounce the deceased surname.

Required Information

• Full names
• Age
• Gender
• Citizens ID Number

Need for the Document

• After you successfully change your name, you will need to use your new name in ratification of your other documents, like the passport, Insurance, in banks etc.

Information which might help

Sex and name change:

By Law 7/2011, of 15 March, it became possible to change gender and name on the birth registration without prior judicial process. The set procedure is the responsibility of the civil registry office.

Who can apply?

Entitled to require the Portuguese citizens, of legal age, that are not banned or by psychic and who have been diagnosed gender identity disorder anomaly.

Documents

• Interested the Application that necessarily must contain a statement of the civil identification number and the name with which it seeks to identify, in addition to other specific elements of the requirements.
• Report to prove the diagnosis of gender identity disorder, developed by a multidisciplinary clinical team of clinical sexology, which must be at least signed by a doctor and a psychologist.

Where require

The application may be submitted at any Civil Registry Office. Charge in cost

The procedure has a charge in cost of 200.

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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

External Links

• Civil Registry (IRN)
• Justice Department
• Justica
• GUID OF THE MOST ACCOMPANIED

Others

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.