Change your legal name at university

If your legal name has changed, you can easily request an update on the University’s systems.

How to change your name

Provide one of the following documents to your Faculty Office, either in person or by email (we accept scanned copies):

• Passport or National Identity Card
• Driving licence
• A marriage certificate or divorce decree absolute
• Deed poll
• Statutory declaration
• Police report
• Birth certificate
• Evidence of a title change such as a PhD certificate (for example, when changing your title to Dr).

To help us verify your request, you must also provide:

• Your student number
• Date of birth
• First line of your address and postcode

International students

If you have a student visa, you must also report your name change to UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI). The name on University records must match the one held by UKVI.

If you need help updating your visa records, contact the Student Visa Advisers at student-visas@bristol.ac.uk.

If you need to update your name in your home country (e.g. on your passport), you must follow your country’s process. Your Embassy or High Commission may be able to help you.

Update external organisations

Make sure that you inform relevant funding bodies, like the Student Loans Company. If your university and funding records don't match, it could affect your ability to get funding.

Add a preferred forename

If you want to add a preferred forename to your student account, update your details in Student Info.

This does not mean you have formally changed your name. Your original name is still visible to staff, but they can see that you prefer to use a different name.

Change your preferred name in the SU database

You can update your preferred name on the SU website in two ways:

• When you first log in, you’ll be prompted to confirm your details and can update your preferred name there.
• If you’ve already set up an SU account, sign in and hover over your name. Click ‘Your Account/Profile’, then ‘My Details’. Scroll down and select ‘My data is incorrect’, which opens an email window. Use this to enter your student email and the changes you’d like to make.

Get a new UCard

UCards are available from Security Services in Royal Fort Lodge.

If you need a new UCard because the details on your card do not match your student record, you will not be charged a replacement fee. 

You can also have your UCard reissued with your preferred forename once you have changed it in Student Info. 

There is no need to pre-order your UCard, the whole process only takes a few minutes to complete.

Add an alias university email address

Students have a default email address of username@bristol.ac.uk. You can set one additional alias address. This will become your default 'send from' address automatically.

Outlook only allows people to create one alias address themselves. If you already have an alias address and would like to change it to match your new name, you can delete your old alias and/or request a new one. To do this, contact IT Services.

Change your title

To change your title on your student record, or to remove it entirely, email your Faculty Office. You do not need to provide any formal documentation. You can choose to remove your title entirely if you prefer.

Update your legal sex

The University does not hold data on a student’s gender identity as distinct from legal sex and it is not currently possible to record this distinction in your student record.

To request a change of sex in your student record, submit a written request to your Faculty Office. You will need to provide the following evidence, confirming your legal sex:

• Passport or National Identity Card, or
• Birth certificate

The University will not ask you to provide a Gender Recognition Certificate or any proof of your medical history.

International students

If you hold a visa and have changed or will be changing your legal sex on your student record, contact student-visa-advice@bristol.ac.uk.

Record your gender identity

If you wish to record your transgender identity on your student record, respond 'no' to the following question on your student record during registration each year:

Gender identity
Is your gender identity the same as the gender you were originally assigned at birth (Yes/No/prefer not to say).

You can change your answer to this question at any time by submitting a written request to your Faculty Office.

Change your name in your staff record (for students employed by the University)

If you have worked for the University, your staff record name will replace your student record name in Outlook and Office 365.

To update your preferred or legal name in your staff record, contact HR. For legal name changes, you’ll need to provide one of the documents listed in the Change your legal name section.

Employment includes roles such as internships, open day ambassadors, or part-time teaching contracts, which are most common for PGR students.