How do I change my registered name to my assumed name on my official documents after I have transitioned?

The long answer

You will have to start with applying for a Name Change/Gender Marker from the Department of Home Affairs. 

Bre True 2 Me says that “Any person whose sexual characteristics have been altered by surgical or through medical treatment resulting in gender reassignment may apply to the Director General of the National Department of Home Affairs …” (Section 1 of Act 49) to change their gender marker and or names.

1. You do NOT have to have had surgery to do a gender marker or name change.

2. The key term to take note of here is “gender reassignment” which is defined in the legislation as:

“… gender reassignment means a process which is undertaken for the purpose of reassigning a person’s sex by changing physiological or other sexual characteristics, and includes any part of such a process …”

• You complete Form DHA-85 for changing forenames and B1-536/B1-24 for gender markers.

• You will receive a new identity number which means that you have a new legal persona. 

• You must obtain and keep safe the letter from the DHA/Government Gazette that links your old ID with the new one. 

• Hold onto the original old certificates as you will still need them.

To change your name or surname on your matric certificate (National Senior Certificate) after a legal name change in South Africa, you must submit a "Re-issue of a certificate" application to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) or a Provincial Education Department (PED).

You must submit the following documents and items to the Department of Education:

• Original Matric Certificate: You must return your original certificate to be cancelled and replaced.

• Affidavit (Sworn Statement): A detailed, sworn statement (affidavit) from a police station explaining the reason for the alteration (e.g., legal name change).

• Certified Copies of IDs: Certified copies of both your old ID and your new ID.

• Proof of Legal Name Change: An official letter from the Department of Home Affairs confirming that your name/surname has been legally altered in the Population Register.

• Birth Certificate: A copy of your birth certificate or a similar document (e.g., baptismal certificate, school report) that confirms your date of birth.

• Application Form: The completed Re-issue of Certificate application form (available at PED offices or the DBE website).

• Proof of Payment: A postal order or payment receipt for the prescribed administrative fee. (This was R170 until 31 March 2025.)

You can apply in person at the nearest PED or DBE office, or by posting the documents to Private Bag X895, Pretoria, 0001. You can also request a Statement of Results to serve as an interim record while waiting for the new certificate. The process should take four to six weeks.

To change your name on university degrees, you should contact the registrar or alumni office of your university, as policies vary. Quora says that universities in South Africa generally refuse to reissue degree certificates showing a new surname after a legal name change, because of a combination of legal, regulatory, quality-assurance, records-integrity, and fraud-prevention obligation.

These are some practical alternatives that universities may use:

• Issue a replacement certificate in original name, plus:

• An official university letter/certified copy noting the legal name change (on letterhead, with signature and seal).

• A transcript showing the original name with a stamped annotation recording the new name.

You will need to provide:

• A certified copy of your new ID

• A certified copy of the Government Gazette where the name change was published.

• A letter from the Department of Home Affairs.

If the university is unwilling to update records, a sworn affidavit explaining the change in name and linking it to your previous qualification is generally acceptable.

If you are registered with professional bodies (e.g., SACE, SAICA, SABPP), they will require the same documentation. 

Here is a summary checklist:

• DHA: Change name and get updated ID.

• DHA: Request a letter linking old and new ID.

• Umalusi/DBE: Apply to update Matric Certificate.

• University: Update Alumni/Student records.

• Professional Bodies: Update certificates/registration

Wishing you the best,
Athalie