Parents change a child's name for all sorts of reasons. A name that never suited. A Chinese or English name added later. A surname changing after a marriage, a divorce, or an adoption. Whatever the reason, the process depends almost entirely on one thing: how old your child is.
If your child is under 12 months, read this first
This is the part worth knowing before you pay anyone for anything.
For a child born in Singapore who is under one year old, and whose name has not been altered before, you can apply to ICA to alter the name in the birth register directly. This is not a deed poll. It changes the birth certificate itself, which is something a deed poll can never do.
| Alteration fee | New digital birth certificate | Processing time |
|---|---|---|
| S$33, non-refundable | S$18 | Three working days, if all documents are in |
Three conditions have to be met: your child was born in Singapore, your child is under one year old, and your child's name has not been altered before. Only a parent or legal guardian may apply, and you will need a letter of consent signed by the other parent named on the birth certificate, or a court order giving you sole authority to change the child's particulars.
The birth register can be altered once. If the name has been altered before, this route is closed and a deed poll is the way forward, even if your child is still under one.
The same applies the moment your child turns one. There is no discretion and no extension, so if you are close to the first birthday and thinking about it, do not sit on it.
We would rather tell you this than sell you a deed poll you do not need. If your child is under 12 months and meets the conditions above, go to ICA directly.
If your child is 12 months or older, you need a deed poll
Once the birth register route closes, a deed poll is how a child's name is changed in Singapore. The child does not sign it. The parents or legal guardians execute it on the child's behalf, in the presence of a practising lawyer, and it takes effect on signing.
This holds all the way up to 21. At 21 your child is an adult for this purpose and executes their own deed poll without your involvement.
Both parents normally have to sign
This is the single most common reason a child's name change stalls, so it is worth being clear about.
The default position is that both birth parents consent and both sign. ICA's own guidance on changing a minor's particulars says the same thing: both birth parents' consent must be sought.
There are recognised exceptions. Only one parent signs where:
- The birth certificate names only one parent
- A court order empowers one parent to change the child's particulars unilaterally
- The other parent has died and did not appoint a legal guardian for the child
If you are relying on a court order, we will need a copy of it, including any interim judgment, before the deed poll is prepared. Bring it to us early rather than at the signing, because it determines who needs to be in the room.
A deed poll cannot solve this on its own. Where one parent objects and there is no court order, the route runs through the family court rather than through us. Speak to us anyway. We can tell you quickly whether what you have is enough, which is usually cheaper than finding out at the signing.
What you will need
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Child's birth certificate | Proves the relationship. If it is not in English, an official translation is needed alongside the original. |
| Child's NRIC | Only if your child is 15 or older and has one. |
| Both parents' NRIC or passport | Or the legal guardians', as applicable. |
| Court order | Only where one parent is signing alone under a court order. |
You upload photos or scans during the online application. Bring the originals to the signing appointment, whether that is in person or by video call, because they have to be sighted.
What it costs
The same as an adult deed poll. There is no premium for a minor.
| Option | Fee |
|---|---|
| In-person signing at our office | S$50 |
| Virtual signing by video call | S$100 |
The virtual option matters more for families than it does for most adults. If the two parents are not in the same place, or one is overseas, a video signing is often the only practical way to get both signatures onto one document without a lot of travel.
After signing: what to update depends on your child's age
Here the path forks, because children in Singapore do not hold an identity card until they are 15. Citizens and permanent residents register for their first IC when they reach 15, before their sixteenth birthday.
If your child is 15 or older
They already have an NRIC, so it is replaced the same way an adult's is. The application goes through ICA's e-Service, the fee is S$60, and processing takes about seven working days. From there the change flows on to agencies that follow the national registry.
If your child is under 15
There is no NRIC to replace yet. The deed poll and the birth certificate together are what prove the change, and you present them to whoever needs to know: the school, the doctor, insurers, and anyone holding a record in your child's name.
When your child does register for their first IC at 15, the deed poll is part of what establishes the name that goes on it. Keep it safe until then, and after.
Either way, the passport
A child's passport is not amended. You apply for a new one carrying the new name, at S$70 online or S$80 over the counter. Allow up to four weeks rather than the usual one to two, because applications involving a change of principal name or surname take longer to process.
The birth certificate does not change
For any child over 12 months, this is the thing parents find hardest to accept, so it is worth saying plainly: the birth certificate records the name registered at birth, and a deed poll does not rewrite it.
That is not a defect. The birth certificate is a record of an event on a date, not a statement of your child's current name. The deed poll is the document that connects the two, which is exactly why it needs to be kept with the birth certificate rather than filed away separately. Schools, universities, embassies, and employers will ask for both together, sometimes twenty years from now.
A realistic timeline
- Day 0. Both parents sign the deed poll in front of a lawyer. The new name is legally effective immediately.
- Days 1 to 2. If your child is 15 or over, submit the NRIC replacement to ICA.
- Around week 2. New NRIC issued, where applicable.
- Weeks 2 to 6. New passport, allowing for the longer name-change processing time.
- Any time after signing. School, doctor, insurers. These do not depend on the NRIC and can be done straight away.
Change your child's name from S$50
We prepare the deed poll, a practising lawyer at JCP Law LLC witnesses it, and both parents can sign together in person or by video call. Tell us about your situation first if a court order is involved.
Fees and processing times quoted above are ICA's published figures at the date of last update. Agencies change them from time to time, so check ICA's own site before you apply. This guide is general information about the process, not legal advice on your circumstances. Name changes involving custody disputes, adoption, or a parent who will not consent turn on their own facts, so speak to us.