1. Gather documents that prove your current legal name

You must send proof of your current legal name when you apply to change your name.

The documents you need depend on where you were born.

Born in Canada 

If you were born in Ontario, you must submit:

• all original birth certificates that you have, and
• all certified copies of your birth registration, which is also called a long form birth certificate.

If you were born in Canada but outside Ontario, you must submit either:

• an original birth certificate, or
• a certified copy of your birth registration.

If you were born in Canada but do not have a birth certificate, you must order one from the province or territory you were born in. If you were born in Ontario, you can order your birth certificate online.

Born outside Canada

You must include documents that show your legal name before you lived in Ontario. This can be either a photocopy of:

• your original birth certificate, or
• a certified copy of your birth registration from your country of birth.

If you cannot get a photocopy of your birth certificate issued by the country where you were born, you can send a signed letter explaining:

• why you could not get a photocopy of your birth certificate, and
• what you did to try to get it.

You must also include photocopies of one of the following:

• your Canadian Record of Immigrant Landing
• both sides of your Canadian permanent resident card
• both sides of your Canadian citizenship certificate or card

If you still have it, include a photocopy of the passport you used to enter Canada.

Differences between identity documents

If your name, date of birth, or place of birth are different between your identity documents, you must send:

• other documents that match the information to prove your identity, and
• a letter explaining in detail where, when, and how the information was changed on each document and what supporting documents were used to make the changes.