How to register a name change

An Italian citizen who wishes to change their first name or surname may submit a request to the Prefect of their last place of residence in Italy or of the municipality where their birth certificate was registered, pursuant to Articles 89 and following of DPR no. 396 of 3/11/2000. The request must outline the reasons for the application and be accompanied by supporting documentation.

Please note that such requests are considered exceptional and are only admitted in the presence of objectively significant circumstances, backed by substantial, well-documented reasons.

The application must be written personally by the applicant.

Italian citizens residing in the consular district and registered with AIRE who wish to submit their application through the Consular Office of the Embassy of Italy in Hanoi must book an appointment by emailing: consolare.hanoi@esteri.it

The procedure for changing one’s name or surname through the Consular Office includes the following steps:

1. Submission by the applicant, in Italian, using the appropriate form, accompanied by a valid identity document and supporting documentation;
2. Forwarding the application by the Consular Office to the competent Prefecture in Italy, which may request additional documents (e.g., criminal record certificates from the place of residence);
3. If the Prefect considers the application eligible for evaluation, issuance of a Decree authorizing the publication of a summary notice of the request;
4. Publication of the notice in the Consular Office’s public register (Albo Consolare) for thirty consecutive days, as required by Article 90 of DPR 396/2000;
5. Notification to the Prefecture that the publication has taken place;
6. Receipt of the Prefect’s Decree authorizing the name or surname change;
7. Delivery of the Final Decree to the applicant;
8. The applicant must then request that the Municipality of birth registers and annotates the Final Decree;
9. The applicant must then request the issuance of new identity documents (passport, ID card, tax code, etc.) with the new name or surname.

Minor Child

In the case of a request to change the first name or surname of a minor, both parents must appear in person at the Consular Office of the Embassy of Italy in Hanoi after booking an appointment via email at consolare.hanoi@esteri.it, bringing the following documents:

• Completed application form, signed by both parents;
• Passports of both parents and the minor;
• A joint affidavit (click here) in which both parents express written consent to the change of the minor’s name or surname.

Important Notes:

The overall duration of this procedure depends on the processing time of the competent Prefecture in Italy.

The decree will become effective only after it has been registered and annotated in the official records of the Municipality.

The Consular Office of the Embassy of Italy in Hanoi will proceed with changes only after receiving confirmation from the Municipality that the registration has taken place.

Once the name and/or surname change is registered by the Municipality, all previously issued documents will become invalid, even if they are still valid in terms of expiration date.
The passport and identity card bearing the old name must be returned, and new documents must be issued.

Anyone who has an Italian tax code issued with the old name must obtain a new one reflecting their updated personal data.