How do I change my name with Nationwide?#
Nationwide gives two routes, and its form says it will update your information on all your accounts, so one change is enough.
- In a branch. Take proof of your name change into a branch and a member of staff updates your details. Bring the original or a certified copy, never a photocopy; the page mentions no appointment.
- By post. Complete the change of name form and send it with a certified copy of your proof to Nationwide Building Society, Swindon, SN38 1NW. Nationwide says it cannot accept original documents in the post or send originals back.
Nationwide's page offers no app or internet bank route; those change your address, phone number and email. With a deed poll a branch is simpler, because you show the deed and your ID themselves, while the post needs a certified copy of each. Virgin Money's business transferred to Nationwide on 2 April 2026, but it keeps its own name, and Nationwide says customers of both must tell Virgin Money separately. Nationwide's contact page lists the ways to reach it.
What does Nationwide ask to see?#
One document from its list, as the original or a certified copy, depending on why your name changed.
| What you are changing | What Nationwide asks for |
|---|---|
| Your surname, after marriage or civil partnership | The certificate, on paper: Nationwide cannot accept the new digital marriage certificates |
| Your surname, after divorce or dissolution | A paper decree absolute or dissolution order, a conditional order ending a civil partnership or, in Scotland, an extract decree |
| Your name, by deed poll | An enrolled deed poll on its own, or an unenrolled one with one more item of name ID |
| Any of your forenames | A deed poll or statutory declaration, the form says |
| Your title, Mx included, or your gender | Nothing |
The adult lists also accept a statutory declaration, court order, adoption or birth certificate, passport, photocard driving licence, national identity card, or a change of name recorded by the registrars of Scotland or Northern Ireland. A new title brings a reissued card or chequebook. Mx can be set on an existing account, though Nationwide says not every account can yet be opened with it and that a title may revert while it updates its systems; if it does, ask again. Mx and other gender-neutral titles covers other organisations.
Nationwide's identity page and The Mortgage Works both say their ID requirements change on Monday 5 October 2026. The change of name page has no such notice, but check its lists after that date.
An unenrolled deed poll needs one more item of ID#
This is Nationwide's own rule, and it matters because the deed polls we draft are unenrolled. An enrolled deed poll is accepted by itself, an unenrolled one only "plus one other original item of name ID", which Nationwide says can be in your previous or your new name: a photocard driving licence, a passport or an EEA identity card, for example.
So you need not update your passport or licence first: take the one you have, in your old name, with the deed poll. By post, send certified copies of both; Nationwide wants only a certified copy of a passport, licence or identity card in the post. For a new first name it adds nothing beyond the form's rule: a deed poll or statutory declaration.
Do I need a new passport first?#
No, and Nationwide can help you get it. With a deed poll, HM Passport Office and DVLA each want one document showing the new name in use, and both accept a bank statement issued in the last 12 months (HM Passport Office for applications made in the UK); DVLA also takes your new passport number. A Nationwide statement in your new name serves for both; HM Passport Office and DVLA have the steps.
Sending the form by post#
The form, IF12, is not for anyone under 13 or for accounts an adult manages; those changes are made in a branch. It asks for:
- your details as Nationwide holds them, with one account number, and your new title, forenames and surname;
- the reason for the change, with the matching document;
- your country of birth, nationality and tax residency;
- your old and new signatures, under a declaration that you will use only your new name in your future dealings with the Society.
Use black ink and block capitals, and do not cross out sections you leave blank. Nationwide describes a certified copy as one signed by an authorised person who has seen the original and can confirm it is accurate, without saying who that may be; what is a certified copy? explains, and we certify copies of the deed polls we draft. Nationwide may still contact you after a postal request, and gives no processing time.
Cards, PINs and joint accounts#
Cards and chequebooks follow within 10 working days of Nationwide processing the change, though some messages may use your old name for a short time. They show your title, initials and surname unless you tick the form's box for your forename, and your existing PINs keep working. On a joint account, the form warns that the other holder, or a party such as a trustee, may see your new name on statements, and asks you to say before sending it if you are not happy with that.
Changing the name on a Nationwide mortgage#
A Nationwide mortgage is one of your accounts, so the form or branch visit updates it too, as it does a Nationwide credit card; neither has a separate route in Nationwide's help pages. A name is not among the changes Mortgage Manager, in the app and internet bank, offers. These are separate:
- A buy-to-let mortgage with The Mortgage Works, Nationwide's buy-to-let lender. Its page asks for your mortgage number, your old and new signatures, and certified copies of your passport or driving licence and of your deed poll or marriage certificate, posted to The Mortgage Works, Northampton Administration Centre, Kings Park Road, Moulton Park, Northampton, NN3 6NW.
- Adding a husband, wife or partner. That is a change of borrower, with a £125 fee, a credit check and affordability assessment on all applicants, and a solicitor.
- The property's title. See changing your name with HM Land Registry.
- Life insurance, investments and home insurance. Nationwide's contact details page says partners provide these and need your new details too: Legal & General, Aegon and your home insurer.
Changing a child's name#
For a child, an unenrolled deed poll is enough on its own. Nationwide wants the original or a certified copy, never a photocopy, of a deed poll, enrolled or not; a statutory declaration sworn or notarised by someone empowered to take oaths, usually a solicitor, or, if not notarised, with an extra item of name ID; a court order with a case number and the court's seal; or an adoption certificate with the birth certificate. Go to a branch for a child under 13. Changing a child's name explains who must agree, and for every other bank, changing your name with your bank compares how they work.
Questions people ask
Can I change my name with Nationwide online or in the app?
Not according to its change of name page, which offers a branch or the post. The app and the internet bank change your address, phone number and email address, and a name is not among the changes Mortgage Manager lets you make.
Does Nationwide accept a deed poll?
Yes. It accepts an enrolled deed poll on its own, and an unenrolled deed poll with one other item of name ID, such as a passport or photocard driving licence, in your old or your new name. For a child, an unenrolled deed poll is enough by itself.
Can I change my name at Nationwide after marriage?
Yes, with your marriage or civil partnership certificate: the original or a certified copy in a branch, a certified copy by post. Nationwide says it cannot accept the new digital marriage certificates, so wait for the paper one. A new forename needs a deed poll or statutory declaration instead.
How do I change my name on my Nationwide mortgage?
The same way as on your other accounts, because the change of name form updates all of them. Only a buy-to-let mortgage with The Mortgage Works has a process of its own, by post to its office in Northampton.
I have changed my name and my address. Is one form enough?
No. The change of name form says that if your address or contact details have changed as well, you must also complete Nationwide's change of address form. Its contact details page adds that you can change your address in the app, the internet bank or a branch instead.
Something else? Ask us, and a person replies by email, normally the same working day.
