Legal or primary name
Your legal or primary name is the name you use on official documentation. It's the name we will use on your testamur once your graduate and any formal documentation you receive from the university.
You will need to update your name with the University if you something changes, for example, you want to be known by your married name.
How to update your legal or primary name
Students must submit all requests for name changes in writing and include the following in the description of your request:
- Eight (8) digit student number
- Full name
- Description of request (e.g., Change of Name).
Required documentation
Legal documentation must be attached to the email to support the requested change.
Depending on the type of request, additional documentation may be required.
See the following list of acceptable documentation to see what documentation is required for your request.
Acceptable legal documentation
- Birth Certificate
- Issued by a Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (RBDM)
- Commemorative birth certificates and birth extracts are not acceptable.
- Marriage Certificate
- Issued by a Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (RBDM)
- Verified overseas equivalent
- A commemorative certificate of marriage is not acceptable.
- Divorce Certificate
- Issued by Family Law Court
- Australian Citizenship Certificate
- Change of Name Certificate
- Issued by a Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages (RBDM)
- Current Passport
- Civil Union Certificate or other legal documents supplied as part of a name matching request with the Australian Taxation Office
Your driver's licence is not considered a legal document for this purpose.
Required Documentation for Request
| Change of name request | Documentation required |
|---|---|
| Incorrect spelling of first / middle / surname | One legal document |
| Adding an additional middle name | One legal document |
| Expanding an initial to the full word, e.g. John M. Citizen > John Michael Citizen | One legal document |
| Amending the order of first / middle / surname, e.g. John Michael Citizen > Michael John Citizen | One legal document |
| Marriage - where student taking spouse's surname after marriage | Marriage Certificate (issued by a RBDM) or overseas equivalent |
| Marriage - where student wishes to hyphenate combination of two surnames, e.g. Smith-Jones | Marriage Certificate (issued by a RBDM) or overseas equivalent - this permits the recording of a combination of the two surnames listed on the marriage certificate with hyphens or Change of Name Certificate (issued by a RBDM) |
| Marriage - where student wishes to double-barrel surnames, e.g. Smith Jones (no hyphenation) | Marriage Certificate (issued by a RBDM) or overseas equivalent - this permits the recording of a combination of the two surnames listed on the marriage certificate without hyphens |
| Revert back to maiden name | Birth Certificate Commemorative birth certificate and birth extracts are not acceptable |
| Divorce | Divorce Certificate (issued by Family Law Court) |
| Gender related changes | Change of Name Certificate (issued by a RBDM) |
| Change to given first / middle / surname, e.g. John Citizen, James Citizen > John Woodstock | Change of Name Certificate (issued by a RBDM), Birth Certificate Commemorative birth certificate and birth extracts are not acceptable |
| A wholly new name | Change of Name Certificate (issued by a RBDM) |
| Graduation name changes | One legal document |
If you are an international student, you must, in the first instance, use your current passport to verify your full name and date of birth with Charles Sturt University.
If you are residing offshore and do not have a current passport from your country of citizenship, you can use government-issued national identity papers to verify your full name and date of birth.